There are a number of reasons why Jehovah’s Witnesses leave the Watchtower religion. If the departure is voluntary, it often occurs over a period of time. The initial separation is usually mental, as the person realizes they no longer believe some of the key Watchtower teachings and instead are coming to believe something else.

Knowing the reasons of the person you are dealing with can be very helpful in assessing their current spiritual needs and their willingness (or unwillingness) to discuss spiritual matters with you.

  1. Some leave because they have already become Christians.

These are people who have discovered that much of the Watchtower doctrine is wrong, especially the doctrines relating to the identity of Jesus and to the biblical way of salvation.

If you encounter them, you should still be alert to see if they still have misunderstandings or to see if they are having difficulty dealing with the trauma of having been in and leaving a high control religion.

Perhaps they are looking for a good church.

On the other hand, maybe they want to avoid churches altogether out of fear of encountering more false doctrine or getting into another high control religion.

In either event, you can offer to help them.

Be careful not to push them too hard or to come across as thinking you have all the answers.

  1. Some leave because they have joined another non-Christian religion or a cultic counterfeit of Christianity.

In this situation, see if you can get them to open up and explain their spiritual journey.

Rather than arguing with them, listen intently and try to understand them.

Ask non-threatening questions to help them reassess their conclusions.

You can use approaches similar to the ones I have included in this blog and in my book, Getting Through to Jehovah’s Witnesses.

  1. Some leave because they no longer believe the Watchtower but now don’t know what to believe.

This is not uncommon.

The Watchtower portrays all other religions or religious organizations as false and satanic. Even if a Witness no longer believes the Watchtower doctrines, this indoctrination can be very powerful and make it hard for him or her to accept the real gospel.

Often what they need is a Christian who is willing to be patient and to help them to think outside the Watchtower box by using some of the approaches set out in my blog and book.

  1. Some leave because they have become atheists or agnostics.

I have met some ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses who left the Watchtower because they started to doubt Watchtower teachings and ended up throwing out all of it, including belief in the existence of God himself.

Others left the Watchtower for different reasons but—having come free from the bondage to that high control religion—found themselves challenging everything and ultimately ended up rejecting God’s existence along with the Watchtower religion.

I recommend that you listen to them empathetically without arguing with them. Ask permission to challenge their current thinking. If they refuse, then honor their request. If they do give you permission, I recommend introducing them to resources directed toward atheists and agnostics.

In my opinion, two of the best are:

  1. Some leave because even though they believe many or all of the Watchtower’s teachings are correct, they just can’t comply with all the requirements and give up.

They get burned out trying to obey all the rules and regulations. They believe Watchtower standards are all God’s standards but give up trying to gain his approval through the endless treadmill of works which characterizes the Watchtower religion.

Often, they become despondent and resign themselves to the conclusion that Jehovah will soon destroy them at Armageddon.

If you encounter something like this, watch for signs that they are having suicidal ideations. If necessary, try to connect them with professional help.

Meantime, use their despair to try to introduce them to the gospel of grace. Understanding that as fallen human beings we are all unable to meet God’s righteous demands is the first step towards truly understanding why Christ had to die for our sins and how receiving his sacrifice by faith brings us to God.

  1. Some leave because they are burned out on religion altogether.

Here, I recommend that you listen empathetically and introduce them to the concept that what God offers them through the gospel is a personal relationship with Christ rather than a religion of rules and regulations to control them externally. True Christianity is not a RELIGION; it is a RELATIONSHIP. Understanding this may be the key to overcoming their burnout and coming to Christ.

  1. Some leave involuntarily because the Watchtower elders have disfellowshipped (excommunicated) them.

This action may have been taken because of an actual moral lapse on their part, or it may have been based on their deviation from Watchtower doctrine and practices. Being disfellowshipped is often a great emotional trauma for a Witness.

If they open up to you about this, I recommend that you:

  • Help them distinguish between actual Bible standards and legalistic Watchtower regulations and control.
  • Show them in the Bible that the remedy for actual sin is repentance and faith in Christ himself, not doing good works or seeking acceptance by a religious organization.

Along these lines, The Come to Jesus Approach and The Faith and Works Approach from my blog and book should prove helpful to you.

Except in the case of disfellowshipping, there is often a period of time between when the person realizes they no longer believe in the Watchtower organization and its teachings, and when they physically leave the organization. This is a period when they need to process what is happening, weigh the costs of physically leaving the organization (often including loss of relationships with family and friends), and decide when and how to physically leave.

The next blog post will talk about how those who decide to leave the Watchtower organization go about doing so.

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