TAMPA, Fla — After a two and half year hiatus, Jehovah’s Witnesses have returned to door-to-door ministry.
As soon as the pandemic hit door knocking, a crucial practice for Witnesses came to a screeching halt.
"I've been a Witness for almost 50 years now. And never, ever have we had to do that before," Ivan Fernandez, a local spokesman for Jehovah's Witnesses, said.
Much like everyone else in 2020, Ivan Fernandez struggled with what to do next.
"It was quite a big, big change for us, and we had to make a mental adjustment," Fernandez explained.
According to the Associated Press, the Christian denomination ended all public meetings at its 13,000 congregations nationwide, a move not even done during the Spanish Flu Pandemic.
While a drastic change and a worry for Fernandez, he said the impact didn’t hold much weight.
"In the last two years, approximately 400,000 have been baptized as Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide, which has been quite an increase," Fernandez added.
Fernandez said the ministry continued by phone, writing letters and conducting virtual bible study.
"There's nothing like that personal contact, and we're really excited about going back to that," he explained.
He said they made the decision to suspend door knocking based on bible principles and collectively agreed to restart one of its most cherished beliefs on September 1, nearly two and a half years later.
"It was sort of like getting back on a bike again. But it was, it was a wonderful feeling," Fernandez said.
And while knocking on a stranger's door comes with its share of anxiety, Fernandez celebrates life’s simple rewards.
"Actually, on my first door, nobody opened — what a pleasure to just be outside in the fresh air. Speaking with a person face to face," Fernandez explained.
With more than 200 congregations in the Tampa Bay Area, the nearly 25,000 Witnesses practice door-to-door ministry around three times a week.
"It's very rewarding. You know, you know that you're imitating Christ, Jesus Christ cared for others, tried to communicate a positive message of God's kingdom to others as a solution to all of humankind's problems," Fernandez added.
