Serena Williams baptised

[Adam!]

Probably not in the best forum category, but am hearing reports (multiple) that Serena Williams, the retired tennis player, was baptised on Saturday at the West Palm Beach assembly hall in Florida.

 

Anyone here able to confirm and verify?

 

 

Edited January 8, 2023 by Brother_Bliss
Removed tons of white space

[Joey]

*

 

Edited January 8, 2023 by Kitty

[Tortuga]

https://jwtalk.net/topic/52953-is-serena-williams-a-jehovah-witness/?do=findComment&comment=911653

[navco]

https://www.facebook.com/watch?ref=search&v=876508430133138&external_log_id=f68068d5-ea28-43c6-8289-fe9da07dce09&q=serena williams jehovah witness

[Esined]

7 hours ago, navco said:

https://www.facebook.com/watch?ref=search&v=876508430133138&external_log_id=f68068d5-ea28-43c6-8289-fe9da07dce09&q=serena williams jehovah witness

Geez, I wonder if she gave permission for that video to be posted on social media. Baptism is a “public declaration” but it’s also personal and I wouldn’t want random people sharing my baptism video. Also, she is still a tennis player by practice or profession, even if she retired or is about to!

[New World Explorer]

3 hours ago, Esined said:

I wonder if she gave permission for that video to be posted on social media. Baptism is a “public declaration” but it’s also personal and I wouldn’t want random people sharing my baptism video.

Probably no permission was given, however this is the "price" of being famous.

Every step is monitored and spread on a social media. (just or not just, that's how the cookie crumbles)

 

Imagine Facebook and Instagram, Twitter if Barrack Obama got baptized! Or Will Smith was attending meetings and  accepted a Bible study? 

 

[Tortuga]

51 minutes ago, New World Explorer said:

Will Smith was attending meetings and  accepted a Bible study? 

Will Smith: "Keep Satans name out of your mouth!"

[Esined]

1 hour ago, New World Explorer said:

4 hours ago, Esined said:

 

Probably no permission was given, however this is the "price" of being famous.

Every step is monitored and spread on a social media. (just or not just, that's how the cookie crumbles)

 

Imagine Facebook and Instagram, Twitter if Barrack Obama got baptized! Or Will Smith was attending meetings and  accepted a Bible study? 

Yes, but that social media account is supposedly run by a brother (? But who knows). I would think a witness would know to respect the dignity of the occasion and know better than to share any specific sister or brother’s baptism just because they are famous for their secular work. Just my opinion! 

[New World Explorer]

16 minutes ago, Esined said:

Yes, but that social media account is supposedly run by a brother (? But who knows). I would think a witness would know to respect the dignity of the occasion and know better than to share any specific sister or brother’s baptism just because they are famous for their secular work. Just my opinion! 

I completely agree with you, but at the same time reality is that not everybody asks permission to post something on Facebook. 

some are very respectful, some they go with the 'flow" so to speak (that's all I am saying) 

Once I saw photo of myself that someone posted without my permission, I asked them to remove it. They did. 

To my close friends I told not to post any photos that includes me. 

I think it is illegal to post someone's photos without permission, but I would have to check on that  (not sure 100%) 

[Esined]

 

1 hour ago, New World Explorer said:

I completely agree with you, but at the same time reality is that not everybody asks permission to post something on Facebook. 

some are very respectful, some they go with the 'flow" so to speak (that's all I am saying) 

Yes of course! And I’m not criticizing anyone who is posting or sharing about it here, it’s a much smaller audience in a somewhat more “controlled” environment, relatively speaking, even though anything here can be public. I don’t know, it just hits me wrong that anyone’s baptism could be recorded at a convention and then shared on Facebook and re-shared thousands of times. But who knows, maybe it turns out to be one of those things that gives a good witness.  🤷🏻‍♀️

 

[Luigi62]

7 hours ago, Tortuga said:

Will Smith: "Keep Satans name out of your mouth!"

 

Sorry i was trying to think of the movie it was from. 

 

But i got it now.

[Dages]

23 minutes ago, Luigi62 said:

 

Sorry i was trying to think of the movie it was from. 

 

But i got it now.

Which one then?

[Luisabola]

It says something that out of the thousands of brothers and sisters who were in attendance, and realised who she was, only 1 or maybe 2 shared the baptism on the internet. 

