The second of four weekend district assemblies for thousands of Jehovah's Witnesses is under way at the Richmond Coliseum. The annual conference, in its 18th year, attracts members from the Richmond metropolitan area and beyond for worship and other faith activities.

This year's theme is "Guided by God's Spirit." All convention programs are open to the public, said Donovan Greer, a denomination elder and conference organizer.

Greer recently shared his thoughts about his faith and one of Richmond's largest conventions, which he said brings an estimated 30,000 people to the city during the four weekends.

Q. What is the purpose of the four district assemblies?

A. "A total of 305 district conventions are being held this summer in 76 cities across the United States. Having four conventions right here in Richmond makes it very convenient and comfortable for anyone to attend who is interested in being 'Guided by God's Spirit' -- which is our convention theme this year."

Q. Why are they open to the public?

A. "Jehovah's Witnesses are not the only people who need God's Spirit -- everyone does! Anyone who is interested in learning more about how God's Spirit can help them lead happier lives, build stronger marriages and take better care of their children will benefit from the program."

Q. What can visitors expect to see?

A. "Lots of families sitting together using their Bibles and taking notes while being taught by a variety of speakers. There will be skits, demonstrations and even a full costume Bible drama."

Q. How many people are expected, and where are they coming from?

A. "Anywhere from 6,000 to 7,500 per session, coming from the Richmond metro area, and parts of Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, and [Washington] D.C."

Q. What are common misperceptions of your faith?

A. "That we don't believe in Jesus Christ. This is absolutely false. Jesus Christ is the only-begotten son of Almighty God, the head of the Christian congregation, and our heavenly king. Two, that we don't believe in God's Holy Spirit. Not only do we believe in it, but we couldn't possibly serve God without it. That's what our entire convention is focused on this year as evidenced by the theme 'Guided by God's Spirit.' Three, that we are knocking on your door to sell you something. We are not. We are knocking on your door out of love for God and you, our neighbor. We have lifesaving good news, and this is best way we know of to share it."

Q. What is the origin of Jehovah's Witnesses?

A. "We are members of a worldwide Christian religion who view first-century Christianity as our model. In that sense, our origin is simply the Christian congregation as described in the book of Acts. In modern times, a small independent Bible study group in Pennsylvania in the 1870s first known as the International Bible Students later took on the name Jehovah's Witnesses."

Q. Why are door-to-door visits so important?

A. "At the end of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus commanded his followers to preach and make disciples (Matthew 28:19, 20). We have found that you can't really make disciples without one-on-one personal contact. You need to sit down with people, answer their questions and help them find solutions to their problems. . . . The Apostle Paul said regarding his ministry: 'I did not hold back from telling you any of the things that were profitable nor from teaching you publicly and from house to house.' (Acts 20: 20, 21)."

Q. How many congregations are in the Richmond area?

A. "Over 40 English and five Spanish congregations in the Richmond area."

Q. Are they growing?

A. "Yes, especially the foreign-language groups, which in the Richmond area include Spanish, Portuguese, French, Korean, Russian and American Sign Language. Jehovah's Witnesses have seen a 3 percent increase in Richmond area over the past year."

Contact Robin Farmer at (804) 649-6312 or rfarmer@timesdispatch.com.