INDIAN TRAIL -- Kingdom Hall Jehovah’s Witnesses aim to include everyone.

“Something that is outstanding is our unity,” said David Semonian, a spokesman for the church. “God is not partial, so neither are we.”

During the week they can be seen proselytizing door-to-door and in services they allow everyone a chance to speak.

Racially, they are inclusive as well. The Kingdom Hall church in Indian Trail is so racially divided with Hispanics, blacks and whites that it is impossible to determine which is dominant.

The service itself is fully inclusive as well.

Instead of one person preaching to the congregation, a leader reads passages out of a publication called The Watchtower that is based on a biblical passage and extrapolates lessons from that passage.

A microphone is passed around the room and members of the congregation share their perspectives on the Bible passage or Watchtower lesson. Other members can give reaction to the previous person’s comments or share their own thoughts about the passage.

“We really see the benefit of that pattern of each person expressing their faith where possible,” Semonian said. He pointed to the apostle Paul who called for an “interchange of encouragement” in many of his letters, signifying that the church is meant to be a unified body where all are equal. In fact, there is no clergy/layman distinction, Simonian said, the leaders are considered servants of the church.

After people finish their roundtable, the leader directs the congregation back to The Watchtower and reads a new passage and the discussion begins anew on the new passage.

According to the Jehovah’s Witnesses Web site, “Each congregation tries to reach all the people in its neighborhood with a brief Bible message,” and that includes during the service as well.

Jehovah’s Witness churches do have a group of leaders who travel from church to church, but they do not give long sermons and will typically base them on the discussion to happen later.

Union County has two Jehovah’s Witnesses churches. One in Indian Trail on Chestnut Lane and one in Monroe on Lancaster Avenue.