Jehovah’s Witnesses, Terms and Definitions

Nomenclature and Definitions

The nomenclature and reporting methods of Jehovah’s Witnesses are distinct from those of other faiths. For those not closely familiar with the Witnesses, this can lead to some difficulty in understanding Jehovah’s Witness literature and reports. In some cases, nomenclature similar to that used by other faiths is applied to different definitions, which can lead to invalid or misleading comparisons when nominal membership numbers are compared without interrogating the specific definitions used by the faiths being compared. In other cases, distinct terminology is used for concepts that many may find familiar under different names.

Publisher and proclaimerare terms often used interchangeably to describe Jehovah’s Witnesses who report hours spent proselytizing non-Witnesses each month, publishing or proclaiming the good news of Jehovah’s Kingdom. Publishers are assigned to preach in specific territories and who file monthly reports of hours spent. Publishers...