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
. Rutherford's reasoning was that these
buildings would be used for preaching the "good news of the
Kingdom." Jehovah's Witnesses use Kingdom Halls for the majority of
their
worship and
Bible
instruction.
Term
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.
Location and presentation

Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's
Witnesses
Kingdom Halls are typically modest, functional structures with
practicality in mind. 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. This text can be
displayed in several languages if the Hall is used by foreign
language congregations. A Kingdom Hall typically has a
library,
contribution boxes,
and a literature counter, where publications are displayed, stored
and dispensed.
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'; casual clothing and
undignified behavior are considered inappropriate during their
religious events, even if the facility is an
entertainment venue.
Uses
Meetings for worship
Congregations typically meet in their Kingdom Halls two days each
week for meetings for worship.
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. Witnesses also meet in Kingdom Halls for
preparation and prayer before engaging in their
door-to-door
ministry.
Schools
Among its meetings for worship, each congregation conducts a weekly
Theocratic Ministry School with a common global
curriculum (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. 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.
Individual Witnesses may receive permission to use the Hall to
conduct personal Bible studies with their students. 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.
Weddings
Kingdom Halls may be used for
wedding
ceremonies of
Witness-baptized couples, or of
an unbaptized
bride and
groom simultaneously
approaching baptism as Jehovah's Witnesses. 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).
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.
Funerals
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". 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.
Depending on family preference and local custom, a Kingdom Hall
funeral may or may not have the
casket
deceased present.
Disaster relief
Disaster relief efforts of Jehovah's
Witnesses are typically channeled through
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Construction
The construction crews of Kingdom Halls and larger Assembly Halls
consist of volunteering Jehovah's Witnesses, 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. 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. In areas of repeated or reputed vandalism, particularly in
cities, some Kingdom Hall are built without windows to reduce the
risk of property damage.
Regional Building Committee
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.
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. The work of the Regional Building Committees has
made it possible for Jehovah's Witnesses to build or renovate
Kingdom Halls in a very short time, sometimes as little as two
days, although typically the preparation work involving the
structural foundation and surrounding surface may take several
weeks prior to the scheduled build. Members of a Regional Building
Committee work voluntarily and receive no remuneration for their
work.
Funding
In 1983, an arrangement was instituted whereby Kingdom Halls are
financed by loans from the Watch Tower Society. In addition to
contribution boxes for local congregation expenses and "the
worldwide work", each congregation has a contribution box
specifically for voluntary donations toward Kingdom Hall
construction. These donations are pooled by the
Watch Tower Society into the
Society Kingdom Hall
Fund, which is used for financing the construction of Kingdom
Halls worldwide, particularly in developing lands. When a
congregation receives local approval to build a new Kingdom Hall,
the congregation may apply for a loan from the Society Kingdom Hall
Fund. The congregation repays the loan to the Watch Tower Society
with nominal interest, in addition to its continued contributions
to the Kingdom Hall Fund.
Maintenance
Routine maintenance of Kingdom Halls is performed by the members of
the congregations that use them, typically according to a scheduled
checklist. 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. Kingdom Hall maintenance costs are covered by
donations to a local fund.
References
- Jehovah's Witnesses – Proclaimers of God's Kingdom
chap. 20 p. 319, 721
- Jehovah's Witnesses – Proclaimers of God's Kingdom
chap. 20 p. 319 Building Together on a Global Scale
- "Should We Go to Christian Meetings?", Awake!, March
8, 2001, page 12
- Organized to Do Jehovah's Will p.120-123 (Watch Tower
Bible and Tract Society, 2005)
- 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."
- "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."
- “To the House of Jehovah Let Us Go”, Our Kingdom
Ministry, April 1993, page 4
- "Bible-based Society of Kingdom Witnesses", The
Watchtower, October 15, 1962, page 631
- "Maintain Fine Conduct That Glorifies God", Our Kingdom
Ministry, May 2000, page 6
- Organized to Do Jehovah’s Will, ©2005 Watch Tower,
page 138
- "Mother of Jackson Family Tells All" by Katherine Jackson,
Ebony magazine, October 1990, As Retrieved 2009-08-18, page 66, "I also wish
that my children will draw closer to Jehovah. I'm not worried about
Rebbie...But Randy and Janet attend Kingdom Hall only occasionally,
and Jermaine, Jackie, Tito, and LaToya not at all"
- "Jehovah's Witnesses", World Religions in America: An
Introduction by Jacob Neusner, ©2003, Westminster John Knox
Press, As Retrieved 2009-08-18, page 197
- Organized to Accomplish Our Ministry, ©1983,1989 Watch
Tower, page 131
- "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
- "Jehovah's Witnesses", World Religions: An Introduction for
Students by Jeaneane D. Fowler, ©1997, Sussex Academic Press,
As Retrieved 2009-08-18, page 122
- "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."
- "Highlights of the Past Year", 2007 Yearbook of Jehovah's
Witnesses, pages 6, 15-18
- "Imitate the Greatest Missionary", The Watchtower,
February 15, 2008, page 18
- "Question Box", Our Kingdom Ministry, November 2008,
page 3
- "Marriage Ceremony and Requirements", The Watchtower,
September 15, 1956, page 571
- 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."
- "Question Box", Our Kingdom Ministry, March 1997, page
7
- "Is Your Course of Life Death-Oriented?", The
Watchtower, June 1, 1978, page 7
- 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."
- "Caring for Victims of Rwanda’s Tragedy", Awake!,
December 22, 1994, page 15
- "Volunteers at Work", Awake!, July 22, 2001, page
8
- "Love Toward Those ‘Related in the Faith’", The
Watchtower, June 15, 1999, page 8
- "Japan", 1998 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, page
143
- "Love in Action—A Marathon Relief Effort", Awake!,
November 22, 2002, page 22
- "A Love More Powerful Than a Hurricane!", Awake!,
August 2008, page 16
- "How We Escaped a Terrifying Lava Flow!", Awake!,
November 8, 2002, pages 24-25
- "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."
- "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
- "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."
- 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."
- 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."
- 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."
- "How Kingdom Halls Are Built", Awake!, August 22,
1972, page 23
- "How Is It All Financed?", Jehovah's Witnesses -
Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, pages 344-345
- "Announcements", Our Kingdom Ministry, June 1991, page
3
- "International Kingdom Hall Building in Some European Lands",
Our Kingdom Ministry, May 2003, page 3
- 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.
- "Let Us Keep Our Place of Worship in Good Repair", Our
Kingdom Ministry, August 2003, page 3-4
- "The Giver of “Every Good Gift”", The Watchtower,
December 1, 1993, page 29
External links