Legal Structure Of Jehovahs Witnesses

Jehovah's Witnesses generally use the legal instruments available to religious associations to organize their worship at all levels (international, national and local). This structure consists of various legal entities that meet each specific needs. This article proposes to give an overview and learn about the legal status of Jehovah's Witnesses in key states where they are present.

International structure

• Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania.
  • Formed in 1881 , she was legally registered on 15 December 1884 in the State of Pennsylvania under the name of Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society. From 1896 to 1955 , she was also named Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society.
  • Charity empowered by the tax authorities to receive tax deductible donations .
  • Non-profit association that publishes a large proportion of the books distributed by Jehovah's Witnesses , especially their magazines The Watchtower and Awake!. She also serves as legal representative of the Jehovah's Witnesses.

National Structure

• Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses
  • Registered on 21 August 2000 in the State of New York.
  • Charity empowered by the tax authorities to receive tax deductible donations .
  • It is mainly responsible for the appointment of ministers of religion ( ancient and departmental assistants ) and managing spiritual affairs of local congregations.

• Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses
  • Registered on 21 August 2000 in the State of New York.
  • She takes care of Jehovah's Witnesses engaged in a full-time: Volunteer at Bethel (international headquarters), missionary (evangelists abroad), special pioneers (evangelists supported by Bethel), ministers of religion homeless. She also manages the assembly halls.

• Kingdom Support Services, Inc..
  • Registered on 26 September 2000 in the State of New York.
  • Charity empowered by the tax authorities to receive tax deductible donations .
  • It responds to various needs related to construction of places of worship : the United rooms and meeting rooms.

Germany

• Wachtturm Bibel und der Gesellschaft Traktat Zeugen Jehovas, e. V. to Selters (Taunus).
  • Registered on 24 May 1956 under the name: Wachtturm Bibel-und Traktat-Gesellschaft Deutscher Zweig, e. V.

• Religionsgemeinschaft of Zeugen Jehovas in Deutschland, e. V. in Berlin.
  • Public corporation (Krperschaft des ffentlichen Rechts) recognized by the Senate of Berlin since 13 June 2006 , after 15 years of lobbying and legal procedures. This decision was taken following a decision of the Court of Appeal administrative Berlin , who said that Jehovah's Witnesses meet the conditions for such recognition and has ruled out any possibility of revision, and rejection of appeal filed by the Land of Berlin before the Court of Federal Administrative Leipzig on February ^1, 2006. In 2009, ten other states (about six) has been granted the status of a public corporation of Jehovah's Witnesses .

England

• International Bible Students Association.
  • Registered on 30 June 1914 in London.
  • Charity since November 18, 1964 .
  • This is the first legal association representing the Jehovah's Witnesses in Europe.

• The Kingdom Hall Trust.
  • Registered on 28 July 1939.
  • Charity since May 22, 1978 .

• Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Britain.
  • Registered on 8 October 1999.
  • Charity since 27 October 1999 .

Austria

Registered on 5 November 1970 , the Wachtturm Bibel-und Traktatgesellschaft which includes Jehovah's Witnesses from Austria in 1978 asked the status of legal person and "religious society", which was refused in 1997.

Following a new law on religious communities in 1998 , the Jehovah's Witnesses were recognized as a corporation and obtained an intermediate status of "registered religious community", which allows after 10 years to obtain the status of "association confessional. "

Austria was sentenced in July 2008 for hurt feelings by the European Court of Human Rights, because of the excessive length of proceedings and the fact that other religious communities have been treated more favorably .

Finally, the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs has granted Religionsgemeinschaft Jehovas der Zeugen status of religious society recognized in May 2009 .

Belgium

• Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses - Jehovah's Christelijske Gemeente van Getuigen.
  • Nonprofit organization, declared on 7 May 1932.

Canada

• Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada.
  • Registered on ¹ January 1967.
  • Charity .

