Organizational structure of Jehovah's Witnesses

The organisational structure of Jehovah's Witnesses is a religious hierarchy. Jehovah's Witnesses are led by group of senior elders, called a Governing Body. Branch offices, known as Bethels, manage countries or regions and produce literature for use by local members and for evangelism. Members, or publishers, are organized into congregations and are overseen by congregational elders.

Basic structure

The organization of Jehovah's Witnesses is intended to be modeled on the early Christian congregation. The basic principle is that all baptized men, not women, have the opportunity to become ministerial servants or elders and lead the Christian congregation. The worldwide congregation is overseen by a Governing Body. Each congregation is led by congregational elders. The appointment of congregation elders and ministerial servants is recommended to the Governing Body by other local elders and traveling representatives of the Governing Body to a branch office. Ministerial servants assist the elders. Witnesses refer to their organizational structure as "theocratic," signifying their belief that it is directed by (Jehovah) God through Jesus Christ.

Titles are not used as a means of address. Servants in a congregation do not receive any monetary pay, whereas missionaries, branch office staff, and traveling elders who represent the governing body receive a modest stipend.

Ministers

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that according to the Bible, all of Jehovah's worshippers are ministers. Overseers are appointed to take the lead in the ministry and the teaching in the local congregations, and to fulfill certain directorial roles.

Publishers

All who participate in the witnessing activity, or evangelistic work, arranged by the Christian congregations are known as publishers. Although Jehovah's Witnesses, as a group, publish books, magazines, and other literature, the meaning of the word "publisher" in this sense is a person who is engaged in evangelizing. The Witnesses only count as members those who are officially approved by the elders as publishers.

Baptized Publishers

A baptized publisher is someone who has undergone a series of questions, has made a personal dedication to serve God, and demonstrated it through a public baptism. These baptisms are now performed at assemblies and conventions organized by the Governing Body, although in the past, individual baptisms would take place under the arrangement of the local congregation. From that moment on, the person can correctly be identified as one of Jehovah's Witnesses.

A regular publisher does not have a specific quota of hours each month,although many feel obligated to spend at least the national average of hours as reported in the monthly newsletter, Our Kingdom Ministry. Typically, a publisher must report at least one hour per month to be counted as a 'regular publisher'. Elders may allow publishers to count 15-minute increments if special circumstances limit them, such as advancing age or limiting health. If a publisher fails to report for one month they are termed "irregular". If a publisher fails to report for six months, they are classed as "inactive". These terms, namely irregular and inactive, are used to indicate those that may require 'spiritual assistance' from the local congregation. Yearly reports of congregation activity are compiled by the organization, and published annually in a Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses. Those habitually 'irregular' or 'inactive' are usually restricted from serving in any special capacity.

There are different levels of increased service available to baptized publishers in 'good standing' within the organization:

• Auxiliary Pioneers - make a commitment to do 50 hours of field service for a given month. This can be done on a per month basis, or on an ongoing basis.
• Regular Pioneers - make a commitment to perform on average 70 hours of field service each month, totaling 840 hours for the year. A publisher must be baptized for at least 6 months and deemed to have good morals and be an exemplary publisher, in order to be recommended by the elders of their local congregation to be a regular pioneer. This includes not having been reproved or disfellowshipped in the last year.
• Special Pioneers - assigned by the Branch to take on special work, such as publishing in remote areas. This may require committing to at least 130 hours per month in the public ministry.
• Missionaries - sent to foreign countries to preach. They use at least 130 hours per month in preaching. Before being assigned to a location, such persons usually go through training at the Gilead school.

Unbaptized Publishers

Unbaptized publishers are persons who are not yet baptized, but want to be publishers. They are on their way to becoming baptized, and are able to demonstrate basic knowledge of the doctrines of Jehovah's Witnesses, and living in conformance with the moral standards as set forth by the organization's interpretation of the Bible. They are asked to state for the record that they actually want to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses. The person who is conducting the Bible study with the unbaptized person approaches the presiding overseer. He will arrange for two elders to meet with the student to interview the student. If qualified, that person can officially begin to share in the public ministry.

