JW Wikipedia pages

Watchtower Bible School of Gilead

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search



Question book-new.svg
 This article relies too much on references to primary sources. Please improve this article by adding secondary or tertiary sources. (April 2014)
Part of a series on
Jehovah's Witnesses

Overview

Organizational structure
Governing Body
Watch Tower Bible
 and Tract Society
Corporations

History
Bible Student movement
Leadership dispute
Splinter groups
Doctrinal development
Unfulfilled predictions

Demographics
By country


Beliefs ·
 Practices
 
Salvation ·
 Eschatology

The 144,000
Faithful and discreet slave
Hymns ·
 God's name

Blood ·
 Discipline


Literature

The Watchtower ·
 Awake!

New World Translation
List of publications
Bibliography

Teaching programs

Kingdom Hall ·
 Gilead School


People

Watch Tower presidents

W. H. Conley ·
 C. T. Russell

J. F. Rutherford ·
 N. H. Knorr

F. W. Franz ·
 M. G. Henschel

D. A. Adams

Formative influences

William Miller ·
 Henry Grew

George Storrs ·
 N. H. Barbour

John Nelson Darby


Notable former members

Raymond Franz ·
 Olin Moyle


Opposition

Criticism ·
 Persecution

Supreme Court cases
 by country

v ·
 t ·
 e
   
Watchtower Bible School of Gilead is the formal name of the missionary school of Jehovah's Witnesses, typically referred to simply as Gilead or Gilead School.[1][2] Gilead is the flagship school at the Watchtower Educational Center at Patterson, New York, USA.[3][4][5]



Contents  [hide]
1 History
2 Curriculum and goals
3 Gilead School extensions 3.1 Languages other than English
3.2 Bible School for Single Brothers
3.3 Bible School for Christian Couples
4 References

