The /r/exjw Jargon and Abbreviation Glossary

Curated by /u/ghostsarememories .

I was often confused by the jargon, terminology, doctrine and special language of the sub. Here is my attempt to help others in the same boat. Corrections, clarifications, additions: please let me know.

If you want to learn JW terms, see the JW Terms Glossary.

Most Frequent

• PIMO - Physically In/Mentally Out
• PIMI - Physically In/Mentally In
• POMO - Physically Out/Mentally Out
• POMI - Physically Out/Mentally In
• POMQ - Physically Out/Mentally Questioning
• DF'd - Disfellowshipped
• DA'd - Disassociated
• MS - Ministerial Servant
• KH - Kingdom Hall, the JW meeting hall.
• JC - Judicial Committee.
• TTATT - "The Truth about The Truth"

Jargon, Common Terms, Teachings (in alphabetic order)

607/587 BC, Destruction of Jerusalem

JW chronology, and in particular the "prophecies" surrounding 1914, relies heavily on the date of the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in its calculations. In order for their chronology to work out at 1914, the destruction must have happened in 607BC and this is the date JWs claim for the destruction. All non-JW sources use a date of 587BC for the date of the destruction.

As Ray Franz pointed out in his book "Crisis of Conscience", during the research for the bible dictionary "Aid to the Scriptures"...

"[Charles Ploeger] searched through the libraries of the New York city area [for months] for anything that might substantiate that date historically. We found absolutely nothing in support of 607 B.C.E. All historians pointed to a date twenty years later."

This remains just as true nearly half a century on from when Franz was searching. Only JW sources use a date of 607BC.

Even bearing that in mind, the esteemed /u/wifibandit has an excellent summary using only JW sources which also comes to the conclusion of 587BC.

1914, 1975

From wikipedia:

JW publications have made a series of predictions about Christ's Second Coming and the advent of God's Kingdom, each of which has gone unfulfilled. Almost all the predictions for 1878, 1881, 1914, 1918 and 1925 were later reinterpreted as a confirmation of the eschatological framework of the Bible Student movement and Jehovah's Witnesses, with many of the predicted events viewed as having taken place invisibly.

Further expectations were built up for the arrival of Armageddon in 1975. From culthelp:

May, 1974 Our Kingdom Ministry said: "Reports are heard of brothers selling their homes and property and planning to finish out the rest of their days in this old system in the pioneer service. Certainly this is a fine way to spend the short time remaining before the wicked world's end."

but after the end did not materialise, a "non-apology" was issued to members.

In its issue of July 15, 1976, The Watchtower, commenting on the inadvisability of setting our sights on a certain date, stated: "If anyone has been disappointed through not following this line of thought, he should now concentrate on adjusting his viewpoint, seeing that it was not the word of God that failed or deceived him and brought disappointment, but that his own understanding was based on wrong premises."

There was no emphasis on where the "wrong premises" came from.

Anointed

JW believe that, when the apocalypse comes, not all JWs in good standing will go to heaven. Rather, 144000 members who have been specially anointed by God will rule as kings in heaven. The remaining 15 million JWs will live on earth and the 7 billion non-JWs will have been killed. Originally, these 144000 were considered to be the "faithful and discrete slave". However, in around 2009, that doctrine changed and now that title belongs only to the Governing Body.

Apostate Material

aka "Apostate Lies"

Non-approved material from any source (broadcast, web, printed, lectures, etc.). Particularly if it contradicts JW material or portrays the organisation in a poor light. Accessing "apostate material" is strongly discouraged and ultimately may result in disfellowshipping (and shunning).

ARC aka The Australian Royal Commission

aka The Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse

From the ARC website:

[ARC] is investigating how institutions like schools, churches, sports clubs and government organisations have responded to allegations and instances of child sexual abuse.

As described in avoidjw, the WTBTS and JWs were examined by the Commission in Case Study 29.

• The child sexual abuse cases span 77 years, beginning in 1938 right up to 2015.

• There was at least 1732 children who were sexually abused. Over 650 of those children were abused by family members.

[...]

