Associated Press, “Jehovah’s Witnesses allow blood-derived products but keep ban on whole-blood transfusions”
““Each Christian must make his own personal decision about the use of these four primary components in all medical and surgical care,” said Geoffrey W. Jackson, a member of the Governing Body.”
AP reports that members may now receive plasma, platelets, red blood cells and white blood cells and may decide whether to donate blood for blood-product use, while whole-blood transfusion and donation for that purpose remain prohibited. Spokesman Paul Gillies is quoted: ‘What we’re saying is you have to pray about it, you have to study it, you have to see what the Bible has to say about it, because blood in the Bible represents life.’ AP gives US membership of 1.3 million (2025) and 9.2 million worldwide.
Official source (opens in new tab) Archived or alternative copy (opens in new tab) Link not auto-checkable
Provenance and verification note for Associated Press, Jehovah’s Witnesses allow blood-derived products but keep ban on whole-blood transfusions
Confidence note. The apnews.com page could not be opened by our automated tools; the syndicated copy on clickondetroit.com (identical AP text, same byline and date) was opened on 19 September 2026 and the wording confirmed.
Corroborated by. src-jw-2026-0918-qfr-respect-life, src-jw-2026-0918-press-release
Notes. The ‘alternative copy’ link is a licensed syndication of the same AP story, not an archive.
Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID. src-ap-2026-0918-components