History[edit]
Based on their interpretation of Revelation 17:8, Witnesses anticipated a period of peace after World War II, and saw an opportunity to expand their global preaching efforts.[6] In 1942, at the height of the war, Nathan H. Knorr, then president of the Watchtower Society, proposed the establishment of Watchtower Bible School of Gilead.[7] The first class began on February 1, 1943. No tuition was to be charged.[8] Five months later, graduating students began to move out to their assignments in nine Latin-American countries, including Cuba. As early as 1956, graduates were serving "in about a hundred different lands".[9]
Originally founded as a temporary program,[10] Gilead School has held classes at several of the facilities operated by the Watchtower Society:
Kingdom Farm in South Lansing, New York[11] from 1943 to 1960
Watch Tower Society headquarters in Brooklyn, New York from 1961 to 1988[12]
Watchtower Farms in Wallkill, New York from 1988 to 1995;[13] and
Watchtower Educational Center in Patterson, New York since 1995.
Gilead has trained 136 classes since 1943, its 136th class graduated March 8, 2014.[14] In 2008, Gilead School surpassed 8000 alumni.[15][16][17] Some Gilead graduates have remained in foreign missionary assignments for decades, others eventually served as traveling overseers, translators, or branch staff; some may be appointed as "special pioneers" if they serve in their home country.[18][19] Encyclopædia Britannica notes that Gilead was intended to train "missionaries and leaders";[20] two current members of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses are Gilead graduates,[21][22] as were four deceased members.[23][24][25][26]
The graduation of each semi-annual Gilead class is a significant event, which may be attended by much of the United States branch staff as well as invited guests from dozens of countries; audiences typically surpass 6000,[27][28][29] with the graduation of the 136st class on March 8, 2014 totaling 11,548 attended the program, either in person at the educational center of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Patterson, New York, or via video tie-in at locations in Canada, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and the United States.[14]
Curriculum and goals[edit]
Theology lecturer George D. Chryssides writes that the initial Gilead syllabus was "described as the Advanced Course in Theocratic Ministry"; within months the program led to "similar training" in congregations as the Theocratic Ministry School.[30] Female Witnesses could enroll in Gilead school and present talks since its inception in 1943, but could not enroll in congregation schools until 1959.[31][32]
The school is held twice each year and lasts about five months.[33] Students are selected by invitation, and are usually married couples in their thirties who have been involved in missionary work in their home countries for a number of years.[34] After graduation, they are assigned mainly to Africa, South America, Asia and islands in the Pacific Ocean.
Gilead School's main textbook is the Bible. Lectures and student presentations focus on a verse-by-verse study of each of book of the Bible, alternating between the Old and New Testaments, which they refer to as the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures. The curriculum is based on the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures published by the Watchtower Society, although other reference material, including other Bible translations are used.[35][36] Students are prepared for missionary work in foreign lands. They learn how to cope with changes in culture and language as well as techniques for conducting meetings and Bible classes. Some students receive additional practical training for translation and literature production.[37]
Rather than the provision of material needs such as hospitals, refugee centers, and orphanages, their missionary work focuses on preaching, with emphasis on their belief that the only permanent solution to mankind's problems is God's Kingdom.[38]
Gilead School extensions[edit]
Languages other than English[edit]
The entire curriculum at Watchtower Bible School of Gilead is presented in English.[39] Beginning in 1980, occasional extensions to Gilead were established in Germany (called "Gilead Extension School") and in Mexico (called "Gilead Cultural School of Mexico"[40]) to provide training to student missionaries speaking German and Spanish.[41] Occasional extensions to Gilead have also been taught in India.[42][43]
Bible School for Single Brothers[edit]
The Bible School for Single Brothers, originally known as the Ministerial Training School and established in 1987, is considered an extension of the Gilead School.[44][45][46] It comprises an 8½ week Bible-based educational program for single elders and ministerial servants (their term for deacons). The curriculum includes detailed Bible study, public speaking skills, teaching, preaching and organizational arrangements.[47]
The course is held in various languages[48][49] and in many countries,[48][50] and the course duration is shorter than that of Gilead. Since its establishment until 2004, 999 classes of the Ministerial Training School were held, training 22,000 students.[51]
Graduates of the school are generally assigned to their home congregations for a time, but are often offered the opportunity to serve in a more needy congregation or area, as and when the need arises. Usually this is in their home country but can sometimes be abroad. They are sometimes used in the capacity of circuit overseers, assigned to help groups of congregations.[52]
Bible School for Christian Couples[edit]
A new Bible School for Christian Couples was announced in 2010, similar in duration and adapted from the curriculum of the Bible School for Single Brothers, but for husband and wife pairs to attend together. The school's purpose is to "give couples further training so that they can be more useful to Jehovah’s organization". At the announcement of this new school, it was also announced that wives would also be invited to the now-renamed School for Traveling Overseers and Their Wives and School for Branch Committee Members and Their Wives.[53]
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "Happy Climax to 80 Years of Gathering". The Watchtower: 22. 15 April 1986.
2.Jump up ^ Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions (1999 edition), page 563
3.Jump up ^ Our Kingdom Ministry, December 1990, page 10
4.Jump up ^ 1993 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, page 25
5.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, November 15, 1999, pages 8-9
6.Jump up ^ "Postwar Enlargement of the Theocratic Organization", The Watchtower, July 15, 1950, page 219; "Despite wartime difficulties a New World Theocratic convention was held that following summer in Cleveland, Ohio, September 18-20 [1942] ... Brother Knorr gave the address “Peace—Can It Last?” ... this public address showed a peace period would follow World War II ... In the mind of Brother Knorr the idea of a missionary-training school formed. ... The Watch Tower board of directors was enthusiastically in favor of it, and thus what was first called the Watchtower Bible College of Gilead was arranged for."
7.Jump up ^ The Encyclopedia Americana, Volume 20, ©2000 Grolier Incorporated, page 13, As Retrieved 2009-08-24, "[Knorr] established congregational Theocratic Ministry schools and the society's missionary college, the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead."
8.Jump up ^ “Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom” 1993, chap. 23 p. 522; “Missionaries Push Worldwide Expansion” © Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
9.Jump up ^ Interpretation, Volume 10, ©1956 Union Theological Seminary in Virginia, As Retrieved 2009-08-24, page 329
10.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, June 15, 2001, page 26
11.Jump up ^ Religion in the Twentieth Century by Vergilius Ture Anselm Ferm, ©1948, Philosophical Library, page 387, As Retrieved 2009-08-24
12.Jump up ^ "A New Home for the Gilead Missionary School". The Watchtower: 21. 1 June 1989.
13.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, December 1, 1995, page 24
14.^ Jump up to: a b The Graduation of the 136th Class of the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead
15.Jump up ^ "Missionaries Encouraged to Be Like Jeremiah", The Watchtower, [he Graduation of the 136th Class of the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead February 15, 2009, page 22]
16.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, August 15, 2008, page 30
17.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, November 1, 2001, page 23
18.Jump up ^ 2001 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, ©Watch Tower, page 217
19.Jump up ^ 2005 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, ©Watch Tower, page 160
20.Jump up ^ Watch Tower Bible School of Gilead. (2009). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved March 10, 2009, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/636742/Watch-Tower-Bible-School-of-Gilead
21.Jump up ^ "Gilead Graduates Go Forth as Zealous Harvest Workers!", The Watchtower, June 15, 2004, page 25, "Gerrit Lösch, a member of the Governing Body and a graduate of the 41st class of Gilead."
22.Jump up ^ "Motivated to Serve", The Watchtower, December 15, 2000, page 27, "David Splane, a former missionary and a graduate of the 42nd class of Gilead who is now serving as a member of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses."
23.Jump up ^ "Graduating Students of the Word of God", The Watchtower, June 1, 1997, page 30, "Lloyd Barry, also of the Governing Body, was a graduate of the 11th class of Gilead and served as a missionary in Japan for over 25 years."
24.Jump up ^ "New Members of the Governing Body", The Watchtower, November 15, 1977, page 680, "The new members of the Governing Body [include] Martin Poetzinger of the Federal Republic of Germany. ... Martin Poetzinger entered the Kingdom service in 1926 and entered pioneer service in 1930. He is a graduate of the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead."
25.Jump up ^ "Gilead Graduates Urged to Cultivate Good Communication Skills", The Watchtower, June 1, 1990, page 26, "C. W. Barber, also a member of the Governing Body and himself a graduate of Gilead's 26th class, briefly discussed."
26.Jump up ^ "Gilead Graduates Go Forth as Zealous Harvest Workers!", The Watchtower, June 15, 2004, page 25, "Theodore Jaracz, a member of the Governing Body and a graduate of the seventh class of Gilead..."
27.Jump up ^ "Gilead's 84th Class—Living Up To Expectations!", The Watchtower, June 1, 1988, page 22
28.Jump up ^ "Missionaries Are Compared to Locusts", The Watchtower, August 15, 2008, page 30, "EVERY six months, the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead holds a graduation program to which the entire United States Bethel family is invited. On March 8, 2008, guests from more than 30 countries joined the Bethel family ... 6,411 in attendance"
29.Jump up ^ "They Made the Hearts of Their Parents Rejoice", The Watchtower, January 1, 2006, page 13, "On Saturday, September 10, 2005, an international group of 6,859 people attended the graduation of the 119th class of the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead."
30.Jump up ^ "Introduction", Historical Dictionary of Jehovah's Witnesses by George D. Chryssides, Rowman & Littlefield, 2008, Page lvii
31.Jump up ^ “Jehovah Is My Strength”, The Watchtower, October 15, 2008, page 18, "At that time [1951], sisters were not yet enrolled in the Theocratic Ministry School in the local congregations, but at Gilead we sisters received assignments to give student talks and reports."
32.Jump up ^ "Divine Will International Assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses", The Watchtower, February 15, 1959, page 120, "[1958 conventions announced that] from the beginning of 1959, sisters in the congregations were to be privileged to enroll in the weekly Theocratic Ministry School."
33.Jump up ^ Sect, cult, and church in Alberta by William Edward Mann, ©1955, University of Toronto Press, page 109, As Retrieved 2009-08-24, "Watch Tower Bible Society of Gilead [sic] in the eastern United States, which gave a five-month training course to leaders selected by the central organization from branches in all parts of the world."
34.Jump up ^ “Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom” – 1993, chap. 23 p. 523
35.Jump up ^ "Be Joyful With the Kingdom Hope!", The Watchtower, June 15, 2001, page 26, "The main textbook is the Bible. And then we have Bible study aids to help us understand the Bible. Those are available to all. There is no secret information dispensed at Gilead."
36.Jump up ^ 1970 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, ©Watch Tower, page 71, "Of course, an intensive study of the Bible constitutes the major part of Gilead School's curriculum. Students must read the entire Bible, starting when they receive their letter of invitation to the school. ... Bible courses, which consist of a verse-by-verse study of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, also two other subjects designed to cover the Bible from the doctrinal standpoint and, finally, the practical application of the Bible's principles of everyday living in Jehovah's organization and the Christian ministry."
37.Jump up ^ Andover Newton Quarterly, Volume 3, ©1962 Andover Newton Theological School, As Retrieved 2009-08-24, page 16, "[Students] work for half a day at the factory and attend the Gilead School for half a day. The work at the factory is on-the-job training, intended to fit them to operate printing establishments in their own countries."
38.Jump up ^ “Jehovah's Witnesses – Proclaimers of God's Kingdom” – 1993, chap. 23 p. 523
39.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, October 15, 1982, page 31
40.Jump up ^ 1982 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, page 22
41.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, June 15, 1982, page 8
42.Jump up ^ 1992 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, page 255
43.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, pages 544-545
44.Jump up ^ Awake!, September 8, 1993, page 18
45.Jump up ^ 1996 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, page 16
46.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, June 15, 2011, page 32
47.Jump up ^ "A School Whose Graduates Benefit People Worldwide". (2006-Nov-15). The Watchtower, p. 10
48.^ Jump up to: a b The Watchtower, November 15, 2006, page 10
49.Jump up ^ Our Kingdom Ministry, June 1999, page 1
50.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, page 300
51.Jump up ^ Our Kingdom Ministry, August 2004, page 3
52.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p. 20 "Traveling Overseers—Fellow Workers in the Truth " © Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania 1993
53.Jump up ^ "A History-Making Meeting", The Watchtower, August 15, 2011, page 21, "Geoffrey Jackson of the Governing Body...next revealed that the Ministerial Training School would henceforth be known as the Bible School for Single Brothers. It would soon be complemented by the Bible School for Christian Couples. This school would give couples further training so that they can be more useful to Jehovah’s organization. Brother Lett also announced that the School for Traveling Overseers and Their Wives and the School for Branch Committee Members and Their Wives would be expanded to two classes each year at Patterson, with provisions for those who have previously attended to attend a second time."
Coordinates: 41.4960°N 73.5750°W
  



Categories: Organizational structure of Jehovah's Witnesses









Navigation menu




Create account
Log in




Article

Talk












Read

Edit

View history

























Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store

Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page

Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page

Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version

Languages
Norsk bokmål
Polski
Português
Edit links
This page was last modified on 20 December 2014, at 02:06.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Mobile view
Wikimedia Foundation
Powered by MediaWiki
 

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watchtower_Bible_School_of_Gilead

















Kingdom Hall

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

This article is about the place of worship. For the Van Morrison song, see Wavelength (album).

