Jehovah's Witnesses prepare Ford Center for district convention (Evansville Indiana)

[Brother_Bliss]

Jehovah's Witnesses prepare Ford Center for district convention

Convention to be spread over two weekends

By Max Roll

Posted June 14, 2012 at 7:38 p.m.

EVANSVILLE — Friday marks the start of a new era for Evansville's largest annual convention when over the next two weekends some 9,000 Jehovah's Witnesses from Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois descend upon the Ford Center for the first time. The annual meetings were held previously at Roberts Stadium.

But before the service can start, the arena must be swept, and that's exactly what hundreds of faithful followers were doing Thursday.

"Excuse me, brother, while I scooch by," one man said to another passing by to sweep a new section of chairs.

Armed with brooms, dustpans, mops, buckets and trash bags, members of all ages got on their hands and knees and scoured through the stands and corridors, trying to remove every speck of dirt and making an already tidy arena spotless.

"Everybody comes to work," said Paul Huts, a 70-year-old retired carpenter and Jehovah's Witness for 40 years. "We come to clean the facility so that our brothers can have the very best."

Huts delegated chores to other members, organizing a top-to-bottom sweep of the arena seating that included wiping down chairs and dusting off railings. As a de facto leader, he nominated Sheila Cornelius the "picker-upper," in charge of gathering trash as they moved from row to row.

Cornelius, a Rockport, Ind., resident and also a 40-year member in the faith, is used to the task of preparing a neat presentation for the flock, having done so for 30 years.

She complimented the Ford Center on its cleanliness and recalled the convention in years past at Roberts Stadium and how it belonged in the category of "places that need more cleaning than others."

"We want everything to be clean," she said. "They're coming in their nice clothes, and we want everything as clean as we can make it before they come."

The convention comprises two separate meetings this weekend and the following weekend. Evansville's meetings are among 385 conventions in 103 cities throughout the U.S., which 1.7 million people will attend from now until mid-September. New York City is home to the governing body of Jehovah's Witnesses, which plans all national conventions.

National conventions all share the same message in the program, which this year is entitled "Safeguard Your Heart!" Examination of biblical references to the figurative meaning of the word "heart," mentioned more than 1,000 times, through discourse, Bible readings and presentations will attempt enhance followers' faith. The convention will also feature a live play and a pool on the floor of the arena for baptism.

"It's what really motivates us to do things," said Larry Messina, the convention's news service overseer. "If we can train our figurative heart to do things that is pleasing to God, that is certainly going to be beneficial to everyone."

Most of the general public knows Jehovah's Witnesses for their door-to-door preaching and literature distribution, but when 4,500 of them arrive in Evansville each of the next two weekends, their presence is most likely to be noticed in area restaurants. Wearing their convention badges and formal attire, they're easily recognizable by those in the restaurant industry.

"We mark our calendar every year for them," said Cindy Reitz, a manager of 14 years at Gerst Bavarian Haus restaurant. "We've had them for years now, and they've become one of our favorite conventions to come to town."

Reitz said the Jehovah's Witnesses typically arrive in groups of eight to 20 people and are very polite and patient when asked to wait. The restaurant, which seats around 150 in its dining area, staffs an extra 10 percent of its 40 employees as well as 10 percent of its food to prepare for convention weekends. Typically busy on weekends anyway, the restaurant sees about an hour waiting period around 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Bob Warren, executive director with the Evansville Convention and Visitor's Bureau, said through hotel bookings, restaurant outings, sightseeing and shopping, the convention generates more than $2.9 million in direct expenditures for Evansville and Vanderburgh County. Since 2004, the convention has contributed more than $30 million to the local economy.

Article Source: http://www.courierpress.com/news/2012/jun/14/no-headline---ev_jehovah/