Jehovah's Witnesses teaching programs

Jehovah's Witnesses conduct various instructional programs for their members, GeneRally in connection with improving their skills for preaching. All schools and curricula are developed and approved by the Teaching Committee of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses.

Some programs, such as for reading and literacy, may require only respectful attendance; enrollees in the Theocratic Ministry School must meet a somewhat higher standard. Participation in other programs is typically by invitation for Witnesses who have been approved for a particular privilege of service.

Programs coordinated by Hospital Information Services are intended primarily to educate non-Witnesses in the medical and legal fields AbOUT patients' rights pertaining to Jehovah's Witnesses, and may even be hosted by non-Witness panels.

Specific teaching programs are generally presented here from largest to smallest enrollment.

Background

Until 1931, local groups of Bible Students were usually referred to as "classes" rather than "congregations" or "ecclesia". Each week, participants brought a Bible, concordance, and pencil and paper to discuss their views of the scriptures. By 1880, the twice-weekly pattern of a weeknight group Bible study and a weekend public lecture was recommended for local classes.

Verbi Dei Minister

As early as 1913, Watch Tower Society founder Charles Taze Russell placed emphasis on a program of public speaking, and on assuring that Bible Student ministers were sufficiently qualified to represent the faith, in response to concerns that many Bible Students lacked such qualifications. In time, the Society suggested that each prospective congregation elder or deacon should qualify as a V.D.M. as confirmation that an examining board had considered his qualifications for appointment; the program was later recommended for all Bible Students. The Verbi Dei Minister program was a self-study course culminating in a questionnaire submitted to selected Watch Tower branch offices for evaluation. Baptized adherents who obtained an 85 percent rating were considered "qualified to teach" and granted the designation V.D.M. (Verbi Dei Minister [Minister of the Divine Word]); only males were permitted to give public talks. The Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum documents that the former U.S. President's parents both qualified for a V.D.M. in 1921.

The self-study program was replaced by various successive teaching programs eventually culminating in the Theocratic Ministry School in 1943.

Theocratic Ministry School

All baptized members, as well as approved unbaptized individuals, may enroll in the Theocratic Ministry School, first instituted in 1943, which has a common global curriculum (exceptions are made for the availability of study materials). Students receive various assignments, such as reading sections of the Bible or a Watch Tower publication to the congregation, delivering short discourses or, for female students, performing demonstrations of situations that might be encountered when preaching door-to-door or informally. Since 2003, the textbook Benefit From Theocratic Ministry School Education has been used in connection with this school.

Reading and literacy classes

Jehovah's Witnesses have for many years helped people to learn to read and write, and first officially established literacy classes in 1949 in their congregations in many African countries at Kingdom Halls or other suitable venues; in some places, entire villages have been invited to attend. Jehovah's Witnesses cooperate with government-sponsored literacy programs where possible, or develop their own manuals and courses as required. Tens of thousands of people have become literate as a result of these programs.

Any Jehovah's Witnesses congregation which believes its community could benefit from reading and literacy classes may sponsor a local class using the free texts Learn to Read and Write and Apply Yourself to Reading and Writing; other supplemental materials may also be used. Classes are considered an adjunct to the congregation's Theocratic Ministry School; while students are typically drawn from among those who regularly attend that congregation's meetings for worship, it is not a requirement.

Governmental and academic acknowledgment

Watch Tower publications have cited various commendations from governmental and academic authorities for their literacy programs in developing nations.

• Mexico - "In Mexico, the Watch Tower Society has operated literacy classes since 1946. ... Between 1946 and 1994, more than 127,000 were helped to become literate. ... [A] civil servant wrote: “in behalf of the state government I convey to you their most sincere congratulations for your noble progressive work for the benefit of the people in bringing the light of knowledge to the illiterate. ... I wish you success in your educational work.”" "In a letter dated January 25, 1966, the government said: “By agreement of the General Director, I am pleased to congratulate your Institution ... for the patriotic cooperation that you have been giving to the illiterate people of the Republic. ... I hope that your enthusiasm does not diminish for continuing this persistent fight against illiteracy in which all good Mexicans are engaged.” A director of the "General Office for Adult Education" within Mexico's Department of Public Education wrote to a Jehovah's Witnesses association, “I take this opportunity to warmly congratulate you ... for the praiseworthy cooperation that your association has been extending year after year in benefit of our people.”
• Brazil - The Brazilian newspaper Diário de Mogi published an article entitled “Jehovah’s Witnesses Wage War Against Illiteracy.” It stated: “A qualified instructor sets about ... to patiently teach others to read and write. ... The pupils, because of the very circumstances impelling them as ministers of God, must develop their knowledge of the language in order to give discourses.” "The chief of police in Ferros, Minas Gerais, sent a letter of commendation to the [Watch Tower] Society for the work done in teaching prisoners in jail there, saying: “Whether from the spiritual point of view or from the material side, Jehovah’s Witnesses have collaborated with this chief of police in teaching prisoners to read. Like fine rain that falls silently but that can cause rivers to overflow, they have done much to integrate the prisoners into society.”"
• Burundi - The Ministry of Education's "National Office of Adult Literacy" acknowledged four Jehovah's Witnesses instructors on "International Literacy Day", September 8, 1999.
• Tuvalu - Former prime minister Dr. T. Puapua wrote: "My government and I are especially happy... It is my belief that this work will be written into the history of Tuvalu with regard to the printing of educational books.”
• Mozambique - In 2001, a national broadcast reported that 10,000 had benefited from the literacy programs of Jehovah's Witnesses in Mozambique. The broadcast included a speech by President Chissano which said in part, “It is very encouraging for us to see the interest of many people in literacy. ... I would just like to encourage Jehovah’s Witnesses to intensify their literacy programs, in whatever language.”

