Former Jehovah’s Witness Convention: Still Alive in 2025

AI-generated Image based on photos from Rick Fearon

Written and Published by: Miss Usato on August 25th, 2025

This article covers a unique event organized by former Jehovah’s Witness Rick Fearon, centered on healing, sharing life stories, and offering encouragement to those navigating the difficult process of leaving the Jehovah’s Witness organization. Although members of AvoidJW were unable to attend, we contacted an author and friend, Micah Allen Losh, to get his opinion on the weekend-long event. Micah is a former Witness, author of the Apostasy Trilogy, and a featured speaker at the convention, who shared insights from his own challenging journey out of the faith.

Still Alive in 2025

Jehovah’s Witnesses have a long history of attaching significance to specific years (1914, 1925, 1975, 2000, etc.). In particular, 1925 was promoted by the Watchtower as the year when the “ancient worthies” (like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) would be resurrected. The slogan “Millions Now Living Will Never Die” was heavily advertised around that time. The title for this event, “Still Alive in 2025,” Is no doubt based on the very Organization that fooled millions of lives into believing they would not pass away before Armageddon would arrive.

From August 1–3, 2025, a three-day convention in Tewksbury, Boston, brought together former Jehovah’s Witnesses, researchers, and critics of the Watchtower organization. The program featured live music, personal testimonies, panel discussions, and keynote talks, all designed to foster healing, solidarity, and open dialogue for those who had once lived under the group’s high-control structure.

The event was organized and hosted by Rick Fearon, webmaster and founder of Six Screens of the Watchtower and the Six Screens Tele-Network. Former Jehovah’s Witnesses who wished to share their stories were encouraged to contact Rick directly to be added to the program. That was how author Micah Allen Losh came to be involved—after speaking with Rick about his journey and his writing, he was invited to present at the convention.

Quoted from Rick Fearon’s post: “This long wait is being welcomed by former Jehovah’s Witnesses and opposers from all over the world. This milestone event will be one of the most significant experiences of your life. You will meet hundreds of people who have been “Touched By The Tentacles Of The Watchtower”. We will feel like a true family, all sharing the same experiences and now expressing our freedom. For many, it will seem like a giant therapy session that promises much-needed healing and a brighter future. “

For Micah, the gathering marked two important firsts: it was his first time attending an ex-JW convention, and it was also the first time he publicly spoke about the deeply personal struggles he faced after leaving the faith.

Micah: “The convention was the closest thing I’ve had to a vacation since I was 15. I’d never traveled alone. I’ve spent the past five years paying off over 30K in debt and raising my credit from 405 to over 700, all related to the harsh experiences from leaving the cult. But over the past few years, I’ve learned to live in the moment.”

August 1st – First Day of Convention

Friday, Aug 1st: The event opened with music and introductions. Former Witnesses, including Rick Fearon, Joe and Fran Gurino, Tommy Geske, Larry Jon Wayne, Richard Borghi, Dinah Lost, and Micah Losh, shared their experiences of shunning, abuse, and recovery.

Evening sessions featured Barbara Anderson, a well-known Former Jehovah’s Witness and former Researcher for the Watchtower Organization in the headquarters, Bethel, New York. At the end of the day, there were others discussing research into the Watchtower, followed by more personal stories and a symposium on doubting the organization.

In your opinion, how did it feel to be at this event?

Micah: “Personally, the atmosphere felt a little disjointed to me. There were things that were similar to JW conventions: name badges, a man walking around with a sign asking people to return to their seats, etc. But it was nice to meet with so many different people. I met Christians, atheists, a flat-earther, a conspiracy theorist, spiritual people, republicans, democrats, and people who told me they were healers. Everyone I spoke to left a strong impression on me. I brought stickers with barcodes that led to my website and handed them out to as many people as I could.

My own speech left the biggest impression on me. I spent about 20 hours working on it. I practiced at least once a day for over a month leading up to the convention. It was mainly about how my father refused blood and died for “Jehovah.” It was cathartic in an unexpected way to speak about that publicly.”

