The Reluctant Apostate: Leaving Jehovah's Witnesses Comes at a Price

by Lloyd Evans

Calvin Rouse, a high-ranking attorney from Watchtower’s legal department in Patterson, New York, represented the organization as defendants in the case.[85] After announcing himself as “general counsel for the National Organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses out of Brooklyn, New York,” Rouse explained why Cobb’s demands were without legal merit: Ordinarily I wouldn’t be here, but this is one of our 13,000 congregations in the United States. We are a hierarchical religion structured just like the Catholic Church. And when the order from the Pope comes down in the church defrocking a priest and kicking him out, he no longer has any say in any matter in the local parish priest—in the parish. The same situation as here. In his complaint he brings one claim. He claims that he wants to be reinstated as a director and an officer in the Menlo Park Congregation. This is contrary to our church rules and regulations and bylaws. We brought our organizational bylaws book, our rule book here, and we are prepared to present witnesses that this is a hierarchical organization.