The Kingdom Interlinear reads: “Be you mindful of the ones governing [Gr., he·gou·meʹnon] of you.”​—Heb. 13:7, 17, 24.

Forms of this same Greek word are found at Matthew 2:6; Luke 22:26; Acts 7:10; 15:22, where the meaning is similar, namely, that of governing, acting as chief or taking the lead.

The resurrected Jesus Christ is the heavenly Governor of his congregation of spiritual Israelites on earth. He is the one to whom the words quoted from Micah 5:2 apply: “And you, O Bethlehem of the land of Judah, are by no means the most insignificant city among the governors of Judah; for out of you will come forth a governing one [Gr., he·gouʹme·nos], who will shepherd my people, Israel.” (Matt. 2:6) By means of holy spirit and by the visible governing body composed of elders “governing” or “taking the lead” (Gr., he·gou·meʹnōn) according to God’s written Word, Jesus Christ governs the worldwide group of Jehovah’s witnesses on earth today.​—Heb. 13:17, Interlinear; also New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures, of 1950.

From this we see that the term “governing body” is as appropriate, fitting and Scriptural as any for referring to that body of elders entrusted with the spiritual oversight of Jehovah’s Christian witnesses today.