Question book-new.svg
 This article relies too much on references to primary sources. Please improve this article by adding secondary or tertiary sources. (May 2014)
Part of a series on
Jehovah's Witnesses

Overview

Organizational structure
Governing Body
Watch Tower Bible
 and Tract Society
Corporations

History
Bible Student movement
Leadership dispute
Splinter groups
Doctrinal development
Unfulfilled predictions

Demographics
By country


Beliefs ·
 Practices
 
Salvation ·
 Eschatology

The 144,000
Faithful and discreet slave
Hymns ·
 God's name

Blood ·
 Discipline


Literature

The Watchtower ·
 Awake!

New World Translation
List of publications
Bibliography

Teaching programs

Kingdom Hall ·
 Gilead School


People

Watch Tower presidents

W. H. Conley ·
 C. T. Russell

J. F. Rutherford ·
 N. H. Knorr

F. W. Franz ·
 M. G. Henschel

D. A. Adams

Formative influences

William Miller ·
 Henry Grew

George Storrs ·
 N. H. Barbour

John Nelson Darby


Notable former members

Raymond Franz ·
 Olin Moyle


Opposition

Criticism ·
 Persecution

Supreme Court cases
 by country

v ·
 t ·
 e
   
A Kingdom Hall is a place of worship used by Jehovah's Witnesses. The term was first suggested in 1935 by Joseph Franklin Rutherford, then president of the Watch Tower Society, for a building in Hawaii.[1] Rutherford's reasoning was that these buildings would be used for preaching the "good news of the Kingdom."[2] Jehovah's Witnesses use Kingdom Halls for the majority of their worship and Bible instruction. Witnesses prefer the term "Kingdom Hall" over "church", noting that the term often translated "church" in the Bible refers to the congregation of people rather than a structure.[3]



Contents  [hide]
1 Location and presentation
2 Uses 2.1 Meetings for worship 2.1.1 Schools
2.2 Weddings
2.3 Funerals
2.4 Disaster relief
3 Construction 3.1 Regional Building Committee
3.2 Funding
4 Maintenance
5 Gallery
6 References
7 External links

Location and presentation[edit]



 A Kingdom Hall in Biddulph, United Kingdom
Kingdom Halls are typically modest, functional structures with practicality in mind.[4] As Witnesses do not use religious symbols, such are not displayed on or in Kingdom Halls. An annual yeartext, or "theme scripture", which is the same for all congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide, is prominently displayed in each Kingdom Hall.[5] This text can be displayed in several languages if the Hall is used by foreign language congregations.[6] A Kingdom Hall typically has a library, contribution boxes,[7] and a literature counter, where publications are displayed, stored and dispensed.[8]
Some Kingdom Halls have multiple auditoriums to allow more than one congregation to simultaneously conduct meetings. Where there is more than one auditorium, each auditorium or the entire structure may both be referred to as "a Kingdom Hall". Larger Assembly Halls or Convention Centers of Jehovah's Witnesses, or any rented arena or stadium used for larger gatherings of Jehovah's Witnesses are also regarded 'as a large Kingdom Hall'; undignified behavior is considered inappropriate during their religious events, even if the facility is an entertainment venue.[9]

Uses[edit]



 Worship at a Kingdom Hall in Portugal
Meetings for worship[edit]
Main article: Jehovah's Witnesses practices § Worship
Congregations typically meet in their Kingdom Halls two days each week for meetings for worship.[10] Meetings usually open and close with song and prayer. Meetings held in the Kingdom Hall include Bible readings, public talks on matters such as the Bible, family life, Christian qualities and prophecy, as well as discussion of specially prepared study articles in The Watchtower magazine and other publications of Jehovah's Witnesses.[11][12][13][14] Witnesses also meet in Kingdom Halls for preparation and prayer before engaging in their door-to-door ministry.
Schools[edit]



 Worship at a Kingdom Hall in Tilburg, Netherlands
Among its meetings for worship, each congregation conducts a weekly Theocratic Ministry School with a common global curriculum[15] (exceptions are made for the availability of study materials). Kingdom Halls may also be used for any of several occasionally scheduled schools, such as sign- or foreign-language classes.[16] Kingdom Halls may also be used for schools especially developed for particular ranks, such as the Pioneer Service School for full-time preachers, and the Kingdom Ministry School for elders and ministerial servants.[17]
In areas where the literacy rate is low, congregations may also arrange to use Kingdom Halls to conduct literacy or reading classes, which non-Witnesses may also attend.[18]
See also: Organizational structure of Jehovah's Witnesses § Students
Weddings[edit]
Kingdom Halls may be used for wedding ceremonies of Witness-baptized couples. A couple sends a request in writing to the congregation's "service committee", which assesses whether the couple is "in good standing, living in harmony with Bible principles and Jehovah’s righteous standards" and that they also approve of the members of the couple's wedding party (that is, groomsmen and bridesmaids).[19]
Jehovah's Witnesses attach no special significance to a Kingdom Hall wedding over a secular service, and Witness couples may choose to be married elsewhere for personal or practical reasons. Kingdom Halls are not used for wedding receptions or other social events.[20][21]
Funerals[edit]
Funeral services may be held in a Kingdom Hall if the body of elders considers that "the deceased had a clean reputation and was a member of the congregation or the minor child of a member".[22] The family of the deceased may ask any respected male member of the congregation to conduct the service, which involves a simple Bible-based discourse.[23] Depending on family preference and local custom, a Kingdom Hall funeral may or may not have the casketed deceased present.[22][24]
Disaster relief[edit]
Disaster relief efforts of Jehovah's Witnesses are typically channeled through permanent local Disaster Relief Committees[25] under the various branch offices, and are staged at Kingdom Halls and Assembly Halls as close as practical to the disaster area. Major disaster relief efforts include:
War: During the Rwandan Genocide in 1994, a Kingdom Hall property in Goma (then Zaire, now Democratic Republic of the Congo) housed 1600 Witness and non-Witness refugees. In July 1994, relief workers set up a 60-bed relief hospital at the Kingdom Hall, as well as a water treatment system.[26]
Earthquake: Following the Great Hanshin earthquake in 1995, six Kingdom Halls in Kobe, Japan were used as relief centers and supply depots.[27][28][29]
Following the 2010 Haiti earthquake, an Assembly Hall and three Kingdom Halls in Haiti were staffed and equipped as temporary clinics and medical centers.[30][31]Storm: In the ten months following Tropical Storm Allison in 2001, seven Kingdom Halls were used as relief centers to dispatch volunteer crews and to store tools and materials while they organized 11,700 volunteers to repair or rebuild 723 homes.[32]
For over two years after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, Kingdom Halls were used as relief centers, warehouses, and fuel depots. Nearly 17,000 Witness volunteers repaired more than 5,600 homes and 90 Kingdom Halls during their extended relief effort in the United States' Gulf Coast region.[33]Volcano: On January 18, 2002, the day after the eruption of Mount Nyiragongo, six Kingdom Halls in the vicinity received three tons of basic necessities and housed 1800 refugees. One week later, these relief centers were providing daily rations to 5000 people.[34]
Construction[edit]



