Question Box

● What should be kept in mind to insure good reading at congregation meetings and who should be used to read from the Society’s publications at such meetings?

Those assigned to do public reading from the Society’s publications such as The Watchtower, Commentary on James, Our Kingdom Service, and so forth, at congregation meetings should manifest the needed qualities of good readers. These qualities include proper emphasis, sufficient volume, well-placed pauses, correct pronunciation, and so forth. (See Theocratic Ministry School Guidebook, pages 30 and 31.) Effective reading on behalf of a group is necessary. Otherwise, those listening will miss the full import of what is being read and will fail to act upon the information. For these reasons those who are assigned to read at congregation meetings should take to heart the apostle Paul’s words at 1 Timothy 4:13: “Continue applying yourself to public reading, to exhortation, to teaching.”

Elders, ministerial servants and other qualified, baptized brothers should be used when such are available. If no baptized brother in the congregation is able to read in such a way as to benefit spiritually those in attendance, the one presiding may read the paragraphs himself or sisters who read well may be used. Also please see Question Box in the July, 1977, Our Kingdom Service.