For the first time since 1897, Jehovah’s Witnesses have moved their annual convention to a streaming platform. Congregations, families, and guests have been viewing the program during July and August, according to a news release, out of concern for the health and safety of local communities.

Attendees from northeast Oregon were expecting to travel to the Toyota Center in Kennewick, Washington.

The first convention in the Tri-Cities area was in 1992. Since then, thousands from Central and Eastern Washington and Eastern Oregon have attended the three-day event. An English-language convention was scheduled for July 31-Aug. 2 and a Spanish-language convention was scheduled for Aug. 7-9. The decision to cancel the conventions came in early April after the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.

“Our worship is centered on mutual love for God and each other, irrespective of where we are physically,” Robert Hendricks, U.S. spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses, said in a news release. The two Christian principles guiding the Witnesses’ historic decision are respect for the sanctity of life and love of neighbor.

“As much as we long to meet together, life is far too precious to put at risk,” he said.

The move to an online format will enable many more to view the program and organizers are anticipating a higher than ever “attendance.” The convention is also being streamed in over 500 languages. All these changes are taking place to ensure the safety of attendees and the community during the pandemic.

The theme of the 2020 convention is “Always Rejoice!” and it comes at a time when many are struggling with how to find happiness amid the changing world scene. “To be able to have inner joy based on our faith, our relationship with our Creator, our relationship with our neighbor, and our families that is true joy that can be sustained,” said Hendriks.

The convention explores questions like: What contributes to finding and sustaining joy? How can you cultivate joy in the family? How can you remain joyful in difficult times? A key feature will be a Bible-based drama that considers the life of Nehemiah and how he helped the ancient nation of Israel find joy in their worship of God.

The virtual program is being released online in six installments from the weekend of July 11-12 through the weekend of Aug. 29-30. Those interested in viewing the convention can find the program on jw.org. There is no charge for viewing the convention.