Helping to cope with society's ills

Dealing with the stresses of life takes all the resources that many Americans can muster, and for area Jehovah's Witnesses it entailed attending a late June convention at the St. Charles Family Arena northwest of St. Louis.

Members of congregations in Cape Girardeau, Malden, Dexter, Jackson, Kennett and other communities were among the 9,000 people who took part, reported Tom Kelsey, an elder of the Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall at 1150 S. Silver Springs Road.

Some Southeast Missouri Witnesses may attend a second convention set Aug. 1 through 3 at the same location, but that event is more for those from Southern Illinois and north and west of St. Louis, Kelsey said.

"We live in a time that the Bible describes as critical, when it's hard to deal with the financial and emotional problems of the society we live in," he said. "These conventions, using the theme 'Keep Seeking First God's Kingdom,' are designed to help us cope with those things.

"Our convention was tied in through technology to other conventions, and we had live plays dealing with modern family situations. There were also plays with costumes from ancient times and Bible characters.

"Some people think God's kingdom is something in your heart, but we believe it is a real government that He will set up for His son Jesus Christ to administer," Kelsey said. "It will be a kingdom here on Earth that fulfills the purpose God originally had for the Earth, which Adam and Eve lost because they sinned.

"My hope is to live forever here in paradise on earth."

Kelsey said speakers in St. Charles included several from Southeast Missouri -- Jerry Griffiths of Poplar Bluff, Michael Laszewski of Sikeston and Dale Brumbaugh of Cape Girardeau.

He said Jehovah's Witnesses are best known for going from door to door to distribute their publications, Watchtower and Awake, but they also come to people's homes for free Bible studies.

"We're following the example of Jesus and his disciples," Kelsey said. "He didn't expect people to come to Him. He went to the people to preach the good news."

Tom Kelsey

Kelsey, a third-generation Witness, said Bible studies may be arranged by calling the Kingdom Hall at 573-335-1336. Other elders there are Earl Norman, Lloyd Hitt, Joe Richardson, Tom Quinn and Gerald Cox. The circuit overseer is David Jolley of Sikeston, who visits a different congregation each week.

Meetings are at 10 a.m. Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

"We are somewhat unusual in that we don't have a paid clergy," Kelsey said, explaining that congregations and Kingdom Halls are not called "churches."

"The elders give Bible talks, and the young ones do it.

"Nobody is untouched by the environment of our society, even locally with these random shootings."

He said the Jehovah's Witnesses, with nearly eight million members worldwide, are holding 193 conventions in 71 American cities this year. While they use the New World Translation of the Bible for meetings and conventions, Kelsey said, they are willing to use any translation for home studies.