 A Kingdom Hall under construction in Bishopsworth, Bristol, UK
The construction crews of Kingdom Halls and larger Assembly Halls consist of volunteering Jehovah's Witnesses,[35][36] sometimes from other countries, who have been pre-approved for work on construction sites.
In many countries, a number of standard designs of construction are used that can be built in just a few days.[37][38] The act of constructing a Kingdom Hall in this manner is called a quick-build, although typically the preparation work involving the structural foundation and surrounding surface may take several weeks prior to the scheduled build. For various reasons, not all Kingdom Halls are constructed as quick-builds or using the standard designs. There is however, a noticeably dominant architectural style of the Kingdom Hall which is often used based on standardized design concepts and models, depending on needs.
A Kingdom Hall or Assembly Hall may be created by renovating an existing structure, such as a theater or non-Witness house of worship.[39][40] In areas of repeated or reputed vandalism, particularly in cities, some Kingdom Hall are built without windows to reduce the risk of property damage.[41]
In 2015, it was announced to elders in the United States that new Kingdom Halls worldwide would all be based on one of three similar design plans, depending on the required size.[citation needed]
Regional Building Committee[edit]
Jehovah's Witnesses' branch offices appoint local Regional Building Committees (RBC) to oversee the construction and maintenance of their places of worship. The objective of such committees, which usually consist of five to seven persons, often with experience in the construction trades, is to coordinate the efforts of those involved so as to provide attractive and functional facilities that are financially viable.[42]
RBCs cooperate with local congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses seeking to build or renovate a place of worship, under the direction of the local branch office. Committees help in assessing the suitability of a possible construction site, purchasing the land and materials and coordinating the efforts of volunteers from the wider area.[42] Members of a Regional Building Committee work voluntarily and receive no remuneration for their work.[43]
On Saturday, January 31, 2015, in a special meeting with all elders in the United States via live video feed, it was announced that Regional Building Committees will be replaced by Local Design Construction groups, an arrangement similar to the Regional Building Committee, but with a more defined organizational structure.[citation needed]
Funding[edit]
In 1983, an arrangement was instituted whereby Kingdom Halls were financed by loans from the Watch Tower Society. In addition to contribution boxes for local congregation expenses and "the worldwide work", each congregation had a contribution box specifically for voluntary donations toward Kingdom Hall construction.[44][45] These donations were pooled by the Watch Tower Society into the Society Kingdom Hall Fund, which was used for financing the construction of Kingdom Halls worldwide, particularly in developing nations.[46][47] When a congregation received local approval to build a new Kingdom Hall, the congregation could apply for a loan from the Society Kingdom Hall Fund.[48] The congregation repaid the loan to the Watch Tower Society, in addition to its continued contributions to the Kingdom Hall Fund. Interest was charged on the loans until September 2008.[49][50][51]
The way Kingdom Halls are funded was significantly modified in 2014. The provision of Kingdom Hall loans from the Society was ceased, as was the separate Society Kingdom Hall Fund. Instead, all congregations contribute an ongoing pre-determined amount to the branch office each month, in addition to donations for other purposes, into a single World Wide Work fund, and new Kingdom Halls are financed by the branch office. The stated purpose was so that areas without the resources for a new hall may be supplemented by funding from more affluent areas.[citation needed]
Maintenance[edit]
Routine maintenance of Kingdom Halls is performed by the members of the congregations that use them, typically according to a scheduled checklist.[52] The "Kingdom Hall operating committee" oversees maintenance of the building; at least one elder or ministerial servant from each congregation is selected to be part of the operating committee.[53] Kingdom Hall maintenance costs are covered by donations to a local fund.[54]
Gallery[edit]
Kingdom Halls at various locations






