BIBLE STUDENTS, ..WTS and FINANCE

MacHislopp

Hello everyone,
I have something that puzzles me, I'll try to explain:

First PART: Let's go back in time: 1879, 1880, 1880:

*** yb75 38 United States of America Part One

C. T. Russell took it as the Lord’s leading that he give up traveling and begin publishing a journal. Thus in July 1879 the first issue of Zion’s Watch Tower and Herald of Christ’s Presence made its appearance.

*** yb75 38 United States of America (Part One) ***

C. T. Russell, chairman of the Pittsburgh Bible class, was the editor and publisher. Five other mature Bible students served originally as regular contributors to its columns.

*** yb75 40 United States of America (Part One) ***

So, early in 1881, Zion’s Watch Tower Tract Society was established as an unincorporated body with C. T. Russell as its manager. He and others generously contributed some $35,000 to get this printing organization into operation. During 1884 the formerly unincorporated Society was incorporated as Zion’s Watch Tower Tract Society, Russell serving as its president. Today this religious corporation is known as the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania.

So according to the WTS "written hystory" within two years from the 1st printed issue
of theZion's WT, C.T. Russell and "others" -unknown by name - got the printing organisation into operation by providing …in 1881 " …some $35,000…"!!

and consider also a later statement such as :

*** w60 7/15 443 Staying Awake with the "Faithful and Discreet Slave" ***

16 Again we can stay awake by our service and financial contributions to the Watch Tower Society. Jehovah has done so much for us through this agency. The least we can do to show our responding love and appreciation is to contribute our finances and time toward expanding the global preaching work. The remnant in their small numbers contributed millions of dollars to the Society’s work prior to 1931. Surely now the “great crowd” are willing to do their share in making the Society’s educational work today the most important business in the world."

My first question is:

How was it possible to arrive, in such a short time, to such an amount of moneý???

Second PART:

*** yb75 38-9 United States of America (Part One) ***

In 1879 and 1880 C. T. Russell and his associates founded some thirty congregations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Delaware, Ohio and Michigan. Russell himself arranged personal visits to each congregation. His program called for one or several Bible meetings with each group.

According to this statement C.T. and his associates (…unknown by name), founded
within 2 years "…."founded some thirty congregations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Delaware, Ohio and Michigan."

A great achievement indeed, in such a short time and with the added difficulty of
distances…YES, because if my geography is correct all those places are quite a
distance from each other and with the means of transport in in 1879 and 1880
it shouldn' t have been an easy task to travel around.

My second question is : Who helped CT Russell? Were those "ekklesia's "
already established under different denominations?

Thanks for any "light" on the subject.

Agape, J.C.MacHislopp

stephenw20

Mac,

SAy what you like abotu Russel, at least he disclosed

pull up a chair this will take awhile

look at the Annual reports

http://agsconsulting.com/alpha.htm

S

MacHislopp

Hello stephen20,

I do agree with you. CT Russell
published the financial statements every year in the ZWT
pages. As for the link, be sure I'll take my time to
go ...and see.

Agape, J.C.MacHislopp

Englishman

Mac,

I enjoy the posts, but can't you sort of spread 'em a bit? I mean, five at once ain't a discussion, it's a diatribe!

Englishman.

willy_think

"how was it possible to arrive, in such a short time, to such an amount of money??" well that one is easy it is called "the pyramid game". no pun intended. if you look it up, you might be able to find details on how the pyramid game is usualy orgnanized.

who helped? that one is harder russell was a high ranking freemason, ( this is disputed by the WBAS ) and as one he had an established, secret, group to work through. russell was also involved with the foumding of a group called the church of latter day saints, or the mormons (this is also disputed) i hope someone can find the other publications he printed, i have looked to no avail

RR

Willy

who helped? that one is harder russell was a high ranking freemason, ( this is disputed by the WBAS ) and as one he had an established, secret, group to work through. russell was also involved with the foumding of a group called the church of latter day saints, or the mormons (this is also disputed) i hope someone can find the other publications he printed, i have looked to no avail

I don't know why I bother, but let me repeat, this is the biggest piece of hogwash I have ever heard, everyone I know who believes this always states "it's true," however, till this day, NO ONE, and I mean NO ONE has come up with one piece of evidence.

Even the high ranking masons I know have not been able to come up with anything .... well, yeah, it's a secret society, they wouldn't tell you ..... DUH!!! Well, someone has to know, if this FACT was let out. SHOW ME THE PROOF!

_______________
Less Religion and more Jesus!

RR

Being a Bible Student historian, I may be able to better answer your questions, Mac.

How was it possible to arrive, in such a short time, to such an amount of moneý???

You forget, or maybe you just didn't know, Russell was a businessman, owning a dozen or so clothing stores, he also had money invested in stocks and bonds and in other beusiness ventures, in a time when Rockefellar was known only in small circles, Russell was moving up the ranks. By the time he was 20 or so, he had half a million dollars to his name!

His Father was wealthy and so was his uncle, also called Charles Taze Russell, actually it was "tays" not "Taze", for whom he was named after.

My second question is : Who helped CT Russell?

When Zion's Watch Tower journal was first formed Russell was its managing editor, when the Society was first formed unincorporated, in 1881, Russell was merely the treasurer, William Conley a reknown banker and a member of the original bible study group form in allegeny, was its president, no doubt he donated most of the money to get ZWT off the ground, however wanted to spen more of his time being a philantropic, he bowed out when the Society was Incorporated and Russell was it's president, Maria was VP.

Those who helped were prominent Advent Christians, in the late 1860s and 1870s the Advent Christians were starting to organize, independent ecclesia of millerites were starting to rally around their favorite vehicle [ministry]when two of Russell's mentors [the two Georges] Stetson and Storrs [prominent Adventist and Pioneers of the Millerite movemnet] died, he inherited their following.

Add that to the mailing list he had from his years with Nelson Barbour and their "Herald of the Morning" journal, he started out fairly well.

Were those "ekklesia's" already established under different denominations?

_______________
Less Religion and more Jesus!

MacHislopp

Hello everyone,

thank you to you all, for the answers.

I'll make more researches on those points, and I'll be

back.

Agape, J.C.MacHislopp

PS.sorry for the nos. of topics ...
I'll try another approach.

waiting

hey Mac,

Don't worry about the number of your posts. Ol' Englishman is just jealous he doesn't have that many posts in one day.

So am I. But I do enjoy your posts and your questions. Thanks.

I've been reading Jim Penton's "Apocalypse Delayed" and still in the history part about Russell. Very interesting.

waiting

MacHislopp

Hello everyone,

thanks for your added comments. They make
the research more interesting, and unable the exchange of
view points and ideas. I'm still researching on some data and
I'll post them later.

*waiting: thanks for your remarks, and don't worry about the
messages, providing that they areexpressed in a ci-
vilized manner, with a constructive critic...we all
can learn something from them.

*RR: sorry for the question, but are you by any ...
related to Rolando Rodriguez of Bridgewater etc. etc.,
(yes or no would be sufficient for me)

Agape to you all, J.C.MacHislopp

BIBLE STUDENTS, ..WTS and FINANCE

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