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Blood doctrine · Claim record

In 2000 (the organisation's media statement dates the change to April) the congregation no longer initiated disfellowshipping for accepting a transfusion; an unrepentant receiver was instead treated as having disassociated, which the organisation said had 'the same effect'.

Claim ID claim-blood-2000-procedural-change-disassociationConcerns April 2000Explicit statement
Explicit statement · April 2000 Verified

In 2000 (the organisation's media statement dates the change to April) the congregation no longer initiated disfellowshipping for accepting a transfusion; an unrepentant receiver was instead treated as having disassociated, which the organisation said had 'the same effect'. Jehovah's Witnesses — Official Statement to the Media on Blood Transfusions, 15 June 2000Deseret News (Associated Press), 24 June 2000The Guardian, 15 June 2000

The organisation’s position or later explanation: Media statement 15 Jun 2000: 'a procedural change instituted in April 2000 … the end result is the same'; Watch Tower House called it 'a minor procedural change'.

Show the evidence (3 sources)
Primary JW publication Supported

Jehovah's Witnesses — Official Statement to the Media on Blood Transfusions, “Official Statement to the Media on Blood Transfusions”

15 June 2000 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society (statement); copy hosted by CESNUR

“This represents a procedural change instituted in April 2000 in which the congregation no longer initiates the action to revoke membership in such cases. However, the end result is the same”

Responds to 'an article published in the June 14, 2000, issue of a British newspaper' said to have 'incorrectly publicized' a doctrine change; 'this scriptural position has not changed'.

Archived or alternative copy

Provenance and verification note

Confidence note. Opened the CESNUR copy; the original jw-media.org page is no longer online. Wording corroborated by AP's report of spokesman Pellechia.

Scan provenance. Copy of the statement on the CESNUR (Center for Studies on New Religions) website

Corroborated by. src-ap-2000-0624-deseret, src-guardian-2000-0615-bates

Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID. src-jw-2000-0615-media-statement

Reputable reporting Verified

Deseret News (Associated Press), “Jehovah's Witnesses still ban most blood transfusions”

24 June 2000 · Associated Press · Deseret News

“a Jehovah's Witness who has a transfusion automatically “revokes his membership.””

Spokesman J. R. Pellechia; 'The group acknowledges that it has ended its practice of “disfellowshipping”'; 'It has the same effect'.

Official source

Provenance and verification note

Confidence note. Opened the syndicated AP copy (apnews.com blocked).

Corroborated by. src-jw-2000-0615-media-statement

Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID. src-ap-2000-0624-deseret

Reputable reporting Verified

The Guardian, “Transfusion row rocks Jehovah's Witnesses”

15 June 2000 · Stephen Bates · Guardian News & Media

“The witnesses' British headquarters at Watch Tower House in north London described the decision, which will be conveyed to members at Kingdom halls across the country by letter as “a minor procedural change”.”

Reports a Governing Body vote 'of eight to four' that members accepting transfusions 'may not be automatically expelled and shunned, so long as they repent'; spokesman Paul Gillies: 'if they are no longer living by the rules they have excluded themselves'; the church said the decision 'was clarification of existing rules and a simplification of the process of excommunication'.

Official source Link not auto-checkable

Provenance and verification note

Confidence note. theguardian.com is blocked for WebFetch/WebSearch here; retrieved with curl (browser UA) and confirmed headline, byline, date (2000-06-15T00:56Z) and text. No Guardian item exists at /uk/2000/jun/14/stephenbates; the 14 June story was The Times (Ruth Gledhill).

Corroborated by. src-ap-2000-0624-deseret, src-jw-2000-0615-media-statement

Notes. The article's 'thousands' death figure is an assertion, not data.

Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID. src-guardian-2000-0615-bates

Claim page

A direct link to this claim is https://jwtruth.org/evidence/claim-blood-2000-procedural-change-disassociation/. Every source above opens the original document or the best available copy. If you believe the wording, date or context is wrong, report an error.