New Kingdom Hall planned
Bradenton Herald, FL - 2 hours ago
... The word "Christian" has been added to Jehovah's Witnesses now because many people don't think Witnesses are Christian, Honorine Lowe said. ...
New Kingdom Hall planned
RICHARD DYMOND
Herald Staff Writer
MANATEE - Three local congregations of Jehovah's Christian Witnesses are hoping to be in a new Kingdom Hall by 2006.
The final site plan for a 5,267-square-foot Kingdom Hall, which would be located on about two acres at 2803 38th Ave E., is being reviewed by the county planning department, said Manny Hedgeman, a church elder.
The building will be worth roughly $2 million when completed and will be built totally by Jehovah's Christian Witnesses from southwest Florida, Hedgeman said.
The Braden River, Somerset Spanish and East Spanish congregations, all local, will use the new facility.
There are four Kingdom Halls in Manatee County serving about 12 congregations.
Jehovah's Christian Witnesses are best known for "witnessing," or going door-to-door telling about God while offering magazines and pamphlets about their faith.
But their services are also unique.
Along with songs and prayers, they have a talk by a different elder or visitor every Sunday, said Harold Lowe, 70, who, with his wife, Honorine, 86, have 125 combined years preaching about God door-to-door in Manatee County.
Jehovah's Christian Witnesses differ from other Christian faiths in that they believe that Jesus Christ was a perfect, sinless, man who was the first creation of God, Jehovah, and next in command after God, Harold Lowe said.
Many Christians, however, believe Christ is God, Lowe said.
"A lady once said to me when I knocked on her door, 'I don't want to talk to you. You don't believe in Jesus.' " Harold Lowe recalls. "I answered, 'That's not true. We believe that Jesus was God's first creation and he came to earth to do His Father's will.' "
The word "Christian" has been added to Jehovah's Witnesses now because many people don't think Witnesses are Christian, Honorine Lowe said.
"You should come to one of our meetings," Lowe said. "The sound of the pages of Bibles turning when one of the elders speak is like wind rustling leaves."
The history of the Witnesses in Manatee County dates back to around 1900 when a Captain Russell, who ran the ferry between Bradenton and Palmetto, created a Bible study, said James Sellers, 73, a long-time Witness.
Honorine Lowe's grandmother, Susan Miller, helped organize the first Kingdom Hall in downtown Bradenton, near the courthouse.
Miller's husband ran a sawmill on Lorraine Road, which was mostly woods in 1920, Lowe said.
"We are all united as Witnesses and study the same lessons," Honorine Lowe said. "There are no barriers of race, nationality, nothing. We all love our God, Jehovah, our Savior, Jesus, and our neighbors. We are a very loving group of people."
When a Kingdom Hall gets too crowded - as Braden River has gotten - a new Kingdom Hall is built, Hedgeman said.
"When we get close to 200, we start to look to split the congregations," Hedgeman said. "That's based on the Bible, which says there were about 120 Christians that were gathered at Pentecost in Jerusalem in the first century, waiting for Christ to send the Holy Spirit."
Sellers said Witnesses can better take care of each other in small groups.
"Each congregation has a group of older men and when people have domestic problems, financial problems, when people sink into depression, we try to look after them," Sellers said. "How can one pastor carry the work load?"
Kingdom Halls are designed to be practical. There are no visible symbols.
"We don't set out to be different," Hedgeman added. "What we set out to do is what Christ set up. We are based on the first century Christ. There is no salary for anyone, no collection plates passed. Jesus said you receive free and give free, don't charge for ministry."
Richard Dymond, Herald reporter, can be reached at 708-7917 or [email protected] .
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[Footnote from Danny Haszard: in the early 1980's i was admonished by an elder for introducing myself door to door as a Jehovah's CHRISTIAN Witness i thought this was appropriate (nice ring to it)
I have 48 years of JW exposure,now the last i heard (ca.1982) the Jehovah's Christian Witnesses were an 'apostate' group and they had a cong. two towns over in Braintree Massachusetts from where i lived in Massachusetts.
They were listed in the phone book as Jehovah's Christian Witnesses
I believe David Reed was the pastor there,so is this 'new light' or am i out of the loop.