Do you remember when JW's would advertise their Sunday talks in the paper?

by moshe 8 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  moshe

  I got involved with with the Witnesses in 1971. Some of the local Kingdom Halls would place a small notice in the paper about the upcoming Sunday talk- Bro. so&so from Chicago will give the lecture on "how to recognize the true religion", etc. A general invite to all was given and a phone number to call for info and a "FREE Bible study!" They placed bigger adv for the visit of the circuit overseers. Funny, after 1975, I don't remember this being done any more.

  Does anyone remember their KH doing this?

  peace,

  Moshe
• 

  garybuss

  I don't remember newspaper ads, but I remember the handbills printed up with the name of the talk and the speaker's initials and last name. These were standard equipment in the book sales bag. I stood on dirty street corners with a printed cardboard poster front and back tied to me with butcher's string, handing out mass printed handbills advertising the public lectures.
  
  All irrelevant and forgotten now, like today's Witnesses best efforts will be in another 50 years. :-)
  
  
  
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  blondie

  I seen that online. Just put "jehovah's" in Google News and it pops up.

  http://www.thetimesherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060204/NEWS01/602040313/1002

  Jehovah's Witnesses

  PORT HURON TWP.- Mike Kiczak of St. Clair will be he speaker at 12:30 pm. Sunday in the Jehovah's Witnesses Kingdom Hall, 2761 Yeager St. For details, call (810) 985-5546.
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  moshe

  Gary, I remember that, too. And when the C.O. came they went to a lot of trouble to tell the community , special handbills were ordered from the society just to announce his royal hynie's visit- so much wasted time.

  Moshe
• 

  blindersoff

  Yes. I was responsible to go the newspaper with the info.

  B
• 

  LDH

  We had a huge supply of these paper bills to distribute in Service, in the 70's and early 80's.
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  TMS

  With respect to the handbills for the individual public talk: As a young Congregation Servant in the 60's, I got a kick out of ordering these. My wife used to save and tape the ones with my name on them in our family albums (long since discarded). Use of handbills was almost ludicrous for a small congregation of 40 or 50.

  A small story: When my wife and I were sent to a small congregation in Arkansas, I had some difficulty finding speakers. Many of the congregations had their schedules already fixed for several months. In near desperation I approached the CO in the black congregation in Hot Springs. His name was Brother Lowe. He graciously sent us a dozen speakers in a row. I ordered the handbills and invited each speaker to share with us in field service Sunday morning before the afternoon talk. Most complied. We went to a small black community just out of town and introduced them to the speaker for the day. Our attendance for several weeks was more than double the average.

  When the circuit overseer came, he was stunned at our attendance records, especially since his talks were not nearly so well attended. When I explained our method of operation, he wanted to go into the same area Sunday morning and visit the folk. No one from that area came to his talk. LOL!

  tms
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  mustang

  Oh, heck YES!!!

  My dad used to get "handbills" that were not "committed" and rubber stamp them by hand; he would line up the public speaker (CO on Sunday or such) and rent a public hall (typically some "animal lodge").

  I had seen "brothers" standing on streets with "sandwich signs" at assemblies in the distant past, too. We didn't do that, thank god; but I'm not sure how we escaped that.

  But you are right, that seemed to stop in about the early 60's or perhaps before, if memory serves right.

  Now since my last meeting was 1974, I can't answer beyond that.

  "While we're at it", I remember Assemblies having "PR Servants". (Public Relations, that is.) do they still have those?

  Mustang
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  FairMind

  I remember when the Meeting Times and Local KH information would be listed in the news paper along with all of the churches in the religious section. They don't do that any more either.