16. How does the field overseer fulfill his role as one of the “older men” in the congregation?

¹⁶ In order to provide the needed loving oversight, there are associated with the presiding overseer a number of other elders. The duties of one of these, the field overseer, for instance, are many, but primarily he is to coordinate the Kingdom-preaching work of all the individual groups of ministers in the congregation so that a thorough witness is given in the territory. The field overseer also keeps accurate records of the congregation’s field ministry. Then, once a month, the congregation’s combined preaching report is tabulated and sent to the Society’s branch office. Eventually all the branch reports go to the headquarters of the Society in Brooklyn, New York, and these are then compiled and published in the Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses. This annual report also contains interesting experiences from the worldwide congregation of Kingdom preachers.

Of course, whether Christian ministers are offering to the public magazines or books, confusion would result if homes were called on in a “hit-or-miss” fashion. To prevent this, each congregation is assigned a certain territory by the Watch Tower Society. (Gal. 2:9) By arranging for the assigning of small portions of that territory to individual ministers, the field overseer ensures an orderly coverage of all the homes within the congregation’s boundaries.​—1 Cor. 14:33.