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Welcome!
What an exciting time!
The Memorial season is here,
and the invitation campaign is underway.
And with the new
hour requirements for pioneers,
many of us can now share in the pioneer work.
We’ve received so many cards and letters
from brothers and sisters
who are thrilled
with the new hour requirements for pioneers.
One sister wrote:
“As a mother, wife, homemaker,
“part-time worker,
and caretaker for elderly parents,
“you have absolutely no idea
what the update did for me today.
“I have tears even as I am writing.
“We are all so tired right now
“but want nothing more
than to faithfully serve Jehovah
“and stay active in reaching people
in these last days.
“The announcement
to reduce the [pioneer] hours
“was such an answer to prayers.
“It was so faith-strengthening
“and a complete reassurance
of Jehovah’s love for all of us.
Thank you so much.”
Another sister wrote:
“I just wanted to take a minute to tell you
“how happy I was to get the new information
“on auxiliary pioneer hours.
“I cried.
“I have kidney dialysis three times a week.
“It takes a lot of my strength.
“But 15 hours—I can do that!
What a wonderful God we have!”
These messages
no doubt reflect the thoughts and feelings
of many of you dear brothers and sisters.
And isn’t it encouraging
that since January 1, 2023,
theocratic schools have resumed in person?
Worldwide, more than 430 classes
of the School for Kingdom Evangelizers
and more than 170 classes
of the School for Circuit Overseers
and Their Wives
have been approved for this next year.
Additionally, elders have begun attending
in-person classes
of the School for Congregation Elders.
We pray for Jehovah’s rich blessing
on these arrangements.
We have another exciting announcement:
We’re very pleased to inform you
that beginning June 1, 2023,
tours of many Bethel facilities
will resume worldwide,
in accord with local circumstances.
Initially, for health and safety reasons,
the number of persons
permitted to tour Bethel
will be considerably reduced.
If no significant difficulties
are encountered,
the number of persons
permitted to tour Bethel
will gradually be increased.
The local branch office
will provide further details
on this matter later this month.
Since our last update,
we received a very exciting announcement!
On January 18, 2023,
Brothers Gage Fleegle and Jeffrey Winder
were appointed to serve
as members of the Governing Body.
We’re happy to have them with us
here in the studio,
and we’d like to spend a few minutes together
so that you can get to know them a bit.
Well, brothers, we understand
that you were both raised in the truth
by your Christian parents.
So, what helped you to come to love Jehovah
and want to serve him?
Jeff, we’ll start with you.
Having parents
who were well-grounded in the truth
really did make a big difference
to help us children choose the right path.
And we always knew and loved the truth.
But as I got older,
particularly my mid-teen years,
the truth really became more personal
and more real to me.
It’s almost like it kind of went
from black and white to color
as it became more personal in that way.
And the district convention in 1985,
as it was then called,
had a deep impact on me,
particularly the baptism talk
and the concluding talk really spoke to me.
And I could tell I was just beginning
to make the truth my own during that time.
So by the following year,
beginning of the calendar year,
I dedicated my life to Jehovah
and got baptized.
Very nice.
Thank you, Brother Winder, for sharing that.
Gage, we’ll ask you the same question
—get your thoughts on it.
Well, as was true with Jeff,
home was fertile soil
for my brothers and my sister and me
to grow spiritually.
Both of my parents
were living examples of faith.
My father took advantage of the opportunities
to teach us about creation
and what this revealed
about Jehovah’s qualities, his personality.
I have precious memories of getting up early
and watching the sunrise with him.
My mom—she started regular pioneering
when I was 11 years old
and has continued to this day.
Her constant example of putting Jehovah first
definitely made a deep impression in my mind,
and I was able to join her
in the regular pioneer ministry
my senior year of high school
until I was able to go to Bethel.
Well, what nice comments, brothers!
We want to know more.
So here’s another question:
What motivated you to pursue
full-time service and Bethel service?
And, Jeff, please.
For me, good association played a big role.
As it turned out, at the circuit assembly
that I got baptized at,
several other young brothers
from our congregation got baptized as well.
And at the end of that assembly,
it occurred to us
that we could auxiliary pioneer now.
And so we decided to do it
the very next month.
And we loved it so much;
we pioneered the following month
and all through that summer.
And by then, we were hooked.
We loved it.
And three of us went directly
into regular pioneering from there.
As for Bethel service,
my two older brothers
served at Wallkill before me,
when I was just a teenager.
And we had an opportunity to visit
while they were there.
And just seeing Bethel
and seeing all that took place there
really instilled in me the desire
to want to serve at Bethel
when I became old enough.
Very good.
And, Gage, what motivated you?
Well, full-time service
was the right thing to do.
To me, dedication to Jehovah
and serving him
in the fullest capacity possible
go hand in hand.
So that was always the goal
that my parents had set before us.
We always had special full-time servants
who would stay at the house
—circuit overseers and Bethel family members.
They would stay,
and seeing their joy
is something that motivated me
along those lines as well.
At age 12, I was able to attend
a Bethel meeting
at the regional convention back at that time,
and so it became crystallized in my mind
that was the direction I wanted to go.
Very good.
Well, you started at a very young age
having an interest in Bethel service.
That’s delightful to see.
The third question for you,
What have been
some of your assignments at Bethel,
and how have you benefited from them?
Jeff.
Well, I began Bethel at Wallkill,
and my first assignment
was in the Cleaning Department.
And, for me, starting Bethel service
in cleaning was an excellent way to start
because Bethel can really teach you
some very valuable qualities,
like obedience and patience and humility.
And starting off
in a support department, like cleaning,
I felt like it really gave me
a good head start
in developing these qualities
that would be useful the rest of my life.
