Religious door-knocking ditched for letters, phone calls and social media

Wednesday, 7 July 2021

Jehovah's Witnesses no longer knock on doors as part of a worldwide directive since Covid-19 hit early in 2020. They now use phone calls, emails and send letters.

Jehovah’s Witness Peter Cheyne was in a pushchair when he first started going door to door.

The 65-year-old Christchurch business owner says it has been a “challenge” adjusting, after the church’s New York-based governing body directed its 8.7 million worshippers to stop preaching in person as a Covid-19 safety precaution.

Spreading their message – known as public witnessing – is a central part of the religion, but worshippers stopped face-to-face approaches in March 2020 and instead to turned to phone calls, text messages, emails and letters.

According to an online video posted in May 2021 by its governing body, more than 17,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses have died from Covid-19.

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Jehovah’s Witness Peter Cheyne says he has been in confrontational situations and used to start the day nervous about knocking on the first door.

New Zealand spokesman Victor Ioramo said despite the relative lack of community spread locally, 14,000 Kiwis had to “pivot” and stopped using “kingdom halls” or meeting places. Instead, they were finding success in more indirect approaches.

“We’re putting first the principle of ‘love thy neighbour’ and not putting anyone at risk.

“At first it was a bit of an adjustment to not be able to do what we’re used to being able to do. Especially for older ones, who love being in person.”

Phone calls were made to whatever public numbers were available, for example in the White Pages, he said.

A Jehovah's Witness family writes letters to preach their message now that door-knocking has stopped.

“It’s cold-calling, but really just sharing comforting things with the household or whoever is answering.

“We can still achieve quite a lot without being in person and putting each other at risk.”

He was unsure whether door-knocking would resume, or when.

Ioramo understood being approached by door-knockers was “not everyone’s cup of tea”. Rejection could be a challenge, but voluntary worshippers were given training on how to handle different situations.

Cheyne – who was “raised as a Witness” – preferred the face-to-face aspect of his three hours a weekend of door-knocking, despite agreeing “it’s not pleasant to be abused by a person” who was unhappy at seeing him on their doorstep.

“When you’ve been doing it as long as I have, there are not many situations you haven’t seen.”

Several times he had been in confrontational situations, and he used to start the day nervous about knocking on the first door. But it did not concern him.

“It doesn’t really matter who we’re talking to – we’re there to win hearts, not arguments.

“There hasn't been a week go by, apart from the last 15 months, where I haven't been out knocking on people’s doors.”

The full-time owner of a carpet cleaning business now dedicates a few hours each weekend to calling or writing letters to those in the Hornby area. Others can spend between 70 and 120 hours a month.

The 12 congregations in Christchurch had designated areas of the map and they “systematically work through addresses in those areas”.

“We don’t get a large response, but we feel that what we’re doing is not to be driven by results.”

Cheyne said that before the pandemic he had not heard of Zoom, the video-conferencing service. But within a week the whole congregation was linked up for its services.

Jehovah’s Witnesses have held annual three-day conventions in stadiums, arenas, and theatres in 240 countries since the practice began in the United States in 1897. It is now one online event as of 2020.

Iorama said it had been a “blessing in disguise”, with up to 5 million more people taking part because they were “in the comfort of their own home”.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spokeswoman Tania Torea said Covid-19 had also changed how it operated, with its missionaries being brought home from overseas postings.

All 19- and 20-year-olds serve 18 months to two-year missions, but those were now done from home.

“We have been known for going out and knocking on doors, but things have changed through Covid,” she said.

Younger worshippers were increasingly attracting others via social media, Torea said. “It’s their thing.”