Forest Conventions

In the late 1960’s, besides holding regular congregation meetings in private homes, Witnesses from the Śląsk Cieszyński area began to meet in larger groups in the forest during the summers. Shortly thereafter arrangements were made to prepare a convention program centrally, and these meetings, called forest conventions, were held throughout the country.

At first the authorities prosecuted the organizers and those who attended. But was there really any harm in what the Witnesses were doing? They were simply discussing God’s Word. As time passed, the officials grew accustomed to these assemblies of Jehovah’s people. They steadily grew in size. In the beginning, only a few dozen brothers came; by the 1970’s, there were usually hundreds.

In the late 1970’s, the program included a Bible drama and, oftentimes, arrangements for baptism. Microphones, loudspeakers, and tape recorders came into use. In some places these conventions took on a more normal character, being held at definite places prepared beforehand.

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A “forest convention” in 1981