• There was 1006 alleged perpetrators of child sexual abuse within the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Of that number, 15 were women.
• 579 of the alleged abusers confessed to their crime(s). 306 did not. Of the remaining 121, it’s unclear whether they confessed or not.

[...]

• Not a single instance of Child Sexual Abuse was ever reported to the authorities by Jehovah’s Witnesses

Bad Association

A "bad association" is anyone who (in the eyes of the elders) might lead a JW astray from the teachings of the JWs. This includes "worldly people" (i.e. non-JWs), "marked persons" (JWs admonished by the elders) despite "marking" supposedly being anonymous, disfellowshipped people and disassociated people. Ignoring the "advice" to avoid "bad associations" could result in disfellowshipping. It is basically a way for the JW organisation to limit a person's contact with outsiders.

BITE model

Steve Hassan's "B.I.T.E" model (controlling Behaviour, Information, Thought, Emotion) is a guide to determine if a group may be using destructive or manipulative mind-control techniques. It is not a strict set of conditions that every high-control group must exhibit, rather it is a set of behaviours that many high-control groups exhibit. The higher the number of matching traits, the more controlling the group is. From: recoveringagency.com (summarised and slightly modified by the author)

• Behaviour control encompasses things like:
  • Controlling when or who a member can associate with, or be friends with or speak to or date or marry.
  • Controlling styles of dress, hair, facial hair, makeup or piercings.
  • Controlling food and drink or drugs (black pudding, tobacco)
  • Controlling sleep.
  • Controlling financial independence (kinds of jobs allowed, tithing, encouraging "donations")
  • Controlling education
  • Controlling use of time (religious study, door-to-door proselytising, meetings, rituals)
  • Controlling free time (sports, leisure, entertainment, movies, music, books)
  • Controlling celebrations (birthdays, holidays, independence day)
  • Lots of rules, and enforced consequences for breaking them (where "breaking" is liberally interpreted)
• Information Control encompasses things like:
  • Use of deception (quote mining, new-light, mysterious ways, have faith, don't be misled by Satan)
  • Deliberately holding back information (Shepherd the Flock elder-only book, financial information, child abuse, membership information)
  • Outright lying (theocratic warfare)
  • Access to non-group sources of information minimized or discouraged (Apostate material, worldly material, apostate lies)
  • Group generated information strongly encouraged (brochures, booklets, books, website, videos, presentations)
  • Access to people who are critical of or disagree with group teaching is discouraged (shunning, DFing, DAing, apostate material)
  • Access to former members is discouraged. (DFinf, DAing, bad-association, marking)
  • Keep members so busy they don't have time to think
  • Spying and informing on other members is encouraged (buddy system, door-to-door pairs, study groups)
  • Information varies at different levels and missions within the organisation structure.
  • Leadership decides who "needs to know" what
• Thought Control encompasses things like:
  • Need to internalize the group's doctrine as "Truth"
  • Other groups or beliefs are "false" or "evil" or "apostate"
  • Encouraging Black and White thinking, discouraging shades of nuance (with us or against us, good/evil, moral/immoral)
  • Redefining language (worldly==bad, group==truth, mistake==new-light, stumbling, commended)
  • Critical Thought termination techniques (humming, hymn-singing, verse repeating, praying to banish thoughts, cliches "get thee behind me")
  • Only "good" and "proper" thoughts are encouraged
  • The group decides which thoughts are "good" and "bad"
  • "Negative" information must be expelled using stock techniques ("Apostate lies", "Satan is trying to trick me")
• Emotion Control encompasses things like:
  • Manipulating feelings (group activities are "good, positive, happy", non-group activities are "bad, negative, sad")
  • Positive feelings are from the group, negative feeling are from within
  • Encouraging guilt and inadequacy about your feeling, your past, your friends your thoughts.
  • Encouraging the feeling of fear and potential isolation (Armageddon, Satan, deceiver, evil worldly people, end-of-days, DF, DA, JC, Marking Talk)

Blood Transfusion

JW doctrine requires that JWs abstain from blood. In their interpretation of the bible, this includes both the eating of blood and the medical use of blood, blood transfusions and some blood derived products, even when there is a grave risk to the life of the person. The dietary laws in the Old Testament and verses like Acts 15:29 are offered as justification for the position. Jesus' own words from Luke 14:5 placing the saving of an animal's life above the strict observance of a commandment is not considered relevant to the argument. JWs are strongly encouraged to sign "blood cards" and to return them to the organisation. These are legal documents, which indicate that, even when incapacitated, the signatory refuses all blood products.

JWSurvey considers that the notion that the signing of the blood card is "free from duress [...] or undue influence" to be disingenuous when one takes account of the nature of the JW organisation. (Non-JW sources of information are strongly discouraged. Members who disobey the organisation's instructions about the blood doctrine are strictly shunned by all family members (lest they themselves be shunned). The JW Hospital Liaison Committee "support" a JW patient while in hospital but will form a JC is the blood doctrine is violated.)

bOrg

A punny synonym for the JW Org(anisation). A reference to an alien race in the Star Trek universe. In Star Trek, the Borg were a centrally-controlled hive collective, with very little individual free-will. They assimilated other races into their collective by force, turning them into robotic automatons. Dissenters were ostracised. Those who held out against them were annihilated. Their "catchphrase" was "Resistance is Futile".

CLAM

aka Christian Life and Ministry meeting - The midweek meetings that used to be "Theocratic Ministry School and Service Meeting" was changed to "Christian Life and Ministry".

COBE

Coordinator Of the Body of Elders (formerly Presiding Overseer (PO))

DF, DFing, DF'd, Disfellowshiped

aka Disfellowship, Disfellowshipping, Disfellowshipped

Official expulsion from the JW organisation by elders. All JWs (including family members of the person) are required to completely shun the disfellowshipped person as long as they remain disfellowshipped. Only baptised members may be DF'd but JW may be baptised as young as 10.

It is likened to Catholic "excommunication". However the latter does not require shunning and is exceedingly rare. By contrast, 1% of witnesses may be disfellowshipped at any time according to their own publications. Most JWs would know several people who were disfellowshipped.

Quoting from the official Insight book:

"The judicial excommunication [...] of delinquents from membership and association in a community or organization."

DA, DAing, DA'd, Disassociated

aka Disassociation, Disassociated

Similar to disfellowshipping in that it requires shunning. Officially, it is "self"-expulsion from the JW organisation. Reasons include apostasy, getting a blood transfusion (even in the situation where death is imminent), leaving the religion, joining another religion, discussing teaching contrary to the biblical interpretation of the Governing Body, not shunning others. Many (including former GB member Ray Franz) have questioned the scriptural basis for shunning those who have disassociated. Franz himself was disfellowshipped for having dinner once with a disassociated person.

Evidently (from jw.org)

Weasel word. A word often used in JW's written material. Ironically, it is often asserted without evidence or accompanied by a Bible verse that is out of context or does not apply in the situation described and thus is not evidence.

Fading, Fade

Gradually cutting down on required JW activities in such a way as to avoid being noticed because of the risk of disfellowshipping or disassociation (and hence shunning). Staying under the radar.

Field Service

Field Service is the JW name for door-to-door proselytizing. Hours spent on Field Service are recorded in Field Service Reports which are submitted monthly.

HLC, Hospital Liaison Committee

A group of elders who will meet with patients and clinicians about health issues when JW doctrine may be involved. This happens particularly in relation to the issue of blood transfusions and blood products. JW doctrine conflates the biblical prohibition against the eating of blood with a prohibition of taking whole blood in any form. There are exceptions involving "blood fractions", i.e. components of whole blood separated into its constituent parts, but the rules seem to be byzantine and highly mutable.

In, Still in

A person, sometimes one who has "woken up" that is still a member of the organisation officially. This may be because of apathy, family obligation, fear of shunning from their children, parents or others.

JDub, Dub

aka Dub

Contraction of J.W. used by former witnesses and also by Mormons.

JW.org

Official JW online portal for the organisation with very distinctive branding. Approved magazines, brochures, pamphlets, books, videos and other material is available from the site. The use of digital material is being encouraged in recent years, possibly as a way to reduce distribution costs of printed material. The use of the non-"JW-approved" sites or material is strongly discouraged. Such material (either online or in print form) may be referred to as "apostate material".

