In 1942, Nathan H. Knorr, then president of the Watchtower Society, proposed the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead as an opportunity to expand their global preaching efforts.^[6]Originally intended as a temporary program,^[7]the first class began on February 1, 1943. No tuition was to be charged. Five months later, graduating students began to move out to their assignments in nine Latin-American countries, including Cuba.^[8] As early as 1956, graduates were serving “in about a hundred different lands”.^[9]

Gilead School has held classes at several of the facilities operated by the Watchtower Society:

As of 2014, Gilead has trained 136 classes.^[13] In 2008, Gilead School surpassed 8000 students.^[14][15][16] Encyclopædia Britannica notes that Gilead was intended to train “missionaries and leaders”;^[17] two current members of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses are Gilead graduates,^[18][19] as were four deceased members.^{[20][21][22][23]}

In 1987, an ancillary 8½ week Bible School for Single Brothers was introduced for single elders and ministerial servants (their term for deacons).^[24][25][26] A similar Bible School for Christian Coupleswas introduced in 2010 for wives to attend with their husbands.^[27]