Positions of Responsibility

Elders and Ministerial Servants are appointed in each congregation for handling various religious and administrative duties. In larger congregations, where there are sufficient Elders and Ministerial Servants each can take an available position; in smaller congregations, one person may handle multiple positions until another qualified candidate is available. In certain cases, when there are insufficient ministerial servants, the body of elders will use men who are not yet ministerial servants but are good examples in the congregation to fill ministerial servant duties.

Elders

Each congregation has a body of elders or "Overseers", who are responsible for teaching the congregation. They make decisions regarding the local congregation's activities and welfare and make pastoral visits (known as shepherding calls). They often meet to discuss the needs of the congregation. There are specific positions filled by members of the body of elders.

The 'Coordinator of the body of Elders.' His duties include the role of chairman at elders’ meetings , chairmanship of the Service Committee, preparing the Service Meeting and Public Talk schedules, as well as overseeing financial matters. He is also responsible for arranging for elders to meet with prospective publishers and baptismal candidates.

The 'Service Overseer' organizes matters related to congregation field ministry. Is interested in teaching Publishers to be better evangelizers as well as encouraging them to participe in it more often. He oversees the magazine and literature departments as well as the 'Territory Servant'.

The 'Secretary.' He takes care of congregation records and communication. He reports congregation activity to the branch headquarters. He oversees the account servant.

The above mentioned elders make up the 'Congregation Service Committee' (distinguished from the Service Committee of the Governing Body). This committee oversees certain administrative activities in the congregation. They also determine the qualification of members for things like becoming "unbaptized publishers" "pioneers" or for using the Kingdom Hall for weddings and funerals.

The Watchtower Study conductor is the instructor during the Watchtower study. This is an important teaching duty since the Watchtower is primary way the Governing Body teaches the congregations.

The Theocratic Ministry School Overseer is responsible for instructing the congregation during the Theocratic Ministry School. He counsels the students based on preassigned speech qualities for each assignment. Assigned qualities might include Accurate reading, Words clearly spoken, Use of microphone, etc. When the student has finally mastered an assigned quality the counsel form is checked and the student moves on to another quality. The 'School Overseer' is also in charge of the congregation library.

The 'Book Study Overseer has the responsibility of caring for congregation Book Study groups. His duties include leading the group in the field ministry and shepherding them.

Elders also have a position of judicial oversight in the congregation. When a member commits or is accused of committing what they view as a serious sin, two elders are commissioned to determine the facts. This may lead to the formation of a Judicial Committee made up of three or more elders. Judicial Committees are responsible for judging the facts of a case, weighing the evidence of wrongdoing, judging a wrongdoer's attitude and motives. They offer counsel and administer discipline. They disfellowship members who are judged unrepentant. No one elder has more authority than the others in the committee; all have equal authority though one elder is designated chairman of the committee.

The following additional roles are filled by elders:

• Auxiliary school counselors (If the number of Theocratic Ministry School students necessitates auxiliary classroom(s) for specified assignments. Could be handled by a qualified ministerial servant)
• Auxiliary Counselor (Counsels other elders and ministerial servants in teaching. different from auxiliary school counselor)
• Kingdom Hall Operating Committee Member
• Public Talk Coordinator (usually the presiding overseer, but can be delegated to another elder or a qualified ministerial servant)

Ministerial Servants

Ministerial Servants are appointed to assist the elders with routine work, such as taking care of the Kingdom Hall, the sound and microphone system, supplies of publications, congregation accounts.They may also take part in teaching the congregation in certain circumstances. For example, the more qualified ministerial servants may accompany an elder on "shepherding calls" (visits by elders to congregation members for the purpose of spiritual encouragement). Similarly, if there are not enough elders available to oversee the congregation book studies, a qualified ministerial servant may substitute to conduct the studies until there is an available elder. When doing so, the ministerial servant does not take on general responsibilities of an elder.

