Watchtower Fallout

by gitasatsangha 48 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  RR

  I did remember one aother group however this group splut before the Watchtower was even formed. When C.T. Russell, Nelson Barbour and John Paton formed an alliance. Barbour began republishing the Herald of the Morning, Russell and Paton wopuld travel to encourage the subscribers and do back calls.

  One of the men Russell met a minister by the name of A.P. Adams who seemed very interested in the message, and so he supported the group. However around 1878, Russell and Paton left Barbour, formed the Watch Tower, later Paton Left Russell and formed the "The Larger Hope publishing Co, and began publishing "The World's Hope" magazine. Adams who never joined the Watch Tower or stayed with Barbour began publishing "The Spirit of the Word." The magazine only ran for about a year, he also published a few booklets. Yet somehow Adams' following as as diverse as C.T. Russell's. There are dozens of groups and individuals who believe Adam's was a messenger of the Lord. His writings can be read online, just do a search.

  One of the "offshoots" of Adams' would be A.E. Knoch who published "Unsearchable Riches". It is not known if he really was an offshoot, but many seem to lump them together as well as Paton, because of their universalist views. While Adams, Paton and Knoch believed ALL wold be reconciled, Russell believed ALL will be given the OPPORTUNITY to be reconciled.

  RR
• 

  willyloman

  ...a member of a Jehovah's Witnesses breakaway group that believes they should test their faith (much like snake handlers do) by standing in the middle of traffic. A few days before her fatal demonstration of faith, she had been pulled to safety from the same highway as she attempted to proselytize to drivers zooming by...

  Street work?
• 

  badboy

  What was the 1909 schism?
• 

  RR

  In 1908/1909, E.C. Henninges, the Australian Branch Manager of the International Bible Students Association, and M.L. McPhail, Pilgrim for the IBSA and a member of the Chicago Bible Students, withdrew their support causing the second largest split in the Society's history, next only to the 1917 split. He produced a monthly journal The New Covenant Advocate and Kingdom Herald and numerous books, booklets and tracts. After Henninges death, his work continued on for some years, the group and magazine folded by 1944. Most of the New Covenant Bible Students were left to fend for themselves. Many of them did not survive, and splintered off into non-existence. The Free Bible Students as they are called today, do however, make up the largest Bible Student group in Australia. In recent years there has been a resurgence of Free Bible Student rallying under the new leadership of the Christian Millennial Fellowship.

  However it should be noted that those who left in 1909 accepted most of what Russell taught until then. They split over the issue of the New Covenant. Russell believed the New Covenant was made with Israel and still binding, while they believed it was made with the Church as a replacement of Israel.

  The new Covenant groups of today, have pretty much rejected much of what Russell taught and are at odds with the Associated Bible Students doctrinally.

  RR
• 

  badboy

  Thanks 4 the info,RR
• 

  RevMalk

  I don't believe the Watchtower has ever hidden this information though. I remember a talk that went around the circuit for a while in the 80's that was on this very topic. They had a chart and everything of the spin-offs from Russell.
• 

  Nadsam

  JW type-off-shoots still active in South Africa:

  • International Bible Students Association.
  • Nightwatch Ministries
  • Watchman Fellowship
  • Witnesses of JAH
  • ZION Christian Church (use the same crown&cross as the IBSA and early WTBTS) - 4 Million Members in South Africa alone.Basically have an elder structure & assemblies the same as the borg, mostly non white membership and services cunducted in African languages.

  In central Africa there are many splinter groups such as the Watchtowers Witnesses and of course the Rastifarians often are misunderstood as JW's because of the use of the name Jehovah.

  Nadsam
• 

  Kenneson

  Nadsam,

  You mention the Watchtowers Witnesses in central Africa. Is that the same as the Kitawala in Zaire (the former Congo)? And weren't they responsible for a lot of turmoil in that region years ago?
• 

  GrandmaJones

  btt