Denmark

• Vagttrnets Bibel-og Traktatselskab.
  • Recorded in April 1932.
  • In Denmark , outside the state church (Evangelical Lutheran), there are three categories of cults, cults recognized by royal decree, ere this system was abolished in 1970; cults have received ministerial approval to enter into marriages with civil effects since 1970; cults without recognition . The Jehovah's Witnesses may be called "recognized religion" , which allows them to perform civil marriages and civil record keeping. They are now officially the third largest religion in Denmark .

Spain

• Asociacion de los Testigos of Jehovah.
  • Declared on 10 July 1970.
  • Since the 1980s , the Jehovah's Witnesses on the register of religious entities. On June 29, 2006, the Advisory Committee for Religious Freedom has acknowledged the qualification of "rooting notorious" Jehovah's Witnesses. They may then enter into negotiations for the signing of an agreement with the Spanish state .

France

National Structure

• Religious association of Jehovah's Witnesses in France (ACTJF).
  • Declared on 7 May 1991 (Official Gazette, 12 June 1991 ).
  • Religious association ( law of 9 December 1905 ).
  • It manages the national religious activities of Jehovah's Witnesses. Its responsibilities include the maintenance of Ministers of worship itinerant evangelists or full time, she organizes the gatherings of worship at the national level (each summer). It also provides support to religious missions abroad.

• Christian Community Bthlites.
  • Declared on ¹ October 1996 (Official Gazette, 23 October 1996 ).
  • Religious congregation unrecognized (Act of July ^1, 1901 ).
  • Congregational association which brings together members of the Order of the National Center Bthlites Louviers. The community has about 300 members, affiliated to the pension insurance, disability and health cults (CAVIMAC) since 2002.

• Christian Federation of Jehovah's Witnesses in France.
  • Declared on 15 February 1999 (Official Gazette, 13 March 1999 ).
  • Union of religious associations ( law of 9 December 1905 ).
  • It represents the local associations for the worship of Jehovah's Witnesses (the number of 1054 in 2004 ) and coordinates their religious activities.

• Publishing Jehovah's Witnesses in France (EDITEF).
  • Declared on 5 September 2002 (Official Gazette, 28 September 2002 ).
  • Nonprofit associations (Act of July ^1, 1901 ).
  • She handles the editing of books used in religious worship of Jehovah's Witnesses.

• Association for Construction and Development of places of worship of Jehovah's Witnesses (ADLC).
  • Declared on 5 May 1990 (Official Gazette, 30 May 1990 ).
  • Religious association ( law of 9 December 1905 ).
  • It contributes technically, financially, legally, to the achievement of any proposed acquisition and construction of places of worship.

Local structures

• Regional associations for the worship of Jehovah's Witnesses (ARCTJ).
  • Religious associations (law of December 9, 1905).
  • They organize mainly regional gatherings of Jehovah's Witnesses in a constituency.

• Local associations for the worship of Jehovah's Witnesses (ALCTJ).
  • Religious associations (Act of 9 December 1905 ).
  • They attend to the costs, maintenance and exercise of worship of Jehovah's Witnesses a city and manage the acquisition and maintenance of their place of worship.
  • The first declaration of such an association found in France dates back to 1906 and would be under the name Christian Church Haveluy in the North of France .

Various associations

• Association of Jehovah's Witnesses "(ATJ)
  • Declared on ¹ September 1947 (Official Gazette, 28 September 1947 ).
  • Non-profit association ( law of July ^1, 1901 ).
  • Until 1998 , this association was supporting members of the religious order of Bthlites and managed the printing, shipping and delivery in France and abroad of religious publications. It still gives the benefit of its premises to members of the Christian Community Bthlites.
  • In 1996 , a tax audit of the association led to two tax adjustments: an adjustment on securities that had been paid and another on the taxation of gifts manuals, for which the Jehovah's Witnesses have appealed to the European Court of Human Rights, the 25 February 2005 , alleging the violation of religious freedom.

• Villa Guibert Association.
  • Non-profit association ( law of July ^1, 1901 ).
  • The association aims to make its premises available to the Christian Community Bthlites.

