by Kenneson 22 Replies latest jw friends
That "amazingforum" site sure lives up to it's title. Here are some amazing historical photos from a link contained in one of the threads:
http://amazingforums.com/forum/HGREW/13.html
http://groups.msn.com/s44coeumosg8gi89n9tkpp9d43/shoebox.msnw?Page=1
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Joe,
I was trying to respond to you. The "Proclaimer's of God's Kingdom" was published in 1993. You might find this site of interest:
http://www.cftf.com/booklets/proclaimers/index.html
Go to page 576 for David Reed's comment on this Watchtower disclosure.
RR,
Thank you for correcting the fact that Conley was one of the Board of Directors of the Third National Bank of Pittsburgh, rather than its president.
I have some questions that you can perhaps answer. You have established that Conley was in the beginning an Advent Christian. But I would like to know whether he died as one or if he remained faithful to Russell and the Bible Students until the end.. I find it interesting that Paton takes note of Conley's passing in 1897, whereas not a word is mentioned in the pages of ZWT. Was Paton at this time an Advent Christian? This indeed would be a shocker, if it can be verified. The first president of the Watchtower Society died an Adventist rather than a Bible Student. Can you clarify or disavow?
I'm finding this a fascinating discussion and while we're waiting on some clarification on the question raised by Kenneson, may I ask my own question, naive though it may seem!
Are we saying that the first president of the Society is of necessity the founder of the Society? I'm not sure that one follows the other. There have been figurehead presidents. Clarification please.
Cheers, Ozzie
Ozzie,
My view is that Russell is the founder of the Society, not Conley. But to become president of the Society must mean that Russell either held Conley in esteem or felt perhaps that Conley's clout might be instrumental to the movement.
Conley's clout might be instrumental to the movement
We would expect to find then that his shareholding would reflect that?
We have to consider that the Society was originally called "ZION'S WATCH TOWER SOCIETY" it was not incorporated, so it didn't need any type of officers. It just seemed to be a name with no real purpose.
ZION'S WATCH TOWER AND HERALD OF CHRIST'S PRESENCE was NOT published by this Society. Br. Russell was it's editor AND publisher. In fact in those days "all communications should be addressed to "Zion's Watch Tower," and that "Drafts, money orders etc., [be] made payable to the Editor." Later in 1884 when the Society was incorporated, it was incorporated under a different name; ZION'S WATCH TOWER AND TRACT SOCIETY. So to be honest, I'm not sure what the Society's purpose was in those days.
It wasn't incorporated, no corporation, it didn't really need officers, it wasn'y a non-prophets organization, because they hadn't received that status yet ... go figure!
Now that being said, Conley semed to be one who got involved in the moment. As a Protestant and then Advent Christian and with all his money, he made a lot of friends and supported them all.
Thus he stayed friendly with Russell, Barbour, Paton, and others. It's not so unsual.
Consider the master promotor himslef, Joshua Himes, who promoted the Millerite message, published, promoted, printed, wrote, etc. and in the end, he wind up being a Methodist bishop in aoms riral town of less then 1,100 people.
RR
it was[n'y] a non-prophets organization, because they hadn't received that status yet ... go figure!
I took some liberty there; but RR, that's a slip, eh, Freudian? ;)
.
You caught me .... lol