Hamburg, Germany





Kerala, India





Napier, New Zealand





Toronto, Canada





Vårgårda, Sweden





Târgovişte, Romania





West Sussex, United Kingdom





Omagh, United Kingdom





Harbutowice, Poland





South Bristol, UK

References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses – Proclaimers of God's Kingdom chap. 20 p. 319, 721
2.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses – Proclaimers of God's Kingdom chap. 20 p. 319 Building Together on a Global Scale
3.Jump up ^ "Should We Go to Christian Meetings?", Awake!, March 8, 2001, page 12
4.Jump up ^ Organized to Do Jehovah's Will p.120-123 (Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, 2005)
5.Jump up ^ Texas Monthly magazine, July 1980, page 136,138, As Retrieved 2009-08-18, "A Witness house of worship is called a Kingdom Hall. ...Appropriate to the movement's rejection of pomp and display, the [particular Hall visited by the writer], shared with two other congregations, resembled the meeting room of a budget motel, complete with rows of stackable chairs. The lone feature that marked it as a room devoted to religion was a sign, affixed to a plain wooden canopy over the speaker's stand, that bore the entreaty, "And now, Jehovah . . . grant your slaves to keep speaking your word with all boldness." The congregation of approximately 75 included admirably equal portions of blacks, whites, and Mexican Americans, a not uncommon manifestation of ethnic ecumenicity in Witness circles."
6.Jump up ^ "Question Box", Our Kingdom Ministry, December 1976, page 4, "It is recommended that the yeartext be displayed in the Kingdom Hall in countries where this can be done without difficulties resulting. ...Often it is best to display the yeartext at the front or side of the hall so it can be seen easily."
7.Jump up ^ “To the House of Jehovah Let Us Go”, Our Kingdom Ministry, April 1993, page 4
8.Jump up ^ "Bible-based Society of Kingdom Witnesses", The Watchtower, October 15, 1962, page 631
9.Jump up ^ "Maintain Fine Conduct That Glorifies God", Our Kingdom Ministry, May 2000, page 6
10.Jump up ^ Organized to Do Jehovah’s Will, ©2005 Watch Tower, page 138
11.Jump up ^ "Jehovah's Witnesses", World Religions in America: An Introduction by Jacob Neusner, ©2003, Westminster John Knox Press, As Retrieved 2009-08-18, page 197
12.Jump up ^ Organized to Accomplish Our Ministry, ©1983,1989 Watch Tower, page 131
13.Jump up ^ "Jehovah's Witnesses", Britannica Encyclopedia of World Religions by Wendy Doniger (editor), ©2006, in association with Merriam-Webster, As Retrieved 2009-08-18, page 563
14.Jump up ^ "Jehovah's Witnesses", World Religions: An Introduction for Students by Jeaneane D. Fowler, ©1997, Sussex Academic Press, As Retrieved 2009-08-18, page 122
15.Jump up ^ "Jehovah's Witnesses", Encyclopedia of Millennialism and Millennial Movements by Richard Allen Landes, Berkshire Reference Works (Firm), ©2000, Routledge, As Retrieved 2009-08-18, page 203, "One can visit a "Kingdom Hall" (a technical term for the building at which Witness meetings are held) in Australia, Japan, Zambia, or North Carolina with the realistic expectation that congregational meetings will exhibit a high degree of uniformity in content and procedure."
16.Jump up ^ "Highlights of the Past Year", 2007 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, pages 6, 15-18
17.Jump up ^ "Imitate the Greatest Missionary", The Watchtower, February 15, 2008, page 18
18.Jump up ^ 1986 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses. p. 226.
19.Jump up ^ "Question Box", Our Kingdom Ministry, November 2008, page 3
20.Jump up ^ "Marriage Ceremony and Requirements", The Watchtower, September 15, 1956, page 571
21.Jump up ^ How to Be a Perfect Stranger: The Essential Religious Etiquette Handbook by Stuart M. Matlins, Arthur J. Magida (editors), ©2004, Skylight Paths Publishing, As Retrieved 2009-08-18, page 128-129, "Marriage Ceremony Jehovah's Witnesses view marriage as a sacred vow made before God. ...The marriage ceremony, which may last about 30 minutes, is a ceremony in itself. ...Appropriate Attire Men" A jacket and tie. No head covering is required. Women: A dress or a skirt and blouse. Dress "modestly" and "sensibly". Hems need not reach below the knees nor must clothing cover the arms. Open-toed shoes and modest jewelry are permissible. No head covering is required. There are no rules regarding colors of clothing. ...After the Ceremony Is there usually a reception after the ceremony? Yes. It may be held in homes or a catering hall. It is never held in the Kingdom Hall where the wedding took place."
22.^ Jump up to: a b "Question Box", Our Kingdom Ministry, March 1997, page 7
23.Jump up ^ "Is Your Course of Life Death-Oriented?", The Watchtower, June 1, 1978, page 7
24.Jump up ^ How to Be a Perfect Stranger: The Essential Religious Etiquette Handbook by Stuart M. Matlins, Arthur J. Magida (editors), ©2004, Skylight Paths Publishing, As Retrieved 2009-08-18, page 129, "Funerals and Mourning Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the dead are "conscious of nothing at all" and are asleep in the grave awaiting resurrection to life. ...The funeral service, which is a ceremony in itself, may last about 15 to 30 minutes. ...Where will the ceremony take place? Either at a Kingdom Hall or in a funeral home. ...Will there be an open casket? Possibly. This depends on the preference of the immediate family."
25.Jump up ^ "Volunteers continue Katrina disaster relief work" by David J. Bush, Salisbury Post, September 1, 2007, page F0
26.Jump up ^ "Caring for Victims of Rwanda’s Tragedy", Awake!, December 22, 1994, page 15
27.Jump up ^ "Volunteers at Work", Awake!, July 22, 2001, page 8
28.Jump up ^ "Love Toward Those ‘Related in the Faith’", The Watchtower, June 15, 1999, page 8
29.Jump up ^ "Japan", 1998 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, page 143
30.Jump up ^ "Witnesses’ relief efforts in Haiti continue", Jehovah's Witnesses Official Media Web Site, January 28, 2010, As Retrieved 2010-02-22
31.Jump up ^ "A Doctor Heads Home to Haiti" by Lionel J. Malebranche, MD, Annals of Internal Medicine, February 18, 2010
32.Jump up ^ "Love in Action—A Marathon Relief Effort", Awake!, November 22, 2002, page 22
33.Jump up ^ "A Love More Powerful Than a Hurricane!", Awake!, August 2008, page 16
34.Jump up ^ "How We Escaped a Terrifying Lava Flow!", Awake!, November 8, 2002, pages 24-25
35.Jump up ^ "Jehovah's Witnesses", The Encyclopedia of Louisville by John E. Kleber, ©2000, University Press of Kentucky, As Retrieved 2009-08-18, page 444, "Jehovah's Witnesses are well known in the Greater Louisville area, having been a part of "Kentucky sod" since the late 1800s. ...From 1947 to 1970 ten more Kingdom Halls were constructed in Louisville, all by volunteer labor."
36.Jump up ^ "Jehovah's Witnesses", World Religions 101: An Overview for Teens by Margaret O. Hyde, Emily G. Hyde, ©2008, Twenty-First Century Books, As Retrieved 2009-08-18, page 91-92
37.Jump up ^ "Jehovah's Witnesses", Religion in the contemporary world: a sociological introduction by Alan E. Aldridge, ©2000, Polity Press, As Retrieved 2009-08-18, page 116-117, "Witnesses are extremely well organized. ...One particular way in which the [Watch Tower] society mobilizes its members is to build their places for worship and assembly, the Kingdom Halls. A 'rapid-building crew' of Witness volunteers can erect a functional but well-built Kingdom Hall in a weekend."
38.Jump up ^ Holbrook by Holbrook Historical Society, ©2004, Arcadia Publishing, As Retrieved 2009-08-18, page 63, "The Kingdom Hall. Shown here is the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses on North Franklin Street. This hall was built by the membership in one weekend."
39.Jump up ^ New York: The Movie Lover's Guide : The Ultimate Insider Tour of Movie New York by Richard Alleman, ©2005, Broadway, As Retrieved 2009-08-18, page 416, "Albemarle Theater, 973 Flatbush Avenue. Just like the old Stanley Theater in Jersey City, Brooklyn's 2,700-seat Albemarle movie palace later served as a Kingdom Hall for the Jehovah's Witnesses."
40.Jump up ^ From Abyssinian to Zion: A Guide to Manhattan's Houses of Worship by David W. Dunlap, ©2004, Columbia University Press, As Retrieved 2009-08-18, page 117, "The remarkable Kingdom Hall at 609 West 161st Street was formerly the Hebrew Tabernacle of Washington Heights, by George and Edward Blum and Ludwig Hanauer, completed in 1925."
41.Jump up ^ "How Kingdom Halls Are Built", Awake!, August 22, 1972, page 23
42.^ Jump up to: a b Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom. Watch Tower Society. pp. 325–328.
43.Jump up ^ "Kingdom Hall Construction in the United States". Our Kingdom Ministry: 3. August 1997.
44.Jump up ^ "How Is It All Financed?", Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, pages 344-345
45.Jump up ^ "Announcements", Our Kingdom Ministry, June 1991, page 3
46.Jump up ^ "True Worship Is Expanding in Eastern Europe". Our Kingdom Ministry: 3–4. September 1999.
47.Jump up ^ "International Kingdom Hall Building in Some European Lands", Our Kingdom Ministry, May 2003, page 3
48.Jump up ^ "A New Program for Kingdom Hall Construction". Our Kingdom Ministry: 3. September 1983.
49.Jump up ^ Letter to all Congregations, June 4, 2008
50.Jump up ^ "Continued Expansion Increases Need for Kingdom Halls". Our Kingdom Ministry: 3. December 1993.
51.Jump up ^ Our Kingdom Ministry: 4. April 1985. "These loans are repaid to the Society Kingdom Hall Fund with interest at the rate of 6 percent." Missing or empty |title= (help)
52.Jump up ^ For example, Our Kingdom Ministry, March 2003, included a "Safety Checklist" on page 4, and a checklist for "Care of Building and Property" on page 5.
53.Jump up ^ "Let Us Keep Our Place of Worship in Good Repair", Our Kingdom Ministry, August 2003, page 3-4
54.Jump up ^ "The Giver of “Every Good Gift”", The Watchtower, December 1, 1993, page 29
External links[edit]
Official Kingdom Hall finder
Jehovah's Witnesses' Official Website : What is a Kingdom Hall?
  



Categories: Organizational structure of Jehovah's Witnesses
Beliefs and practices of Jehovah's Witnesses












Navigation menu




Create account
Log in




Article

Talk












Read

Edit

View history

























Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store

Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page

Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page

Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version

Languages
Català
Dansk
Deutsch
Ελληνικά
Español
Esperanto
Français
한국어
Bahasa Indonesia
Italiano
Magyar
മലയാളം
Bahasa Melayu
Nederlands
日本語
Norsk bokmål
Polski
Português
Русский
Suomi
Svenska
Українська
Edit links
This page was last modified on 23 April 2015, at 22:05.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Mobile view
Wikimedia Foundation
Powered by MediaWiki
 

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_Hall




















Kingdom Hall

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

This article is about the place of worship. For the Van Morrison song, see Wavelength (album).

