After a three-year pandemic pause, one of the largest convention organizations in the world has once again chosen the Pittsburgh region for its global three-day event, the 2023 "Exercise Patience"! Convention.

For more than 130 years, summers around Pittsburgh were marked by Jehovah's Witnesses filling hotels and restaurants as they attended their annual conventions. The Christian organization began its modern-day history in the city of Allegheny, an area now known as Pittsburgh's Northside, hosting a series of events as early as the spring of 1886.

Over the next century, Pittsburgh welcomed thousands of delegates, at large venues like Three Rivers Stadium and, at other times, in smaller groups at the Assembly Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses in Coraopolis.

In 2020, the pandemic interrupted the convention tradition in Pittsburgh when the Witnesses canceled their in-person events throughout the world and held their convention programs as virtual events in more than 500 languages. Beginning June 2-4, 2023, the Witnesses will bring that tradition back to Coraopolis. The three-day program will be repeated over nine weekends.

"Over the past three years, our virtual conventions served a wonderful purpose. They allowed us, as well as millions of others around the world, to safely benefit from the spiritually upbuilding convention program," said Todd Kravits, local spokesman for Jehovah's Witnesses. "However, something was missing – our friends, our families and our neighbors. We cannot wait to be back together and enjoy the fellowship that goes along with our large in-person gatherings."

Some 6,000 conventions will be held worldwide as part of the 2023 "Exercise Patience"! Convention series. In the United States alone, more than 700 conventions will be held in 144 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.

"All of us desire to display this beautiful quality of patience in our lives," says Kravits. "However, it can be a real struggle to do so as we deal with the stresses of daily life and the many challenges that come our way. Spending three days examining the many facets of this quality and how it can better be shown in our lives, will no doubt be very timely for us."

Jehovah's Witnesses have been holding public conventions in stadiums, arenas, convention centers and theaters around the world for more than 100 years. After resuming smaller in-person meetings and their public ministry during 2022, the summer of 2023 marks the first time they will gather at much larger regional events around the world since the lifting of pandemic restrictions.

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, please go to jw.org and navigate to the "About Us" tab.

This content has been submitted by authors outside of this publisher and is not its editorial product. It could contain opinions, facts, and points of view that have not been reviewed or accepted by the publisher.