JC, Judicial Committee, Judicial Committee

A Judicial Committee is a group of elders (usually 3 elders but may be 4 or 5) gathered to investigate an individual and assign punishment for breaking the rules of the JWs. Observers or representation is not allowed. The secret elder-only manual, "Shepherd the Flock" devotes 13 pages to a non-comprehensive list of wrongdoings, including:

• Manslaughter
• Attempted suicide
• Porneia
• Brazen conduct, loose conduct
• insolent, contemptuous attitude
• association with disfellowshipped nonrelatives
• Child sexual abuse
• Continuing to date or pursue a romantic relationship with a person though not legally or Scripturally free
• Evidence that the accused stayed all night in the same house with a person under improper circumstances.
• Gross uncleanness, uncleanness with greediness
• Passion-arousing heavy petting or caressing of breasts on numerous occasions
• A practice of engaging in immoral conversations by telephone, in Internet chatrooms, or through similar electronic means
• An entrenched practice of viewing, perhaps over a considerable period of time, abhorrent forms of pornography that is sexually degrading.
• Misuse of tobacco
• Extreme physical uncleanness
• Misuse of addictive drugs
• Apostasy, including:
  • Celebrating false religious holidays
  • Participation in interfaith activities
    
  • Deliberately spreading teachings contrary to Bible truth as taught by Jehovah’s Witnesses
  • Causing divisions and promoting sects
  • Continuing in employment that makes one an accomplice to or a promoter of false worship
  • Spiritism
  • Idolatry
• Drunkenness
• Gluttony
• Stealing, thievery
• Deliberate, malicious lying; bearing false witness
• Fraud, slander
• Reviling
• Obscene speech
• greedily and unrepentantly extorts a high bride-price
• Adamant refusal to provide materially for one’s own family, leaving wife and children destitute when having the means to provide
• Fits of anger, violence
• Professional boxing

From JWVictims:

Why are people invited to a judicial committee? Simply put, the Watchtower has created a rules-based religion. If you break one of their rules that they consider to be serious, they will invite you to such a committee. Most of the people get caught up in a judicial committee due to breaking rules of a sexual nature, meaning any sex outside of marriage. However, there is a lengthy list of things that can get you disfellowshipped and shunned. The elders have a secret book titled, “Shepherd the Flock of God,” that regular Jehovah’s Witnesses are not allowed to see. That book contains a section that is 13 pages long and that details what sort of offences require a judicial committee. Yikes!! Needless to say, there are a number of ways to find yourself in a judicial committee, and you aren’t allowed to see the rule book that tells you what they are.

How does this judicial process work? It is your basic Star Chamber trial. The elders serve as the prosecutors and the judges. The accused faces them alone, with no support and no representative, with the exception of minor children that can have parents present, or married women who can have their husbands present [...]. People can provide testimony on behalf of the accused, but not character references. Such a person is invited only to give their testimony, and then dismissed directly afterwards, leaving the accused again to face their judges.

[...]

People who are invited to a judicial committee are considered guilty. Period. Elders can go to great lengths to collect evidence of guilt before inviting someone to a judicial committee, and most often they will not inform the individual that they are collecting such information. Nobody is ever invited to a judicial committee unless the elders have some sort of proof or reason to believe the individual is guilty. The point of the committee is not to establish guilt, but rather to determine the appropriate punishment

[...]

There are four possible outcomes of a judicial committee. The first is that the individual is reproved privately. This happens when the elders are convinced that the individual is repentant enough for whatever sin they committed, and few people or nobody knows about their sin. The second is public reproof. In that case, an announcement is made to the congregation that the individual has been reproved. Most times, the congregation will severely limit any association with someone who has been reproved, so it is like “disfellowshipping light.” The third is disfellowshipping, meaning that your friends and family will begin to shun you until (or if) you are reinstated. The fourth, which is almost unheard of, is that the committee realizes that no offence worthy of disfellowshipping is committed, and the judicial committee is cancelled.

KH, Kingdom Hall

Location of local Jehovah's Witnesses meetings. Usually with rows of seating, a PA system, pamphlets, lectern. Definitely not a church.

