Fast Facts on Jehovah's Witnesses

Date founded

1879

Place founded

Pittsburgh

Founder

Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916)

Adherents

6.4 million practicing members in 2003 {1}

Headquarters

Brooklyn, New York

Main location

USA

Major sects

none

Sacred text

New World Translation of the Scriptures

Other texts

The Watchtower; Awake!

Original language

English

Clergy/leaders

Elders

Organization

Body of elders supervises a congregation of up to 200 members.

About 20 congregations form a circuit, 10 circuits form a district.

Highest authority is governing body of elders at Brooklyn headquarters. {2}

Meeting place

Kingdom Hall

Theism

Strict monotheism

Jesus

The Son of God, God's first creation

Ultimate reality

Jehovah God

Human nature

Sinful since Adam

Purpose of life

Live forever after death instead of being annihilated

How to live

Live morally and in accordance with Jehovah's commandments, spread the good news of the Kingdom to others.

Afterlife

144,000 elect will reign in heaven and have spirit bodies. Other Witnesses will live forever on a restore paradise on earth. All others will be annihilated. Hell does not exist. {3}

Symbols

The watchtower. Cross rejected as a pagan symbol.

Major holidays

Memorial of Christ's death, celebrated annually. All Christian or other religious-based holidays are rejected as unbiblical and pagan.

Ethics

Divorce only in cases of adultery, no premarital sex, no homosexuality. {4} No gambling or drinking to excess. Against abortion. {5}

Practices

No blood transfusions, no celebration of non-JW holidays, no use of crosses or other religious images. Baptism of initiation, worship once per week, strong focus on evangelism.

References

1. jw-media.org
2. "Membership and Organization," Watchtower.org.
3. "God, Man, and the Future," watchtower.org.
4. "Family Life," watchtower.org.
5. "Medical Treatment," watchtower.org.