The status of a minister in the religious organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Poland

Marek Bielecki

War Studies University, Warsaw, , Poland
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3880-017X


Abstract

Jehovah’s Witnesses are the third largest religious organization in Poland. According to its internal data, it has almost 120,000 members. The present study is concerned with the issues related to the status of a minister in the religious organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Poland. The doctrine of Jehovah’s Witnesses has undergone a major change in this regard: from complete negation to introduction of the structures of ministers. Currently, the status of a minister is granted not only to members engaged in preaching, but also those performing physical work in the structures of the organization. The introduction of these changes is characterized by a substantial amount of pragmatism. It facilitates the functioning of the organization and must be considered as a step in the right direction. The article consists of three main parts, which are devoted to the standpoint of Jehovah’s Witnesses concerning the existence of the clerical state before 2014, the status of a minister in the context of the current legal regulations and jurisprudence and the internal law of the organization issued after 2014.

Keywords:

Jehovah’s Witnesses, religious organization, religious minister, freedom of conscience and religion, chaplaincy, religious freedom



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Published
2018-12-18


Bielecki, M. (2018). Status osoby duchownej w związku wyznaniowym "Świadkowie Jehowy w Polsce". Studia Z Prawa Wyznaniowego, 21, 123–140. https://doi.org/10.31743/spw.198

Marek Bielecki 
War Studies University, Warsaw,

Dr hab., Katedra Administracji i Prawa Administracyjnego, Instytut Prawa i Administracji Obronnej, Akademia Sztuki Wojennej, al. gen. A. Chruściela „Montera” 103, 00-910 Warszawa-Rembertów

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3880-017X


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