Working With Jehovah's Witnesses

Parale · July 27, 2023

Note: This video was scheduled to be viewed and discussed at the Midweek Meeting w/c 31 July 2023, but it has now been replaced by the 2023 Governing Body Update # 5 (For the transcript of the 2023 GB Update #5 go here )

Published 16 March 2020

https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/activities/construction/working-with-jehovahs-witnesses/

TRANSCRIPT: Working With Jehovah's Witnesses

Working With Jehovah's Witnesses

Britain Branch Office Relocation Project

Chelmsford, United Kingdom

Interviews with:

· Daniel Wilson, Van Elle Limited (pilings)

· Dean Brazier, Contour Roofing (Essex) Limited (roofing)

· Ivailo Vasilev, JMC Drywall Limited (drywall installation)

· Jonathan Woods, Contour Roofing (Essex) Limited (roofing)

· Keith Seaton, Balco Balcony Systems Limited (architectural metalwork)

· Nathan Van Loggenberg, HPC Frames Limited (reinforced concrete frames)

· Owen James, E J Taylor and Sons Limited (groundworks}

· Peter Bridge, Alloy Fabweld Limited (architectural metalwork)

· Richard Hunter, Kilwaughter Minerals Limited (coloured renders)

· Richard Melton, SDM Fabrication Limited (steelwork and cladding)

· Scott Paterson, Contour Roofing (Essex) Limited (roofing)

· Shaun Pledger, Alloy Fabweld Limited (architectural metalwork)

· Stephen Hill, E J Taylor and Sons Limited (groundworks}

· Tony McGann, HPC Frames Limited (reinforced concrete frames)

Richard Melton: We’ve been working on the project almost 12 months now. I had a limited knowledge of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Occasionally, they knock on the door.

Shaun Pledger: We only see one small part of you when you’re coming around the streets and you’re knocking on doors.

Dean Brazier: I didn’t even know they did these sorts of projects. Then I’ve learned that they’ve been all over the world doing these, the same sort of things. I’ve never been on a site that’s as well-run as this one. The cleanliness of the actual site is, you know, impeccable.

Richard Hunter: It seems a very, very well-organised site.

Tony McGann: The planning of the whole thing... the walkways, the routes in and out — it’s all been exemplary.

Peter Bridge: It’s been an experience — a good one, I might add. It’s opened my eyes to a lot of different ways of working.

Richard Hunter[?]: When I found out that most of the people on this site were volunteers, I was quite amazed.

Stephen Hill: It was very clear that Watchtower put so much time into their people in terms of bringing them on, putting the skills in, and making them capable of doing the job that they wanted to do. And that training and that time, it was just superb to see.

Nathan Van Loggenberg: And this fellow sitting next to me, when I explained to him, you know, with volunteers were working here, he didn’t believe me. And everyone we speak to, there’s just no chance they would believe us as to what we see and what we experience — which has been good.

Daniel Wilson: You’ve got ladies driving diggers and big dumpers. And it’s not very often you see that.

Richard Melton: Construction is still a male-dominated environment, but to actually come on-site and see the number of women that are actually operating the plant and actually involved in the cold-face construction, it’s fantastic.

Shaun Pledger: Because it proves that they’re able to do as good a job and — walking around this site, I’m going to be honest with you — probably a better job in many instances.

Jonathan Woods: It’s amazing how everyone is just really nice and just seems so relaxed and are just genuinely really, really, nice people.

Stephen Hill: You always got a 'Hello.' You always got a 'Goodbye.' You always were asked how you were doing.

Ivailo Vasilev: When you go back home, you feel different. You don’t have that feeling — that stress — on top of you.

Shaun Pledger: We came here the first time, and it was almost - to my mind - like a film set. Everyone seemed happy all the time, and it didn’t seem possible that it could happen.

Peter Bridge: Yeah, and it’s just continued for the last — what? — eight months, nine months I've have been here.

Shaun Pledger: And it’s always happy, and no one can fake that.

Jonathan Woods: It’s great to see people that are just really positive about everything, which in a negative, sometimes, society when you pick up the papers and look at the news — it’s just when you come here — it’s just — it puts a smile on your face.

Keith Seaton: It’s just been a warmer, friendlier experience. All the health and safety, the briefings — they’re all still done.

Shaun Pledger: How can you build so fast and so accurately with such quality, though? And that’s what’s blown our minds. Most of the people on-site don’t have the skills when they first come here, and they’re doing work as good as some of our guys who’ve probably been employed six or seven years.

Richard Hunter: The communication has been fantastic.

Richard Melton[?]: It’s a two-way conversation when problems arise; it’s not always a fight over money. It’s just working with each other.

Daniel Wilson: There’s not an argument over everything. If something is not right, you work together to get over the problem.

Owen James: To see everyone here together all striving for the same goal is fantastic.

Jonathan Woods: I think what’s made it great for us, working with Watchtower, is that everything they want to do, they want to do it right. And they do everything with passion and energy, and it’s something that we like to do ourselves, as well.

Nathan Van Loggenberg: Built The Gherkin in the city; built Wembley Stadium — big projects, big status — and we’ve pretty much seen the cusp of other professionals out there. You would not know the difference.

Stephen Hill: And being volunteer and nonprofitable - I would say - it’s been absolutely incredible to see, really.

Ivailo Vasilev: We’ve learned how to work together with other people on-site; we’ve learned how to work with people that haven’t been in construction before.

Nathan Van Loggenberg: Just keeping it honest and straightforward sort of solves a lot of problems. We wish it would be like that everywhere else, because, you know, it’s not, it's unheard of, really.

Shaun Pledger: We’ve learned more on this site than we’ve learned on any site about working with each other, probably in 23 years.

Scott Paterson: I’ve had an enjoyable experience working with Jehovah’s Witnesses. If there was a chance to come up with another project, I’d definitely be more than willing to want to get involved.

Daniel Wilson: I wish all sites could be like this because my life would be a lot easier.

Peter Bridge: You need to get people to come to this site; there would be a definite difference in the way people perceive Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Jonathan Woods: It’s certainly opened and broadened my mind to what Jehovah’s Witnesses do.

Shaun Pledger: And what’s changed my opinion of your organisation most is you do exactly what you preach, and I mean exactly: you’re friendly, you’re forthright, you’re very truthful.

Dean Brazier: I’ve never been on any other projects like this, not at all.

Jonathan Woods: I just wish all construction sites were like that. It would be a nicer place to live and work.

Parale · July 27, 2023

Reposted, as there seems to be an issue with 'dark-mode'