Detroit International Convention, June 6-8 - IS the public invited?

by Faithful Witness 24 Replies latest jw experiences

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  Faithful Witness

  My mom was worrying out loud, about inviting the "public" to this event.

  She told me they were announcing that people were not booking their hotels fast enough, and "we don't want to make the JW's look bad!"

  She told me about a promotional video they all watched, full of propaganda about the Ford Field House and all the arrangements that had been made for transportation and parking, and the city of Detroit.

  When I asked her about it on her last visit, she said that they had been handing out invitations.

  I just posed the question, on another thread, wondering why I have not yet been invited to this event. Where is my usual flyer in the door, like we got for the Memorial? The answer I received, was that only certain JW's are appointed to go. My mom told me they were expecting 45,000 people... *or less*, based on the reports she was relaying from the big office in the sky.

  Who is invited? Is it a secret, or could someone from the public walk in the door?

  I asked my mom, will they allow people into the Field House, if they do not have one of those little badges? She said, "of course! Anyway, you can tell when people are associated with 'The Witnesses.' "
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  kneehighmiah

  Public is invited. The tradition invitation/busy work campaign will take place.
• 

  LoisLane looking for Superman

  Anyone can go in. Anyone.

  When they talk about being a "delegate" to an International Convention, they are talking about planning this a year ago, to state what foreign country you want to go to, etc. Some in the USA mainland applied last year to be International Delegates to Hawaii. Too many wanted to go so the overflow group, are invited to, I believe Detroit or maybe it was to Atlanta, or Houston, Texas.

  Those who applied to be Int'l delegates, representing WT, had to meet a strict criteria. But if you were accepted, and paid the price, you don't have to bring your lunch. They will provide a brown bag lunch for you. They will also pick you up at your hotel by bus and will return you to your hotel at the end of the day.

  LL
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  Crazyguy

  yes there will be another major tract campaign and all the public will be invited, of course no one will go except the JW's but hey theres always next year.
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  steve2

  It will be interesting to see what the total attendance is, given the huge distances many witnesses will need to travel to get there.I read on other threads that witnesses were murmuring about the organization's insistence that the Detroit convention was the required venue even though for many it was several hundred kilometres away and there were no closer ones.
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  KateWild

  The public are always invited. They are invited to the weekly meetings too, the service meeting, thoecratic ministry school, public talk, WT study. What they're not invited to is of interest though. Not invited to elders meetings, and the elders school. This is why it's a cult. There is a shrowd of secrecy, there is no transparency and lots of lies.

  Kate xx
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  Ignoranceisbliss

  There is actually two conventions at ford field. First one is in June. The second in July. You could live in the territory of a hall that is going to the second. We are going in June. i have heard there is going to be 500 busses. We were pretty much told to go on a bus due to a lack of parking. Disabled parking is at cobo arena which is five miles away so people will have to drive there and then get bussed to the arena. I'm hoping for total chaos!
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  Faithful Witness

  Thanks for your replies. Do they divide the groups geographically, or would they purposely split them apart?

  The territory that neighbors where my house is located (literally by about 1/4 mile), is going in June. Wouldn't it make sense, that Jehovah would want family and friends to go together?

  It would be easier for the people (I know, that is not a matter of consideration), and it would curb their temptations to share the new materials they get. How will you resist showing off your new books and publications, when you see your family and friends, weeks before they get the same new publications?

  KateWild: What they're not invited to is of interest though.

  Kate: BINGO! - It's a cult.
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  sir82

  That's funny.

  There is a letter being read to the congregations this week, telling the JWs NOT to attend an international convention if they are not assigned to it.

  Apparently irony is completely lost on JWs.

  They are distributing literally millions of invitations for these conventions to people who don't want to go, and they are telling the handful of people who do want to go, stay away!
• 

  Incognito

  Faithful Witness said: Do they divide the groups geographically, or would they purposely split them apart?

  The W/T operates with little regard to member’s convenience, finances or what is logical or efficient.

  I recognised this especially when congregations were assigned to conventions 300-400 miles away when there were other conventions only ~100 miles away. At times, there were congregations located East of us which were assigned to a convention West of us whereas we were assigned to the farther easterly convention.

  This highly contradicts the lame excuse of high gas prices stated when the weekly local book studies were stopped from being held in JW homes a few years back.

  I believe the frequent reassignment of congregations to CAs (now Regional Assemblies) & DCs is due to:

  • To appear the organization is progressive and is expanding at a rate which requires constant re-organization.
  • As so many JWs are leaving, faithful attendees will not recognize that JWs they normally expect to see at each CA/DC, are not there as they are no longer attending. Attendees would assume that whoever was not seen, were assigned to a different circuit or district assembly.