Jehovah’s Witnesses gather in Denmark for international convention

Thousands of Jehovah’s Witnesses gather in Denmark for international convention as candidates are baptised in makeshift pool at football stadium

  • They met at Brondby football stadium, Copenhagen, to discuss Bible topics and relate personal experiences
  • Baptism candidates make public declaration of their faith before being led to pool for full-body immersion
  • After being immersed by a congregation elder, they then become one of Jehovah’s Witnesses 

Advertisement

Thousands of Jehovah’s Witnesses gathered in Denmark today for an international convention which saw some of their flock baptised in full-body immersion.  

The Christian group – well-known for its door-to-door preaching and distribution of literature such as The Watchtower – holds such conventions several times a year around the world.

Adherents congregated at Brondby football stadium, in Copenhagen, for the meet-up, which also sees them discuss Bible topics and relate personal experiences.

Up to eight men, wearing white, welcomed those about to be baptised, who wore black, as they entered the above-ground deep pool, in front of a large crowd.

Before their baptism, the candidates would have made a public declaration of their faith before being sent to get changed. 

Thousands of Jehovah’s Witnesses gathered in Denmark today for an international convention which saw some of their flock baptised in full-body immersion

Adherents congregated at Brondby football stadium, in Copenhagen, for the meet-up, which also sees them discuss Bible topics and relate personal experiences. Up to eight men, wearing white, welcomed those about to be baptised, who wore black, as they entered the above-ground deep pool, in front of a large crowd

Adherents congregated at Brondby football stadium, in Copenhagen, for the meet-up, which also sees them discuss Bible topics and relate personal experiences. Up to eight men, wearing white, welcomed those about to be baptised, who wore black, as they entered the above-ground deep pool, in front of a large crowd

Before their baptism, the candidates would have made a public declaration of their faith before being sent to get changed. The Christian group - well-known for its door-to-door preaching and distribution of literature such as The Watchtower - holds such conventions several times a year around the world

Before their baptism, the candidates would have made a public declaration of their faith before being sent to get changed. The Christian group – well-known for its door-to-door preaching and distribution of literature such as The Watchtower – holds such conventions several times a year around the world

They are then led to the pool and immersed by a congregation elder. To qualify for a baptism, the candidate would have undergone a period of Bible study and also preached about God’s Kingdom. 

And after the baptism, they become one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. 

Organisers of the Copenhagen convention were very specific about which branches would be invited to attend, namely those from Australasia, Brazil, Central America, Central Europe, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Finland, Georgia, India, Japan, Poland and the United States. 

The Jehovah’s Witnesses’ belief system includes the concept of Salvation. They believe that deliverance from sin and death is possible through the ‘ransom sacrifice of Jesus’.

In order to benefit from that sacrifice, people must not only exercise faith in Jesus but also change their course of life – and get baptised. 

According to the organisation’s official website, there are more than 8.57million people who identify themselves as Jehovah’s Witnesses around the world (including approximately 1.5million in the US). Denmark has around 14,600 members. 

To qualify for a baptism, the candidate would have undergone a period of Bible study and also preached about God's Kingdom. After the baptism, they become one of Jehovah's Witnesses

To qualify for a baptism, the candidate would have undergone a period of Bible study and also preached about God’s Kingdom. After the baptism, they become one of Jehovah’s Witnesses

The Jehovah's Witnesses' belief system includes the concept of Salvation. They believe that deliverance from sin and death is possible through the 'ransom sacrifice of Jesus'. In order to benefit from that sacrifice, people must not only exercise faith in Jesus but also change their course of life - and get baptised

The Jehovah’s Witnesses’ belief system includes the concept of Salvation. They believe that deliverance from sin and death is possible through the ‘ransom sacrifice of Jesus’. In order to benefit from that sacrifice, people must not only exercise faith in Jesus but also change their course of life – and get baptised

Hospital bosses agrees not to treat sick Jehovah’s Witness teen with blood products against his will… even though they could save his life

In June, hospital bosses in Britain agreed not to treat a sick Jehovah’s Witness teenager with blood products against his will – even though they could save his life.

The boy, who cannot be identified but is in his mid-teens and lives in the South East, insisted he could not be given a blood transfusion because of his religious beliefs.

The NHS hospital trust involved, which also cannot be identified, had asked a High Court judge to make a decision about what was in the boy’s best interests but lawyers said an agreement had been reached.

A barrister representing the hospital responsible for the boy’s care said another treatment would be tried.

Approving the agreement, Mr Justice Moor said the boy had a ‘maturity beyond his years’. ‘[He] understands that he might die,’ said Mr Justice Moor. ‘But he takes the view that his life would not be worth living, and he could not go on with treatment, if he had a blood transfusion.’

He said the boy had been consistent and unwavering in his view and had asked for his refusal to be treated with blood products to be respected.

The judge said he was not dealing with a ‘normal situation’ but with an ‘intelligent’ teenager who had ‘deeply held religious convictions’. He added that the boy might suffer psychological harm if he was forced to be treated with blood products.

Jehovah’s Witnesses say their attitude to blood stems from Biblical teaching. ‘Both the Old and New Testaments clearly command us to abstain from blood,’ says the religion’s website, www.jw.org.

‘God views blood as representing life. So we avoid taking blood not only in obedience to God but also out of respect for him as the Giver of life.’

The website highlights a number of Biblical references, including passages in Genesis, Leviticus, Deuteronomy and Acts.

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk