Recognizable questions
- Have you ever noticed that a group of people uses words that mean something very different, or nothing at all, to outsiders?
- Do you recognize the feeling that you only truly understand what someone is talking about when you know the internal terms of a community?
- Have you ever experienced that certain titles or roles within an organization have a great deal of influence on people’s daily lives?
- Does it sound familiar that, in conversations about a religious community, you sometimes have trouble properly placing the meaning of specific terms?
- Have you ever felt the need for a neutral explanation of words and roles within a group, so you can better understand other people’s experiences and feelings?
Welcome
Many words used by Jehovah’s Witnesses are unfamiliar to outsiders. Terms such as elder, circuit overseer, pioneer, or the Governing Body mean little to many people, while they have a clear meaning for Jehovah’s Witnesses.
In this glossary, we explain these words in plain language. In doing so, we describe what the terms mean, how they are used within the organization, and—where relevant—what role they can play in the daily lives of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The goal is not to persuade or criticize, but to provide insight. In this way, (ex-)Jehovah’s Witnesses, family members, caregivers, and other interested readers can better understand what certain conversations, experiences, or feelings are about.
