Hold Me-Thrill Me
The Dawn Bible Students Association has a problem. Ken Fernets, when on the phone, shows his true colors to women who call. He engages in flirtatious speech. He flirts and invites them out for coffee though he is a married man. If he is still alive he should be removed from his position.
I was just doing some research and this thread popped up in the search engine. I actually knew Ken Fernets. I can't vouch for whether he is flirtatious with women (it wouldn't surprise me if he likes young boys) but his character certainly is questionable.
He was a JW for a short while, I think in the 50s or 60s. Joined the Dawn and became one of their Trustees (similar to the Governing Body) he eventually became the Dawn's General Manager, although he prefers to refer to himself as President of the Dawn, I guess that sounds better.
I worked at the Dawn for almost 2 years while I was still a JW (long story) everything was fine, until he came over and decided to transform the Dawn into a mini Watchtower with him and his buddies at the helm.
When we first met I was already out of the Witnesses, and serving as an elder with a local Bible Students class. I had a successful ministry witnessing to the JW's via a website and forum similar to this one. I was a Bible Student/Watchtower historian and was commissioned to write a history book about the movement, as I began to do my research, I found that the Dawn was very similar to the Watchtower, they even borrowed some of their views. They were very liberal with their views, and while they published Russell's Studies in the Scriptures they didn't believe in them. Their literature contradicted what Russell taught and believed. Like the Society, they revised their older literature and never stated it was a revision. They even made changes to Russell's Studies in the Scriptures
As they began to depart from Russell's teachings, this started a huge exodus and a new independent movement began. The Dawn suffered as a result, since most of their best people left. And they survived mainly from estates left to them.
Like the old Governing Body, the Trustees at the Dawn refused to let new blood in and put some life into the movement. And as the old timers died off, history was being lost, and Fernets and his crew began to rewrite their history and labeling the defectors similar to the way the Society labels apostates.
I began to share my notes in various forums, and the Dawn was made aware of it, and to make a long story short, they came after me with a vengeance. Fernets himself threatened me. He and the other trustees slandered my name and character throughout the Bible Students movement. They blacklisted me, and I was treated as a leper. They got my class to remove me as elder and threatened my livelihood. They got one of their members who was a computer wiz, to hack into my website and upload a virus, destroying all the files, they did this multiple times, and so I gave up.
I eventually left with my faith intact. I can't say I wasn't bitter because I was. I lost a lot of friendships and didn't meet with anybody for a good 10 years, but I kept my faith, and eventually forgave them and left them in the Lord's hands. I meet with a small group where I now live, but decline to serve as elder. I just can't deal with all the drama.
It's strange because I suffered more at the hands of the Dawn then I ever did with the Watchtower. But life goes on and I don't have time to sit around and be bitter.
Hold Me-Thrill Me
Bible Students need to clean house just as the Watchtower needs to clean house.
That's hard to do. The Dawn is run by a board of trustees, you'd have to oust them to make any changes.
The Dawn is also the most liberal of the Bible Students. Going to their conventions, you'll hear speakers disagree.
While the more conservative Bible Students hold to basic doctrine, and will disagree on certain details, they pretty much are in harmony with each other.
Keep in mind that the Dawn is just a publishing house, and that all the Bible Student congregations are autonomous, they govern themselves. Although many of them work closely with the Dawn.