Witnesses skilled at rebuilding quickly
Saturday, September 10, 2005 By DAVID BERGENGREN [email protected]
NORTHAMPTON - As the floodwaters begin to recede in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, thousands of Jehovah's Witnesses from around the country are expected to donate their time and construction skills to the massive rebuilding effort.
The central focus for these volunteers will be on rebuilding damaged or destroyed Kingdom Halls, which serve congregations in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast, and the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in the region. But as they typically do in helping to rebuild after natural disasters, the volunteers are likely to expand that focus to other neighbors in need, area church officials said in interviews this week at the Kingdom Hall on Bridge Road.
"We help our fellow brothers and sisters, but we also help others," said Steve S. Burnham, presiding overseer of a Westfield congregation that is having its own Kingdom Hall, which was destroyed by arson in 2003, rebuilt by volunteers this month.
Such was the case, said Robert P. Nicoll, presiding overseer at one of Northampton's two congregations, when Nicoll's 19-year-old son went to Florida to help rebuild after Hurricane Andrew in 1992.
His son helped replace roofs on Kingdom Halls there, as well as on neighboring homes, Nicoll said.
Responding to natural disasters has become a regular part of what Jehovah's Witnesses do, Burnham said.
"We still have volunteers helping from last year's hurricanes in Florida," he said.
"There's a spiritual value to (all) this," Burnham said, picking up a Bible and pointing to Psalms, Chapter 127, Verse 1, which reads, "Unless Jehovah Himself builds the house, It is to no avail that its builders have worked hard on it."
Starting in 1982, when volunteers built a Kingdom Hall in Cambridge, Vt., in a single weekend, Jehovah's Witnesses have developed a quick and efficient way of building or rebuilding Kingdom Halls and homes throughout the world.
The method, sometimes compared to a traditional "barn raising," now calls for hundreds of volunteers working during two weekends. Many of the volunteers are typically skilled building trades workers, such as electricians and plumbers.
Since November 1999, approximately 7,730 Kingdom Halls have been built in this fashion worldwide.
The Jehovah Witnesses' 90 regional building committees across the nation are taking the lead in organizing the relief and rebuilding effort in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast.
"We've been asked to gear up for a long-term relief and rebuilding (effort). This indicates to us this will probably be a year or longer," said Grant R. Garcia, chairman of the Western Massachusetts Regional Building Committee, interviewed by telephone from Leominster.
The fact that officials at Jehovah's Witnesses international headquarters in Brooklyn, N.Y., are calling on all 90 regional building committees to pitch in is an indication of just how major a rebuilding effort it will be, Garcia said.
Preliminary estimates indicate 23 Kingdom Halls were damaged by floodwaters and eight were completely destroyed in the Greater New Orleans area alone, he said. The number of members' homes that have been damaged or destroyed is still being compiled.
Each regional group is compiling lists of volunteers - many of them licensed in building trades work - who will travel to the affected area at their own expense to help in the rebuilding, Garcia said. A relief center has been set up in Long Beach, Miss., to help coordinate the effort, he said.
Jehovah's Witnesses, a denomination that accepts the Bible as the Word of God, began in the 1870s in Pennsylvania and now has nearly 7 million adherents worldwide, including about 1 million in the United States.
"Witnesses Skilled at Rebuilding Quickly" - Article
by Ingenuous 13 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Ingenuous
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Honesty
Why are they rebuilding the Kingdom Halls first and not homes?
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Lady Lee
Yup that the WTS. Build halls first before you even know that JWs will be moving back into the territory.
I know who will be paying for that.
Then build the homes and we definitely know who will be paying for that too.
I hope the JWs in the area decide to go elsewhere. A lot of empty halls would be a wonderful sight
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Scully
"There's a spiritual value to (all) this," Burnham said, picking up a Bible and pointing to Psalms, Chapter 127, Verse 1, which reads, "Unless Jehovah Himself builds the house, It is to no avail that its builders have worked hard on it."