Question book-new.svg
 This article relies too much on references to primary sources. Please improve this article by adding secondary or tertiary sources. (May 2014)
Part of a series on
Jehovah's Witnesses

Overview

Organizational structure
Governing Body
Watch Tower Bible
 and Tract Society
Corporations

History
Bible Student movement
Leadership dispute
Splinter groups
Doctrinal development
Unfulfilled predictions

Demographics
By country


Beliefs ·
 Practices
 
Salvation ·
 Eschatology

The 144,000
Faithful and discreet slave
Hymns ·
 God's name

Blood ·
 Discipline


Literature

The Watchtower ·
 Awake!

New World Translation
List of publications
Bibliography

Teaching programs

Kingdom Hall ·
 Gilead School


People

Watch Tower presidents

W. H. Conley ·
 C. T. Russell

J. F. Rutherford ·
 N. H. Knorr

F. W. Franz ·
 M. G. Henschel

D. A. Adams

Formative influences

William Miller ·
 Henry Grew

George Storrs ·
 N. H. Barbour

John Nelson Darby


Notable former members

Raymond Franz ·
 Olin Moyle


Opposition

Criticism ·
 Persecution

Supreme Court cases
 by country

v ·
 t ·
 e
   
A Kingdom Hall is a place of worship used by Jehovah's Witnesses. The term was first suggested in 1935 by Joseph Franklin Rutherford, then president of the Watch Tower Society, for a building in Hawaii.[1] Rutherford's reasoning was that these buildings would be used for preaching the "good news of the Kingdom."[2] Jehovah's Witnesses use Kingdom Halls for the majority of their worship and Bible instruction. Witnesses prefer the term "Kingdom Hall" over "church", noting that the term often translated "church" in the Bible refers to the congregation of people rather than a structure.[3]



Contents  [hide]
1 Location and presentation
2 Uses 2.1 Meetings for worship 2.1.1 Schools
2.2 Weddings
2.3 Funerals
2.4 Disaster relief
3 Construction 3.1 Regional Building Committee
3.2 Funding
4 Maintenance
5 Gallery
6 References
7 External links

Location and presentation[edit]



 A Kingdom Hall in Biddulph, United Kingdom
Kingdom Halls are typically modest, functional structures with practicality in mind.[4] As Witnesses do not use religious symbols, such are not displayed on or in Kingdom Halls. An annual yeartext, or "theme scripture", which is the same for all congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide, is prominently displayed in each Kingdom Hall.[5] This text can be displayed in several languages if the Hall is used by foreign language congregations.[6] A Kingdom Hall typically has a library, contribution boxes,[7] and a literature counter, where publications are displayed, stored and dispensed.[8]
Some Kingdom Halls have multiple auditoriums to allow more than one congregation to simultaneously conduct meetings. Where there is more than one auditorium, each auditorium or the entire structure may both be referred to as "a Kingdom Hall". Larger Assembly Halls or Convention Centers of Jehovah's Witnesses, or any rented arena or stadium used for larger gatherings of Jehovah's Witnesses are also regarded 'as a large Kingdom Hall'; undignified behavior is considered inappropriate during their religious events, even if the facility is an entertainment venue.[9]

Uses[edit]



 Worship at a Kingdom Hall in Portugal
Meetings for worship[edit]
Main article: Jehovah's Witnesses practices § Worship
Congregations typically meet in their Kingdom Halls two days each week for meetings for worship.[10] Meetings usually open and close with song and prayer. Meetings held in the Kingdom Hall include Bible readings, public talks on matters such as the Bible, family life, Christian qualities and prophecy, as well as discussion of specially prepared study articles in The Watchtower magazine and other publications of Jehovah's Witnesses.[11][12][13][14] Witnesses also meet in Kingdom Halls for preparation and prayer before engaging in their door-to-door ministry.
Schools[edit]



 Worship at a Kingdom Hall in Tilburg, Netherlands
Among its meetings for worship, each congregation conducts a weekly Theocratic Ministry School with a common global curriculum[15] (exceptions are made for the availability of study materials). Kingdom Halls may also be used for any of several occasionally scheduled schools, such as sign- or foreign-language classes.[16] Kingdom Halls may also be used for schools especially developed for particular ranks, such as the Pioneer Service School for full-time preachers, and the Kingdom Ministry School for elders and ministerial servants.[17]
In areas where the literacy rate is low, congregations may also arrange to use Kingdom Halls to conduct literacy or reading classes, which non-Witnesses may also attend.[18]
See also: Organizational structure of Jehovah's Witnesses § Students
Weddings[edit]
Kingdom Halls may be used for wedding ceremonies of Witness-baptized couples. A couple sends a request in writing to the congregation's "service committee", which assesses whether the couple is "in good standing, living in harmony with Bible principles and Jehovah’s righteous standards" and that they also approve of the members of the couple's wedding party (that is, groomsmen and bridesmaids).[19]
Jehovah's Witnesses attach no special significance to a Kingdom Hall wedding over a secular service, and Witness couples may choose to be married elsewhere for personal or practical reasons. Kingdom Halls are not used for wedding receptions or other social events.[20][21]
Funerals[edit]
Funeral services may be held in a Kingdom Hall if the body of elders considers that "the deceased had a clean reputation and was a member of the congregation or the minor child of a member".[22] The family of the deceased may ask any respected male member of the congregation to conduct the service, which involves a simple Bible-based discourse.[23] Depending on family preference and local custom, a Kingdom Hall funeral may or may not have the casketed deceased present.[22][24]
Disaster relief[edit]
Disaster relief efforts of Jehovah's Witnesses are typically channeled through permanent local Disaster Relief Committees[25] under the various branch offices, and are staged at Kingdom Halls and Assembly Halls as close as practical to the disaster area. Major disaster relief efforts include:
War: During the Rwandan Genocide in 1994, a Kingdom Hall property in Goma (then Zaire, now Democratic Republic of the Congo) housed 1600 Witness and non-Witness refugees. In July 1994, relief workers set up a 60-bed relief hospital at the Kingdom Hall, as well as a water treatment system.[26]
Earthquake: Following the Great Hanshin earthquake in 1995, six Kingdom Halls in Kobe, Japan were used as relief centers and supply depots.[27][28][29]
Following the 2010 Haiti earthquake, an Assembly Hall and three Kingdom Halls in Haiti were staffed and equipped as temporary clinics and medical centers.[30][31]Storm: In the ten months following Tropical Storm Allison in 2001, seven Kingdom Halls were used as relief centers to dispatch volunteer crews and to store tools and materials while they organized 11,700 volunteers to repair or rebuild 723 homes.[32]
For over two years after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, Kingdom Halls were used as relief centers, warehouses, and fuel depots. Nearly 17,000 Witness volunteers repaired more than 5,600 homes and 90 Kingdom Halls during their extended relief effort in the United States' Gulf Coast region.[33]Volcano: On January 18, 2002, the day after the eruption of Mount Nyiragongo, six Kingdom Halls in the vicinity received three tons of basic necessities and housed 1800 refugees. One week later, these relief centers were providing daily rations to 5000 people.[34]
Construction[edit]



