Question for Jehovah's Witnesses?

Question

This isn't antagonistic or anything.
I was wondering how your church is organized and led locally, regionally, and globally.

Thanks in advance

Answer 1

Hi Dane.

I'll try to answer to the best of my little 'ol ability here.

Following the model of first-century Christianity, Jehovah's Witnesses have no clergy-laity division. All baptized members are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work. Witnesses are organized into congregations of up to 200 members. Spiritually mature men in each congregation serve as elders. A body of elders supervises each congregation. About 20 congregations form a circuit, and about 10 circuits are grouped into a district. Congregations receive periodic visits from traveling elders. Guidance and instructions are provided by a multinational governing body made up of longtime Witnesses who currently serve at the international offices of Jehovah's Witnesses in Brooklyn, New York. - Acts 15:23-29; 1 Timothy 3:1-7.

Answer 2

Each individual and family head is encouraged to maintain a personal relationship with God and Christ, so that he can maintain his faithfulness and continue to further divine purposes even if he cannot associate with fellow worshippers.

Perhaps 15 active Witnesses will be organized into a "service" or "study" group, and these meet at least once a week in a private home to consider bible-based material. Everyone is encouraged to participate and comment. When a congregation's territory is geographically dispersed, these Witnesses will generally work primarily with one another in the field ministry. Ideally, each group will have at least one appointed elder or ministerial servant ("deacon"), although many do not. Almost every "group" is affiliated with a formal "congregation".

A congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses is between 35 (at the extreme minimum) and 200 persons, depending on what is most convenient locally. Each congregation has a body of elders, and likely also ministerial servants. Local elders handle all local practical matters according to guidelines from their country's branch office. Nearly every congregation around the globe considers the same bible-based material each week, although it is presented with local audiences in mind.

At least twice each year, a "circuit overseer" visits each congregation (and unaffliated group) for a week of special activity. This full-time minister audits all congregation records and correspondence, works to further train local elders and servants, works to train and encourage local preachers, and gives special talks during and in addition to the normal schedule that week. The circuit overseer also handles any matters which local congregants wish to discuss with him.

Also twice each year, the circuit overseer arranges for two larger assemblies of perhaps ten or twenty congregations together (typically at a rented facility). This allows a special attention to spiritual "food" and encourages unity between congregations.

On an ad hoc schedule, a congregation may be visited for a week by a "district overseer" who may merely be training a new circuit overseer, be performing some other assignment in the area, or perhaps handling a serious matter in the congregation. Each year, each congregation attends a very large "district convention" which may have an attendance of several thousand or tens of thousands.

The work in each land is generally coordinated by either a "country committee" or a "branch committee", depending if the land has actual branch offices. Most branch offices include literature distribution facilities for bible-based publications, and some also have printeries and binderies to produce books, magazines, and other godly literature.

A "zone overseer" is a Christian elder who is trained to audit the work of branch committees and country committees, but these appointments are not permanent. The primary result is a thorough report back to the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses.

The "Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses" performs a work similar to that of the first century governing body, who met in Jerusalem. The bible calls that ancient group "the apostles and the older men" and also "governors of you [Christians]" (see Hebrews 13:7 or its footnote).

(Acts 15:6,23) And the apostles and the older men gathered together to see about this affair. By their hand they wrote: “The apostles and the older men, brothers, to those brothers..."

(Acts 16:4,5) Now as they traveled on through the cities they would deliver to those there for observance the decrees that had been decided upon by the apostles and older men who were in Jerusalem. Therefore, indeed, the congregations continued to be made firm in the faith and to increase in number from day to day.


Like the apostles, Jehovah's Witnesses continue to acknowledge Christ Jesus as the actual Head of the Christian Congregation. The bible makes it plain that the Universal Sovereign is Jehovah God.

(Ephesians 5:23) Christ also is head of the congregation

(1 Corinthians 11:3) The head of every man is the Christ; ...in turn the head of the Christ is God.

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/index.htm?article=article_07.htm

Answer 3

At the top level you have the GB (Governing Body) composed of a few men who believe they are part of the 144,000 folks who will go to heaven.

Under the GB you have branches in several countries.

Under each branch office, you have a country/territory which is divided into districts which is overseen by a DO (District Overseer).

Each District is split into a Circuit which is overseen by a CO (Circuit Overseer)

Each Circuit is split up by city which is managed by the City Overseer...however the Circuit Overseer outranks him.

Each city can have one or more congregations. Each congregation has a Presiding Overseer who is also an Elder.
In this congregation there is a Body of Elders which is overseen by the Presiding Overseer.

NOTE: Any punishment or granting of special privileges happens at any level above this point in the chain. Naturally, appeals move up the chain from this point.

The Body of Elders manages the congregation and is assisted by Ministerial Servants.

Beneath all of them you have the average pioneers and publishers.