The following roles may be filled by ministerial servants:

• Accounts Servant
• Literature Servant
• Magazine Servant
• Territory Servant
• Attendant Servant
• Sound & Platform Servant
• Congregation Book Study Servant (Only when there are not enough qualified elders to oversee each book study)
• Congregation Book Study Assistants (assists the Book Study Overseer/Servant)
• Kingdom Hall Literature Coordinator

Some men will assist with sound and platform duties. These can be younger ones who are not yet ministerial servants. However they are usually baptized publishers, and must be in 'good standing' in the congregation. They are overseen by the Presiding Overseer.

Appointments of Elders and Ministerial Servants

New elders and ministerial servants are recommended by the local body of elders to the local Branch Office of Jehovah's Witnesses, who are assigned by the Governing Body to act on their behalf in various countries, during a visit of a Circuit Overseer. The Branch Office reviews the recommendation and confirms such appointments. Qualifications, or requirements, for such responsibilities are derived from scriptures such as 1 Timothy 2:1-13 and Titus 1:5-9. Only men may be appointed as elders and ministerial servants. Where there is a shortage of brothers, women may perform activities of Ministerial Servants that do not involve teaching the congregation. In rare circumstances, where there is a shortage of qualified men, a woman may act as a teacher in a congregation, with specific guidelines such as wearing a head covering, derived from 1 Corinthians 11: 5; sisters handling these roles are never considered elders or Ministerial Servants.

Administrative Units and their Overseers

Each congregation is part of a Circuit, being cared for by a Circuit Overseer. Each circuit of congregations is part of a District, being cared for by a District Overseer. This in turn is under the supervision of a Branch Office. The Branch Office is under direct supervision of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses. All Branch Offices are part of a Zone with a Zone Overseer appointed by the Governing Body.

Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses

Main article: Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses

Decisions regarding the worldwide activity of Jehovah's Witnesses are made by the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses, composed of elders professing spirit-anointment, as convened in Brooklyn, New York, based on their interpretation of Acts 15:4, 6, 23 regarding the operation of first-century Christians. Prior to organizational restructuring in 1976, all decisions (from the years of Pastor Russell onward) regarding the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses were made by, or subject to, the approval of the President of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. Until the 1970s, this group was virtually identical with the board of directors of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania.

Since the year 2000, the Governing Body has delegated to other members the responsibility of serving as directors of the various corporations that are used by the organization, to allow them to commit more time and energy to worldwide preaching efforts and other spiritual activities. For example, the current president of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, Don A. Adams, is not a member of the Governing Body.

Zones

A zone consists of a number of Branch Offices. It is served by Zone Overseers appointed by the Governing Body. Their main function is to help Branch Committees with problems and questions in the ministry. Sometimes members of the Governing Body will serve as Zone Overseers.

Districts

A district consists of a number of circuits and is served by a District Overseer, whose responsibilities include spending a week with the Circuit Overseer visiting a congregation and attending the circuit's annual two-day assembly, and teaching Ministerial Training School.

Annually, a three-day or four-day District Convention is held.Although the term "district" is used with respect to the conventions, that has nothing to do with district overseers or the district arrangement. Such conventions are usually held at suitable rented public facilities, usually seating thousands of visitors. These conventions are highly organized with plans made months in advance. Publishers receive notice of convention dates several months prior, in Our Kingdom Ministry, usually accompanied with a list of hotels, including many with which the Watchtower Society has negotiated special rates.

Circuits

All congregations are part of a 'circuit'. The number of congregations varies in each circuit. However circuits are kept to roughly 20 congregations. Circuits come together twice a year for assemblies, once for a "Special Assembly day" and again for a 2 day "Circuit Assembly". All congregations are visited twice a year by the Circuit Overseer, an experienced elder representing the governing body. Such visits typically last one week, during which the Circuit Overseer delivers talks for the congregation and the general public, meets with the elders, ministerial servants and pioneers, and leads in the house-to-house preaching work.

Cities

In cities with more than one congregation, a City Overseer can be appointed. He is not a traveling man, but serves as an elder in one of the congregations. He takes care of various issues that affect the whole city. His responsibilities are limited though, since the Branch Office will act directly with the particular congregations in most cases.

