• JW.ORG E-mail 1-4

• Letters of Introduction 5-8

• Disfellowshipped or Disassociated Individuals Who Move 9

• Congregation File 10-27

  • Confidentiality and Security 10

  • Categories 11

  • Field Service Records 12-17

  • Meeting Attendance Records 18

  • Appointment and Deletion of Elders and Ministerial Servants 19

  • Report on Circuit Overseer’s Visit With Congregation (S-303) 20

  • Judicial Files and Other Confidential Reports 21-27

• Use of Online Storage Services 28

1. It is recommended that elders check their jw.org e-mail inbox at least once each week. Confidential information should not be sent using outside e-mail providers. Use of jw.org e-mail is governed by the “Terms of Use” policy available on jw.org.

2. When the elders in one congregation need to write to the body of elders of another congregation, it is usually best that they send the correspondence to the congregation’s jw.org e-mail address rather than to the address of a specific elder. When correspondence is received, the coordinator of the body of elders and secretary should work together to ensure appropriate follow-through. They should also ensure that all elders have access to correspondence directed to the body of elders.

3. When electronic communication is possible, correspondence and forms should be sent to the branch office using jw.org rather than postal mail. Correspondence to the branch office on behalf of the body of elders is usually sent by the secretary. Confidential reports, such as the Notification of Disfellowshipping or Disassociation (S-77) form, would usually be sent to the branch office by one of the elders handling the matter.

4. Unless instructed otherwise, there is no need to sign correspondence or forms sent using jw.org e-mail. However, the names of the brothers who read and approved the correspondence should appear. Correspondence sent to the branch office as an attachment should be in a commonly used format, such as Microsoft Word or PDF. For a routine matter, such as an inquiry on the status of a literature request, the message may be typed directly into the body of the e-mail rather than attaching a separate document.

5. When a publisher (active or inactive) moves to another congregation, a letter of introduction and the Congregation’s Publisher Records (S-21) should promptly be sent to the new congregation. The Congregation Service Committee may take the initiative and send these items without waiting for a formal request from the new congregation. If a person who has been accused of child sexual abuse (established or not) moves to another congregation, see Chapter 14, paragraph 26.

6. A letter of introduction should contain the following information:

1. (1) The date of the letter.

2. (2) The sending congregation’s full name.

3. (3) The sending congregation’s postal address or jw.org e-mail address.

4. (4) The receiving congregation’s full name.

5. (5) The receiving congregation’s postal address or jw.org e-mail address.

6. (6) The names of the three elders (usually the service committee) who approved the letter.

7. (7) The publisher’s full name, the names of any immediate family members, and any privileges the publisher or his family members moving with him have enjoyed (such as presenting student assignments on the midweek meeting or serving as an elder or ministerial servant, an auxiliary or regular pioneer, a local design/​construction volunteer, or a remote Bethel volunteer or Bethel consultant), and whether the elders recommend that they retain such privileges.​—See 8:12.

7. Additionally, elders should ask themselves: ‘What information would we want to receive if this person moved into our congregation?’ (Matt. 7:12) If a person is under judicial restrictions, the elders in the new congregation should be informed of these. If a person was reproved or reinstated in the distant past but is not presently under restrictions, there may be no need to mention past judicial action unless the offense involved entering into an adulterous marriage or some other notorious wrongdoing.​—See 12:10-11.

8. The publisher’s new congregation should retain the letter for no longer than five years unless there is a need to keep it longer. For example, if an individual entered into an adulterous marriage, the letter should be retained for as long as the innocent former mate is alive, is unmarried, and has not been guilty of sexual immorality (por·neiʹa).​—See 12:10-11.