 A Kingdom Hall under construction in Bishopsworth, Bristol, UK
The construction crews of Kingdom Halls and larger Assembly Halls consist of volunteering Jehovah's Witnesses,[35][36] sometimes from other countries, who have been pre-approved for work on construction sites.
In many countries, a number of standard designs of construction are used that can be built in just a few days.[37][38] The act of constructing a Kingdom Hall in this manner is called a quick-build, although typically the preparation work involving the structural foundation and surrounding surface may take several weeks prior to the scheduled build. For various reasons, not all Kingdom Halls are constructed as quick-builds or using the standard designs. There is however, a noticeably dominant architectural style of the Kingdom Hall which is often used based on standardized design concepts and models, depending on needs.
A Kingdom Hall or Assembly Hall may be created by renovating an existing structure, such as a theater or non-Witness house of worship.[39][40] In areas of repeated or reputed vandalism, particularly in cities, some Kingdom Hall are built without windows to reduce the risk of property damage.[41]
In 2015, it was announced to elders in the United States that new Kingdom Halls worldwide would all be based on one of three similar design plans, depending on the required size.[citation needed]
Regional Building Committee[edit]
Jehovah's Witnesses' branch offices appoint local Regional Building Committees (RBC) to oversee the construction and maintenance of their places of worship. The objective of such committees, which usually consist of five to seven persons, often with experience in the construction trades, is to coordinate the efforts of those involved so as to provide attractive and functional facilities that are financially viable.[42]
RBCs cooperate with local congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses seeking to build or renovate a place of worship, under the direction of the local branch office. Committees help in assessing the suitability of a possible construction site, purchasing the land and materials and coordinating the efforts of volunteers from the wider area.[42] Members of a Regional Building Committee work voluntarily and receive no remuneration for their work.[43]
On Saturday, January 31, 2015, in a special meeting with all elders in the United States via live video feed, it was announced that Regional Building Committees will be replaced by Local Design Construction groups, an arrangement similar to the Regional Building Committee, but with a more defined organizational structure.[citation needed]
Funding[edit]
In 1983, an arrangement was instituted whereby Kingdom Halls were financed by loans from the Watch Tower Society. In addition to contribution boxes for local congregation expenses and "the worldwide work", each congregation had a contribution box specifically for voluntary donations toward Kingdom Hall construction.[44][45] These donations were pooled by the Watch Tower Society into the Society Kingdom Hall Fund, which was used for financing the construction of Kingdom Halls worldwide, particularly in developing nations.[46][47] When a congregation received local approval to build a new Kingdom Hall, the congregation could apply for a loan from the Society Kingdom Hall Fund.[48] The congregation repaid the loan to the Watch Tower Society, in addition to its continued contributions to the Kingdom Hall Fund. Interest was charged on the loans until September 2008.[49][50][51]
The way Kingdom Halls are funded was significantly modified in 2014. The provision of Kingdom Hall loans from the Society was ceased, as was the separate Society Kingdom Hall Fund. Instead, all congregations contribute an ongoing pre-determined amount to the branch office each month, in addition to donations for other purposes, into a single World Wide Work fund, and new Kingdom Halls are financed by the branch office. The stated purpose was so that areas without the resources for a new hall may be supplemented by funding from more affluent areas.[citation needed]
Maintenance[edit]
Routine maintenance of Kingdom Halls is performed by the members of the congregations that use them, typically according to a scheduled checklist.[52] The "Kingdom Hall operating committee" oversees maintenance of the building; at least one elder or ministerial servant from each congregation is selected to be part of the operating committee.[53] Kingdom Hall maintenance costs are covered by donations to a local fund.[54]
Gallery[edit]
Kingdom Halls at various locations






