Transcripts: Organizational Accomplishments

Transcript: Organizational Accomplishments—Growth That Is From God (With Audio Description)
[A white line runs across a black across a black screen then expands into a banner of six circular images featuring theocratic activities. PUBLISHING COMMITTEE REPORT. Growth That Is From God.
[Troy Fernandez. WFC Department]
Troy: Under the leadership of Jesus, the harvest work is being accomplished. An important part of supporting the harvest work is constructing facilities that are used to educate and care for the great influx of those “rightly disposed for everlasting life”.
Therefore, an adjustment had to be made to meet the organization’s growing needs.
[Stephen Lett. Governing Body]
Stephen: Back in 2013, the Governing Body concluded that the existing arrangements for providing facilities would not be able to keep pace with the needs of the organization. Thus, we formed the Worldwide Design/Construction Department with the objective of consolidating all of this work into one department under the direction of the Publishing Committee. We had several goals for this new department.
(GOALS OF THE WORLDWIDE DESIGN / CONSTRUCTION DEPARTMENT 1. Efficiency 2. Simplicity 3. Flexibility)
The first was producing more facilities in the most efficient and economical manner. Second, we asked them to look for ways to simplify and streamline the work so that projects could be delivered in the shortest possible time. Third, we wanted them to provide solutions that were flexible and could provide the best overall value for the organization. That would help us to adapt quickly as our needs change.
Troy: In addition to Kingdom Halls, Assembly Halls, and branch offices, we need remote translation offices media studios, and theocratic school facilities around the world. Over the past ten years, how has the Worldwide Design/Construction Department, or WDC, been able to keep pace with the accelerating needs of the preaching and teaching work? Our work especially benefits from the continued application of a basic Bible principle found at Colossians 2:19: “The whole body is supplied “and harmoniously joined together . . . and made to grow with the growth that is from God.” By remaining “harmoniously joined together,” communicating and collaborating with one another in unity, we are in a better position to respond to and support Christ’s headship. Doing so enables us to experience “the growth that is from God.” Let’s now go behind the scenes of a few recent projects to see how a more flexible approach, along with early and ongoing collaboration, is leading to better results —an evidence of Jehovah’s blessing.
[Bruno Faure. France Branch Committee.]
Bruno: We have been renting about 65 apartments for the needs of the France branch. But sadly, their quality was not consistent, and it involved much work to manage. So, our Branch Committee considered developing new residences on Bethel properties instead of renting.
[Lazaro Gonzalez. Central American Branch Committee.]
Lazaro: Currently, at the Central America branch, we translate into approximately 80 languages. Because we need to do translation work into so many languages, we currently require 66 new remote translation offices. But getting these offices requires a lot of work. And at the same time, we needed to keep supplying Kingdom Halls, which are urgently needed in the region. So, the amount of work involved in addressing both needs seemed too great.
[Anthony Carvalho. Brazil Branch Committee.]
Anthony: Here in Brazil, we have a great need for more men and women that can help support the congregations and in the field. Thankfully, we have many young brothers and sisters that want to expand their service to Jehovah and have applied for SKE. As a matter of fact, we receive between 2,000 and 2,500 applications per year. The need for another permanent school became very obvious.
Troy: When the WDC receives direction from the Governing Body, we pray for guidance, do our research, and consult with local brothers. Then we proceed with an eye on where Jehovah’s spirit is leading a project or even redirecting it. With what results?
Bruno: In the end, following the recommendation of world headquarters, we ended up purchasing residential apartments built by property developers that we could easily sell should our future needs change.
[A cosy apartment in France]
Lazaro: The Governing Body gave its approval to have a group specializing in providing these remote translation offices.
[Brothers around a conference table in Central America]
The Project Development Group communicates with the WDC. The WDC then communicates with different groups at world headquarters:
[Infographics of departments]
the Service Committee, the Writing Committee, the Publishing Committee and the Translation Services Department. The Project Development Group also works closely with the local translation team, the Purchasing Department, the Legal Department, the Service Department, and with many other departments here at the branch.
[Dotted lines connect the infographics]
We saw Jehovah’s hand in that, because it allowed us to move forward with the work without disregarding the great need we had in the region for Kingdom Halls.
[Brothers weatherproof a framed structure]
Anthony: Well, we appreciated the good direction we received from the WDC to have a flexible approach in searching for properties, not just looking for property in which we could build a new structure but also for buildings that were already available that could be renovated for that purpose. We were able to find a hotel that fit our needs exactly, both because of its location and its size.
[A three-storey building in Brazil]
The brothers received direction from the WDC to use Bible principles in the process. At one point, the negotiations weren’t going very well. The brothers took a break, they said a prayer to Jehovah, and they came back with Bible in hand. They showed a Bible principle to the owner that showed that we want to be honest in everything we do. The owner was so impressed that from then on, the negotiations went very smoothly. As a result, we were able to obtain that property for a fair market price and additional funds were able to be used in order to extend that property to have yet a third class as part of the complex.
[Patrick Decuypere. France Branch Committee]
Patrick: The new directions given by the WDC Department have been a real blessing to our residential projects here in France. Our branch has a long history of theocratic construction. However, never before have the projects of this size moved so quickly. The Branch Committee is impressed with the quality of what is being developed and planned, and we’ve come to appreciate these new approaches.
[Jesse Perez. Central America Branch Committee]
Jesse: We see the positive effects of having the translation office where the language is spoken. But the fact that a place was purchased and where it was built (for that particular aspect of the work they’re in the right locations and they have the right equipment), it makes it a lot easier for the brothers to be able to do their work. So being in these RTOs is a blessing from Jehovah.
[Paulo Maganha. Brazil Branch Committee]
Paulo: The new schools building is designed to accommodate more than 250 students of the School for Kingdom Evangelizer each year. Certainly, a building dedicated for schools is well worth the effort and the investment of those that work on the project. This greatly strengthens my faith that when Jehovah desires something, there are no obstacles that can prevent his purpose from happening.
Stephen: Well, we’ve certainly seen Jehovah’s blessing on this arrangement. Good planning, communication, and collaboration are allowing us to prioritize and expedite work that directly advances the global preaching and teaching work. The Governing Body would like to assure all of you dear brothers and sisters of our deep love and appreciation for you. We thank everyone for all that you do to support us in advancing Kingdom interests during these exciting but challenging, final days of the last days.
Troy: When it comes to providing facilities to support the work, one size doesn’t fit all. By being adaptable and responsive to the needs, the circumstances, the insight of others, and the leadings of Jehovah’s spirit, we show that we are following Jesus’ leadership and are thus “made to grow with the growth that is from God.” This is preparing us for even greater building and educational projects in the Paradise soon to come.
[In paradise a man looks at the frame of his new house]
(Logo inside a White box. Black capital letters JW.ORG. Copyright 2023 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania)