The Watchtower (study edition), “Understanding Headship in the Congregation”
“It is true, however, that Jehovah has appointed men to take the lead in teaching and worship in the congregation, and he has not given women that same authority. (1 Tim. 2:12) Why? For the same reason that he has appointed Jesus as head of the man—to keep good order in his family. If because of circumstances a sister must fill a role that is normally cared for by a brother, then Jehovah requires that she wear a head covering.”
A study article on headship in the congregation. It first says that Jehovah values women equally, that Jesus honoured them and that Paul commended them, and states that 'there is no Scriptural basis for thinking that sisters are inferior to brothers'. It then gives the rule above, adds that 'Jehovah asks this of sisters, not to demean them, but to give them a way to show respect for the headship principle', and sets out three questions by which a woman decides whether a covering is needed.
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Provenance and verification note for The Watchtower (study edition), Understanding Headship in the Congregation
Confidence note. The full article was fetched from the Watchtower Online Library on 19 September 2026 and read. The quoted paragraph 9 falls after the library's page marker for page 16; the sentence about no scriptural basis for inferiority is in paragraph 7, after the marker for page 15; the statement about elders acting as judges is in paragraphs 12-13, after the marker for page 18. The citation line inside the document reads 'w21 February pp. 14-19'.
Corroborated by. src-wom-lv-2008-head-coverings
Notes. The article also states, of the difference between an elder and a family head: 'Jehovah has assigned the elders to act as judges, and he has given them the responsibility of removing unrepentant sinners from the congregation.' Since elders are men only, this is the published basis on which congregational judicial decisions rest with men.
Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID. src-wom-w-2021-0200-headship-congregation