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In the face of this pandemic,
we’ve made dramatic adjustments
to our activities all over the world,
including how we meet, how we preach,
and even how we associate with one another.
We’ve even had to make adjustments
to the adjustments
with the changing conditions.
As you know, some of these changes
have come very quickly,
and we want to commend you
for your obedience to theocratic direction.
We love you all very much
and want to keep you safe
while helping you to maintain
a good spiritual routine.
As we think about what happens next,
it’s important to remember
that we’re not all experiencing
this global crisis the same way.
In some parts of the world,
the coronavirus is just beginning
to spread more quickly.
In other places, outbreaks appear
to be somewhat contained for now,
and governments
are already easing restrictions.
So how will this affect
our theocratic activities?
Well, as things open up in various regions,
we’re going to be guided by the principle
in Proverbs 14:16,
Proverbs 14:16,
where it says:
“The wise one is cautious
and turns away from evil,
but the stupid one
is reckless and overconfident.”
In this pandemic,
recklessness and overconfidence
have literally cost people their lives.
But as the proverb says:
“The wise one is cautious.”
So we’ll continue to take
a cautious approach.
In general, we’ll allow more time
after the government
loosens a particular restriction
before we resume a theocratic activity.
This will allow the organization
to monitor the impact
that any lifting of restrictions has
on the spread of the virus.
The Coordinators’ Committee
of the Governing Body
recently shared some valuable principles
with Branch Committees around the world
to help guide them
as governments ease restrictions
related to the spread of COVID-19.
We’d like to share
three of those points with you now.
We are confident
that obediently holding to these principles
will not only save lives
but glorify Jehovah.
First, out of respect for our Creator,
we place a high value on life.
Some governments may choose
to lift restrictions
and reopen businesses,
in part for economic reasons.
But simply put,
our decisions are motivated by love,
not money.
So we’ll continue to make
the safety of our brothers a priority
over personal convenience or preference.
Ecclesiastes 7:12 says this,
Ecclesiastes 7:12:
“Wisdom is a protection
“just as money is a protection,
“but the advantage of knowledge is this:
Wisdom preserves the life of its owner.”
So, in harmony with that,
our aim has been and will continue to be
to make wise, balanced decisions
that protect lives.
As an example,
back in March we made the decision
to hold the Gilead graduation
with no invited guests present.
That was a big change.
But that one decision protected
so many lives here at Bethel in New York
and among those
who would have been guests.
Little did we know
that just a short time later,
New York would become
an epicenter of the pandemic.
We thank Jehovah for helping us
to make that wise decision!
What’s the lesson?
Because we place a high value on life,
we need to follow direction
even if it seems overly cautious
or means significant changes
in our theocratic activities.
That obedience will help to keep
all of us as safe as possible.
In the following video,
note how this has proved to be the case
for the brothers in South America,
where the outbreak of COVID-19 cases
has surged in recent weeks.
We’ll hear from Brother Anthony Carvalho,
who serves on the Brazil Branch Committee,
and from Brother Jaime Tamayo,
who serves on the Ecuador Branch Committee.
Their reports show the benefits of obedience
even if at first we don’t understand
the reasons for the direction.
The outbreak of COVID-19
has already taken
tens of thousands of lives in Brazil,
and so we’ve come to appreciate
how the early direction
we received from the organization
was a real protection.
One example is a sister
who is a medical doctor.
She said that when the branch office
gave direction to suspend
meetings at the Kingdom Hall,
she honestly did not agree.
There weren’t any confirmed cases
of COVID-19 in the region,
and the local government
had not ordered any restrictions.
So she felt the brothers
might be exaggerating the threat a bit.
But then she reasoned on how Jehovah
had sometimes given his people direction
that didn’t make sense
from a human standpoint,
and so she decided to obey.
Well, shortly after congregation meetings
were suspended,
the government put restrictions in place.
COVID-19 began to spread rapidly
in the region,
and sadly many have died.
Our sister said that she now sees
that the direction
from the organization was a real protection.
She related,
“Seeing how Jehovah
is caring for us in a loving and tender way,
“even on an individual level,
has increased my confidence in him.”
Well, this is just one example
of many here in Brazil,
where we have truly seen the benefits
of obediently following theocratic direction.
There is no question that the early direction
we received in Ecuador saved lives.
For instance, one publisher, Fabricio,
started to have some flulike symptoms,
but his doctor told him
that it was the common flu
and not COVID-19.
Still, Fabricio followed
the instructions from the organization
to stay home if you have
any symptoms of illness.
Later he said,
“All in our family agreed
“that it was important
to follow these instructions
since they were given to protect us.”
During the following weeks,
he and his family
didn’t allow anyone into the house.
Even when relatives came to visit them,
they received them outside the house
to maintain a safe distance.