When I read this, I threw up in my mouth a little.
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Smiles
The WT better be "skilled at rebuilding quickly" because they're gonna need it when their b.s. comes crashing down on them.
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undercover
The central focus for these volunteers will be on rebuilding damaged or destroyed Kingdom Halls, which serve congregations in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast, and the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in the region. But as they typically do in helping to rebuild after natural disasters, the volunteers are likely to expand that focus to other neighbors in need, area church officials said in interviews this week at the Kingdom Hall on Bridge Road.
"We help our fellow brothers and sisters, but we also help others," said Steve S. Burnham, presiding overseer of a Westfield congregation that is having its own Kingdom Hall, which was destroyed by arson in 2003, rebuilt by volunteers this month.
Such was the case, said Robert P. Nicoll, presiding overseer at one of Northampton's two congregations, when Nicoll's 19-year-old son went to Florida to help rebuild after Hurricane Andrew in 1992.
His son helped replace roofs on Kingdom Halls there, as well as on neighboring homes, Nicoll said.
I said this in a different thread yesterday....who cares about Kingdom Halls? The priority should be rebuilding homes.I'm torn between applauding the WTS for spearheading relief work and criticizing them for their insincerity. I can't help but think that they are oppurtunistic. They go in after a disaster, find damaged KHs and while making a big show of brotherhood to repair them, they'll spread that love around a little to the neighbors, doing repair work for them. I can't help but think that they are hoping to find at most, some converts, at the least, good relations with the locals and get a pat on the back, improving their reputation as a charitable organization. And all the while, it wasn't really the WTS that did it but the individual JWs.
Starting in 1982, when volunteers built a Kingdom Hall in Cambridge, Vt., in a single weekend, Jehovah's Witnesses have developed a quick and efficient way of building or rebuilding Kingdom Halls and homes throughout the world.
The method, sometimes compared to a traditional "barn raising," now calls for hundreds of volunteers working during two weekends. Many of the volunteers are typically skilled building trades workers, such as electricians and plumbers.Now, a quick build system is fine for repair work...but I wouldn't want a quick build crew rebuilding my house. I've worked on quick builds...I've seen the shoddy construction and the non-attention to detail. Assembly Halls were better built, they took the proper time and effort on those, but quick builds...that's another story.
Most of the brothers that I knew in building trades, not all but most, I wouldn't let work on my house now. I'll be damned if I let them rebuild one. These brothers are going to come in, rush through re-building and then expect the homeowner to
paydonate to the WTS for the materials. I'll wait on the insurance company, hire a reputable contractor and have the job done right, thank you very much. -
confusedjw
It's true. If you give me 100 men who believe that following my direction is an act of faith to god and they have some skills - I too will give you some remarkable results.
"Now brothers I want a vat of Kool-Aid big enought to jump in."
"How high sir?"
"The right question is how deep"
"Sorry sir"
"It's okay, it will be over soon"
"Can you give us a date?"
"Well the harder you work the sooner the end will come"
"OH BOY - I'm going to work on the vat FULL TIME!"
"God will not forget your works brother"
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Scully
I can't help but think that they are hoping to find at most, some converts, at the least, good relations with the locals and get a pat on the back, improving their reputation as a charitable organization.
Is that before or after they send folks a detailed inventory of the work that was done and the suggested donation to cover the expenses?
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Gopher
I found this quote odd:
"We still have volunteers helping from last year's hurricanes in Florida," he said.
If they're so QUICK like the headline says, what's taking them so long in Florida? They should have gotten their work done way ahead of those worldly agencies and companies that don't have "holy spirit".
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Bonnie_Clyde
Although it's wonderful that the brothers provide free labor, I think it's terrible that the Society expects that they turn over their insurance checks. I feel that part of the Society's motive is for publicity. That's why there is so little help when it comes to helping the elderly and the needy in the congregation. That doesn't make headlines, but the need can be just as real.