BY MATT MACKINDER
Clarkston News Editor

Yasmine Stahlmann would rarely go more than a few days without knocking on a door or visiting a Bible student as part of her volunteer ministry.
That abruptly changed in the spring of 2020 when Jehovah’s Witnesses suspended their in-person public ministry, meetings, and large conventions.
Two years later, the Clarkston resident is busier than ever as the switch to a virtual ministry affected her schedule.
“I’ve definitely been more active during the pandemic because you have things to do during the day, but everything else slows down. I have more time for the priorities,” said Stahlmann. “I feel like it lets us reach people in the community that we would have never been able to reach before.”
With this historic change, the number of Jehovah’s Witnesses grew three percent in the United States in 2021 alone, matching the most significant increase for the organization over the past decade and the second-largest percentage increase since 1990.
Earlier this month, Jehovah’s Witnesses resumed holding in-person meetings worldwide and in Clarkston on April 1. This return coincides with a global event that is being held in all 120,000 congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The annual commemoration of Jesus Christ’s death will be held on April 15 at 8 p.m. The local Kingdom Hall is located at 6400 Clarkston Road.
“Staying active in our ministry while remaining safe has had a powerful preserving effect on our congregants and communities,” said Robert Hendriks, U.S. spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses. “The wise decision not to prematurely resume in-person activities has united us and protected lives while comforting many people in great need. The results speak for themselves.”
For congregants like Stahlmann, the virtual move meant trading her bookbag for a smartphone, laptop and iPad and her walking shoes for slippers.
She regularly shares scriptures with dozens of community members by letter or over the phone, which she likes to refer to as “wellness checks.”

PHOTO: During the pandemic, Yasmine Stahlmann remotely engaged in her volunteer ministry to reach people in the community. Photo provided