The Jehovah’s Witnesses’ 2017 Service Year Report has been released. It is a wonderfully detailed two-page document that gives us a good idea of how Jehovah is blessing the world-wide work. Unfortunately, one of the pages is filled with the title of the report. The final page gives just the grand totals for 2017. There is no country-specific break-down of numbers of publishers, regular pioneers, auxiliary pioneers, numbers baptized, total hours, average bible studies or memorial attendances. Hopefully, they will come in due time, with Jehovah’s blessing.

To help you truly see how Jehovah is blessing the work of Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide, we have included the 2016 Service Year Report for comparison purposes.

Downloads

2017 Service Report (Original Limited Version): PDF | JWPUB | EPUB formats

2017 Service Report (Revised Full Version): PDF | JWPUB | EPUB formats

2017 Service Year Report

2017 2016 Branches of Jehovah’s Witnesses 90 89 Number of Lands Reporting 240 240 Total Congregations 120,053 119,485 Worldwide Memorial Attendance 20,175,477 20,085,142 Memorial Partakers Worldwide 18,564 18,013 Peak of Publishers* 8,457,107 8,340,847 Average Publishers Preaching Each Month 8,248,982 8,132,358 Percentage of Increase Over Previous Year 1.4 1.8 Total Number Baptized† 284,212 264,535 Average Pioneer‡ Publishers Each Month 1,249,946 1,157,017 Average Auxiliary Pioneers Each Month 439,571 459,393 Total Hours Spent in Field 2,046,000,202 1,983,763,754 Average Bible Studies¤ Each Month 10,071,524 10,115,264 Number of Hours Required to Make a Conversion 7,198 7,499

During the 2017 service year∞, Jehovah’s Witnesses spent over $202 million in caring for special pioneers, missionaries, and circuit overseers in their field assignments. This figure is included here so that you are aware that not all money is spent on defending Watch Tower in court when a victim sues for negligence due to very bad child abuse policies and procedures, or having to pay out when such cases are lost. Of course, it is also included here so that one would think Watch Tower is fully transparent in its use of your hard-earned cash. However, there is no report on the total number of monies donated last year, or how all of that money was used. Suffice to say, that you can trust Watch Tower (Ps. 146:3). Worldwide, a total of 19,730 ordained ministers staff the branch facilities. All are members of the Worldwide Order of Special Full-Time Servants of Jehovah’s Witnesses. What was the total figure spent on caring for these? We do not know. Transparency isn’t something valued by jw.org

*A publisher refers to one who actively publishes, or preaches, the good news of God’s Kingdom. (Matthew 24:14). Whether Jehovah’s Witnesses preach good news or a message of doom is debatable.

†For more information on the steps leading to baptism as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, there is an article that helps you see how to become one. The intent is to educate you on how you may convert.

‡A pioneer is an exemplary baptized Witness who volunteers to spend a specified number of hours each month in preaching the good news. Pioneers are “exemplary” in that they set an example for other Jehovah’s Witnesses to waste as much of their precious time distributing literature for a publishing corporation. It does not necessarily mean that the person is “exemplary” in the sense of morals.

¤For more information about bible studies, there is another article to help someone understand what a bible study is. Go forth, read and convert.

∞The 2017 service year ran from September 1, 2016, through August 31, 2017. The 2016 service year ran from the same dates but the previous year.