May 12, 2014
TO ALL BODIES OF ELDERS IN THE UNITED STATES BRANCH TERRITORY
Re: Adjusted process to accelerate Kingdom Hall construction
Dear Brothers:
We are writing as a follow-up to the letter dated May 2, 2014, to all bodies of elders in
the United States branch territory, which advised that further direction would be forthcoming re-
garding the adjustments that will accelerate construction of Kingdom Halls and Assembly Halls
worldwide and how the program will be funded. It is a pleasure to be able to work with you in
implementing the program within our branch territory, and it is hoped that the following guide-
lines will be of assistance in finalizing both the monthly amount and one-time amount that will
be proposed to the congregation by way of a resolution for financially supporting Kingdom Hall
and Assembly Hall construction worldwide.
Funding: As stated in the postscript of the letter dated March 29, 2014, congregations
will continue to pay for monthly operating expenses, minor maintenance, and minor repairs from
the local congregation account or the Kingdom Hall Operating Committee account in cases
where multiple congregations share a building. Therefore, as described in Instructions for Con-
gregation Accounting (S-27), the body(ies) of elders determines a reserve amount of funds that
would generally be needed to cover two to three months of operating expenses. Included in these
expenses are costs for utilities, supplies, and services (for example, snow removal or servicing of
building or irrigation systems). If the body(ies) of elders believes there is a need, an additional
reserve of funds, up to $5,000 per auditorium, may also be held in this account. If these amounts
have not already been established, the body(ies) of elders should meet as soon as possible to do so.
Each body of elders will also need to ensure that sufficient funds are retained in their in-
dividual congregation account to cover all resolutions, such as for the Kingdom Hall Assistance
Arrangement, the Traveling Overseer Assistance Arrangement, and the newly established
worldwide Kingdom Hall and Assembly Hall construction program.
If a congregation has promissory notes payable to individuals, the Congregation Service
Committee should contact these individuals to arrange to have the funds returned to them. If the
individual offers to donate the funds outright, that would be their decision and it must be made
without any prompting. The repayment of any outstanding promissory notes should be factored
in when determining a one-time donation of surplus funds to the branch office.
If minor maintenance or a minor repair is needed and the cost is more than can be paid
for with funds on hand, the body(ies) of elders will be able to contact their Local De-
sign/Construction Department (LDC) representatives. You will be advised when these represent-
atives have been identified and how to contact them. In the meantime, please seek assistance
from your Regional Building Committee (RBC).
Page 2
Decisions and approvals: Instructions have been provided to the RBCs regarding the
process for submitting projects to the LDC for review. In the past, each body(ies) of elders, in
cooperation with the RBC, played a significant role in determining both when a new Kingdom
Hall construction or renovation project was needed, as well as the scope and cost of the project.
The Governing Body has now directed that much of this responsibility be transferred to the
branch office. These decisions will be based on a careful examination of the circumstances of
each congregation and a branch-wide plan that is being developed to assess and prioritize the
need for Kingdom Halls.
With a clear understanding of the overall needs, the branch office will be able to imple-
ment greater standardization. Additionally, the challenging and time-consuming work of re-
searching available options to meet the needs of the congregations will gradually be assigned to
representatives of the LDC. Therefore, branch office approval will be needed for (1) any new
property purchase or sale, (2) any new construction project, (3) the addition of any new element
or feature to the existing Kingdom Hall, or (4) maintenance work that will cost more than $5,000
per auditorium.
We are delighted to be working shoulder to shoulder with you in carrying out the Gov-
erning Body’s direction. (Zeph. 3:9) Be assured that while we see the benefits of the new pro-
gram whereby the research and decision-making related to Kingdom Hall construction will be
transferred to the branch office, when the LDC turns attention to your specific needs, your com-
ments and recommendations will be considered as decisions are made. Along with you, we con-
tinue to pray for Jehovah’s blessing upon these arrangements and future organizational adjust-
ments. Please accept our warm Christian love and greetings as well as our appreciation for all of
your fine work.
Your brothers,
Christian Cong of JW
-TE