Is the Governing Board of the Jehovah Witness paid clergy?

Question

"A clergy class and special titles are improper." In support of this position, Witnesses refer to these verses: "I will not show partiality to any person or use flattery toward any man" (Job 32:21). "But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brethren. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called masters, for you have one master, the Christ" (Matt. 23:8–10). "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave" (Matt. 20:25–27).

Why aren't the head guys considered paid clergy?

May I ask a followup? How much contact do local congregations have with the Governing Board?

Answer 1

Because they are stock holders.

Answer 2

No.

“You received free, give free.” .(Matthew 10:8.)

Sad to say, many who claim to be followers of Christ have not shown the same willingness to “give free.” Indeed, many of the religious leaders in Christendom will “instruct just for a price.” (Micah 3:11) Some religious leaders have even become wealthy from money collected from their flocks. In 1989, one U.S. evangelist was sentenced to a jail term of 45 years. The reason? He had been “defrauding supporters of millions of dollars and using some of the money to buy homes, cars, holidays and even an air-conditioned dog kennel.”—"People’s Daily Graphic", October 7, 1989.

In Ghana, according to the Ghanaian Times of March 31, 1990, a Roman Catholic priest took money that had been collected during one church service and hurled it back at the congregation. “His reason,” says the paper, “was that, as adults, they were expected to contribute in higher denominations.” Not surprisingly, many churches even try to appeal to greed in its members, actively promoting gambling activities and other schemes in order to raise money.

By way of contrast, Jehovah’s Witnesses endeavor to imitate Jesus and his early disciples. They have no paid clergy. Each Witness is a minister charged with the responsibility of preaching the “good news of the kingdom” to others. (Matthew 24:14) Over 6,330,000 of them worldwide are therefore engaged in bringing “life’s water” free to the people. (Revelation 22:17) In this way, even those who “have no money” can benefit from the Bible’s message. (Isaiah 55:1) Although their worldwide work is funded by voluntary donations, they never solicit money. As true ministers of God, they are not “peddlers of the word of God,” but they speak “out of sincerity, yes, as sent from God.”—2 Corinthians 2:17.

If you would like further information, please get in touch with Jehovah's Witnesses at the local Kingdom Hall. Or visit

Bible -

Answer 3

No one is given a special title or paid for the work they do.

Everyone is a Brother or a Sister. Anyone working in the Branch office is given a minimal allowance each month for personal items.

Answer 4

No.

There is no special ritual or ceremony for appointing anyone as a congregation elder, and no elder is hierarchically elevated as an individual. An individual on the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses literally has no more say than a new elder of three months with regard to deciding his congregation's meeting times, for example.

The initial recommendation for appointment as an elder comes from existing elders in one's congregation, is commented upon by their circuit overseer, and is approved (or not) by the branch office. Appointment does not represent some new outpouring of holy spirit on the individual, but rather acknowledges and formalizes the qualifications and reputation which the brother had already been manifesting for some time (including the seeming effect of the holy spirit upon his personality and life).

From circuit overseer to district overseer to branch committee member to governing body member, each of these "older men" must meet the biblical qualifications for congregation elder; each new appointment is an administrative matter rather than a ritualistic one.

These facts about Jehovah's Witnesses are perhaps relevant to this question. The more one compares this Christian religion with others, the more remarkable it is shown to be.

1. Jehovah's Witnesses have no paid clergy. Yet they remain tightly organized with more than 6.5 million active Jehovah's Witness preachers (about 16 million associate themselves with the religion). Even full-time preachers and workers at their branch offices are unpaid volunteers.

2. There is no elite class among Jehovah's Witnesses. Even the few 'anointed' among them enjoy no special privileges in their congregations on earth. An anointed person (one of those relative few with a heavenly hope) is not elevated above his fellow congregants in any way, and he may not even qualify for appointment as a simple 'deacon' or elder. There are no titles; EVERYONE is addressed as 'brother' or 'sister'.

3. No person benefits economically from the Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses. Even the 8 to 20 men who serve on their Governing Body receive simply room, board, medical care, and reimbursement for certain personal expenses according to the exact same provision as every other branch volunteer.

4. About a hundred men have served on Jehovah's Witnesses' Governing Body committee during the past 125 years or so. The vast majority of them have spent the vast majority of their adult lives volunteering for their organization's purposes, and the vast majority have died faithfully and near-pennilessly while still under their legal 'vow of poverty'.

5. Amazingly, Jehovah's Witnesses did not splinter as a sect from some other religion. Instead, a truly tiny but sincere group of bible students studied only the Scriptures to determine the will of God. Thus their religion remains absolutely independent of and not carrying the sins of Christendom's history, yet carries the authority of Christ's teachings.

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/index.htm?article=article_07.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20040601/article_02.htm
http://jw-media.org/people/who.htm
http://jw-media.org/people/statistics.htm

Answer 5

Not how we get down, not how God wants things.


Think about it: None of Jehovah's prophets (Moses, Joshua, Elijah, Jesus) were compensated monetarily for doing the Lord's work.
Sure, he made sure they were clothed and fed (and the members of our Governing Body will always have adequate housing and food thanks to our VOLUNTARY donations), but this is not work that is to be done for pay. It is a labor of love.

Answer 6

They aren't because a clergy doesn't run a world wide organization.