Why Don’t Jehovah’s Witnesses Call Their Meeting Place a Church?

In the Bible, the Greek term that is sometimes translated “church” refers to a group of worshippers, not to the building they meet in.

Note this example: When the apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome, he sent greetings to a couple named Aquila and Priscilla and added: “Greet the church that meets in their home.” (Romans 16:5, Contemporary English Version) Paul didn’t intend for his greetings to be conveyed to a building. Rather, he was sending his greetings to people​—the congregation that met in that home.a

So instead of calling our place of worship a church, we use the term “Kingdom Hall.”

This term is fitting for a number of reasons:

• The building is a hall, or meeting place.

• We meet to worship Jehovah, the God of the Bible, and to witness, or testify, about him.​—Psalm 83:18; Isaiah 43:12.

• We also meet to learn about God’s Kingdom, of which Jesus often spoke.​—Matthew 6:9, 10; 24:14; Luke 4:43.

You are welcome to visit a Kingdom Hall near you and see for yourself how Jehovah’s Witnesses conduct their meetings.