Organizational structure of Jehovah's Witnesses
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Jehovah's Witnesses are organized under a hierarchical arrangement their leadership calls a "theocratic government", under the belief that it is God's government on earth.[1] The organization is headed by the Governing Body, based in the Watchtower Society's Brooklyn, New York headquarters. The Governing Body directs six committees that are responsible for various administrative functions within the Witness community, including publication, assembly programs and evangelizing activity.[1] The committees supervise operations of 115 Watchtower Society branches around the world, which oversee Witnesses in their country or region and produce literature for use by local members and for evangelism.
Within the branches, district and circuit overseers are appointed to supervise local congregations. Each congregation is served by a body of appointed male elders and ministerial servants. Elders maintain general responsibility for congregational governance, setting meeting times, selecting speakers and conducting meetings, directing the public preaching work and creating "judicial committees" to investigate and decide disciplinary action for cases that are seen as breaching scriptural or organizational laws. Ministerial servants fulfil clerical and attendant duties, but may also teach and conduct meetings.[1]
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[edit] Governing Body
The organization is headed by the Governing Body, based in the Watchtower Society's Brooklyn, New York headquarters – an all-male group that varies in size, but since 2005 has comprised nine members, including its president, most of whom claim to be of the "anointed" class with a hope of heavenly life.[2][3] There is no election for membership, with new members selected by the existing body.[4] The Governing Body is described as the "spokesman" for God's "faithful and discreet slave class" (the approximately 8000 remaining "anointed" Jehovah's Witnesses)[5], and is said to provide "spiritual food" for Witnesses worldwide on behalf of the "faithful and discreet slave class". In practice it seeks neither advice nor approval from any "anointed" Witnesses other than high-ranking members at Brooklyn Bethel when formulating policy and doctrines or when producing material for publications and conventions.[6]
From its effective formation in October 1971 until an organizational restructuring in 1976, the Governing Body comprised all members of the board of directors of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania as well as four other men.[7] A 1971 Watchtower article said the body provided the religion with direction, guidance and regulation,[8] yet all doctrinal and publishing decisions continued to be made by, or were subject to, the approval of the society's president.[9]
The Governing Body directs six committees, which are responsible for various administrative functions within the Witness community, including publication, assembly programs and evangelizing activity.[1]
[edit] Corporations
- See main article: Corporations 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:
- 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.
[edit] Branches and zones
The Watchtower Society operates 115 branches around the world,[10] several of which are grouped as a zone, under the oversight of a Zone Overseer.[11] Branches serving a country or region appoint district and circuit overseers to supervise local congregations.
Each branch offices is referred to as Bethel.[12] These facilities, operated by volunteers known as Bethel families, produce and distribute Bible literature and communicate with congregations within their jurisdiction.[13] The international headquarters located in Brooklyn, New York, which houses a staff of more than 5000,[14] also serves as the branch office for the United States. Each branch is overseen by a Branch Committee of three or more men, which is appointed by the Governing Body. Each branch office has a Service Department that corresponds with congregations and supervises the work of traveling overseers, and may also have printing, translation, legal and Hospital Information Services departments. Staff at branch offices take a legal vow of poverty.[15]
[edit] 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.
[edit] Circuits
All congregations are part of a circuit. The number of congregations in each circuit are often between 18 and 25. [16] All congregations are visited twice a year by the Circuit Overseer. 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.
[edit] Cities
In cities with more than one congregation, a City Overseer, an elder in one of the congregations, can be appointed to takes care of various issues that affect the whole city. His responsibilities are limited, since the Branch Office will act directly with the particular congregations in most cases.
[edit] Congregations
The congregations are the local units, which are in many aspects governed by the local elders,[17][18] who are assisted by Ministerial Servants. Congregations meet at a Kingdom Hall for meetings, while small groups of members also meet as book study groups, often at private homes, for weekly meetings. Book study meetings will cease from January 2009.
Witnesses are instructed to devote as much time as possible to preaching activities within defined congregation "territories" and are required to provide a monthly report to their congregation on their witnessing activity.[19] Jehovah's Witnesses believe that all of Jehovah's worshippers are ministers.[citation needed] All who participate in the witnessing activity (evangelistic work or "field service"), arranged by congregations are known as publishers.[20] The Watchtower Society counts as members only those who are approved as publishers.[21]
Elders and ministerial servants are appointed in each congregation for handling various religious and administrative duties. In smaller congregations, one man may handle multiple positions until another qualified candidate is available.
[edit] Elders
Each congregation has a body of elders, who are responsible for teaching the congregation. Elders maintain general responsibility for congregational governance, setting meeting times, selecting speakers and conducting meetings, directing the public preaching work and creating "judicial committees" to investigate and decide disciplinary action for cases that are seen as breaching scriptural or organizational laws. Elders are appointed by the society after recommendation from the local body of elders.
Specific roles within the body of elders include:
- Coordinator of the body of elders (previously known as the Presiding Overseer), who chairs elders’ meetings, prepares Service Meeting and Public Talk schedules, as well as overseeing financial matters.
- Service overseer, who organizes matters related to congregation field ministry.[22]
- Secretary, who takes care of congregation records and communication and reports congregation activity to the branch headquarters.[23]
- Watchtower study conductor, who leads the weekly Watchtower study.[24]
- Theocratic Ministry School overseer, who leads instruction at the Theocratic Ministry School.[25]
- Book Study Overseer (from January 2009, the Group Overseer), who cares for congregation book study groups and leads his group in the field ministry and shepherding.[26]
[edit] Ministerial Servants
Ministerial servants are appointed to assist the elders with routine work, including the supply of literature to the congregation, accounts, maintaining the Kingdom Hall, and operating audio equipment. They also present various parts at the meetings. Ministerial servants may also conduct congregation book studies.[27] Ministerial servants are appointed in a similar fashion to elders.[1]
The following roles are normally filled by ministerial servants:
- Accounts Servant
- Literature Servant
- Magazine Servant
- Territory Servant
- Attendant Servant
[edit] 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.[28] These baptisms are 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 the moment of baptism, the person is officially 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".[29] If a publisher fails to report for six months, they are classed as "inactive".[30] The terms, irregular and inactive, are used to indicate those that may require 'spiritual assistance' from the local congregation elders. 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.[31] 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. Special Pioneers take a vow of poverty and are given a small stipend for basic living expenses.
- 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. Missionaries take a vow of poverty and are given a small stipend for basic living expenses.
[edit] Unbaptized publishers
Unbaptized publishers are persons who are not yet baptized, but are able to demonstrate to the elders a basic knowledge of the doctrines of Jehovah's Witnesses. They must confirm that they conform to the moral standards required by the organization and are asked to state that they want to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses.[32]
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses
- Beliefs—Membership and Organization
- BBC: Jehovah's Witnesses - Structure
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e Penton, M. James (1997). Apocalypse Delayed: The Story of Jehovah's Witnesses. University of Toronto Press. pp. 211–252. ISBN 0-8020-7973-3.
- ^ Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. 2007 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses. pp. 4, 6.
- ^ Botting, Heather & Gary (1984). The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses. University of Toronto Press. pp. 178. ISBN 0-8020-6545-7.
- ^ Franz, Raymond (2007). In Search of Christian Freedom. Commentary Press. pp. 123. ISBN 0-914675-17-6.
- ^ Franz, Raymond (2007). In Search of Christian Freedom. Commentary Press. pp. 153. ISBN 0-914675-17-6.
- ^ Franz, Raymond (2007). In Search of Christian Freedom. Commentary Press. pp. 154–164. ISBN 0-914675-17-6.
- ^ Franz, Raymond (2007). Crisis of Conscience. Commentary Press. pp. 44. ISBN 0-914675-23-0.
- ^ Questions From Readers, Watchtower, November 15, 1972, page 703. See also "Theocratic Organization with Which to Move Forward Now" and "A Governing Body as Different from a Legal Corporation", Watchtower, December 15, 1971.
- ^ Franz, Raymond (2000). Crisis of Conscience. Commentary Press, Third edition, Second printing. pp. 42–108 (chapters 3 and 4).
- ^ Annual report, 2008 Yearbook
- ^ 1978 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses p. 20
- ^ The Watchtower, 1 August 1997, p. 9
- ^ Jehovah’s Witnesses—Unitedly Doing God’s Will Worldwide, p. 25-27
- ^ 2003 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, page 24; "In all, the United States Bethel family numbers 5,465."
- ^ "Trust in Jehovah!", Watchtower, December 15, 1993, page 13.
- ^ Jehovah’s Witnesses—Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom p. 19 Rejoicing and Praising God at Assemblies: “Usually about 18 to 25 congregations are grouped together in what are called circuits”
- ^ Watchtower 1/1/72 p. 9 par. 1
- ^ Watchtower 10/15/74 p. 630 How Are Jehovah’s Witnesses Different?
- ^ Botting, Heather; Gary Botting (1984). The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses. University of Toronto Press. pp. 52. ISBN 0-8029-2537-4.
- ^ True Worship Means Action The Watchtower September 1, 1965, p. 533.
- ^ Our Kingdom Ministry 2/02 p. 5 par. 18 “Preach the Word of God Fully”
- ^ Our Kingdom Ministry 9/98 p. 3 pars. 1-4 Overseers Taking the Lead
- ^ Our Kingdom Ministry 10/98 p. 7 par. 1 Overseers Taking the Lead—The Secretary
- ^ Our Kingdom Ministry 12/98 p. 8 Overseers Taking the Lead—The Watchtower Study Conductor
- ^ Kingdom Ministry 11/98 p. 8 Overseers Taking the Lead—The Theocratic Ministry School Overseer
- ^ The Congregation Book Study—Why We Need It, Our Kingdom Ministry June 2004, p. 4 pars. 4-5.
- ^ Ministerial Servants—A Blessing to Jehovah’s People, Watchtower, September 15, 1985 pp. 17-18 par. 14.
- ^ Why Be Baptized? The Watchtower April 1, 2002, p. 13.
- ^ Our Kingdom Ministry December 1987, p. 7.
- ^ Our Kingdom Ministry October 1982, p. 1.
- ^ Our Kingdom Ministry 8/99 p. 3 par. 3 " regular pioneers need to devote 70 hours to the ministry each month for a total of 840 hours per service year."
- ^ Questions From Readers, The Watchtower, December 1, 1989, p. 31.