• Aidafrique Association.
  • Declared on 6 November 1990 under the name Association of medical and food aid for Africa from the east (Official Gazette, 21 November 1990 ).
  • Non-profit association (law of July ^1, 1901 ).
  • Article 2 of the Statute of the humanitarian association (March 1999 ): "The association aims to express the solidarity of the Christian faith of Jehovah's Witnesses of Europe with the Jehovah's Witnesses in the countries of Africa 's poorest by providing material and moral support, both in emergencies and at times more conducive to their development. This assistance can be extended to those not sharing such faith. The association has a sole purpose of humanitarian assistance and aid. "
  • Only humanitarian organization formed by the Jehovah's Witnesses in the world. Based on individual initiative of a Jehovah's Witness (still in place as president) under the name Aidafrique, the association did not specify in its object-oriented be Jehovah's Witnesses. She became involved in helping the Jehovah's Witnesses during the conflict in Rwanda in 1994 , then following the dramatic events involving the former Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo ) in 1997 . Finally, it has been fully integrated into the legal structure of Jehovah's Witnesses in March 1999 , the renewal of the Board of Directors (except the President) and a revision of the statutes.

• European Circle of Jehovah's Witnesses elders Deportees and Internees (CETJAD).
  • Established in 1995.
  • Non-profit association (law of July ^1, 1901 ).
  • This cultural association was established for purpose of preserving the memory of Christian Jehovah's Witnesses tortured, persecuted and interned during the Nazi and under the communist regimes.

Greece

• Jehovah's Witnesses Christians of Greece
  • Registered on 27 February 1989.
  • In 1997 , the association has obtained the status of " religion known. " The government has also granted the Jehovah's Witnesses a permit to open places of worship .

Italy

• Congregation Cristiana di dei Testimoni GeoVIS
  • Registered on 31 October 1986.
  • It exists in Italy a two-stage recognition for religions: the recognition under the Act of June 24, 1929 , which is the first step towards the signing of an agreement (Intesa). Since their recognition as a "denomination" by presidential decree in 1986 , Jehovah's Witnesses are allowed to perform marriages having civil effect . An agreement between Italy and the Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses has been signed by the Council of Ministers on 4 April 2007 and must be voted into law by the Parliament of Italy. An agreement had been signed March 20, 2000, but had not been ratified by Parliament, due to a change of majority in 2001 .

Poland

• Towarzystwo Biblijne i Traktatowe Zarejestrowany Zwizek Wyznania wiadkw Jehowy.
  • Declared on 12 May 1989.
  • The Jehovah's Witnesses Polish have the legal status of "religious movement" since January 31 1990.

Sweden

• Bibel-och Traktatsllskapet Vakttornet.
  • In Sweden , the Jehovah's Witnesses were given the status of "registered religious community" in 2000. In particular they may solemnize marriages having civil effect.

References

Notes

Bibliography

• Jehovah's Witnesses: Proclaimers of God's kingdom, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, Brooklyn, New York, 1993
• National Consistory of Jehovah's Witnesses, The financing of worship of Christians Jehovah's Witnesses in France (White Paper), Association of Jehovah's Witnesses ", Louviers, 1999
• Philippe Goni, Jehovah's Witnesses: Practice and cultic law of 9 December 1905, Editions L'Harmattan, Paris, 2004.
• Francis Messner, "The cultural legislation of the countries of the European Union over the sectarian groups," Sects and Democracy, edited by Francoise Champion and Martine Cohen, Editions Seuil, Paris, 1999, pp. 331-358
• 2006 Report to the Prime Minister MIVILUDES 2006, pp. 196-203

Related articles

• Jehovah's Witnesses
• Nonprofit
• Jehovah's Witnesses and cult status in France
• Jehovah's Witnesses and the taxation of gifts books in France

External Links

Official websites of Jehovah's Witnesses

• (En) World Site of Jehovah's Witnesses
• (In) public information office of Jehovah's Witnesses
• (De) Jehovah's Witnesses in Germany
• (En) Jehovah's Witnesses in France

Legal Information Sites

• Eurel: sociological and legal data on religion in Europe

• Christianity portal

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