The Irish 2012 Special Convention was recently held at the Citywest Hotel complex in Dublin, and was attended by Governing Body member Anthony Morris III. The event, which received coverage in the local media, was organized predominantly for the benefit of Irish Jehovah’s Witnesses, who saw their local branch office put up for sale in 2011 as part of a global downsizing initiative.
The convention, one of seven “Special Conventions” to be held this year around the world, was attended by approximately 1,700 delegates from various countries. The Sunday attendance figure of 9,341 made it the largest ever convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Ireland.
In addition to paying a large sum of money for the privilege of attending, delegates from the UK were asked to apply only if they met the following stringent criteria:
- Must be 19 years of age or older
- Must have been baptized for 20 years or longer
- Must be an elder/servant, OR in full-time service, OR an “exemplary publisher”
- Children of those meeting the above criteria, provided they are between the ages of 12 and 18, are also “exemplary publishers”, and are still living at home
- Must be “in good health and not in need of the assistance of someone else, nor dependent on a wheelchair, an auxiliary oxygen supply, or similar health-related devices”
- Those with “severe obesity” or “serious sight or hearing limitations” to give “serious and prayerful consideration to their health limitations and personal safety before applying to become a delegate”.
Applications for delegate status were also conditional on booking a minimum seven-night package at the hotel where the event was organized. The convention itself lasted three days, with the remaining days both before and after allocated to theocratic activities and association. Delegates were taken on guided tours of Dublin City Centre, and treated to live Irish music and dancing in the conference suites.
Below, you can download mp3 files of the three talks given by Anthony Morris III between 13th and 15th of July, 2012.
- Do You Have a Heart for Working?
- Do Not Let Your Heart Become Terrified (Part 1)
- Do Not Let Your Heart Become Terrified (Part 2)
- Inculcate God’s Word In Little Hearts (Part 1)
- Inculcate God’s Word In Little Hearts (Part 2)
In his final talk at the Convention, Anthony Morris III introduced the controversial DVD “Become Jehovah’s Friend: Listen, Obey and Be Blessed” on which he himself appears (making introductory remarks on one of the menu features). As some of you will know, I have written an article explaining why I believe this DVD contains certain scenes that could potentially damage critical thinking skills in young children.
A video of Anthony Morris introducing the DVD can be seen below:
For more information on Anthony Morris III, or indeed the Governing Body in general, please read my blog article entitled “The Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses – Explained“.
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