Congregations

== Congregations ==
Congregations are usually based on geographical area or language spoken, and may have as few as ten or as many as two hundred members. Congregations meet for religious services at Kingdom Halls, which may be shared by two or more congregations. If a small group of Witnesses is isolated by geography or language, it may have some or all of its meetings at a different time and place to the rest of the congregation, under the supervision of that congregation's body of elders. If a group intends to become a new congregation, the area's circuit overseer submits an application to the branch office. 
Each congregation is assigned a territory; members are requested to attend the congregation of the territory in which they reside. Members also meet in smaller "field service groups", often at private homes, prior to engaging in organized door-to-door preaching. Each field service group has an appointed "group overseer" (an elder) or "group servant" (a ministerial servant). Witnesses are instructed to devote as much time as possible to preaching activities ("witnessing" or "field service"), and to provide a monthly report to their congregation summarizing their preaching activity. Jehovah's Witnesses consider all baptized Witnesses to be ministers. Participants in organized preaching activity are referred to as publishers. Only individuals who are approved and active as publishers are officially counted as members.
Congregations are governed by local elders, who are assisted by ministerial servants. Elders and ministerial servants are appointed in each congregation for handling various religious and administrative duties. Only male members may serve in the capacity of elder or ministerial servant. In smaller congregations, one man may handle multiple positions until another qualified candidate is available. Baptized female members may perform some of their duties only if a baptized male is unavailable; female Witnesses leading in prayer or teaching are required to wear a head covering.
=== Elders ===
Each congregation has a body of elders, who are responsible for congregational governance, pastoral work, 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 to breach scriptural laws.
There are no secular educational requirements for elders; however, training programs are offered for elders within the organization. Elders are considered "overseers" based on the biblical Greek term, ἐπίσκοπος (episkopos, typically translated "bishop"). Prospective elders are recommended from among ministerial servants and former elders by the local elder body for appointment by the circuit overseer.
Particular roles within the body of elders include:
* Congregation Secretary: maintains congregation records, reports congregation activity to the branch office, advises the congregation about conventions and assemblies, and oversees those handling accounts.
* Coordinator of the Body of Elders: chairs elders' meetings, assigns duties and speakers for most congregation meetings, and cares for certain financial matters.
* Group Overseers: oversees groups for []public preaching]] and pastoral care.
* Life and Ministry Meeting Overseer: ensures that the Life and Ministry Meeting is handled according to the instructions set by the Watch Tower Society and schedules student assignments.
* Watchtower Study Conductor: leads the weekly study of The Watchtower.
* Operating Committee Members: responsible for the care of the building and property of Kingdom Halls that are shared by two or more congregations.
* Public Talk Coordinator: schedules speakers and talks for public meetings and co-ordinates traveling speakers from his congregation.
* Service Overseer: organizes matters related to public preaching, and oversees those handling Witness literature and territories.
=== Ministerial servants ===
Ministerial servants, equivalent to deacons, are appointed to assist the elders with routine work, including the supply of literature to the congregation, accounts, maintaining the Kingdom Hall, and operating audiovisual equipment. They also present various parts at the meetings. Ministerial servants are appointed in a similar manner to elders.
The following roles are normally filled by ministerial servants:
* Accounts Servant: collects donations from contribution boxes after each meeting, deposits moneys, pays bills.
* Sound Servant: coordinates and schedules others to run microphones, handle the stage and podium and operate audio equipment; in large congregations, a separate Platform Servant may also be assigned.
* Literature Servant: distributes literature in stock, takes requests for special items, or yearly items for use by congregation members. May place special request orders for publishers in their own Kingdom Hall.
* Literature Coordinator: orders and receives stock and bulk literature for multiple congregations meeting at a single Kingdom Hall.
* Magazine Servant: arranges orders of study, simplified, foreign language, and non-print editions of The Watchtower and Awake! magazines.
* Magazine Coordinator: orders and receives all magazines for congregations meeting at a single Kingdom Hall, and stocks them in a designated magazine pickup area.
* Territory Servant: distributes territory maps for preaching and keeps records of all territories within the local congregation's area.
* Attendant Servant: greets visitors, seats latecomers, takes attendance count, and is responsible for climate control of the Kingdom Hall and parking lot security.
* Group Servant: assumes role of Group Overseer when a sufficient number of elders is not available, under supervision of the body of elders.