[Witness1970]

It seems Serena Williams has gone back and forth.  A decade ago she said she would marry only in the lord, so that she would not be unevenly yoked.  Years later, I heard she was living with her boyfriend and had a child out of wedlock.  (I don't usually mention things like this, but on this forum I will.)

 

I haven't heard much recently until this post.  

[Esined]

Well, she was baptized this weekend, so you know what that means to Jehovah, right? 😊

[Miss Bea]

I’ve seen this plastered over FB. I thought, “This hasn’t been thought through”. If true, she’s our new sister, and, wonderful. Beyond that, I just don’t know. 
I think she should have been left alone. That might have reduced, “Serena Williams”, as she goes out in the ministry. 
Plus, I thought about others that were baptized at the same time. Their baptism is a big deal too!  
One day, we will, “Get a grip”! 
(I’m having visions of poor Moses, or Abraham being, um, “hounded”, by one’s in the new system.) 

Yes, we will, “Get a grip”. One day….

[Foxes53]

This system is fascinated by famous people and what is going on in their lives. We should avoid getting into that type of thinking.

Serena is just another imperfect person that apparently wants to serve Jehovah.

Avoid wanting to know everything that is going on in her life.

[Tortuga]

9 minutes ago, Foxes53 said:

This system is fascinated by famous people and what is going on in their lives. We should avoid getting into that type of thinking.

Serena is just another imperfect person that apparently wants to serve Jehovah.

Avoid wanting to know everything that is going on in her life.

She joins thousands that have made the same decision and may have overcome extremely difficult issues to get baptized. Everyone one of them is precious to Jehovah.

[Pink Butterflies]

30 minutes ago, Foxes53 said:

This system is fascinated by famous people and what is going on in their lives. We should avoid getting into that type of thinking.

Serena is just another imperfect person that apparently wants to serve Jehovah.

Avoid wanting to know everything that is going on in her life.

I get what you’re saying but to me, Noah an Job are famous.  I’d love to know how it felt when that door closed an the rain started. Were Noah’s boys bullied by the nephilim? If they ever give their life experience I’d hang on to and want to know every detail. But that’s just me 🤗

[Pink Butterflies]

3 hours ago, Witness1970 said:

It seems Serena Williams has gone back and forth.  A decade ago she said she would marry only in the lord, so that she would not be unevenly yoked.  Years later, I heard she was living with her boyfriend and had a child out of wedlock.  (I don't usually mention things like this, but on this forum I will.)

 

I haven't heard much recently until this post.  

No different than others who come out of the world or where raised an left. Just happy to see anyone make a dedication to Jehovah. The fact she a public figure is even better because it puts light ultimately on Jehovah. Also she reach / preach people us ordinary folks would never have access to. 

[Floyd]

18 minutes ago, Pink Butterflies said:

I get what you’re saying but to me, Noah an Job are famous.  I’d love to know how it felt when that door closed an the rain started. Were Noah’s boys bullied by the nephilim? If they ever give their life experience I’d hang on to and want to know every detail. But that’s just me 🤗

 

Job wasn't on the ark. 😀

[Doug]

There's a funny story about Michael Jackson.  His brother-in-law was an elder in my congregation, Nathaniel (Nate) Brown, married to Rebbie.

 

So, in the 1980's, after the Thriller album, Nate was helping Michael to get out in service.  They knocked on a door and a young lady answered but wasn't interested.  But she was wearing a Michael Jackson Tee shirt    .

[JVincent]

I saw a picture of her being baptized. The person (Sun UK) that included this picture in his "rant," despises Jehovah's people. He ridicules, lies and shows utter contempt for us. I only researched this because many in my FS group have emailed the picture to others. Please, I beg you to give prayerful consideration to your choice. Thank you for allowing me to comment.

[Sofia]

10 hours ago, Dages said:

Which one then?

The 2022 Oscar Ward Ceremony 

[Hope]

6 hours ago, Miss Bea said:

I’ve seen this plastered over FB. I thought, “This hasn’t been thought through”. If true, she’s our new sister, and, wonderful. Beyond that, I just don’t know. 
I think she should have been left alone. That might have reduced, “Serena Williams”, as she goes out in the ministry. 
Plus, I thought about others that were baptized at the same time. Their baptism is a big deal too!  
One day, we will, “Get a grip”! 
(I’m having visions of poor Moses, or Abraham being, um, “hounded”, by one’s in the new system.) 

Yes, we will, “Get a grip”. One day….

They way we hear every other person saying they can't wait to meet all the men and women of old in the new world, I believe it will be quite the same situation.  :shrug: