Organizational Structure Of Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses are organized in a hierarchical arrangement they call a "theocracy", which they believe is an earthly expression of God's heavenly organization. Based in the Watch Tower Society's Brooklyn, New York headquarters, the organization is headed by the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses, with members of the Body and "helpers" organized into six committees responsible for various administrative functions within the global Witness community, including publication, assembly programs and evangelizing activity.
The Governing Body and its committees supervise operations of thirty zones, with nearly one hundred branch offices worldwide. Each branch office oversees activities of Jehovah's Witnesses in a particular country or region, and may include facilities for the publication and distribution of Watch Tower Society literature. Directly appointed by the Governing Body, branch committees make local appointments and perform other administrative functions for congregations, which are organized within circuits and districts. The Governing Body directly appoints traveling overseers as its representatives to supervise activities at various levels—circuit overseers visit circuits of about twenty congregations; district overseers work with the circuit overseers of a number of adjoining circuits; zone overseers visit groups of branch offices in a particular zone and report back to the Governing Body.
Each congregation is served by a group of locally recommended, branch-appointed male elders and ministerial servants. Elders take responsibility for congregational governance, pastoral work, 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 laws. Ministerial servants fulfill clerical and attendant duties, but may also teach and conduct meetings.
Read more about Organizational Structure Of Jehovah's Witnesses: Governing Body, Branch Offices, Traveling Overseers, Congregations
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