A number of

corporation A corporation is an organization—usually a group of people or a company—authorized by the state to act as a single entity (a legal entity recognized by private and public law "born out of statute"; a legal person in legal context) and ...

s are in use by Jehovah's Witnesses. They publish literature and perform other operational and administrative functions, representing the interests of the religious organization. "The Society" has been used as a collective term for these corporations. The oldest and most prominent of their corporation names, "Watch Tower Society", has also been used synonymously with the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, even in their own literature. Particularly since 2000, Jehovah's Witnesses have maintained a distinction between their corporations and their religious organization. The primary corporations are operated by Governing Body "helpers" who implement its decisions.

Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania

''Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania'' is a non-stock,

not-for-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

headquartered in

Warwick, New York Warwick is a town in the southwestern part of Orange County, New York, United States. Its population was 32,027 at the 2020 census. The town contains three villages (Florida, Greenwood Lake, and Warwick) and eight hamlets ( Amity, Bellvale, Ed ...

, United States. It is the main legal entity used worldwide by Jehovah's Witnesses, often referred to as "The Society". It holds the copyrights of most literature published by Jehovah's Witnesses. The society was founded in 1881 with

William Henry Conley William Henry Conley (11 June 1840 – 25 July 1897), was a Pittsburgh philanthropist and industrialist.''The Christian and Missionary Alliance'', Volume 19, Number 6, August 4, 1897, page 132 He was married to Sarah Shaffer (1841–1908). To ...

, a

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

businessman, as the first president and

Charles Taze Russell Charles Taze Russell (February 16, 1852 – October 31, 1916), or Pastor Russell, was an American Christian restorationist minister from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and founder of what is now known as the Bible Student movement. He was an ...

as secretary-treasurer. The society was incorporated as ''Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society'' in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

on December 15, 1884, with Russell as president. The corporation was officially renamed ''Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society'' in 1896; similar names had been in unofficial use since at least 1892.

Personnel

* President: Robert Ciranko (as of 2014) * Vice Presidents: Robert W. Wallen, William F. Malenfant (both Governing Body "helpers") * Secretary/Treasurer: Richard E. Abrahamson * Directors: Danny L. Bland, Philip D. Wilcox, John N. Wischuk (Governing Body "helper")

Name changes

* ''Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society'' (1881–1896) * ''Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society'' (1896–1955) * ''Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania'' (since 1955)

United States corporations

Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.

''Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.'' is a corporation used by Jehovah's Witnesses which is responsible for administrative matters, such as real estate, especially within the United States. This corporation is typically cited as the publisher of Jehovah's Witnesses publications, though other publishers are sometimes cited. The corporation's stated purposes are: “Charitable, benevolent, scientific, historical, literary and religious purposes; the moral and mental improvement of men and women, the dissemination of Bible truths in various languages by means of the publication of tracts, pamphlets, papers and other religious documents, and for religious missionary work.” In 2001 '' Newsday'' listed the Watch Tower Society as one of New York's forty richest corporations, with revenues exceeding $950 million. Originally known as the ''Peoples Pulpit Association'', the organization was incorporated in 1909 when the Society's principal offices moved to Brooklyn, New York. In 1939, it was renamed ''Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Inc.'', and in 1956 the name was changed to ''Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc''. Until 2000, a member of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses was president of both the ''Watch Tower'' (Pennsylvania) and ''Watchtower'' (New York) corporations, as well as Britain's International Bible Students Association corporation; in 2001, it was decided that the corporations' directors need not be members of the Governing Body.

Selected Personnel (as of April 1, 2018)

* President: Harold L. Corken (Governing Body "helper") * Secretary: Mark L. Questell

Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses

''Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, Inc.'' was established to organize and administer the

congregational Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its ...

affairs of Jehovah's Witnesses in the United States. It filed for incorporation on August 21, 2000, in

New York State New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. stat ...

as a “

domestic Domestic may refer to: In the home * Anything relating to the human home or family ** A domestic animal, one that has undergone domestication ** A domestic appliance, or home appliance ** A domestic partnership ** Domestic science, sometimes c ...

non-profit corporation” in

Putnam County, New York Putnam County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 97,668. The county seat is Carmel. Putnam County formed in 1812 from Dutchess County and is named for Israel Putnam, a hero in t ...