9. If the elders learn that a disfellowshipped or disassociated person has moved, they should not send the Congregation’s Publisher Records (S-21) or the confidential file to the congregation in whose territory he lives or where he attends meetings. The congregation that took the disfellowshipping action or acknowledged the disassociation should retain the records. However, a brief letter should be sent to the body of elders in whose territory he lives to inform them that a disfellowshipped or disassociated person lives in their territory. If possible, they should provide his address. Generally, there would be no need for the letter to include specific information on the details of the case. However, if there is reason for the elders in the new congregation to be especially on guard, this can be explained in the letter.​—See Chapter 14, paragraph 26, for direction on when an individual accused of child sexual abuse moves; see Chapter 19, paragraphs 13-16, for direction on communication between committees when an individual requests reinstatement.

10. Confidentiality and Security: The congregation file should be kept locked in a place that is safe and secure, preferably at the Kingdom Hall. Any ministerial servants substituting as members of the Congregation Service Committee should not have access to confidential records, such as correspondence regarding the appointment and deletion of elders and ministerial servants and judicial records. (See 2:2.) Each elder desiring to have a key to the file should be provided one. However, if the Kingdom Hall is particularly vulnerable, then such records may be kept in a locked cabinet in the home of an elder to prevent unauthorized entry. The service committee should plan how to protect and preserve congregation records and confidential files in the event of a disaster.​—See 26:4.

11. Categories: For items that need to be retained in the congregation file, the following categories should be used. (Additional categories may be used as needed.)

• Accounts

• Applications

• Circuit Overseer’s Report on Visit

• Confidential Records (sealed envelopes)

• DPA Cards

• Elders and Ministerial Servants

• Kingdom Hall

• Letters of Introduction

• Territory

12. Field Service Records: The Congregation’s Publisher Records (S-21) belong to the local congregation. Each branch office provides direction to bodies of elders on whether to retain the records electronically or in printed form. If the records are retained electronically, the body of elders decides whether to use the form provided by the branch office or some other method that displays the same information in the same format. The congregation’s field service records should contain at least 13 months of activity but no more than 36 months. (od pp. 77-78) The file is divided into two sections​—“Active” and “Inactive.” The section for active publishers should be arranged alphabetically, with the records subdivided into sections for (1) regular and special pioneers and field missionaries and (2) all other publishers. The section for all other publishers should be arranged by field service group. Additionally, three separate Congregation’s Publisher Records should be filled out to reflect the combined monthly totals for (1) all regular and special pioneers and field missionaries, (2) all auxiliary pioneers, and (3) all other publishers.

13. The congregation’s report should be submitted to the Service Department no later than the 20th day of the month. If a publisher turns in his report late, it should be added to the congregation’s report for the following month and the “Number Reporting” figure should be adjusted accordingly. Individual reports should be posted on the Congregation’s Publisher Records for the month shown on the report slip, regardless of when the report is received or when it is included in the congregation’s report submitted to the Service Department. A publisher is not considered irregular because of a late report.

14. If the Congregation Service Committee has granted a publisher with very limiting circumstances permission to report field service in 15-minute increments, the secretary should keep track of these fractions of hours and carry them over to the following month if they total less than an hour. (od p. 77 par. 29) Whenever the sum of these fractions adds up to a full hour, the secretary should include that hour with the congregation’s report. Publishers who have questions about what to report should be encouraged to review pages 75-77, paragraphs 23-29, of the Organized book.

15. Regular pioneer reports are handled in the same way as other publisher reports. Hour credits for pioneers should be written in the “Comments” section of their Field Service Report (S-4) slips and should not be included with the congregation’s report submitted to the branch office. (See Chapter 9, paragraphs 11-13, for direction on hour credits for pioneers.) Since special pioneers, field missionaries, and other special full-time servants in the field report their field service activity to the branch office directly, their reports are not included with the congregation’s report. However, their activity should be posted on the Congregation’s Publisher Record.

16. Field Service Report slips should be destroyed after being tabulated and posted on the Congregation’s Publisher Records. A record of the last 12 months of field service activity of an inactive publisher should be retained. A record of the last 12 months of field service activity of a disfellowshipped or disassociated person should be retained in the sealed envelope.

17. While the Congregation’s Publisher Records may be kept by the secretary, they are to be made available to the other elders as needed.​—See 7:2.6.

