Jehovah's Witnesses see "great increase” in baptisms
Members of Jehovah's Witnesses during a mass christening in a stadion. Photo EPA, Marcin Obara
Northern Europe
For years, the number of baptisms declined in the community of Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide. Now, the tide has changed. In total, the number has grown by 85 per cent this year.
In the past three years, the number of baptisms has plummeted by 50 per cent. However, this year, it grew again by 85 per cent, Vart Land reports, based on statistics published on the website of the religious community. So far, 269,517 people have received baptism this year worldwide, the Jehovah's Witnesses point out. Compared to 2022, this is an increase of 85 per cent.
Fabian Fond, spokesperson for the Norwegian Jehovah's Witnesses, tells Vart Land that he is very happy to see the "great increase in 2023". In 2019, more than 300,000 people were baptised in globally, but this number decreased to about 145,000 in 2022. Now, it seems that it is growing back to the old numbers.
Jørgen Pedersen, spokesperson of the Jehovah's Witnesses' Information Department in Scandinavia, partly blames the Covid pandemic for the decrease in previous years. "During the pandemic, Jehovah's Witnesses suspended the physical preaching all over the world. In many countries, the technology was not as accessible, and this may have prevented the local Jehovah's Witnesses from preaching as much as before the pandemic." Overall, he is not worried about the fluctuating baptism numbers. "It is only natural that the number of people who dedicate themselves to serving God varies from year to year."
Grants
At the same time, the legal battle between the Norwegian Jehovah's Witnesses and the state continues, Dagen reports. The state administrator in Oslo and Viken has rejected the demand of the community for grants of 35 million NOK (about 3 million euros) for 2022 and 2023.
The decision comes amid an appeal of the religious community against the decision of the state administrator to strip the Jehovah's Witnesses of their status as a religious community and their right to subsidy. The Oslo District Court will look at the appeal of the Jehovah's Witnesses against this decision in January.
The conflict between Norway and the Jehovah's Witnesses circles around the practice of exclusion that the religious community applies when someone leaves the faith. By excluding children as well, the community violates the rights of minors, the state administrator believes.
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