Kingdom Halls

Kingdom Halls are the name Jehovah's Witnesses give to their place to gather for Bible instruction. J.F. Rutherford, second president of the Watchtower Society, is credited with coining the name in 1934.

When making arrangements for Witnesses in Hawaii to construct, rather than continue to rent, a hall to hold their meetings, Rutherford was asked what these new facilities would be called. "Don't you think we should call it 'Kingdom Hall,' since that is what we are doing, preaching the good news of the Kingdom?"

Since then, whenever local congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses build a place of worship, they build a Kingdom Hall.

In the 1980s, Jehovah's Witnesses began using quick-build plans and processes that enabled them to completely erect a new Kingdom Hall over the span of two weekends. The first weekend is set aside for the pouring of the foundation. The second weekend is set aside for construction activities that culminate in a fully finished (down to wallpaper, paint, carpet, and electrical) building ready to receive final approval by local zoning committees.

Beginning in 1983, a special fund supported through voluntary donations has been used to provide low-cost financing for the building or remodeling of Kingdom Halls around the world. This arrangement has also enabled those in more affluent nations to support their spiritual brothers in developing countries. This is in keeping with the apostle Paul's words to the Corinthians that "by means of an equalizing your surplus just now might offset their deficiency, in order that their surplus might also come to offset your deficiency, that an equalizing might take place.' (2 Corinthians 8:14 NWT)