How Well Do You Know The Governing Body Of Jehovah’s Witnesses?

Who are the men of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses? Most Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW’s) can name at best perhaps one, maybe two members of the Governing Body (GB). The vast majority of JW’s, including the Elders, have absolutely no idea what the GB’s qualifications are or who they are. Yet, this group of men (7 at the time of this writing) are the ones who formulate all of the doctrines and policies of the Watchtower organization. The GB for the most part, has the complete trust of approximately 7 million JW’s without the vast majority of them knowing anything at all about the background of the men at the helm.

For this reason, I have posted a picture list of the Men who are currently serving as the GB members (As of May 2012) along with the Watchtower’s resume’ for each one. After you have read a little about these men and see their qualifications, please consider a few questions and comments I’ve made toward the bottom of this article.

Samuel Herd, born in 1935 started pioneering in 1958, and from 1965 to 1997, he was in the circuit and district work. He and his wife have been part of the United States Bethel, where Herd has been working in the Service Department. He also served as a helper to the Service Committee. Announcement for appointment to the Governing Body was made at the annual meeting on Saturday, October 2, 1999 (Watchtower 1/1/2000 page 29)

 

Stephen Lett, born in 1949 started pioneering in Decem-ber 1966. From 1967 to 1971, he served at Bethel in the United States. In October 1971, he married and went into the special pioneer service. From 1979 to 1998, he served as a circuit overseer. Since April 1998, he and his wife have been part of the United States Bethel family. There he has worked in the Service Department and was a helper to the Teaching Committee. Announcement for appointment to the Governing Body was made at the annual meeting on Saturday, October 2, 1999. (Watchtower 1/1/2000 page 29)

 

Guy Pierce, born in 1934 raised a family and then with his wife started pioneering in April 1982. He served as a circuit overseer from 1986 until 1997, when he and his wife began to serve at United States Bethel. Pierce served as helper to the Personnel Committee. Announcement for appointment to the Governing Body was made at the annual meeting on Saturday, October 2, 1999. (Watchtower 1/1/2000 page 29)

 

David Splane, born in 1944 started pioneering in Septem-ber 1963. A graduate of the 42nd class of Gilead, he served as a missionary in Senegal, Africa, then for 19 years in the circuit work in Canada. He and his wife have been at Bethel in the United States since 1990, where Splane has worked in the Service and Writing departments. Since 1998, he had been a helper to the Writing Committee. Announcement for appointment to the Governing Body was made at annual meeting on Saturday, October 2, 1999. (Watchtower 1/1/2000 page 29)

 

Geoffrey Jackson Born 1955, started pioneering in Feb-ruary 1971 in Tasmania, the island state of Australia. In June 1974, he married and shortly thereafter, they were ap-pointed to serve as special pioneers. From 1979 to 2003, they served as missionaries in Tuvalu, Samoa, and Fiji—island nations in the South Pacific. While in the islands, Jackson also contributed much to the work of translating Bible literature. Beginning in 1992, Jackson served on the Branch Committee in Samoa, and from 1996, on the Branch Committee in Fiji. In April 2003, he and his wife became part of the United States Bethel. He and his wife began to work in the Translation Services Department. Soon thereafter, Jackson was made a helper to the Teaching Committee of the Governing Body. Announcement of his appointment to the Governing Body was made on August 24, 2005. (Reference, Watchtower 3/15/2006 page 26)

 

Gerrit Losch, born in 1941 entered full-time service on November 1, 1961. Graduated from the 41st class of the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead. He served in the circuit and district work in Austria from 1963 to 1976. He married in 1967, and he and his wife later served for 14 years as members of the Austria Bethel in Vienna. He served in the Executive Offices and as an assistant to the Service Committee. Added to ranks of Governing Body on July 1, 1994. (Reference, Watchtower 11/1/1994 page 29)

 

Anthony Morris, born in 1950 entered the pioneer service in 1971 in the United States. In December of that year, he married and he and his wife continued pioneering for nearly four years until the birth of their first son. In time, they had another son. Morris reentered the full-time service in 1979 as a regular pioneer. His wife joined him when the boys entered school. The family served where the need was great in Rhode Island and North Carolina. Morris served as a substitute circuit overseer, and the boys took up regular pioneer service. The boys were invited to the United States branch at the age of 19. Meanwhile, Morris began circuit work. Then, in 2002 he and his wife were invited to Bethel, starting their new assignment on August 1. Morris worked in the Service Department at Patterson and later as a helper to the Service Committee of the Governing Body. Announcement of his appointment to the Governing Body was made on August 24, 2005. (Watchtower 3/15/2006 page 26)

 

 

Food For Thought…     

While the above information shows that these men have faithfully and loy-ally served the Watchtower organiza-tion, here are a few questions to consider;

1) What qualifies these men to set the doctrines and policies for some 7 million Jehovah’s Witnesses? 