Hamburg, Germany





Kerala, India





Napier, New Zealand





Toronto, Canada





Vårgårda, Sweden





Târgovişte, Romania





West Sussex, United Kingdom





Omagh, United Kingdom





Harbutowice, Poland





South Bristol, UK

References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses – Proclaimers of God's Kingdom chap. 20 p. 319, 721
2.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses – Proclaimers of God's Kingdom chap. 20 p. 319 Building Together on a Global Scale
3.Jump up ^ "Should We Go to Christian Meetings?", Awake!, March 8, 2001, page 12
4.Jump up ^ Organized to Do Jehovah's Will p.120-123 (Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, 2005)
5.Jump up ^ Texas Monthly magazine, July 1980, page 136,138, As Retrieved 2009-08-18, "A Witness house of worship is called a Kingdom Hall. ...Appropriate to the movement's rejection of pomp and display, the [particular Hall visited by the writer], shared with two other congregations, resembled the meeting room of a budget motel, complete with rows of stackable chairs. The lone feature that marked it as a room devoted to religion was a sign, affixed to a plain wooden canopy over the speaker's stand, that bore the entreaty, "And now, Jehovah . . . grant your slaves to keep speaking your word with all boldness." The congregation of approximately 75 included admirably equal portions of blacks, whites, and Mexican Americans, a not uncommon manifestation of ethnic ecumenicity in Witness circles."
6.Jump up ^ "Question Box", Our Kingdom Ministry, December 1976, page 4, "It is recommended that the yeartext be displayed in the Kingdom Hall in countries where this can be done without difficulties resulting. ...Often it is best to display the yeartext at the front or side of the hall so it can be seen easily."
7.Jump up ^ “To the House of Jehovah Let Us Go”, Our Kingdom Ministry, April 1993, page 4
8.Jump up ^ "Bible-based Society of Kingdom Witnesses", The Watchtower, October 15, 1962, page 631
9.Jump up ^ "Maintain Fine Conduct That Glorifies God", Our Kingdom Ministry, May 2000, page 6
10.Jump up ^ Organized to Do Jehovah’s Will, ©2005 Watch Tower, page 138
11.Jump up ^ "Jehovah's Witnesses", World Religions in America: An Introduction by Jacob Neusner, ©2003, Westminster John Knox Press, As Retrieved 2009-08-18, page 197
12.Jump up ^ Organized to Accomplish Our Ministry, ©1983,1989 Watch Tower, page 131
13.Jump up ^ "Jehovah's Witnesses", Britannica Encyclopedia of World Religions by Wendy Doniger (editor), ©2006, in association with Merriam-Webster, As Retrieved 2009-08-18, page 563
14.Jump up ^ "Jehovah's Witnesses", World Religions: An Introduction for Students by Jeaneane D. Fowler, ©1997, Sussex Academic Press, As Retrieved 2009-08-18, page 122
15.Jump up ^ "Jehovah's Witnesses", Encyclopedia of Millennialism and Millennial Movements by Richard Allen Landes, Berkshire Reference Works (Firm), ©2000, Routledge, As Retrieved 2009-08-18, page 203, "One can visit a "Kingdom Hall" (a technical term for the building at which Witness meetings are held) in Australia, Japan, Zambia, or North Carolina with the realistic expectation that congregational meetings will exhibit a high degree of uniformity in content and procedure."
16.Jump up ^ "Highlights of the Past Year", 2007 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, pages 6, 15-18
17.Jump up ^ "Imitate the Greatest Missionary", The Watchtower, February 15, 2008, page 18
18.Jump up ^ 1986 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses. p. 226.
19.Jump up ^ "Question Box", Our Kingdom Ministry, November 2008, page 3
20.Jump up ^ "Marriage Ceremony and Requirements", The Watchtower, September 15, 1956, page 571
21.Jump up ^ How to Be a Perfect Stranger: The Essential Religious Etiquette Handbook by Stuart M. Matlins, Arthur J. Magida (editors), ©2004, Skylight Paths Publishing, As Retrieved 2009-08-18, page 128-129, "Marriage Ceremony Jehovah's Witnesses view marriage as a sacred vow made before God. ...The marriage ceremony, which may last about 30 minutes, is a ceremony in itself. ...Appropriate Attire Men" A jacket and tie. No head covering is required. Women: A dress or a skirt and blouse. Dress "modestly" and "sensibly". Hems need not reach below the knees nor must clothing cover the arms. Open-toed shoes and modest jewelry are permissible. No head covering is required. There are no rules regarding colors of clothing. ...After the Ceremony Is there usually a reception after the ceremony? Yes. It may be held in homes or a catering hall. It is never held in the Kingdom Hall where the wedding took place."
22.^ Jump up to: a b "Question Box", Our Kingdom Ministry, March 1997, page 7
23.Jump up ^ "Is Your Course of Life Death-Oriented?", The Watchtower, June 1, 1978, page 7
24.Jump up ^ How to Be a Perfect Stranger: The Essential Religious Etiquette Handbook by Stuart M. Matlins, Arthur J. Magida (editors), ©2004, Skylight Paths Publishing, As Retrieved 2009-08-18, page 129, "Funerals and Mourning Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the dead are "conscious of nothing at all" and are asleep in the grave awaiting resurrection to life. ...The funeral service, which is a ceremony in itself, may last about 15 to 30 minutes. ...Where will the ceremony take place? Either at a Kingdom Hall or in a funeral home. ...Will there be an open casket? Possibly. This depends on the preference of the immediate family."
25.Jump up ^ "Volunteers continue Katrina disaster relief work" by David J. Bush, Salisbury Post, September 1, 2007, page F0
26.Jump up ^ "Caring for Victims of Rwanda’s Tragedy", Awake!, December 22, 1994, page 15
27.Jump up ^ "Volunteers at Work", Awake!, July 22, 2001, page 8
28.Jump up ^ "Love Toward Those ‘Related in the Faith’", The Watchtower, June 15, 1999, page 8
29.Jump up ^ "Japan", 1998 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, page 143
30.Jump up ^ "Witnesses’ relief efforts in Haiti continue", Jehovah's Witnesses Official Media Web Site, January 28, 2010, As Retrieved 2010-02-22
31.Jump up ^ "A Doctor Heads Home to Haiti" by Lionel J. Malebranche, MD, Annals of Internal Medicine, February 18, 2010
32.Jump up ^ "Love in Action—A Marathon Relief Effort", Awake!, November 22, 2002, page 22
33.Jump up ^ "A Love More Powerful Than a Hurricane!", Awake!, August 2008, page 16
34.Jump up ^ "How We Escaped a Terrifying Lava Flow!", Awake!, November 8, 2002, pages 24-25
35.Jump up ^ "Jehovah's Witnesses", The Encyclopedia of Louisville by John E. Kleber, ©2000, University Press of Kentucky, As Retrieved 2009-08-18, page 444, "Jehovah's Witnesses are well known in the Greater Louisville area, having been a part of "Kentucky sod" since the late 1800s. ...From 1947 to 1970 ten more Kingdom Halls were constructed in Louisville, all by volunteer labor."
36.Jump up ^ "Jehovah's Witnesses", World Religions 101: An Overview for Teens by Margaret O. Hyde, Emily G. Hyde, ©2008, Twenty-First Century Books, As Retrieved 2009-08-18, page 91-92
37.Jump up ^ "Jehovah's Witnesses", Religion in the contemporary world: a sociological introduction by Alan E. Aldridge, ©2000, Polity Press, As Retrieved 2009-08-18, page 116-117, "Witnesses are extremely well organized. ...One particular way in which the [Watch Tower] society mobilizes its members is to build their places for worship and assembly, the Kingdom Halls. A 'rapid-building crew' of Witness volunteers can erect a functional but well-built Kingdom Hall in a weekend."
38.Jump up ^ Holbrook by Holbrook Historical Society, ©2004, Arcadia Publishing, As Retrieved 2009-08-18, page 63, "The Kingdom Hall. Shown here is the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses on North Franklin Street. This hall was built by the membership in one weekend."
39.Jump up ^ New York: The Movie Lover's Guide : The Ultimate Insider Tour of Movie New York by Richard Alleman, ©2005, Broadway, As Retrieved 2009-08-18, page 416, "Albemarle Theater, 973 Flatbush Avenue. Just like the old Stanley Theater in Jersey City, Brooklyn's 2,700-seat Albemarle movie palace later served as a Kingdom Hall for the Jehovah's Witnesses."
40.Jump up ^ From Abyssinian to Zion: A Guide to Manhattan's Houses of Worship by David W. Dunlap, ©2004, Columbia University Press, As Retrieved 2009-08-18, page 117, "The remarkable Kingdom Hall at 609 West 161st Street was formerly the Hebrew Tabernacle of Washington Heights, by George and Edward Blum and Ludwig Hanauer, completed in 1925."
41.Jump up ^ "How Kingdom Halls Are Built", Awake!, August 22, 1972, page 23
42.^ Jump up to: a b Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom. Watch Tower Society. pp. 325–328.
43.Jump up ^ "Kingdom Hall Construction in the United States". Our Kingdom Ministry: 3. August 1997.
44.Jump up ^ "How Is It All Financed?", Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, pages 344-345
45.Jump up ^ "Announcements", Our Kingdom Ministry, June 1991, page 3
46.Jump up ^ "True Worship Is Expanding in Eastern Europe". Our Kingdom Ministry: 3–4. September 1999.
47.Jump up ^ "International Kingdom Hall Building in Some European Lands", Our Kingdom Ministry, May 2003, page 3
48.Jump up ^ "A New Program for Kingdom Hall Construction". Our Kingdom Ministry: 3. September 1983.
49.Jump up ^ Letter to all Congregations, June 4, 2008
50.Jump up ^ "Continued Expansion Increases Need for Kingdom Halls". Our Kingdom Ministry: 3. December 1993.
51.Jump up ^ Our Kingdom Ministry: 4. April 1985. "These loans are repaid to the Society Kingdom Hall Fund with interest at the rate of 6 percent." Missing or empty |title= (help)
52.Jump up ^ For example, Our Kingdom Ministry, March 2003, included a "Safety Checklist" on page 4, and a checklist for "Care of Building and Property" on page 5.
53.Jump up ^ "Let Us Keep Our Place of Worship in Good Repair", Our Kingdom Ministry, August 2003, page 3-4
54.Jump up ^ "The Giver of “Every Good Gift”", The Watchtower, December 1, 1993, page 29
External links[edit]
Official Kingdom Hall finder
Jehovah's Witnesses' Official Website : What is a Kingdom Hall?
  



Categories: Organizational structure of Jehovah's Witnesses
Beliefs and practices of Jehovah's Witnesses












Navigation menu




Create account
Log in




Article

Talk












Read

Edit

View history

























Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store

Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page

Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page

Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version

Languages
Català
Dansk
Deutsch
Ελληνικά
Español
Esperanto
Français
한국어
Bahasa Indonesia
Italiano
Magyar
മലയാളം
Bahasa Melayu
Nederlands
日本語
Norsk bokmål
Polski
Português
Русский
Suomi
Svenska
Українська
Edit links
This page was last modified on 23 April 2015, at 22:05.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Mobile view
Wikimedia Foundation
Powered by MediaWiki
 

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_Hall