Language classes

At times, a branch may determine that its territory includes a significant population that speak a particular language that is not well known by many Witnesses involved in preaching in the area. In such cases, language classes may be coordinated and scheduled at local Kingdom Halls. An announcement is made to congregations in the vicinity of such Halls, providing details of upcoming classes and inviting applications by interested Witnesses. Acceptance is considered a privilege of service, available only for active Witnesses in good standing. Those already appointed to special privileges of service, such as elders, ministerial servants, or pioneers are more likely to be accepted as additional language skills are considered to be of particular benefit for those positions.

Pioneer Service School

Since 1977, Jehovah's Witnesses have scheduled an annual series of local Pioneer Service Schools using the textbook Shining as Illuminators in the World, which is considered confidential for instructors, students, and graduates of the course. Invitations to attend are extended primarily to pioneers (that is, applicants previously appointed for full-time ministry) who are about to complete or have completed their first year of service, and secondarily to continuing pioneers who have seniority to fill any open seats in a local class. Appointment as a pioneer is considered a special privilege of service.

It has been estimated that nearly 200,000 ministers were trained at Pioneer Service School between 1977 and 1995.

Kingdom Ministry School

The Kingdom Ministry School was instituted in 1959 as a one-month course for congregation overseers (now called "coordinator of the body of elders") and "special pioneers" at the facility in South Lansing, New York (an extension of their Brooklyn headquarters); by 1966 the course was condensed to two weeks and was limited to overseers, but since 2006 has also been open to ministerial servants. The "KM School" uses the New World Translation and the textbook, Organized to Do Jehovah's Will, an organization manual for Witness adherents; since 1977, sessions for elders also use the textbook, Pay Attention to Yourselves and to All the Flock. About every three years, local one- to three-day seminars for congregation elders and ministerial servants (deacons) are arranged using the curriculum of the Kingdom Ministry School; seminars are held at Assembly Halls, Kingdom Halls, branch offices, and other suitable facilities.

School for Congregation Elders

In February 2008 a new "School for Congregation Elders" was announced. Week-long sessions of the "School for Congregation Elders" have been scheduled at Jehovah's Witnesses branch facilities, including at the historic Watchtower -owned Hotel Bossert.

Hospital Information Services

Beginning in 1990, Jehovah's Witnesses greatly expanded the educational work of their Hospital Information Services (HIS) department. This department establishes hospital liaison committees that engage large medical institutions to improve methods of bloodless surgery and educate staff about Jehovah's Witnesses' refusal of blood transfusions, which they believe to be prohibited by God even in life threatening situations.

The department holds seminars to train invited Witnesses ministers for hospital liaison committee work, "to train branch personnel to manage a Hospital Information Services desk in each branch, and to visit hospitals and doctors so as to encourage continued and expanded treatment of Jehovah’s Witnesses without using blood." The presentations explain the function and content of blood and provide information about medical alternatives to homologous blood. Direction on how to deal with Jehovah’s Witnesses facing medical issues involving blood transfusions is also provided. The seminars stress cooperation with doctors and hospitals, to encourage respect for the Witnesses’ stand.

In Britain from 1990-1992, HIS seminars were held in Birmingham, Nottingham, Stoke-on-Trent, and Surrey to train appointed local Witness committee members. Subsequently, nearly 4,000 doctors in Britain, as well as judges and social services providers, were educated and agreed to provide regular updates in cooperation with local Jehovah's Witnesses Hospital Liaison Committees.

Bethel Entrants School

Jehovah's Witnesses refer to their branch office residences as "Bethel" (meaning 'house of God'). Soon after invited applicants join a "Bethel family", they begin Bethel Entrants School, which includes reading the entire Bible within the first year as "Bethelites". The school includes lectures, weekly classroom discussions, and Bible reading. An invitation to Bethel is considered a special privilege of service.

School for Traveling Overseers

Jehovah's Witnesses' School for Traveling Overseers is designed to train traveling overseers, who provide spiritual help to congregations. Between 1998 and 2004, "more than 600 circuit and district overseers from Canada and the United States" attended the School for Traveling Overseers at the Watchtower Educational Center at Patterson, New York, USA. As of 2004, the course has also been held at 87 other branches.

Since 1942, traveling overseers of Jehovah's Witnesses have received intensive schooling in order for their work to be carried out with greater uniformity. Previously, traveling overseers were trained less formally, with more attention placed on 'love for the service' than being "eloquent speakers".

Translation Services seminars

At the direction of the Writing Committee of the Governing Body, major new translation projects are approved and translation teams are appointed. At the start of a project, even experienced team members attend Translation Services seminars to receive "thorough training in the principles of Bible translation and in the use of specially developed computer programs."

The Watch Tower Society's Translation Services Department supports the international work of more than 2,000 translators of 400 languages at 116 branch offices. The department's responsibilities include coordinated sign- and foreign-language seminars for Watch Tower's own branch staff.

School for Branch Committee Members

Established in 1977, the School for Branch Committee Members provides advanced instruction for Branch Committee members. The school is now conducted at Watchtower Educational Center, and forms part of its Theocratic Schools Department.

The eight-week class provides training in caring for a Bethel family and home, oversight of office work, handling correspondence, ordering literature, service matters, translation work, printing operations, shipping, supplies, preaching, disciple-making, arranging visits by traveling overseers, planning assemblies and conventions, branch procedure, field organization, and improved public speaking, with focus on "God’s law and Scriptural principles governing all aspects of a Christian’s life are reviewed".