Author- Micah Allen Losh

Just weeks after this event, a video recording of Micah’s Speech has reached over 116K on the ExJW’s Reddit and other Social Media. We wanted to go into Micah’s Story on how he came about writing his Trilogy. You can find his series by clicking on its cover above. To read Micah’s Speech from the Convention, click here to his blog post: My ExJW convention Speech

Micah: “The Apostasy Trilogy was published over a year, each six months apart. The titles are Jehovah’s Witness shaming terms. Each book features art by a different Ex-JW (Former Jehovah’s Witness). Mentally Diseased is a memoir. Gangrenous Speeches is two decades of poetry/prose. Despicable is an allegory for leaving a high-control group. I’ve always loved horror, so I embraced what I had repressed and tried to pray away. The violence in it is pretty horrific, but described in an almost mundane way. I don’t believe a single thing in it is worse than the worldwide genocide the Organization lives in expectation of. In Despicable, I repurposed my trauma into fiction to step away from it and closer to the work I want to do. I’ve always wanted to use beautiful words to tell horrible stories, but I had to tell my own first.”

August 2nd -Second Day of Convention

The day began with announcements, then powerful testimonies from survivors of abuse within the Watchtower, including Romy Maple and John Viney. Keynote speaker Gary Coxe addressed personal growth through the deprogramming process. The Afternoon and evening sessions included Barbara Anderson, Dr. Quiana Bradshaw (AI & the Watchtower), Gary Alt, Stephanie Lynn Carson (PA Grand Jury witness), and high-profile Former Witness speakers like Fritz Springmeier and Weldon Long. The day closed with what was called “Apostates Got Talent,” about the acknowledgments of activists, along with live music/dancing.

How did Saturday go?

Micah: “Rick was very busy through the weekend, so I only spoke with him briefly. I met Barbara Anderson, and she was an adorable, very sweet woman. I ate lunch with her on Saturday with some men whose occupation is helping rescue children from sex trafficking. They’ve asked me to seek out people who’ve been victimized by this Organization as well. I met Romy Maple, and she was lovely. She is such a gentle woman, I even watched her comfort someone who was very distraught.

How do you think this event felt for others who attended?

Micah: “Well, I think what resonated is our collective pain. Each interaction was unique. I met a lot of nice people, and since the event, I’ve been in contact with several of them. I also met many whom I had formerly known only online, so it was nice to experience that.

August 3rd -Third Day of Convention

On Sunday, Aug 3: The Final day included more testimonies such as Audra, Fritz Springmeier, and Will Chandler. A session on false teachings by Jay Hess, and practical announcements took place. The afternoon talks explored spiritual abuse, biblical scholarship, and the financial dealings of the Watchtower, concluding with international perspectives by Dr. Igal German and Stephen Unthank.

Is there a message you would like to share with those still struggling with issues of self-worth, love, and healing from the harmful practices of the cult?

Micah: “I don’t know that I should be advising anyone. I’ll share what was true of myself. I did not leave the dysfunction functional. I was circumscribed and contrived. I questioned even the most rudimentary things about myself. I was conditioned to be abused. I let go of comfort. I seek discomfort. I realized I couldn’t be comfortable and grow simultaneously. Muscles are built by tearing them. Why would my soul, spirit, or personality be different? I remove toxic people from my life. Actions should match words. I developed boundaries. When people show me who they are I believe them. I stopped telling myself negative things about myself. It’s proven it’s bad for your mental health. Nobody woke me up. I was brave enough to look. I stopped giving my power away. I learned failure is a part of success. I pursue the things and people I want. We have one glorious life. I’m the main character in my own story so I’ll make it a good one. Every person will experience me differently than I believe myself to be. I don’t even exist. Why not be authentic?”

For Micah Allen Losh, the Tewksbury convention was not just another Ex-JW gathering; it was a milestone in his journey of healing, authenticity, and reclaiming his voice. His testimony, like many shared over the three days, underscored the collective resilience of those who have walked away from the Watchtower organization—bearing scars, yet carrying hope.

Whether or not another event of this kind takes place next year remains uncertain. What is certain, however, is the message it leaves behind: no one is truly alone in this journey. For those who feel abandoned, hopeless, or lost without the structure of the organization, Micah’s story and the stories of so many others serve as living proof that life beyond the Watchtower is not only possible but meaningful. Healing takes time, courage, and community, but freedom offers the chance to live authentically and to write one’s own story.