On 18 September 2026 the Governing Body announced that whether to accept red cells, white cells, plasma or platelets from another person’s blood is now a personal decision for each Witness, in all medical and surgical care.
Claim ID claim-blood-2026-components-personalConcerns 18 September 2026Explicit statement
The organisation’s position or later explanation: The organisation describes this as ‘an adjustment to our position on blood components’ and says the Governing Body ‘is not authorized to “go beyond the things that are written”’ because the Scriptures ‘do not comment on the various products that may be derived from blood’.
18 September 2026 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
“After further prayerful consideration, the Governing Body has decided that this same principle applies to the four primary components of whole blood—red cells, white cells, plasma, and platelets—that are derived from another person’s blood. Therefore, each Christian must make his own personal decision about the use of these four primary components in all medical and surgical care.”
The article also states that Witnesses ‘do not accept transfusions of whole blood, nor do we donate blood that would be used as a whole blood transfusion to another person’, that each Christian must decide whether to donate blood ‘for the clearly expressed purpose of providing components or fractions’, and that it reflects what was shared in the 2026 Governing Body Update #6 and will appear in a future issue of The Watchtower.
Notes. The article carries the note: ‘This article reflects what was shared in the 2026 Governing Body Update #6 and will appear in a future issue of The Watchtower.’ It also states the Governing Body ‘is not authorized to “go beyond the things that are written”’ (1 Corinthians 4:6).
Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID.src-jw-2026-0918-qfr-respect-life
18 September 2026 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
“In this update, we will discuss an adjustment to our position on blood components.”
The news page announces the video update, the companion Questions From Readers article and the chart ‘Products Derived From Whole Blood’, initially in English with translations to follow. It cross-references the 2026 Governing Body Update #2 on a patient’s own blood.
Provenance and verification note for JW.org News, 2026 Governing Body Update #6
Confidence note. Page opened on JW.org on 19 September 2026; quotation and date confirmed. The official English captions were opened by the independent source auditor. The Associated Press reported that Governing Body member Geoffrey W. Jackson presented the update.
Scan provenance. Official English captions file served from the JW.org content delivery network.
Notes. The word 'adjustment' is the JW.org page description and the press release, not the spoken update. The spoken update phrases the donation point as 'donate components or fractions derived from his own blood'; the written article and press release say 'donate blood for the clearly expressed purpose of providing components or fractions for use by another person'. The site follows the written text.
Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID.src-jw-2026-0918-gbu6
18 September 2026 · Office of Public Information, Jehovah’s Witnesses (Paul Gillies quoted) · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
“The Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses announced on Friday that the decision to accept red cells, white cells, plasma or platelets from another person's blood is a matter of personal conscience. Likewise, each Witness must decide whether or not to donate blood for the clearly expressed purpose of providing components or fractions for use by another person. … The long-standing refusal of whole-blood transfusions on religious grounds, a core teaching based on the command to 'abstain from blood' (Acts 15:20), is unchanged.”
Datelined Warwick, N.Y., 18 September 2026. International spokesman Paul Gillies is quoted: 'Blood remains sacred to Jehovah's Witnesses, who continue to regard life and blood as precious gifts from God. We recognize that medical decisions involving blood components are a matter of conscience between each Witness and their God, Jehovah.' The release says Witnesses 'number over nine million worldwide across more than 200 lands'.
Provenance and verification note for JW.org Global News (press release), Jehovah’s Witnesses: Each Witness Now Decides Whether to Accept or Donate Main Blood Components
Confidence note. Press release opened on JW.org on 19 September 2026; wording re-confirmed verbatim by the independent source auditor after an earlier transcription dropped 'on Friday' and 'or not'.
18 September 2026 · Peter Smith · The Associated Press
““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.
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.
A direct link to this claim is https://jwtruth.org/evidence/claim-blood-2026-components-personal/. 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.