Local Jehovah's Witnesses celebrate new Kingdom Hall

The Idaho Statesman Sun, 14 Oct 2007 11:52 PM PDT

Watch an audio slideshow of the new Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses: Hundreds of Boise Jehovah's Witnesses and volunteers from congregations around the area rebuilt the Kingdom Hall on Roosevelt Street from the ground up. The group lost its building to arson in July.

October 12, 2007

After arsonists' fire in July, Jehovah's Witnesses rebuild 'Kingdom Hall'
Kingdom Hall will be open for services on Sunday

By 7 a.m., the air smelled like coffee and fried food.

Pieces of the building-to-be lay in wait like a set of Lincoln Logs, and most everyone had been fed: eggs, sausage, ham, pancakes.

By 9 a.m., wall studs were in place.

By noon, some walls were up and cranes were getting ready to lift trusses.

At 2:30 p.m., trusses were up.

And that was just the first half of the first day.

For the next three days and some of those nights, hundreds of Boise Jehovah's Witnesses and volunteers from congregations around the area will rebuild this place of worship, or "Kingdom Hall," on Roosevelt Street, from the ground up.

The group lost its building to arson in July — two local teens were charged with the crime — and will hold its first service in the new hall on Sunday.

The Burlings — Dennis, Bonnie and their daughter Frost, 17 — are Jehovah's Witnesses from Idaho Falls who took time off work and school to volunteer on the kitchen crew and help serve three meals a day to the volunteer builders.

They brought along a barbecue on wheels capable of cooking 200 pieces of chicken at once. At 8 a.m., Dennis Burling was frying slabs of ham. Frost had already washed dishes and helped make and serve breakfast. She'll also help with the landscaping once the hall is built.

"Making a house of worship is gratifying," said Bonnie Burling. So gratifying that Dennis Burling was willing to miss the opening days of deer season for the first time in 25 years. He worked extra hours and some Saturdays at his job as a window tinter so he could take time off.

"It's a peaceful setting. I haven't heard a single swear word yet," Burling said, as he flipped crisped ham onto a plate.

"Quick builds" have been part of the Witness tradition since the 1970s.

Each region of the country has a building committee with volunteers ready to go where they're needed. Jerry Musick, who helped build the original hall on Roosevelt Street 18 years ago during a three-day build, said the Southern Idaho region stretches from McCall to the North, Ontario to the West and Rexburg to the East. The Jehovah's Witnesses also have international building committees. In Canada and the United States, around 15 new halls go up each month, according to Witness literature.

Jehovah's Witnesses don't believe in spending a lot of time building, because that's not where the important work lies. It lies in the ministry, said Julio Berrelez, a member of the East Nampa Congregation. He's helped build kingdom halls in Puerto Rico and New York City.

"We enjoy teaching people the Bible. That's where we get our happiness," Berrelez said.

Musick said that members of the regional building committee were on the charred site in July, the very day of the fire, setting a date for the rebuild.

Local companies donated building material or sold it at discount to the group. Some gave money.

"The community has been helpful," Musick said. "We go door to door as part of our ministry. People say, ‘You guys were the kingdom hall that burned down,' and write a check. Even a little contribution goes a long way."

The fire displaced two congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses, around 200 people who met at the hall ten times each week.

The congregants have been meeting at a kingdom hall on Amity Road, sharing the space on a rotating basis with two other congregations.

Musick said the congregants aren't thinking much anymore about the reason they have to rebuild their hall.

"The fire is long past, especially for the congregation," Musick said. "We've had our focus on getting this done. It's long past as far as the fire goes."

Something positive!





http://legacy.idahostates...a/jehovah/

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[Edited 10/15/07 16:45pm]

You're welcome, all!

I've worked on two Kingdom Halls and an Assembly Hall -- people, there is nothing like it in order to feel the brotherhood, unity and cooperation of Jehovah's people.

Nobody rolls like we do!

You're welcome, all!

I've worked on two Kingdom Halls and an Assembly Hall -- people, there is nothing like it in order to feel the brotherhood, unity and cooperation of Jehovah's people.

Nobody rolls like we do!

You're welcome, all!

I've worked on two Kingdom Halls and an Assembly Hall -- people, there is nothing like it in order to feel the brotherhood, unity and cooperation of Jehovah's people.

Nobody rolls like we do!

Check this thread for a little background on how these Kingdom Hall builds get started: http://prince.org/msg/105/242685

This was a sad situation; obviously most regional building committees don't suffer the same fate.

Hey Lothan!

Miss you . . .