All articles tagged with #jehovahs witnesses
During the 2025 Deaflympics in Tokyo, Jehovah’s Witnesses organized a sign-language preaching campaign, engaging deaf athletes and spectators from around the world through literature displays and conversations in sign language, successfully spreading their message and making meaningful connections.
Georgiy Nikulin was released from a Russian prison after serving his sentence, while his wife Yelena remains incarcerated and is scheduled for release in August 2026. Georgiy, a Jehovah's Witness, was imprisoned for his faith, and he expressed pride and confidence in his beliefs during his court appearance. His family remains hopeful and steadfast in their faith during this challenging time.
The article discusses how Jehovah's Witnesses support and provide resources for people who are blind or have low vision, emphasizing God's care and the biblical hope for the future where the blind will see. They offer accessible Bible publications in braille, large print, and audio, along with inclusive meetings and community support, demonstrating compassion and respect for individuals with visual impairments.
In Ukraine, two Jehovah's Witness brothers, Mykhailo Liubchenko and Roman Kvik, were imprisoned in late 2025 for refusing military service, bringing the total to 11. Another brother, Andrii Khomenko, was also sentenced to three years, despite legal dissent highlighting the unnecessity of prosecuting conscientious objectors. Many others face potential prosecution and abuse, with the community praying for their strength and loyalty to their faith.
Jehovah’s Witnesses have been active in Mozambique for 100 years, starting with Albino Mhelembe in 1925. Despite facing severe persecution from the 1940s to the 1970s, they persisted in their preaching work. Legal recognition in 1991 marked a turning point, leading to significant growth, with over 109,000 members now actively sharing the Bible’s message in nearly 30 languages across the country.
In 2025, construction workers in Lörrach, Germany, discovered over 100 pieces of hidden Bible literature from the 1930s, revealing the courageous efforts of the Denz family who risked their lives to smuggle religious materials into Nazi Germany, enduring arrest and imprisonment while maintaining their faith.
Rebecca I. Frambach, a dedicated Jehovah's Witness and volunteer, passed away peacefully at 56, leaving a legacy of faith, service, and love, with memorial services scheduled in Willow Creek.
An elderly Italian Jehovah's Witnesses couple and their son, who were kidnapped by jihadists in Mali in May 2022, have been released and are in good health, with their domestic worker's fate unclear. Italy's intelligence agency and foreign ministry, with the help of community leaders and Mali's intelligence agencies, secured their release. The family had been living in an area heavily infiltrated by jihadists, and the kidnappings were carried out by a faction linked to an al-Qaeda affiliate. Mali has been plagued by insurgency, with jihadists frequently kidnapping foreign nationals for ransom or to demand the release of fellow fighters.
Jehovah's Witnesses have ended the century-old practice of requiring adherents to report the number of hours they spend on proselytizing activities. The hours-reporting requirement was seen as a measure of a congregation's spiritual vitality and a factor in leadership decisions. The change was announced by the denomination's Governing Body, stating that their ministry involves more than counting time. Former adherents speculate that declining ministry hours, particularly during the pandemic, may have prompted the change. The removal of the requirement applies to rank-and-file adherents, while those in more extensive service will continue to record their hours. The organization also revised its interpretation of biblical prophecies about the end times, stating that nonbelievers might still accept the truth and be saved even during the Great Tribulation.
The deputy minister of Information Technology in India is being investigated by police in Kerala for allegedly inciting religious hatred on social media following bomb blasts at a Jehovah's Witnesses convention. The attack, which killed three people and injured 50, targeted the Christian-based religious movement in the southern state. A man claiming responsibility for the attack was arrested, accusing the group of being anti-national. The deputy minister, Rajeev Chandrashekhar, condemned the blast on social media and accused Kerala's ruling Communist party of appeasing radical organizations like Hamas. Kerala's chief minister accused Chandrashekhar's Hindu nationalist party of trying to destabilize the state.
The death toll from the blast at a prayer meeting in Kerala, India, has risen to three after a 12-year-old girl died from burn injuries. Over 2,000 people were gathered for the Jehovah's Witness meeting when the explosion occurred. The girl, who had severe burns covering 95% of her body, was among the over 50 people injured in the blast. A man claiming responsibility for the attack has surrendered to the police, but the motive remains unknown. Authorities have launched an investigation, and federal investigative agencies have been deployed to assist.
Indian police are investigating a bomb explosion at a convention center in Kerala state during a Jehovah's Witnesses prayer meeting, which killed one woman and injured dozens. A man has surrendered and is being questioned by the police. The incident occurred during a three-day event attended by over 2,000 people. Preliminary investigation suggests the use of an improvised explosive device. The police are treating the incident seriously and have appointed a special investigations team. The National Security Guard is also sending a team to investigate.
An explosion at a Jehovah's Witnesses prayer meeting in the southern Indian state of Kerala has killed one person and injured at least 36. The blast occurred at a convention center in the town of Kalamassery, where hundreds of followers had gathered for Sunday prayer. Authorities are investigating the incident as an improvised explosive device (IED) blast and are determined to find those responsible. Jehovah's Witnesses is a Christian denomination known for its non-violence and political neutrality. The group has faced persecution in various parts of the world, including Russia and Germany.
An explosive device detonated at a convention center in southern India, killing one person and injuring 36 others during a prayer session attended by Jehovah's Witnesses. The blast caused a fire inside the building, and the wounded were taken to the hospital for treatment. Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.
A Butler County man, Shaun Sheffer, has been charged with sexually assaulting a young family member over a five-year period, becoming the third man from Butler County to be charged in an ongoing statewide grand jury investigation into child sexual abuse within the Jehovah's Witnesses religious organization. The victim, now 35 years old, testified that Sheffer raped her 50 to 75 times until she was 12 years old. Authorities were able to identify the victim through records from the Zelionople Jehovah's Witnesses congregation, which had documented its own investigation into Sheffer's conduct. Sheffer is currently free on bond and will face a preliminary hearing on July 18. Pennsylvania's attorney general emphasized the importance of seeking justice for victims and vowed to continue investigating and prosecuting those who harm the most vulnerable in society.