The Buckingham Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses will return to full operation in early March as more than 1,600 attend the first in-person religious conference held there in nearly three years, driving an economic boost to the community.
Shannon O’Reilly, director of sales and marketing for a hotel management company with properties near the assembly hall, said the group usually comes at a time when the hotel has a need for visitors. “We are very excited to be working with Jehovah’s Witnesses again,” said O’Reilly. “They are transparent and diligent, and their group blocks always fill up.”
“We plan to hold events almost every weekend of 2023 at our Pennsylvania assembly hall sites,” said Kyle Teague, local spokesperson for Jehovah’s Witnesses. “At this location, we anticipate upwards of 29,000 visitors attending more than 50 events.”
“Making a proactive nationwide decision to close our houses of worship to in-person events protected both our congregants and our communities,” said Robert Hendriks, U.S. spokesperson for Jehovah’s Witnesses. “However, our in-person assemblies and conventions are a highlight of our annual calendar and an important part of our worship. We are excited to be back.”
Local Jehovah’s Witnesses are also eager to return to Buckingham. Douglas Crist of Milford, New Jersey, looks forward to the Bible lectures and video presentations, but also to seeing old friends and making new ones.
“It’s a spiritual event beyond compare,” said Crist, who plans to attend one of the summer conventions with his wife, daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren. “It allows us to meet new friends and expand our spiritual family.”
The Christian denomination now operates 45 assembly halls across the United States, including three in Pennsylvania. While many of these assembly halls are also used for annual three-day conventions during the summer months, the Witnesses generally contract with private and public arenas and convention centers like the Liacouras Center at Temple University in Philadelphia, Santander Arena in Reading and the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre to accommodate more attendees from a wider geographic region.
Entry at all events is always free. Details can be found on the organization’s official website, jw.org.
David Stein lives in Warminster and serves in a public information capacity with Jehovah’s Witnesses, which spearheaded the drafting of this piece.
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