Back on the Streets of Cincinnati After Pandemic Pause

If you happen to be in downtown Loveland near the Loveland bike trail this week, you may notice that a pre-pandemic fixture is back on the sidewalks: smiling faces standing next to colorful carts featuring a positive message and free Bible-based literature.

Thousands of these carts will be rolling down the streets of communities like Cincinnati across the world this week as Jehovah’s Witnesses recommence their global public preaching work some 24 months after putting it on pause due to the pandemic.

“We are so happy to be back in our Public Ministry!” said Brad Parsons, local spokesperson for Ohio. "While we never stopped reaching out to people through phone calls and letters, nothing compares to seeing and talking to people in person. That’s the reason it has been our hallmark for more than 100 years.”

While the organization is not yet back to knocking on doors, local congregations have also resumed free in-person Bible studies along with personal visits to those who have invited them back to their homes.

“While we understand that the pandemic is not over, we are entering into a phase of learning to live with COVID,” said Robert Hendriks, U.S. spokesperson for Jehovah’s Witnesses. ”That means we need to find more ways to personally interact with our neighbors. Being out in the community and having conversations with our neighbors is accomplishing that goal.”

Mobile displays of Bible-based literature have been part of Jehovah’s Witnesses' public ministry in the U.S. since 2011. While “cart witnessing” began in large metropolitan areas around the world, the practice quickly spread to the tens of thousands of smaller communities, becoming a fixture in rail and bus stations, airports, harbors and main streets.

To learn more about Jehovah’s Witnesses, their history, beliefs and activities, visit their official website jw.org, featuring content in more than 1,000 languages.