Congregations

The congregations are the local units, which are in many aspects governed by the local elders. Specialized territories for evangelism are made up within a congregation's boundaries and distributed to publishers. A congregation meets in a place of worship called a Kingdom Hall. Religious gatherings are usually held there three times per week. Two of these consist of four meetings, as follows: the Public Talk, a Bible-based discourse (30 minutes as of 2008); the Watchtower Study, a question-and-answer consideration of an article in a current Watchtower magazine (1 hour); the Theocratic Ministry School, a speaking course featuring the Bible; and the Service Meeting, talks and demonstrations on use of the Bible in the ministry (both 45 minutes). A fifth meeting is the Book Study, held usually in private homes as well as at the Kingdom Hall. (see Book Study groups below) These gatherings begin and end with prayer the singing of Kingdom songs with the exception of the Book Study, where there is no singing of Kingdom songs opening and closeing only with a prayer. 'Contribution boxes' are available for voluntary contributions, though all meetings are free to attend.

Book Study groups

Each congregation is generally further divided into smaller units called Congregation Book Study groups, with usually 10-20 publishers. Each group has a conductor. The conductor is preferably an elder, called the book study overseer. If an elder is not available, then a ministerial servant might be responsible for that group. These groups meet for a fifth weekly meeting, the Congregation Book Study, a question-and-answer discussion of a Watchtower publication (1 hour), usually in private homes. Publishers also give their 'Field Service Reports' to their Book Study overseer, who then forwards them to the secretary. Certain other matters, such as checking on the location and safety of members during natural disasters, are also usually the role of the Book Study overseer(s). Meetings for 'Field Service' (recommended to be not more than 15 minutes in length each) are scheduled according to local congregation needs and circumstances.

In April 2008, an announcement was made, stating that effective January 1, 2009 the congregation book study would be amalgamated into the Theocratic Ministry School each week. The letter stated reasons including rising fuel prices and 'increasing difficulties around the globe for publishers to attend the book study'.

For details on the meetings, see: Beliefs and practices of Jehovah's Witnesses#Meetings

Bethel

An administrative office is referred to as a Bethel by Jehovah's Witnesses. At these locations, volunteers help to print and ship Bible literature as well as other works. These volunteers are known as the Bethel family. The international office of Jehovah's Witnesses is such a Bethel and is located in Brooklyn, New York, USA. There are 128 Branch Offices of Jehovah's Witnesses around the world (including the international office, which serves as the Branch office in USA). A branch most often is identical with a country, but it may include more than one country (for example in parts of Africa), or a region that is not an independent country (for example Alaska, Hawaii, New Caledonia, and Tahiti). The size of Bethel families vary widely; for example, in Iceland, it consists of ten members, while those in USA and Mexico have several hundreds.

The Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses convenes in - and some Directors of the Watchtower Society operate from - the Brooklyn offices. Each branch is overseen by a Branch Committee of three or more men at the Branch Office, which is appointed by the Governing Body. One of them is called the coordinator. In a branch that includes more than one country, numerous Country Committees can be appointed; they are responsible for the work in their respective countries.

The volunteers at Bethel are normally given personal duties, such as working in one of the departments. Each department is led by one experienced man. Any office may include a translation department, a legal department, and a hospital information services department. Each office has a Service Department that corresponds with the congregations and supervises the work of traveling overseers. Printing facilities exist in some offices. Some men with special responsibilities at Bethel have been known as Bethel elders, but from 2006, this term is no longer used.

New York headquarters of Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society

Legal Instruments

Main article: Legal instruments of Jehovah's Witnesses

The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania is one of a number of legal corporations the group uses to represent its interests. Other corporations used include, for example these:

• Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.
• Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses
• International Bible Students Association

In the majority of other countries of the world, local corporations have been established to facilitate the organization's work.

In the past, the presidents of the Watchtower Society have been important persons in the history and development of the religious group.

See also

• Regional Building Committee
• Practices of Jehovah's Witnesses
• Ministerial Training School

External links

• Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses
• Beliefs—Membership and Organization
• BBC: Jehovah's Witnesses - Structure