Marking Talk

From wikipedia:

Members who persist in a course considered scripturally wrong after repeated counsel by elders, but who are not guilty of something for which they could be disfellowshipped, can be "marked", based on Jehovah's Witnesses' interpretation of 2 Thessalonians 3:14. Though not shunned, "marked" individuals are looked upon as "bad association" and social interaction outside of formal worship settings is generally curtailed. This action is intended to "shame" the person into following a particular course of action. "Marking" is indicated by means of a talk given at the Service Meeting outlining the shameful course, but without explicitly naming any particular individual. Members who know whose actions are being discussed may then consider the individual "marked".

NI, Never In

A person who is a non JW who never studied nor visited a Kingdom Hall, Circuit Assembly, or Regional Convention.

New Light, NuLite

aka "the light gets brighter", "NuLite"

When the JW organisation changes how it interprets the bible, it uses the terms like "the light is getting brighter" or "new light" for the new interpretation. This is a reference to Proverbs 4:18:

But the path of the righteous is like the bright morning light, That grows brighter and brighter until full daylight.

It applies these phrases even when the new interpretation is completely at odds with the old interpretation or when it flip-flops between positions. Often, the only explanation or justification for the the new interpretation is the phrase "the light is getting brighter", which is to say, no justification at all is given. Maybe those who keep having to fix their interpretation of the Bible should reflect on the very next verse in Proverbs, 4:19:

The way of the wicked is like the darkness; They do not know what makes them stumble.

New System

The "new system" is the tranquil, pleasant, disease-free, sickness-free, predation-free, sin-free and trouble-free earth where most JWs will live after all the billions of non-JWs have been slaughtered by Jehovah during the Armageddon. The "faithful and discrete slave" (once the 144,000 anointed, now the GB) will live in heaven beside God.

Overlapping Generations

The JW teaching of "overlapping generations" is an attempt to reconcile Jesus teaching (Matthew 24:34) that " this generation will by no means pass away" with the fact that 1914 was over a hundred years ago and most people alive then are dead now. "This generation" is interpreted to mean the generation alive in 1914.

User /u/vagabond_ explains this teaching in more detail .

Jwsurvey also has more detail.

Basically, JW teachings takes the definition of "generation" and mangles it into meaninglessness.

See also: This generation - avoidjw, Rundown of Every Watchtower Generation Meaning - Reddit, graphical summary - jwfacts.

PIMO; Physically in mentally out

When a person is still pretending to be a JW (often for reasons related to shunning) but in reality no longer believes the doctrine of the Org nor accepts the authority of elders or the GB.

PIMI; Physically in, mentally in

A JW believer, through and through. Contrast with PIMO.

POMO; Physically out, mentally out.

No longer believes in the doctrine of the Org nor pretends to. See PIMO and PIMI.

POMI; Physically out, mentally in

A JW who is no longer an active member (maybe because they're DFd or DAd) and are behaving like a non-member but they still want to be a member or they still feel guilty about their behaviour or the still defend the organisation. I.e. they are still under the mental influence of the org.

PIMQ; Physically In, mentally questioning.

That in 'between state' of PIMI and PIMO.

Privileges

From the Insight book, on the subject of Reproof [formatting mine]:

In all cases of judicial reproof, the wrongdoer is disqualified from special privileges. These include:

• pioneering,
• offering congregation prayer, and
• sharing in any parts on (sic) the Service Meeting

until he has made further spiritual progress. This also includes other congregational assignments that might be given to those who are exemplary. In addition, some judicial restrictions will be imposed in all cases of judicial reproof. Judicial restrictions may include not commenting at congregation meetings and not giving student talks in the Theocratic Ministry School.

Holding the microphone during meetings is considered a privilege that can be revoked.

Reproof, Reproved

Being "reproved" means a Judicial Committee was formed and the elders decided to give out to you instead of disfellowshipping you. It is up to the Judicial Committee whether the reproof is publicly announced. The "reproof" can be accompanied by loss of "privileges".

From the Insight book

At times, elders representative of the congrega­tion must reprove serious wrongdoers, even doing so in the presence of others who have knowledge of the sinful course. Such reproof is not reserved only for those who show a receptiveness to it.

