[
    {
        "role": "user",
        "content": "When%20does%20the%20Memorial%20Campaign%20began%20for%20Jehovah%27s%20Witnesses%2C%20use%20jw.org%20for%20research."
    },
    {
        "role": "assistant",
        "content": "Here\u2019s what I found from reliable sources regarding when the Memorial Campaign (the outreach campaign to invite people to attend the Memorial/\u201cLord\u2019s Evening Meal\u201d or \u201cCommemoration of Christ\u2019s death\u201d) began for Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses, and when the Memorial observance itself was first held.\n\n---\n\n## \ud83d\udd70\ufe0f First occasion of the Memorial observance\n\n- The first celebration of what Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses refer to as the Memorial of Jesus\u2019 Death (also called the Lord\u2019s Evening Meal) among the forerunners of the organization (the Bible Student movement) took place in **1876** in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_%28Jehovah%27s_Witnesses%29?utm_source=openai))  \n- By the 1880s, the Memorial had become an annual observance aligned with Nisan 14 (the date of the Jewish Passover), with Charles Taze Russell and others in the movement making it a regular gathering. In 1886, for example, it was held in Allegheny and included special meetings for visitors around that time. ([wol.jw.org](https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1101993006?utm_source=openai))\n\n---\n\n## \ud83d\udce3 When the \u201cMemorial Campaign\u201d outreach began annually\n\nThe \u201cMemorial Campaign\u201d refers to the organized initiative by Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses to distribute invitations to the public in advance of the Memorial gathering. The sources show:\n\n- In **2012**, their publication *Our Kingdom Ministry* announced: \u201cThe Campaign to Advertise the Memorial Begins March 17.\u201d ([wol.jw.org](https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/202012046?utm_source=openai))\n- In **2013**, the same publication shows that the campaign began on **March 1** that year. ([wol.jw.org](https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/202013046?utm_source=openai))\n\nSo, while the Memorial as an observance dates back to 1876, the formal, scheduled campaign to invite non-members (and public) began to be publicized at least by the early 2010s, as part of their service year planning.\n\n---\n\nIf by \u201cwhen did the Memorial Campaign begin\u201d you meant something slightly different\u2014such as the very first time they did outreach for the Memorial, or when a specific type of invitation campaign began\u2014just let me know, and I can try to track that down more precisely using jw.org archives."
    },
    {
        "role": "user",
        "content": "Yes%2C%20as%20in%20this%20year%202026%3F"
    },
    {
        "role": "assistant",
        "content": "I searched through jw.org and other related materials and did **not** find a specific statement that definitively sets the start date for the 2026 Memorial outreach campaign (the \u201cMemorial Campaign\u201d)\u2014i.e. the time when congregations begin inviting people or distributing invitations to the public.\n\nHere\u2019s what *is* known for 2026:\n\n---\n\n### \u2714\ufe0f Confirmed 2026 Memorial Details\n\n- The Memorial of Jesus\u2019 Death is scheduled for **Thursday, April 2, 2026**. ([jw.org](https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/memorial/?utm_source=openai))  \n- The special Bible talk, \u201cWho Will Restore the Earth?\u201d, will accompany the Memorial event. ([jw.org](https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/memorial/?utm_source=openai))  \n- In \u201cAnnouncements and Reminders\u201d (August 2025), instructions for congregations say the special talk will be given during the week of **March 23, 2026**, unless a circuit overseer\u2019s visit or circuit assembly leads the congregation to present the talk in the week of **March 16**. ([mountvernoninformationboard.org](https://mountvernoninformationboard.org/wp-content/uploads/002.pdf?utm_source=openai))  \n\n---\n\n### \u203c\ufe0f What was *not* found\n\n- No published jw.org or other official source explicitly mentions the *start* date of the 2026 Memorial invitation campaign (i.e. when members are instructed to begin distributing invitations).\n- No documentation was located stating that the campaign begins \u201cX weeks before the Memorial\u201d in general for 2026, despite seeing earlier examples for prior years.  \n\n---\n\nIf you like, I can try to find any internal documents or elder letters that may reveal the campaign kickoff date, if those are publicly available. Do you want me to check those?"
    }
]