Question Box

● Why should you know which brothers are overseers and ministerial servants in your congregation?

Jehovah God has provided qualified men to take the lead among his people. Scripturally, these brothers are designated “overseers and ministerial servants.” (Phil. 1:1) As their designations suggest, overseers and ministerial servants serve the members of the congregation. (Matt. 20:26) They are both qualified and available to serve you.

Overseers are elders who are qualified teachers and shepherds. To help care for necessary work properly, there are “ministerial servants.” Together these servants aid us to be “zealous for fine works.” (Titus 2:14) Overseers and ministerial servants should ‘know the flock’ to be of greatest assistance. (Prov. 27:23) In turn, the flock needs to know the men who are qualified and appointed to serve them. (Jas. 5:14-16) Therefore, appointments and deletions of elders and ministerial servants are announced to the congregation.—Compare Acts 15:25-30; 1 Corinthians 4:17.

There are various reasons why a brother in the congregation may not be able to serve as an appointed servant. Likewise if appointed, for various reasons a brother may not be able to continue serving the congregation as an elder or as a ministerial servant. No one should conclude automatically that announcements of deletions indicate some wrongdoing. Sometimes health, family matters or other circumstances may preclude a brother’s continued service in an appointed capacity. By knowing which brothers are overseers and which brothers are ministerial servants in your congregation, you are able to benefit yourself in a direct way from their qualifications and availability, to teach, shepherd and aid you to be “zealous for fine works.”