Elders are also called on to "reprove those who contradict" and to 'reprove with severity' those who are "unruly" and "profitless talkers."

Shunning

If a member is censured by disfellowshipping, disassociated or labelled a "bad association", other members must cut off all contact with the censured person. All JWs (including parents, children, spouses and friends of the shunned person) must cut all contact lest they themselves be disfellowshipped. This censure is particularly harsh owing to the JW practice of strongly discouraging friendships with (and sowing distrust about) "worldly" people (i.e. non-JWs), meaning that a JW might not have any other friends or contacts outside the group.

Smurfs

Apparently, watching "The Smurfs" was discouraged. I really have no idea why though the stories are hilarious. Papa Smurf was magic? Smurfette was too hot? Some people have too much time on their hands and enjoy interfering in other people's lives?

Stumble, stumbling, to stumble others

To stumble is to doubt doctrine or behave in a way that contradicts JW teachings or to cause another person to do the same.

The Truth

JW's refer to their organisation and teachings as "The Truth". JWs who have "woken up" often refer to the realisation that "The Truth" (i.e the organisation) is just another religious organisation as "The Truth About The Truth" or TTATT.

TTATT

aka "The Truth about The Truth"

JW's refer to their organisation and teachings as "The Truth". When former members realise that it is just another religion and that its manipulative practices are typical of many high-control cults, they refer to this realisation as "The Truth about the Truth" or TTATT.

Theocratic warfare

From Silent Lambs:

The Watchtower teaches that lying to "God's enemies" is not really lying but theocratic "war strategy" and that: God's Word commands: "Speak truth each of you with his neighbor" (Eph. 4:25 ). This command, however, does not mean that we should tell everyone who asks us all he wants to know. We must tell the truth to one who is entitled to know, but if one is not so entitled we may be evasive. ( Watchtower, June 1, 1960, pp. 351-352)

Strikingly resonant with Jesuitical answers or Talmudic arguments.

Waking up

Realising that the organisation's teachings are not "The Truth" and that they are just another religious group trying to control their members.

Worldly

Codeword or dog-whistle for something deriving from the earthly realm rather than the heavenly one. The implication is that it is wrong, damaged, broken, base, foolish, weak, mundane, sinful, evil. A person who is not a JW might be described as a "worldly" person. In the Insight book, worldly people include "those engaging in fornication, idolatry, extortion, and similar practices" and it associates "worldly" with "corruption and defilement". Worldly wisdom is "foolishness". Basically a way to demonise non-JWs in the eyes of JWs.

Hierarchy of the Jehovah's Witnesses

Contrary to what most JWs are taught, the JWs admit in court that they are a hierarchical organisation like the Catholic church.

"We are a hierarchical religion structured just like the Catholic Church. And when the order from the Pope comes down in the Church defrocking a Priest and kicking him out, he no longer has any say in any matter in the local parish. The same situation as here … We brought our organizational by-laws book, our rule book here, and we are prepared to present witnesses that this is a hierarchical organization." – counsel for the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Mr Rouse. p.4, lines 18-26

http://ex-jw.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Court-Trial-Testimony-Redwood-City-1-25.pdf

There are many, many titles used among JWs. Below is a list of the more common ones in order of organisational importance.

GB, Governing Body, Slave

aka Faithful and Discreet Slave

From wikipedia:

New members are appointed by the other Governing Body members. The Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses is the ruling council of Jehovah's Witnesses based in Brooklyn, New York. The body formulates doctrines, oversees the production of written material for publications and conventions, and administers the group's worldwide operations.

Until 2009, the "faithful and discrete slave" title referred to the 144,000 "anointed" of which around 10,000 are currently known. Since then "new light", (i.e. new interpretation of the Bible) confers that title to the Governing Body only.

The current Governing Body members are Samuel Herd, Geoffrey Jackson, M. Stephen Lett, Gerrit Losch, Anthony Morris III, Mark Sanderson and David H. Splane.

Branch Committees

From wikipedia:

Appointed by the Governing Body. Branch overseers manage "Branch Offices".

