Christian Congregationof Jehovah's Witnesses2821 Route 22, Patterson, NY 12563-2237 Phone: (845) 306-11001/2/13-EJanuary 2, 2013TO ALL CONGREGATIONSRe: International conventions in 2014Dear Brothers:We are pleased to announce that large international conventions will be held in variouslocations throughout the earth during the 2014 calendar year in addition to the normally scheduleddistrict conventions. Specific locations will be announced later. You will also be happy tolearn that the Governing Body is arranging to assist field missionaries, traveling overseers in foreignservice, Bethelites in foreign service, international servants, and selected other special fulltimeservants in foreign service to return to their homeland at the time of these conventions. Those who qualify to be assisted will receive further information in the coming months. By2014, five years will have passed since similar arrangements were made by the organization.
The Governing Body is pleased to make this arrangement for these brothers and sisters who havewillingly left homes, parents, and an accustomed way of life for the sake of the good news.(Mark 10:29, 30) Their attendance at conventions in 2014 will lead to an interchange of encouragement.-1 Thess. 5:11.How can all congregations support this arrangement? One way is by contributing towardsbringing these special full-time servants to their homeland during the convention season in 2014.Judging from past experience, sufficient funds will be available to cover the travel expenses ifeach congregation donates an average of 15 cents per publisher per month starting this monthand continuing through May 2014. If the body of elders wishes to send a specified amount eachmonth to the local branch office, a resolution will be passed for that purpose. Your personal donationsmay be placed in the contribution box labeled "Local Congregation Expenses." Individualswishing to contribute to this fund may also send a donation to the branch office indicatingclearly that it is for the 2014 Convention Fund.
The branch office will acknowledge these contributionsin a manner similar to the way it acknowledges other donations. At the end of the 2014convention season, any excess funds in the 2014 Convention Fund will be used for the worldwidework.Those having family members or friends in foreign service should not send money to thebranch office requesting that the funds be used to bring a certain individual home at the time ofthe 2014 conventions. As noted above, it is anticipated that contributions made to the 2014 ConventionFund will enable us to assist all those who qualify. However, if you would like to assist afamily member or friend who is in foreign service with his travel expenses, and thus offset theamount of funds that he will need to request from the 2014 Convention Fund, you may do so.Please bear in mind, though, that in that case it will be your personal responsibility to arrange away for your funds to reach him. The branch offices are not in a position to forward such fundsto individuals. Also, rather than sending the money to such a brother as a surprise, we suggestthat you first inform him that you wish to give him a gift and that you ask him how best to transferthe funds to him. Such private correspondence is best handled between you and the other parRe:International conventions in 2014January 2, 2013Page 2ty and not through the branch office.
For several reasons, it is best not to send cash or checks through the mail to individuals serving in other lands. Please keep in mind that it is inappropriate for a person to solicit funds from others in the congregation to give as a gift to someone in spe-cial full-time service.We are confident that you will be pleased to do what you can so that we can assist these faithful special full-time servants in foreign service to attend a convention in their homeland in 2014. (2 Cor. 8:14; 9:7)
Please be assured of our very warm Christian love.Your brothers,cc:
Traveling overseersPS to body of elders:This postscript should not be read to the congregation, and this letter should not be posted on the information board.
It is recommended that you give your accounts servant a copy of this letter. Please follow these steps:(1) The secretary should check the Congregation's Publisher Record (S-21) cards and count the number of active publishers in the file. (Active publishers are all those who have reported some field service time within the past six months.)(2) At the next Service Meeting, the coordinator of the body of elders should arrange for this letter to be read to the congregation. He should also arrange for a resolution to be considered by the congregation authorizing the following amount to be sent from congregation funds each month through May 2014: $0.15 x (number of pub-lishers).If the body of elders feels that this would present a hardship on the congregation, please remit what you feel the brothers can do. If the congregation is in a position to contribute more, then each of the monthly amounts may be adjusted upward.
If preferred, you may also send the entire amount all at one time. In this case, the for-mula would be $0.15 x (number of publishers) x 17 months.(3) After the resolution has been considered and approved by the congregation, it should be given to the accounts servant to add to the accounts records file. He should forward these amounts with your electronic remittance to the branch office each month. Please note that on the "Donations and Payments" page of jw.org, there is a field designated "2014 Convention Fund."(4) Please also read this letter (but not the congregation resolution) at the first Watchtower Study after it is received so that all will know of the arrangements to contribute to the 2014 Convention Fund.
Additionally, if there is a need to do so dur-ing the coming months, the congregation can be reminded of this arrangement peri-odically during the Service Meeting so that funds will continue to be contributed in response to the approved resolution.Re: International conventions in 2014January 2, 2013Page 3For the benefit of the accounts servant and those who audit the accounts records quarterly, the contributions to this fund will be considered as a congregation expense in the "Congregation Expendi-tures" section of the Monthly Congregation Account Report (S-30). Please record all 2014 Convention Fund donations on the Record of Electronic Funds Transfer (TO-62). In the space designated "Addi-tional category provided by the jw.org Web site, if any," write "2014 Convention Fund" and the amount.
All contributions for this fund after May 2014 should be added to the contributions for the worldwide work and forwarded to the branch office in the usual manner. Please include in your con-gregation resolution a statement that after all transportation costs for those in special full-time service who qualify are covered, any surplus in the 2014 Convention Fund will be transferred to the world-wide work.
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