• Qualifications 1

• Responsibilities 2

1. The body of elders selects the service overseer. He takes a keen interest in the publishers’ share in the ministry and their effectiveness. He is enthusiastic about the ministry and motivates others to have a full share. He is skillful in various aspects of the work, capable of training others, and alert to do so. The body of elders may assign another elder to assist him.

2. The responsibilities of the service overseer include the following:

1. (1) Arranging for the congregation’s territory to be worked thoroughly and overseeing the work of the territory servant.​—See 23:1-3.

2. (2) Arranging for brothers or sisters to conduct meetings for service, as needed. (See 7:2.2.) He organizes witnessing on holidays and during special campaigns.

3. (3) Determining what permits, if any, are required for public witnessing, organizing schedules for public witnessing, providing initial training for public witnessing, and determining what literature should be displayed at public witnessing locations.​—See 23:4-16.

4. (4) Overseeing the work of the literature servant. This includes ensuring that anyone in the congregation who is deaf, blind, or has impaired vision is able to request literature in his preferred format.​—See 1:2.7 and Literature Request and Inventory Guidelines (S-56).

5. (5) Visiting a different field service group each month. (In congregations with few groups, he may arrange to visit each one twice during the year.) During the visit, he conducts the meeting for field service and works with the group in the ministry, offering helpful suggestions as needed. He reviews the Congregation’s Publisher Records (S-21) with the group overseer and his assistant and discusses the effectiveness of existing field service arrangements.

6. (6) Ensuring that adequate supplies of forms are available for congregation use.

7. (7) Along with the secretary, reviewing the activity of regular pioneers near the midpoint of the service year.​—See 9:16.

8. (8) Annually, providing to the Congregation Service Committee the addresses of households that have asked that no further visits be made.​—See 23:21.

9. (9) Training publishers for witnessing at schools, universities, nursing homes, and retirement homes.​—See 23:17-18.