Pioneers have to spend a certain amount of time in the public preaching work each month. A publisher has no such quota, but they are expected to make the "national average" which is the average number of hours reported as public ministry by publishers in their country. Failure to do so may get you a "shepherding call" from the elders. You won't be punished per se, but you may find that certain "responsibilities" or "opportunities for advancement" won't be extended to you.

NOTE: Everyone above this point has been baptized, and is allowed to represent the congregation or multiple people in prayer if they are a male. Baptized females may only represent themselves, other females and subordinate children in prayer. If a baptized male is present but is under discipline, then a female can offer a public prayer, but she must have a head-covering.

Below them, you have the unbaptized publisher who is allowed to preach publically, but they cannot hold any offices, privileges or responsibilities including public prayer.

The lowest rank of the JWs are the unbaptized folks who are just studying or attending meetings to visit or whatever.

Women may only participate up to the level of Pioneer.

That was the situation when I left the JWs. I don't think it has changed much. Each step up the ladder has it's own title and special privileges just like any other religion.

Answer 4

hello Dane,

I read your bio before answering this,i see you are mormon.
JWs are out in the publics eye more then most. All JWs in the congragation try to share in the door to door ministry as Jesus taught. All of there liteture has addresses to access any information you like from them and all of their meetings are open to the public. I see you are a student, so i would incourage you to look into this readily available information. you could probably find way more information by visiting their Kingdom Hall or ordering information for free of charge from the Watchtower Society In New York then one could answer here.

Have good one

Answer 5

2. Most congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses have meetings three times each week. You are invited to attend any of these. (Hebrews 10:24, 25 - The Bible is the basis for what is taught. Meetings are opened and closed with prayer. Heartfelt “spiritual songs” are also sung at most meetings. (Ephesians 5:18, 19) Admission is free, and no collections are taken.—Matthew 10:8.

3. Most congregations hold meetings in a Kingdom Hall. These are usually simple structures built by Witness volunteers. You will not see any images, crucifixes, or things like these at the Kingdom Hall. Expenses are paid for by voluntary donations. For those who wish to make a donation, there is a contribution box.—2 Corinthians 9:7.

In each congregation, there are elders, or overseers. They take the lead in teaching in the congregation. (1 Timothy 3:1-7; 5:17) They are assisted by ministerial servants. (1 Timothy 3:8-10, 12, 13.) These men are not elevated above the rest of the congregation. (2 Corinthians 1:24) They are not given special titles. (Matthew 23:8-10.) They do not dress differently from others. Neither are they paid for their work. The elders willingly look after the spiritual needs of the congregation. They can provide comfort and guidance in times of trouble.—James 5:14-16; 1 Peter 5:2, 3.

5. Jehovah’s Witnesses also hold large assemblies or conventions each year. At these times many congregations come together for a special program of Bible instruction. Baptism of new disciples is a regular part of each assembly or convention program.—Matthew 3:13-17; 28:19, 20.

6. The world headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses is in New York. Located there is the Governing Body, a central group of experienced elders who oversee the worldwide congregation. There are also over 100 branch offices around the world. At these locations, volunteers help to print and ship Bible literature. Direction is also given to the organizing of the preaching work.

There are several links used in directing the work of witnessing in the over 230 lands where it is being done. The overall direction comes from the Governing Body at the world headquarters in Brooklyn, New York. The Governing Body sends representatives each year to various regions worldwide to confer with the branch representatives in those regions. In the branch offices, there are Branch Committees of about three to seven members to oversee the work in the lands under their jurisdiction. Some of the branches have facilities for printing, some operating high-speed rotary presses. The country or area served by each branch is divided into districts, and the districts, in turn, are divided into circuits. Each circuit has in it about 20 congregations. A district overseer visits the circuits in his district in rotation. Two assemblies are held annually for each circuit. There is also a circuit overseer, and he visits each congregation in his circuit usually twice a year, assisting the Witnesses in organizing and doing the preaching work in the territory assigned to that congregation.

The local congregation with its Kingdom Hall is the center for telling the good news in your community. The areas under each congregation are mapped out in small territories. These are assigned to individual Witnesses who endeavor to visit and speak with the people in each home therein. Each congregation, consisting of from a few to some 200 Witnesses, has overseers assigned to look after various duties. The individual proclaimer of the good news is the vital one in the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Every one of the Witnesses, whether serving at the world headquarters, in branches, or in congregations, does this field work of personally telling others about God’s Kingdom.

Reports of this activity ultimately reach the world headquarters, and an annual Yearbook is compiled and published. Also, a chart is published each year in "The Watchtower." These two publications offer detailed reports of each year’s accomplishments in bearing witness to Jehovah and his Kingdom under Christ Jesus. Jehovah’s Witnesses spend over 1,000,000,000 hours a year proclaiming the good news, and more than 300,000 new ones are baptized. Literature placements total into the hundreds of millions of copies.

If you would like further information & learn more - please get in touch with Jehovah's Witnesses at the local Kingdom Hall. Or visit their official web site - http://www.watchtower.org