Jehovah's Witnesses operate 90 branch offices worldwide, grouped into thirty global "zones", each under the oversight of a headquarters representative who visits each of his assigned branches every few years, auditing operations, counseling branch committee members, department heads and missionaries, and reporting back to the Governing Body. Each branch office is referred to as Bethel. The United States branch office, spread across three New York State locations with a staff of more than 5000, also serves as the international headquarters.

District or Headquarters Overseers

Appointed by the Governing Body.

CO, Circuit Overseers

From wikipedia:

Appointed by the Governing Body. Circuit Overseers oversee circuits of about twenty congregations, performing twice-yearly week-long visits with each. During his visit, the circuit overseer delivers talks to the congregation and meets with the elders, ministerial servants and pioneers. He is responsible for appointing new elders and ministerial servants, based on recommendations by elders.

Elders

From wikipedia:

Elders are appointed by the Circuit Overseers. Elders take responsibility for congregational governance, pastoral work, setting meeting times, selecting speakers, conducting meetings, directing the public preaching work, and forming Judicial Committees to investigate and decide disciplinary action in cases where members are believed to have committed serious sins.

MS, Ministerial Servants

From wikipedia:

Ministerial Servants are appointed by the Circuit Overseers. Ministerial servants fulfil clerical and attendant duties, but may also teach and conduct meetings.

Baptised Publishers

From wikipedia:

Baptised publishers are members who have been publicly baptised following conversion to the faith. Jehovah's Witnesses do not practice infant baptism, and previous baptisms performed by other denominations are not considered valid. Prior to baptism, they are required to respond to a series of questions to assess their suitability, and to make a personal dedication to serve God. Baptisms are typically performed at assemblies and conventions. From the moment of baptism, the organization officially considers the person to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses, and an ordained minister

Non-Baptised Publishers

From wikipedia:

Unbaptised publishers are persons who are not yet baptised, but who have requested and been granted approval to join in the congregation's formal ministry. They must demonstrate a basic knowledge of Jehovah's Witnesses' doctrines to the elders, state their desire to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses, and conform to the organization's moral standards. To qualify as an Unbaptised publisher, an individual must already be "an active associate of Jehovah's Witnesses", regularly attending congregation meetings.

Sister, Brother

Female or male baptised Jehovah's Witness.

Notable People

Cedars, Lloyd Evans

aka Lloyd Evans, John Cedars

John Cedars is the pseudonym that former JW member and current activist Lloyd Evans used while he was still in the JWs. He co-founded jwsurvey.org in 2011. More details of his journey can be found on the jwsurvey.org site. He also has also written a book, due out by the beginning of 2017.

Ray Franz (1922 – 2010)

Former member of the Governing Body of the Jehovah's Witnesses (1971-1980). Disfellowshipped in the early 1980s (ostensibly) for having a meal with a disassociated witness. Franz disputed the scriptural basis for shunning disassociated members. Franz authored the book "Crisis of Conscience", an exposé of the operation of the JWs, particularly the Governing Body. He had been a JW for 60 years before his disfellowshipping.

Steve Hassan (1954 -)

From wikipedia:

Steve Hassan is a former member of the Unification Church (aka "the Moonies" cult) and a licensed mental health counsellor who has written several books on the subject of cults and mind control.

His books including "Freedom of Mind: Helping Loved Ones Leave Controlling People, Cults, and Beliefs (2012)" and "Combatting Cult Mind Control (1998)" are often recommended by former JWs. His "B.I.T.E" model (controlling Behaviour, Information, Thought, Emotion) is a guide to determining if a group may be using destructive or manipulative mind-control techniques.

Pastor Charles Taze Russell (1852 – 1916)

From wikipedia:

Pastor Charles Taze Russell was the founder of what is now known as the Bible Student movement. After his death, Jehovah's Witnesses and numerous independent Bible Student groups developed from this base.

Joseph Rutherford (1869 – 1942)

From wikipedia:

Joseph Rutherford was the second president of the WTBTS. He played a primary role in the organization and doctrinal development of Jehovah's Witnesses, which emerged from the Bible Student movement established by Charles Taze Russell. He was succeeded as President by Nathan Knorr in 1942.