. An incorporation record was also filed with the

State of Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to th ...

on March 3, 2006, as a " foreign non profit corporation" with agency in

Collier County, Florida Collier County is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 375,752; an increase of 16.9% since the 2010 United States Census. Its county seat is East Naples, where the county offices were moved from E ...

. As announced to congregations in January 2001, the Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses is a corporation used by their United States Branch Committee, which oversees the preaching work of Jehovah's Witnesses in the United States,

Bermuda ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = "Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , es ...

, and the

Turks and Caicos Islands The Turks and Caicos Islands (abbreviated TCI; and ) are a British Overseas Territory consisting of the larger Caicos Islands and smaller Turks Islands, two groups of tropical islands in the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean and n ...

. All Branch Committee members are appointed by and report to the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses. As with other agencies of Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses may correspond directly with any circuit overseer, local body of elders, or individual, or it may assign someone else to communicate on its behalf. Any of these persons or groups may function as an agency acting at the explicit direction of the Governing Body.

Other US corporations

Reorganization in 2000 resulted in the creation of several additional corporate entities to serve the needs of the United States branch of Jehovah's Witnesses. Since then, most written communication with congregations and individuals in the United States involves the Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, Inc; other corporations include: * ''Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York'', incorporated in 2000 for administration of full-time preaching activities. * ''Kingdom Support Services, Inc., New York'', incorporated in 2000 for construction and

fleet management Fleet management is the management of: * Commercial motor vehicles such as cars, vans, trucks, specialist vehicles (such as mobile construction machinery), forklifts, and trailers * Private vehicles used for work purposes (the 'grey fleet') * Av ...

Corporations outside the United States

International Bible Students Association

The ''International Bible Students Association'' (IBSA) is a corporate

used by Jehovah's Witnesses in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

for the production and distribution of religious literature. Its stated purpose is "to promote the Christian religion by supporting congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses and others in connection with their spiritual and material welfare in Britain and abroad within the charitable purposes of the Association." The IBSA was founded in 1914 as a corporation of the Bible Students by

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, England, and was the first legal corporation representing Russell's ministry in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

. The Watch Tower Society stated in 1917 that the IBSA, along with its Pennsylvania and New York based corporations "were organized for identical purposes and they harmoniously work together." Other similarly named corporations operate in various countries to promote the interests of Jehovah's Witnesses.

Other corporations

Since the formation of the International Bible Students Association, many other corporations sanctioned by the Governing Body have been used throughout the world to further the interests of Jehovah's Witnesses by supporting the activities of their respective branch offices in different countries, for example: * ''Associação Torre de Vigia de Bíblias e Tratados'' (Brazil) * ''Association culturelle des Témoins de Jéhovah de France '' * ''Association of Jehovah's Witnesses of East Africa'' * ''Los Testigos de Jehová en México'' * ''Wachtturm Bibel- und Traktat-Gesellschaft der Zeugen Jehovas e. V., Selters/Taunus'' (Germany) * ''Watchtower Bible & Tract Society Of Australia, Inc.'' In some countries, Jehovah's Witnesses use the corporation name ''Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses'', or a similar name translated into the local language. In 2005, the branch office in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

began using this name for a separate Canadian entity for most correspondence, while retaining ''Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada'' for other matters. In

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

, the corporation, ''Congregación Cristiana de los Testigos de Jehová'', is used. Literature of Jehovah's Witnesses has also referred to the denomination generally as the "Christian congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses".

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Corporations Of Jehovah's Witnesses Organizational structure of Jehovah's Witnesses Religious corporations it:Società Torre di Guardia pt:Sociedade Torre de Vigia de Bíblias e Tratados