Deaf community to gather in Denton for convention

After a three-year pandemic pause, one of the largest convention organizations in the world has once again chosen Denton to host its global three-day event, the 2023 “Exercise Patience!” Convention. Members of Deaf communities from 10 different states will travel to Denton County where the convention program will be presented completely in American Sign Language.

Prior to 2019, summers in North Texas were marked by Jehovah’s Witnesses filling hotels and restaurants as they attended their annual conventions at the Denton Assembly Hall. In 2020, the pandemic interrupted that tradition when the Witnesses canceled their in-person events throughout the world and held their convention programs as virtual events in more than 500 languages. On Friday, August 18, the Witnesses will bring that tradition back to North Texas.

“The virtual conventions we had during the pandemic were a real blessing. However, because of the visual, and even tactile, nature of communication for deaf and deaf-blind persons, nothing can truly replace an in-person convention,” said JD Dellinger, spokesmen for Jehovah’s Witnesses. “And since the entire program is presented directly in sign language, rather than interpreted from a spoken language, everyone who attends can enjoy the various talks and videos in the language of their heart.”

Some 6,000 conventions will be held worldwide as part of the 2023 “Exercise Patience!” Convention series. In the United States and Puerto Rico, 10 sign language conventions will be held in 10 different host cities. From Friday through Sunday, six convention sessions will explore the quality of patience, highlighting its modern-day relevance through Scriptural examples. A live baptism will be performed following the Saturday morning session and a prerecorded drama will be featured in two parts during the Saturday and Sunday afternoon sessions.

“Patience is such a wonderful quality. All Christians want to be patient with our family and friends, coworkers, and other members of our community,” said Dellinger. “But sometimes, despite our best efforts, we’re not as patient as we’d like to be. Spending three days delving into the many facets of patience will certainly help each of us to be more patient.”

The convention is open to the public and no collection is taken. For more information on the program or to find other convention locations and dates, click here.

(Submitted by Jehovah’s Witnesses)