Question Box

◼ Should a female publisher wear a head covering if she is accompanied by a male publisher at a doorstep Bible study?

When a female publisher conducts a regular, scheduled Bible study and a male Kingdom publisher is present, she should wear a head covering. (1 Cor. 11:3-10) The July 15, 2002, issue of The Watchtower, page 27, explains: “This is a prearranged session of teaching where the one conducting the study actually presides. Under these circumstances, a study becomes an extension of the congregation. If a baptized female Witness conducts such a study with a baptized male Witness present, she would rightly wear a head covering.” This is true whether the study is conducted in a home, at the doorstep, or in some other setting.

On the other hand, if a doorstep Bible study has not yet been established, a sister would not need to wear a head covering in the presence of a male Kingdom publisher, even if the purpose of the return visit is to demonstrate a Bible study or to consider material in one of the recommended study publications. Since doorstep studies are often established gradually, through a series of progressive return visits, publishers will need to consider the circumstances and be reasonable in determining at what point a head covering should be used.