Kingdom Hall
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A Kingdom Hall is a meeting place for Jehovah's Witnesses. The term was first suggested in 1935 by Joseph Franklin Rutherford, then president of the Watch Tower Society, for a building in Honolulu, Hawaii. Jehovah's Witnesses use Kingdom Halls for the majority of their worship and Bible instruction.
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[edit] Uses
Typically three days a week (or more, depending upon how many congregations use the same building), local groups will meet in their Kingdom Halls. (See also Practices of Jehovah's Witnesses.) Meetings usually open and close with song and prayer. Gatherings held in the Kingdom Hall include Bible readings, public talks on matters such as the Bible, family life, Christian qualities and prophecy, as well as discussion of specially-prepared study articles in The Watchtower magazine and other publications of Jehovah's Witnesses. Furthermore, Witnesses meet in Kingdom Halls for preparation and prayer before engaging in their door-to-door ministry. While such uses are part of the worship of Jehovah's Witnesses, Kingdom Halls are built primarily with an educational purpose in mind and this is the primary factor in their architecture and construction.
[edit] Maintenance and construction
The Kingdom Hall is largely maintained by the members of the congregations that use it. Construction, larger repair and maintenance projects are coordinated by the Regional Building Committee (RBC). Some Kingdom Halls have been built in as little as two days and then used immediately on the third day, although typically the preparation work involving the structural foundation and surrounding surface may take several weeks prior to the scheduled build. The construction crews of these Kingdom Halls and Assembly Halls consist of volunteer fellow Jehovah's Witnesses, sometimes from other countries than where the building under construction resides, who have been pre-approved for work on the buildings, grounds and sites.
The cost of maintenance is covered by unsolicited donations made by those attending the meetings and other donations sent to the world wide headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses. Witnesses in Western countries also contribute towards the construction of meeting places for fellow believers in less prosperous parts of the world.
In many countries, one operates with a number of standard designs of construction that can be built in just a few days. The act of constructing a Kingdom Hall in this design is called a quick-build. However, for various reasons, not all Kingdom Halls in these countries are built in one of these styles. There is however, a noticeably dominant architectural style of the Kingdom Hall which is often used in one of three size variants, depending on needs.
Modern Kingdom Halls are sometimes built without windows for security reasons and to save money.
[edit] Location and presentation
Kingdom Halls vary in size and design. They are usually modest, functional structures, clean and attractive, but essentially practical. As Witnesses do not use religious symbols, such are not displayed on or in Kingdom Halls. An annual Yeartext, or "theme scripture", which is the same for all congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide, is prominently displayed in each Kingdom Hall. This text can be displayed in several languages if the Hall is used by foreign language congregations. Most Kingdom Halls have a literature counter, where publications are displayed, stored and dispensed to members of the congregation.