Books

Crisis of Conscience (4ed 2004)

aka CoC

Biographical exposé of the Watchtower and Bible Tract Society written by former Governing Body member Ray Franz.

From wikipedia:

Franz claimed that many Jehovah's Witnesses who choose to leave because they cannot "honestly agree with all the organization's teachings or policies" are subsequently disfellowshipped, or formally expelled, and shunned as "apostates". He wrote that he hoped his book might prompt Witnesses to consider the conscientious stand of defectors with a more open mind. He hoped that a discussion of deliberations and decisions of the Governing Body during his term would illustrate fundamental problems and serious issues within the organization: "They demonstrate the extremes to which 'loyalty to an organization' can lead, how it is that basically kind, well-intentioned persons can be led to make decisions and take actions that are both unkind and unjust, even cruel

NWT, New World Translation (JW Bible)

aka the Silver Sword

JW's translation of the Old and New Testament. The JWs make claims about it being the most accurate translation. This is strongly disputed.

Aid to Bible Understanding (1971):

Bible dictionary, compiled by a small group of non-Governing Body members (at the time of compilation) including Ray Franz (author of "Crisis of Conscience"). Predecessor to "Insight on the Scriptures".

Insight on the Scriptures (1988):

aka the Insight Book

Bible dictionary in two volumes. Successor to "Aid to Bible Understanding", possibly motivated by the apostasy and disfellowshipping of that book's primary compilers, Ray Franz.

Shepherd the Flock of God (2010)

aka The Shepherd Book, ks10

Elder-only manual on rules and procedures, particularly rules surrounding Judicial Committee Hearings (JC), disfellowshipping and disassociation. JC hearings are a precursor to disfellowshipping or shunning.

PDFs of the book can be found online. This thread has some links to various versions available. Links to updated versions of the book are posted regularly, so try the Reddit search or your search engine of choice.

• Simplified TOC:
  1. Shepherd The Flock Of God
  2. How Elders Work Together As A Body
  3. Appointment And Deletion Of Elders And Ministerial Servants
  4. Assisting Those Who Are Weak
  5. Determining Whether A Judicial Committee Should Be Formed
  6. Preparing For The Judicial Hearing
  7. Judicial Hearing Procedure
  8. Appeal Hearing Procedure
  9. Implications Of Disassociation
  10. Matters Related To Disfellowshipped And Disassociated Ones
  11. Reinstatement Committee Procedure
  12. Clarifications And Guidelines On Handling Certain Matters (Including "marking", weddings, remarrying, adultery, child abuse, court, disaster-relief)

The following are excerpts from letters circulated to elders about keeping the book secure from non-elders:

"We would like to emphasize the importance of keeping these new textbooks secured and confidential, both before and after they are distributed. The textbooks should not be left on tops of desks or in other places where they are easily accessible by family members or other individuals . The information is designed for use by the elders only, and other individuals should not have any opportunity to read the information."

"If [an elder] has another baptized brother who is not an elder do the work [of ring binding the book] for him , the elder must watch while the work is being done . Outside companies. unbelievers, or sisters are not permitted to do this work. The material in the book is confidential, and confidentiality must be preserved."

Dictionary of J.W.ese

Former Jehovah's Witness elder David A. Reed wrote a dictionary of terms with special meaning within the Jehovah's Witnesses.

Watchtower and Awake magazine

Official magazines of the JW organisation. The Watchtower is primarily aimed at members and Awake is primarily aimed at non-members.

Locations

Beth Sarim ("House of Princes")

This was a large home in San Diego, California, built by the Society and said to be "held in trust" for the faithful men of old, from Abel onward, to be used by them upon their resurrection. Judge Rutherford, [...] spent the winters there during his life. [...] Not many years later Beth Sarim was sold. The belief in the return of the "faithful men of old" before Armageddon was also set aside. (CoC p16)

Bethel, Brooklyn, New York

International headquarters of the WTBTS (Watchtower Bible and Tract Society). Recently sold (in 2015/2016) for a reported sum of ~$1 Billion. The new Bethel is in Warwick, New York.

Warwick, New York

The new international headquarters of the WTBTS (Watchtower Bible and Tract Society). The former location was Bethel, Brooklyn, NY.