Lena Segelstrom held her sleeping 6-month-old daughter Friday on a concourse in the Tacoma Dome, taking a break while more than 11,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses listened to speakers talk about keeping families spiritually strong.

“It’s like a special occasion,” said Segelstrom, about the convention she attended with her husband, Shea Segelstrom, and their three other young children.

“It’s encouraging to see other moms and dads with their families,” said Lena Segelstrom, 28, of North Bend. “It’s spiritually uplifting.”

For the second consecutive weekend, Jehovah’s Witnesses from throughout Western Washington are converging on the Tacoma Dome for their annual district conventions.

At the meetings held throughout country, Witnesses hear speakers explain one of the religious group’s core teachings: why the end of the current world system is imminent.

The meetings also bring Jehovah’s Witnesses together to renew old friendships and make new ones during a rite of summer, united by the bonds of faith and practice.

Jehovah’s Witnesses consider themselves a society of Christian ministers and regularly distribute religious tracts door-to-door.

When this weekend’s three-day convention ends Sunday afternoon, nearly 24,000 Witnesses will have flocked to the Dome over the last two weeks.

They eat in nearby restaurants. Some stay in hotels. Others, like the Segelstroms, commute. After the six-hour program ended Friday, Lena Segelstrom went to her job as a restaurant server in Issaquah.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses have held meetings in the Tacoma Dome every year since the arena opened in 1983.

These conventioneers are a studious and committed crowd, with men in suits and ties and women in dresses and skirts. They listen intently, taking copious notes on spiral-bound notebooks next to their open Bibles.

Speaking on a stage in front of a seven-pillared watchtower, Keith Caldwell struck at the core of the convention theme, “Keep on the Watch!”

With warfare, famine and disease, no place on the globe is isolated from the troubles that strike other parts of the world, said Caldwell, from the Jehovah’s Witnesses headquarters in Brooklyn, N.Y.

“By means of the Internet, the worst types of pornography, racism and violence get brought right into people’s homes,” he said.

“After examining the evidence you are firmly convinced,” Caldwell said. “You know that the end is near.”

The crowd applauded with approval.

Eighteen-year-old Ashley McCalla of Seattle said the end will mean a time “to see all the sickness and death go away – what the Bible promises.”

McCalla, who took in the speakers with her twin sister, Mariah, said she was at the convention to learn about the Bible.

For others, the convention was also a family reunion.

Sisters Kathy Gesualdi and Christy Kozza, and their husbands, were among visiting missionaries on furloughs.

Gesualdi, 37, a missionary to indigenous Miskitu Indians in Nicaragua, and Kozza, 39, a missionary to Paraguay, had much to catch up on.

“We don’t fight as much by being so far apart,” Kozza joked.

During an interview, both sisters talked about the spiritual fruits of being missionaries.

Gesualdi said she works to teach Bible concepts that result in happier families.

And Kozza said people in Paraguay live a simpler life with more of a focus on spiritual things.

Near the top of the Dome’s first level, newlyweds Kate and John Rodriguez of Tacoma listened and jotted down notes.

During the convention, they caught up with friends from around the state and drew spiritual encouragement from the speakers.

“To maintain a belief system that’s totally against the grain is definitely a challenge,” said John Rodriguez, 21.

Twyla Bunt, 47, of Granite Falls attended with her son Benjamin Bunt, 23, of Seattle.

He said one of the highlights is singing from the Witnesses songbook.

“It’s pretty much a thrill to be singing with 11,000 people – all in unison,” Benjamin Bunt said.

The convention continues today on Independence Day with another full schedule of speakers and singing. But don’t expect any fireworks or flag waving. Witnesses don’t celebrate the Fourth of July. They consider flags objects of worship.

“People put country over God,” said convention spokesman Henry Schwerdtfeger in an earlier interview. “We put God over country.”

“It will be fun for us, though,” Twyla Bunt said. “We’ll get to be here.”

Steve Maynard: 253-597-8647

steve.maynard@thenewstribune.com

About Jehovah’s Witnesses

WHAT THEY BELIEVE: That Jehovah (God) has established a heavenly kingdom and that the Bible teaches that only 144,000 people will be called to heaven with Jesus as king of that heavenly kingdom. Also, that God will soon restore the Earth to an eternal paradise for those who follow Bible principles.

WHAT THEY DON’T DO: Bear arms, salute the flag or participate in secular government. Because of biblical teachings, they also refuse blood transfusions. They don’t celebrate birthdays or holidays.

NUMBERS: There are 7.1 million Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide, including 1.1 million in the United States and about 34,000 in Washington state.

MEETINGS: The district convention at the Tacoma Dome continues today from 9:20 a.m. to 4:55 p.m. and Sunday from 9:20 a.m. to 4 p.m. Meetings are free and open to the public.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit www.watchtower.org or call 206-295-2962.