What is a Kingdom Hall?

The meeting place of one or more Jehovah's Witness congregations. It is a plain hall with rows of seats and a small platform — no altar, no religious images, no collection plate.

Can anyone visit a Kingdom Hall?

Yes. Meetings are open to the public and free, and no one is asked for money or contact details. Meeting times are published for each congregation on jw.org.

Unpaid volunteer men appointed to oversee a congregation. They handle the meetings, pastoral matters and the congregation's records — including the Do Not Call list — which is why a written request is addressed to them.

How do I find the Kingdom Hall nearest my address?

jw.org has an official congregation locator. Our service also looks up the nearest hall automatically from the address you enter, so the letter reaches the right congregation.

Kingdom Hall: what it is and what happens inside

A Kingdom Hall is the local meeting place of Jehovah's Witnesses — a name often written jhovas or jehovas. Here is what the building is, what happens there, and why it matters if you want the visits to stop.

The building

Kingdom Halls are deliberately plain: a rectangular auditorium with rows of seats, a low platform, a lectern and a screen. There are no crosses, statues, stained glass, bells or religious images of any kind, and no collection is taken during meetings — a discreet contribution box sits by the entrance instead. One hall is usually shared by two or more congregations meeting at different times.

The two weekly meetings

A midweek meeting of about an hour and three quarters, focused on Bible study and on practising how to talk to people at the door.
A weekend meeting of similar length: a public talk followed by a study of the Watchtower magazine, with the audience answering questions.

Both are free and open to the public. Visitors are welcome, are not asked for money, and are not required to give their name or address.

Who runs it

Each congregation is overseen by a body of elders — unpaid volunteers with ordinary jobs — assisted by ministerial servants. There is no paid clergy. The elders keep the congregation’s administrative records, including the territory maps and the Do Not Call list. That is precisely why a request to be left alone is addressed to “the Elders” at the Kingdom Hall rather than handed to whoever knocks.

Why the nearest hall matters

Preaching territories are assigned congregation by congregation. A written request only takes effect in the records of the congregation responsible for your street, so sending it to the right hall is the whole game. Our service finds that hall from the address you enter and addresses the letter to its elders; jw.org also publishes an official congregation locator if you would rather look it up yourself.

Questions people also ask

What is a Kingdom Hall?: The meeting place of one or more Jehovah's Witness congregations. It is a plain hall with rows of seats and a small platform — no altar, no religious images, no collection plate.
Can anyone visit a Kingdom Hall?: Yes. Meetings are open to the public and free, and no one is asked for money or contact details. Meeting times are published for each congregation on jw.org.
Who are the elders?: Unpaid volunteer men appointed to oversee a congregation. They handle the meetings, pastoral matters and the congregation's records — including the Do Not Call list — which is why a written request is addressed to them.
How do I find the Kingdom Hall nearest my address?: jw.org has an official congregation locator. Our service also looks up the nearest hall automatically from the address you enter, so the letter reaches the right congregation.

If the visits are the reason you are reading this

Every congregation keeps an internal “Do Not Call” record. jhovas.org prepares the formal written request that gets an address added to it, addressed to the congregation nearest that home. Read the full guide, see how the service works and what it costs, or start the letter now. The PDF is free to download.