Around the same time,
meetings at the Kingdom Hall were suspended.
Well, several weeks later,
Fabricio tested positive for COVID-19
and so did three family members.
Fabricio’s family are so glad
that they followed the instructions
received from the organization.
They maintained distancing protocols
even without a positive diagnosis
of COVID-19.
This protected the lives of others,
including their extended family
and the congregation.
This really helped us appreciate
the wisdom of suspending
congregation meetings when we did.
Doing so prevented
the spread of the disease to others.
What a powerful example
of how our obedience to direction
is a protection and a blessing!
Our second principle
is based on Romans 13:1, 2:
We must listen
to the governmental “superior authorities,”
who are permitted by Jehovah
to care for certain functions.
The importance of listening
to these authorities
is emphasized in verse 2,
where it says:
“Whoever opposes the authority
“(or, according to the footnote,
whoever ‘resists’ the authority)
has taken a stand
against the arrangement of God.”
We know that these authorities
exist by God’s permission,
and it’s his will
that Christians be subject to them,
as long as what they require
doesn’t conflict with his law.
News reports are filled with stories
of people ignoring
the direction from the authorities
or even protesting against it.
But rebelling against secular authorities
constitutes a rebellion against God.
We love Jehovah,
so we respect the authorities.
We also listen to the authorities
because we love our neighbors,
and we’re concerned
with how they feel about health and safety.
We know that many people
out of concern for possible infection
are anxious about interacting with others.
Following safety guidelines
from the authorities
and adjusting our activities
shows that we really care
about our neighbors.
And this can even contribute
to a good witness being given.
Here’s an example of that:
In one European country,
local officials visited our branch office
to check on what we were doing
to slow the spread of the virus.
When the officials learned
that we were holding
all our meetings by videoconference
and had already been in lockdown
for over two weeks,
they were amazed!
One of them asked,
“Did you know beforehand
that all of this would happen?”
The brothers explained
that we’re a global organization
that puts a high value on human life,
so we were following developments
on an international level.
That enabled the brothers
to take the steps needed
to keep everyone as safe as possible,
even ahead of guidelines
from the national and local governments.
The officials were impressed.
Doesn’t that beautifully illustrate
how our obedience reflects favorably
on our organization and our God?
It brings to mind
the thought at 1 Peter 2:12.
When people become
‘eyewitnesses of our fine conduct,’
it brings glory to Jehovah.
The third principle we want to share is this:
Do not develop a casual attitude.
As this situation
stretches on month after month,
it can be hard to stay vigilant.
We might be inclined to relax,
lower our guard,
especially as certain restrictions
are removed.
However,
Proverbs 22:3 reminds us:
“The shrewd one sees the danger
“and conceals himself,
“but the inexperienced keep right on going
and suffer the consequences.”
So we need to remain cautious
and be ready for additional outbreaks.
Many experts say we may be dealing
with the spread of this virus for some time
until the successful treatments
and vaccinations
become widely available,
possibly in 2021 or beyond.
This means that the adjusted arrangements
we have in place for congregation meetings,
assemblies, and the field ministry
may need to continue for some time.
When we do begin returning
to our normal arrangements,
it will be a gradual process,
in accord with what we read
in Proverbs 14:15:
“The naive person believes every word,
but the shrewd one ponders each step.”
You can be assured
that we will prayerfully ponder
each step
and adjust our meeting
and service arrangements gradually.
And, of course,
we’ll monitor the situation closely
and reinstate certain restrictions
if additional outbreaks occur.
So as you face the days ahead,
keep in mind
the three principles we’ve talked about:
(1) Place a high value on life,
(2) listen to the authorities,
and (3) guard against developing
a casual attitude.
We know that this pandemic
has hit some of you very hard.
You’ve lost jobs and income.
You young ones have had
your schooling interrupted,
and you haven’t been able
to be with your friends.
And tragically,
a number of you
have lost family members
and friends in death.
Some of you may feel like Job,
who faced one tragedy after another.
It pains our hearts
to see what you’re going through,
and we’re praying for you every day.
It’s been a difficult time.
Yet, in many ways,
all of this has been training
for the great tribulation ahead.
What we’re learning now
about how to adapt our spiritual routines,
to support one another,
and to be obedient to direction
is building us up and equipping us
for even bigger challenges in the future.
It’s been very encouraging to hear
how our brothers around the world
are helping one another
during this unique time
in human history.
Your actions are bringing honor
and praise to Jehovah.
Our brothers and sisters from Brazil and Ecuador
send you their warm greetings.
And on behalf of the Governing Body,
we thank you for all you’re doing,
even under these difficult circumstances.
Please know that we love you very much.
From the World Headquarters
of Jehovah’s Witnesses,
this is JW Broadcasting®.

2020 Governing Body Update #4