=== Baptized publishers ===
Baptized publishers are members who have been publicly baptized following conversion to the faith. Jehovah's Witnesses do not practice infant baptism, and previous baptisms performed by other denominations are not considered valid. Prior to baptism, they are required to respond to a series of questions to assess their suitability, and to make a personal dedication to serve God. Baptisms are typically performed at assemblies and conventions. From the moment of baptism, the organization officially considers the person to be a member of Jehovah's Witnesses, and an ordained minister.
Regular publishers do not have a specific quota of hours for preaching each month, but publishers are requested to "set goals such as reaching [the] national average of hours for publishers". Publishers are typically required to report at least one hour per month to be counted as a 'regular publisher'. Generally, only whole hours are reported and partial hours are carried over to the next month, though publishers limited by advanced age or serious health conditions may be allowed to report fifteen-minute increments.
Publishers who fail to report for one month are termed "irregular" and those who do not report for six consecutive months are called "inactive". The terms irregular and inactive are used to identify members in need of 'spiritual assistance' from congregation elders; those who are habitually 'irregular' or 'inactive' are usually restricted from serving in any special capacity. Yearly reports of congregation activity are compiled and published by the Watch Tower Society.
Baptized publishers considered to be exemplary may serve in various special preaching capacities:
* Auxiliary Pioneers: make a commitment of 15 or 30 hours of preaching activities for a given month. This can be performed on a per month or ongoing basis.
* Regular Pioneers: make a commitment of 50 hours of preaching activity each month, totaling 600 hours for the year. For congregation elders to recommend appointment of a regular pioneer, a publisher must be baptized for at least six months and be considered an exemplary member of the congregation. Members who have been reproved or reinstated in the last year may not serve as regular pioneers.
* Special Pioneers: assigned by a branch to perform special activity, such as preaching in remote areas, which may require at least 130 hours per month. Special pioneers receive a stipend for basic living expenses.
* Missionaries: sent to foreign countries to preach. They spend at least 130 hours per month in preaching. Before assignment to a location, missionaries may receive training at Gilead School. Missionaries receive a stipend for basic living expenses.
==== Children ====
When accompanied by adults, children of baptized Witnesses may participate in organized preaching without formally qualifying. However, only those recognized as publishers are counted in the denomination's official membership statistics. Children of Witness parents may be asked to participate in demonstrations at congregation meetings and assemblies, or as models and actors in materials published by the Watch Tower Society.
=== Unbaptized publishers ===
Unbaptized publishers are persons who are not yet baptized, but who have requested and been granted approval to join in the congregation's formal ministry. They must demonstrate a basic knowledge of Jehovah's Witnesses' doctrines to the elders, state their desire to be a Jehovah's Witness, and conform to the organization's moral standards. To qualify as an unbaptized publisher, an individual must already be "an active associate of Jehovah's Witnesses", regularly attending congregation meetings.
Prior to 1988, unbaptized publishers were referred to as "approved associates", "unbaptized associates" or "regularly associating". The terms were discontinued on the basis that meeting attendance on its own does not constitute approval of or commitment to the faith.
=== Students ===
The term Bible student, sometimes informally referred to as a "Bible study", is generally used by Witnesses to refer to an individual who takes part in their religious study program. The purpose of the Bible study program is for the student to become baptized as a Jehovah's Witness.
Students usually have their study with the same Witness for the duration of the study program, often being the member who first encounters them while preaching. Interested individuals initially contacted by a member of the opposite sex are typically assigned a study conductor of their own gender. A student typically meets with his or her study conductor once each week at the student's home or other suitable location. The study program involves consideration of a Bible-based publication that addresses Jehovah's Witnesses' core beliefs.
Each paragraph is read aloud by the conductor or student, and the student answers pre-printed questions from the material in the paragraph. Students are encouraged to look up cited scriptures in the Bible and include them in their responses. Each Bible study is typically conducted with an individual or family, though in some cases many people may take part. Students are invited to attend and even comment at congregation meetings. Students may also attend reading-improvement or literacy classes in congregations where these additional courses are held.
=== Associates ===
Individuals who attend meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses but are not involved in preaching are occasionally referred to in Watch Tower Society publications as "associates" or as being "associated with the congregation". Attendance figures for Witness events include "Jehovah's Witnesses and associates"; such statistics may be cited for comparison of Witness numbers with membership figures of other denominations, but only those sharing in their ministry are counted by Jehovah's Witnesses when reporting their official statistics.
Unbaptized individuals who attend meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses are not subject to congregation discipline, though elders may privately warn members of the congregation about individuals considered to constitute "an unusual threat to the flock."
Category:Congregations