2) Where in the Bible do we find the qualifications for the members of the governing body as we do for Elders and Ministerial Servants?

3) Where in Scripture do we even find the term, “Governing Body”?

4) With the exception of Guy Pierce and Anthony Morris, do these men (according to the information provided by the Watchtower) have any kind of real life’s experience? It appears that only 2 of the 7 have worked jobs outside the realm of the “Ivory” tower.

The truth is, the role of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses is a man-made position. These men are self-appointed men and they have formed a “boys club” so-to-speak which no-one can question. The only ones who choose the GB members are the GB members themselves with absolutely no input, no vote and no consultation from anyone else, not even the other members of the “faithful and discreet slave”! There is no Scriptural support for any kind of qualifications regarding a GB member.

Also consider that most of these men have never lived in the “real world” in which you and I live. Yet, they are making decisions for and controlling the lives of some 7 million JW’s. Most of these men have never had to work an actual job to support themselves or a family, neither have they had to pay for housing. Living at the Watchtower provides them with free room and board, their meals are prepared, they have someone to do their laundry for them, do their dishes, put out the trash and clean their rooms. The list goes on and on. While they have taken a “vow of poverty” the infamous “green handshake,” the good ol’ tax free cash-ola which uncle Sam never hears about provides very well for the men of the GB, not to mention the brothers who are in the Circuit and District work. All of this is provided at the expense of the rank and file JW which is consistently told to work less and do more and more for the organization. The economy in which you and I live, in many ways has no effect on the daily lives of the GB whatsoever because their resources are virtually unlimited. 

In spite of the GB being a group of self-appointed men and having no Biblical authority for its existence, JW’s have been misled to treat these men as though they were royalty. The truly disturbing part is that the Watchtower tells you they are royalty! According to Watchtower doctrine only they and the collective “faithful slave” are the “kings and priests” of Revelation 5:10, 20:4 and 20:6. These men ask more and more from the rank and file Witnesses and receive what I believe is borderline worship from the average JW. All the while they themselves do not have to contend with any of the things people in the real world must deal with. No wonder they can tell the friends not to worry about getting an education, work fewer hours, spend more time serving the organization etc.

So, my original question was, How well do you know the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses? I hope this article has helped to give you some insight regarding this group of self-appointed men.

 

 

 

 

 

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5 Responses to How Well Do You Know The Governing Body Of Jehovah’s Witnesses?

  1. Phil McNeish says:

    Nicely done, Mark. Good, well-rounded thinking here. I’m glad you were able to leave an organization that wanted to do all of your thinking for you. I wonder why God gave you a mind to think if he didn’t want you to reason for yourself and wanted you to mindlessly follow whatever these men told you to do. After you’ve been out from under their ‘spell’ for a number of years, the fog lifts and you can see clearly what they wanted so desperately to hide from you: the JW’s do not have a monopoly on God-There are millions of people who love God and have a deep relationship with Him who are not Jehovah’s Witnesses.

  2. Great post Mark! You know, I have been somewhat hesitant about call the WTBTS a cult but your article is a great reminder why they are at the very least cult like. Here’s the proof. 7.5 million JW’s go to their meeting tomorrow (Sunday) and they believe a particular Governing Body teaching which they have all fought to uphold as truth for years (the generation that will not pass away, etc.). Now at that meeting by way of the public talk, the teaching is changed via new light. Before they leave the Kingdom Hall that day, all 7.5 million brothers and sisters believe and uphold the new teaching. What happened, did all 7.5 million take the time to rightly divide the word so as to come to this new belief? Did they even wait and do additional deep research and pray for the leadings of the Holy Spirit to confirm the biblical rational for the change offered by the Society? No, they walk out the door praising Jehovah for the new light offered by the 7 members of the Governing Body! They accept without question (with very, very few exceptions) the new position. They have followed the whims of 7 men instead of the Holy Spirit and Gods word. They are in fact, by definition, a cult. Hard to say but if it walks like a duck…… Never mind the fact that if they do rightly divide the word and find the GB’s new position not supported by scripture, they still are expected to accept it and preach it as undesputed biblical truth, or else! Sad, very, very sad.

    Your Brother,
    Dennis

  3. chuck says:

    wtbs keeps coming up with “new light” and
    2 Corinthians 11:14 (New King James Version) And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light… see the connection?

  4. John Hay says:

    I hope the day will come when the GB will humble themselves and ask Jehovah for forgiveness and APOLOGIZE to the seven million witnesses that they are wrong about certain doctrines,to the families of those who have lost their loved ones because of the blood issue, to those who have been disfellowshipped because they dont agree with some of the societies doctrines, to the victims of sexual abuse within the congregation and many more.
    Do that and i am sure Jehovah will bless the organisation.

  5. Incognita says:

    The requirement of a governing body isn’t in the scriptures. It’s found in the requirements of a non-profit in an IRS booklet. They could have called it something similar, but aren’t that smart.

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