On Christmas, Jehovah's Witnesses prefer to minister In Delaware, members of faith have grown to more than 3,000
By GARY SOULSMAN
Staff reporter
12/23/2003
Jonathan and Zezette Hardwick read books of the Jehovah's Witness faith Friday to their children Danielle (left), 8, and Lindsey, 5.
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Jehovah's Witnesses Jason Saracco and Cydney Rhodes go door to door in the community of Rutledge earlier this month.
Jonathan and Zezette Hardwick view Christmas as a wonderful day for door-to-door ministry, though they do not celebrate the holiday because their faith tells them it has pagan roots.
As Jehovah's Witnesses, the couple, who live in the York Farms community near Kirkwood, have found that people often greet them with a smile and accept their literature during the Christmas season.
"Lots of people are grateful for a chance to talk about the Bible," Jonathan Hardwick said.
On Christmas, look for the Hardwicks and many of the more than 3,000 Jehovah's Witnesses in Delaware - according to the denomination's U.S. headquarters in Brooklyn, N.Y. - to spend a few hours walking from house to house. This type of commitment is a reason the faith has grown by 33 percent in Delaware during the last 10 years.
This is a branch of Christianity begun in the 19th century as a Bible study movement. It has grown into a strong evangelical network with its own publishing center in Brooklyn, printing in 380 languages.
Today the faith is characterized by a central body that calls for unity and for able-bodied members to engage in study and ministry to prepare for the coming of Jesus. He is expected soon, to cleanse the Earth on behalf of the Old Testament god Jehovah.
"The best way to show your neighbor you care is to teach them about God," said longtime Witness Joseph A. Ross Sr. of Newark. "We find on Christmas that there are people glad to see us because they are lonely and dealing with depression."
For Jehovah's Witnesses, there is a biblical imperative not to celebrate Christmas, though most Christians think of the holiday as a time for gift giving and remembering Jesus. In this regard, 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 are important verses. The Apostle Paul said to draw distinctions between true and false worship.
Christmas is false worship to Jehovah's Witnesses, incorporated into Christianity centuries after the death of Jesus to win converts. In other words, Christmas was taken from a non-Christian holiday that has remained all too secular.
"We meet people all the time who say they would like to be Jehovah's Witnesses for this one day" because Christmas gets too commercial and it's hectic, said Yakime Brown of Bear.
But he added not everyone is happy to see Jehovah's Witnesses standing at the door. "I've heard: 'It's a holiday - don't you people ever give it a rest?' "
Jehovah's Witnesses often visit when they are likely to find people at home. They're looking for people who want to know more about the Bible.
Bible study is a pillar of the faith, like the door-to-door ministry that Jehovah's Witnesses say is patterned on the life of Jesus who taught from village to village. To be thorough in canvassing people, Jehovah's Witnesses divide Delaware among their 28 congregations that meet in buildings they call kingdom halls. Members of a congregation do their best to visit each home once a year, said Jason J. Saracco of Bear.
If new people express further interest, Jehovah's Witnesses return for weekly Bible study. Through this study, Jehovah's Witnesses also get involved in people's lives and help them with everything from drug abuse to cleaning the house.
The 32-year-old Brown said this caring made a difference for his family, helping him repair damage to his marriage caused by associating with questionable friends.
"I'm so grateful that I met someone who took a loving interest in my life," Brown said.
Experts say this personal interest is one reason the faith has one million members in the United States and has been growing by about 3 percent a year.
For Jehovah's Witnesses, such as Robin Saracco of Bear, home Bible study is a favorite part of ministry because of new friendships and the growth she gets to see in others.
A lot of time is invested
Jehovah's Witnesses are known for their ability to motivate the faithful.
"The growth of Jehovah's Witnesses isn't by accident," said Roger Finke, a sociologist at the University of Pennsylvania. "They invest large amounts of time in ministry."
They also keep extensive records. Jason Saracco said records show the average Jehovah's Witness spends 9 1/2 hours a month in ministry. During the first eight months of 2002, 265,469 new members were baptized.
"Members have been willing to sacrifice tremendously for what they believe," Finke said.
Typically, members also attend five weekly meetings for Bible study and training. In addition, families, such as the Hardwicks, have Bible study with their children at home.
Members say there is a great deal at stake. Jehovah's Witnesses believe the Earth as it is now is almost at an end.
Soon, they said, Jesus will lead angels in a decisive battle against the wicked to establish a thousand-year rule. At that time, the Garden of Eden will be re-established and the righteous will live in paradise. This is in addition to 144,000 people that Jehovah will name to live in a heavenly kingdom because of their purity.
Jehovah's Witnesses also believe that people who die in Armageddon will not be revived.
"We want people to live," Ross said. "People not living by God's word are in danger of losing their life."
Leadership has its critics
To prepare for Armageddon, Jehovah's Witnesses in nearly 96,000 congregations around the world read and discuss the same Bible essays each week at meetings.
For Zezette Hardwick, this shared teaching and discussion is rewarding for the unity and encouragement it creates.
Paul Conkin, professor emeritus of religious history at Vanderbilt University, said the faith evangelizes to all races and has been more successful than most denominations in blending races and nationalities.
But critics say the leadership has evolved into an authoritarian body that allows little freedom to interpret the Bible. According to Duane Magnani of Clayton, Calif., this authoritarianism stems from the denomination believing it is expressing the best reading of the Bible.
A former Witness who maintains a Web site ( www.witness inc.com) for people with questions about the faith, Magnani said members who don't agree with the leadership are sanctioned, in danger of being dropped from the faith.
That's because "we feel as an organization it is important to speak with unity," said J.R. Brown, a national spokesman.
He said people join Jehovah's Witnesses knowing expulsion is possible if they celebrate Christmas or live immorally. And, he said, it is sometimes necessary for Jehovah's Witnesses to stop associating with friends and relatives who no longer adhere to doctrine. It's the principle that one bad apple can spoil the bunch.
Other critics point to leaders' unfulfilled expectations - in 1914 and 1975 - that the reign of Jesus would overthrow earthly governments. Brown said the faith did not claim infallibility and that mistakes have been made.
Jehovah's Witness prohibitions on medical practices also have been debated. Christian author Ron Rhodes of Frisco, Texas, said at one time leaders viewed the Bible as prohibiting vaccinations and organ transplants. Those prohibitions have been lifted.
Brown said Jehovah's Witnesses modify their interpretation of Scripture as their understanding grows.
For critics such as Rhodes and Magnani, it's the doctrine that is questionable, not the everyday membership.
"The leadership sees a different God, a different Jesus and a different Bible from mainstream Christianity," Rhodes said. "But in congregations, you'll find plenty of kind, well-meaning people who are effective at what they do."
And this Christmas, many will be knocking on doors.
Reach Gary Soulsman at 324-2893 or [email protected].