After that, I was transferred
to the Farm Department,
and I worked in what was
like produce processing at Wallkill.
And again, it was just a lot of fun
—good brothers and sisters who worked there,
spiritual men and women—
and a lot of hard work
but that I thoroughly enjoyed.
And it was about three years
that I worked in that department.
And then I was transferred to the office,
and that began a period of about 22 years
of serving as a secretary
for various brothers
and various aspects of the work
there at Wallkill.
And during that time,
I had the privilege to work
along with brothers
who had served Jehovah for years
and had deep experience
and wisdom and knowledge
on how to administer the work at Bethel.
And that really molded me
and taught me things
that I drew on in future assignments
and that I continue to draw on today.
And, of course, during that time,
you and I had the privilege
to work together
for about ten years in the Bethel Office.
In 2016,
I had quite a surprise
when we were transferred to Patterson
and I was asked to work
with Audio/Video Services Department.
I knew nothing about making videos
or audio products,
but the brothers and sisters there
were so patient with me
and answered all my questions.
And, in time, then I began to learn the work
and really came to love it and enjoy it.
It’s a very interesting work
and such a huge privilege to contribute
to the production of spiritual food.
And I really came to love
the brothers and sisters in that department.
And then in 2020,
another big surprise was
when I was asked to transfer
(we were asked to transfer) to Warwick.
And I was asked to work
in the Personnel Committee Office
—again with just a solid group
of very skilled and devoted brothers
in that office, who I’ve thoroughly enjoyed.
Well, thank you, Jeff,
for going through that background with us.
We enjoyed hearing that.
And, Gage, now for you:
What have been some of your assignments
and the benefits that have come from that?
Well, I started working in the Bindery.
I worked in the Bindery for eight years.
And that taught me
the value of being punctual,
working hard, getting the job done
—even if it was very hot,
conditions weren’t always the best—
and also the value of working
with people of different backgrounds
(different cultures, completely different
from what I was accustomed to)
and working together in unity and peace.
Then I was transferred
to the Service Department,
an office environment
—completely different from the Bindery.
But I learned there the importance
of getting all the facts
before commenting on a matter,
the importance of many advisers,
consulting with different brothers
before sending direction out,
and also the practical value
of Jehovah’s Word.
Whether it’s a personal issue,
whether it’s a family issue,
whether it’s a congregation issue,
Jehovah’s Word is practical
in all of those scenarios.
And then in 2015,
I was asked to work
with the Teaching Committee Office.
And there I learned that
it’s not simply preparing “delightful words”
for the international brotherhood
but also the importance of accurate words
—preparing that for the brotherhood
and seeing Jehovah’s spirit make sure
that the completed project came about.
Thank you very much, Gage.
We enjoyed hearing that background
from both of you brothers
and how you’ve benefited from it.
But we’re going to bring it right now
back to the Scriptures and this thought:
Is there a Scriptural thought
that has strengthened you
as you begin this new assignment?
And, Jeff, we’ll start with you again.
There is.
In recent weeks and months,
we’ve really come to hang on
to a couple of verses in Isaiah 26.
And particularly with this assignment,
I know that I could not accomplish
this assignment on my own,
and there have been moments
of feeling a bit overwhelmed.
But here in Isaiah 26,
it’s so reassuring from Jehovah.
Verse 12 says:
“O Jehovah, you will grant us peace,
“because everything we have done
you have accomplished for us.”
I feel like Jehovah is just reassuring me,
‘You’re not going to have to
do it on your own’
and that Jehovah would help me.
And I love that it’s in the past tense
—“everything we have done
you have accomplished”—
because we have history with Jehovah.
I’ve seen him specifically helping me
in past assignments
to accomplish things that I knew
I couldn’t have done on my own,
but Jehovah helped.
And so then that reassures me.
And as the verse says, it gives me peace.
And in verse 3,
it develops that even further.
It says:
“You will safeguard those
who fully lean on you;
you will give them continuous peace,
because it is in you that they trust.”
So there’s this connection
between trusting in Jehovah,
or fully leaning on him,
and having continuous peace.
So if I’ve had those moments
where I begin to feel
a bit anxious or overwhelmed,
this scripture comes to mind.
‘Don’t forget, fully lean on Jehovah.
Jehovah is going to do the job.’
And then that peace can resume.
Beautiful set of scriptures
there to share with us.
We appreciate that.
Brother Fleegle, same question for you.
I also have two verses.
The first one is Mark 14:36,
Jesus’ words on the night before his death.
He said to his Father in prayer:
“Not what I want, but what you want.”
So my wife and I are a bit shy and reserved,
so this is not the assignment
that we naturally would prefer.
But our life is not our own,
and Jehovah guides us, our steps,
according to his will.
And then the other verse is found
at Isaiah 41:10,
comforting words from Jehovah:
“Do not be afraid, for I am with you.
“Do not be anxious, for I am your God.
I will fortify you, yes, I will help you.”
So it’s comforting to know
that Jehovah doesn’t expect more of us
than we’re able to accomplish with his help.
So that’s definitely comforting
as we’re moving forward in this assignment.
What great Scriptural thoughts, Gage!
Thank you very much for sharing those
and, both of you brothers,
for sharing all of your comments with us.
We love having you on the Governing Body,
and we wish you Jehovah’s rich blessing
on your new assignment.
It’s wonderful to see Jehovah’s people
busier than ever in Kingdom work.
We know this Memorial season
will be filled with joyful activity
as we search
for honesthearted ones in the ministry.
May Jehovah richly bless
each of you dear brothers and sisters.
From the World Headquarters
of Jehovah’s Witnesses,
this is JW Broadcasting®.

2023 Governing Body Update #2