By: Luke Miller

The Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in greater Des Moines is home to an English congregation, a Spanish congregation, and a Laotian congregation.

The English congregation holds a meeting every Thursday at 7 pm and Monday at 1 pm. These meetings consist of reading a Bible passage from the New World Translation that all Jehovah’s Witnesses use, discussing the Bible passage interactively, and reflecting on how to live out Jehovah’s teachings in their daily lives. Each service is led by a different person; there is no one religious figurehead in charge of the community. The topics covered in the meetings are predetermined by the global community long in advance. After each meeting, the community spends time talking to each other and checking up to make sure everyone is doing well.

Most of the practices of Jehovah’s Witnesses do not have to be done at a specific time or for a certain duration, but nearly all Jehovah’s Witnesses dedicate time every day to practice their religion. Many members of this community are parents and practice their religion through teaching their children about the Bible and God’s love. Another important factor of practice is “ministry.” Ministry is the practice of going out into the community to spread the word of God to others. It is important to emphasize that this is not an attempt to convert everyone to the religion. The point of ministry is to make others aware of the gifts that God has given to the world and to help others consider how they can show their appreciation through leading moral lives and giving God thanks. Ministry is a requirement for maintaining an active membership in this religion. Still, it is viewed as an opportunity rather than an obligation. Jehovah’s Witnesses feel a sense of responsibility to their community and God; ministry is a way to connect the two in an engaging, dynamic manner.

The leaders in this community, called “elders,” preside over the meetings and the Bible readings. The elders are in place not as authority figures, but as spiritual guides to help people develop their relationship with God. Elders are men who are good role models of spirituality and who have age and wisdom that allow them to aid their community.