18. Meeting Attendance Records: The body of elders decides whether to retain Congregation Meeting Attendance Records (S-88) electronically or in printed form. If the records are retained electronically, the body of elders decides whether to use the form provided by the branch office or some other method that displays the same information in the same format. After the information contained in the Report of Meeting Attendance (S-3) slip has been transferred to the Congregation Meeting Attendance Record, the slip should be destroyed. The congregation’s meeting attendance records should contain at least 13 months of attendance but no more than 36 months.

19. Appointment and Deletion of Elders and Ministerial Servants: Records related to the appointment and deletion of elders and ministerial servants should be retained indefinitely. This would include past S-2 forms and S-52 acknowledgment letters from the branch office and letters of appointment and deletion from circuit overseers. In connection with any deletion, a brief explanation of the reason for the brother’s deletion should also be kept. Such background material will be helpful in supplying the circuit overseer with complete details in the event a brother is recommended for reappointment in the future.

20. Report on Circuit Overseer’s Visit With Congregation (S-303): Only the most recent report is retained.

21. Judicial Files and Other Confidential Reports: After a judicial committee, an appeal committee, a committee handling a request for disassociation, a reinstatement committee, or one or two elders handling a matter of wrongdoing have met with an individual, a brief summary of the proceedings is prepared and signed by the elders involved. The summary should be prepared regardless of the outcome of the meeting, for example, if the case was dismissed because of lack of evidence. (See 12:41-42.) The summary should include only pertinent facts and the final determination of the person’s standing in the congregation; it should not contain personal opinions. Any personal notes should be destroyed. No judicial information should be posted on Congregation’s Publisher Records (S-21).

22. If the matter involves a disfellowshipping, disassociation, or reinstatement, the elders handling the case should ensure that only the following documents are placed in a sealed envelope:

1. (1) Brief summary of the proceedings.

2. (2) Notification of Disfellowshipping or Disassociation (S-77) form.

3. (3) Congregation’s Publisher Records if not reinstated.

4. (4) Any correspondence to or from the branch office regarding the wrongdoer.

5. (5) Any letters requesting reinstatement.

6. (6) Any letter of disassociation.

23. If the matter involves judicial reproof or another matter involving wrongdoing handled by one or two elders, the elders involved should ensure that the sealed envelope contains only the brief summary and any correspondence to or from the branch office regarding the wrongdoer.

24. The following information should be written on the front of the sealed envelope:

1. (1) Name of the individual.

2. (2) Action taken by the congregation, if any, and the date of such.

3. (3) Any judicial restrictions imposed and the date the restrictions are removed.

4. (4) Names of the elders who handled the matter.

5. (5) The words “Do Not Destroy” for matters involving accusations of child sexual abuse (established or not).

25. The sealed envelope should be placed in the congregation file by the secretary. If there is a need to open these files in the future, such as in connection with a plea for reinstatement, this should be done only by the elders who are assigned by the body to handle the matter.

26. The sealed envelopes containing records on individuals who have not been reinstated should be kept indefinitely. If the person has been reinstated a full five years or has died, usually the file should be destroyed unless the case involved an accusation of child sexual abuse or an adulterous marriage or the committee believes there is some other reason to retain it. The same retention policy applies to records involving judicial reproof and wrongdoing handled by one or two elders. If it is determined that a sealed envelope should be retained after an individual has died, the date of death should be written on the outside of the envelope. If one or more of the elders who handled a specific case are no longer available, the Congregation Service Committee will assign other elders to determine if the file should be retained.

27. If a person entered into an adulterous marriage, the file should be kept for five years after the judicial action and thereafter as long as the innocent former mate is alive, unmarried, and has not been guilty of sexual immorality (por·neiʹa).​—See 12:10-12.

28. There is no objection to using online storage services for nonconfidential documents, such as those containing information that would be posted on the information board. However, information of a sensitive or confidential nature, including judicial matters, should never be stored online.​—See 21:34.