What was the purpose of Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society

Lady Lee

from Visions of Glory, Chapter 2

Russell was the president of the organization that is today known as the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. Mrs. Russell was a director of the Society and served as its secretary and treasurer for some years. [Yearbook, 1975, p. 66) According to its charter, "The purpose for which the corporation is formed is, the dissemination of Bible Truths in various languages by means of the publication of tracts, pamphlets, papers and other religious documents and by the use of all other lawful means which its Board of Directors, duly constituted, shall deem expedient for the furtherance of the purpose stated." (JWDP, p. 27)

So much for teaching the Word of God. They had one purpose - print and disseminate books, fliers, pamphlets, information in any form - except the verbal one

By 1889, the Watch Tower Society had begun to amass property. A four-story brick building in Allegheny, known as the Bible House, was built and legally held in title by the Tower Publishing Company. [Yearbook, 1975, p. 42] A holding company for his private interests, the Tower Publishing Company (which Russell used, at one time, to publish literature for the Watch Tower Society at a price agreed upon by the board of directors-of which he was president), built the Bible House "at a cost of 34,000." (JWDP, p. 27; Yearbook, 1975, p. 421 In 1898, ownership of the Tower Publishing plant and real estate was transferred by donation to the Watch Tower Society. The board of the Watch Tower Society evaluated the Allegheny property and equipment at $164,033.65. [Yearbook, 1975, p.42] (There were at this time 400 preachers associated with the Watch Tower Society.) The Allegheny building remained the Society's headquarters for twenty years.

I suspect Barbara added the info in red although the WTS may have added it to the text. Either way the people who sold the books at that time were known as colporteurs - not publishers (which is why I think it was added later)

The term colporteur is defined as

colporteur

Mirriam-Webster
Main Entry: col·por·teur
Function: noun
Etymology: French, alteration of Middle French comporteur, from comporter to bear, peddle
Date:
1796
: a peddler of religious books

The Free Dictionary

col·por·teur
n. A peddler of devotional literature. [French, alteration (influenced by col , neck, from the idea that peddlers carry their wares on trays suspended from straps around their necks) of Old French comporteur , from comporter , to conduct, peddle; see comport.]

Absolutely not a preaching work. It was sales - pure and simple. Which explains why he seesawed about religion.

Great at selling men's shirts

Great at selling books and getting prople to sell the books for him

Robert K Stock

Russell did not intend to create a sect. He thought that his writings would be read by honest hearted believers and they would progress in their faith while maintaining membership in their various churches. A publishing house selling his work was what he had in mind.

Leolaia

I agree, it is a bit anachronistic to attribute to ZWTB&TS the aims and functions it has had since the time of Rutherford's reforms. The Society in Russell's day was simply a legal and business entity for publishing books, supporting the (relatively limited) distribution work, organizing public lectures and syndication of sermons, etc. It had rather little to do with church affairs. That was altogether separate. It was Rutherford in his "power grab" who made the office of "president" of the Society analogous to being "president" of the church. Being elected president of the Society did not make him a "successor" to Russell in religious matters, only in the management of the Society and the printing of books. It took 20 years for Rutherford to make the WTB&TS the central headquarters of the religion, culminating in the institution of the "Theocracy" in 1938.

The limited role of the Society can best be seen in the draft fiasco of 1918. The Bible Students had no membership to a recognized religion or religious body (as Russell said, their names are only "written in heaven"). The way the laws were set up, the Bible Students could not really claim conscientious objector status by pointing to a loose affiliation with a book printing house.

The idea of a massive preaching work is also of much later, I believe only from 1919 or 1920 onwards (starting with the "millions" campaign and Rutherford's new interpretation of Matthew 24:14).

AnneB

So much for teaching the Word of God. They had one purpose - print and disseminate books, fliers, pamphlets, information in any form - except the verbal one

They didn't need a corporation to speak! To disseminate literature is quite another thing. Forming a corporation makes perfect sense.

Try not to judge the past by the present.

Lady Lee

What I found interesting is that over the last few years it seems the WTS has worked to separate themselves from the preaching work

and what many here have said is that the WTS is more of a book selling company than a religion - the people are expendable once they can no longer sell the books

RR

Hi Lady Lee, let me ask, how were they to teach the Word of God if not by printing and distributing literature? Keep in mind that ZWT was not a church, it was just a publishing, and what do publishing houses do? (everybody now) "THEY PUBLISH"

RR

VM44

The inclusion of the Great Pyramid chapter in volume 3 of the Millennial Dawn series was an attempt by Russell to catch the attention of those interested in the Great Pyramid at that time in order to have them buy his books.

Russell wanted his books to be sold!!

After Russell changed the name of the series to Studies in the Scriptures he still wanted people who already had a complete set of Millennial Dawn to buy the books again even though the content was (mostly) the same!

Russell was a businessman and salesman first and foremost over any other calling he thought he might have had.

--VM44

AnneB

What I found interesting is that over the last few years it seems the WTS has worked to separate themselves from the preaching work

In the late '80's there were two talks given at a District Convention outlining the difference between the WT and the GB. The talks covered the probability that the WT (the corporation) would be shut down by "Caesar" and how important it was to note that the GB could not be shut down, they would always be there for Jehovah's people.

It makes sense that they would work to separate the two, i.e., removing GB members from corporate positions.

Is this what you had in mind?

MeneMene

AlphaOmega provided a copy of Rutherford's Death Certificate at www.jehovahs-witness.com/10/136955/1.ashx

That certificate says:

10. Usual Occupation - Editor

11. Industry or Business - Publishing (Retired)

I find it very interesting that there was no mention of anything "religious". Not a minister, preacher, pastor - nothing.

Edited to ask: Any idea when Zion's Watch Tower became a "religion" if not with Rutherford? At what point was he considered "Retired" and no longer head of WTS?

VM44

Rutherford's Death Certificate stated "11. Industry or Business - Publishing (Retired)"

This is nonsense! Rutherford was President of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society up to practically the day he died.

He wasn't "Retired" at all. His last book, Children, was released in 1941 and he gave the Convention talk in which the book was released. Rutherford died early the next year on January 8th, 1942.

Someone provided false information!

--VM44

What was the purpose of Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society

Share this