1931...when the term JW was coined...

by kzjw 5 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  kzjw

  Does anyone know what happened "other" Int'l Bible Students when the JW's went thier seperate way? Hwat religions did they become? I'm trying to get a grasp of thier history...
• 

  Nathan Natas

  You might enjoy readiing "A People For His Name: A History of Jehovah's Witnesses and an Evaluation" by Tony Wills. It is available from Amazon or Lulu.com. The author does a great job of documenting the various groups that have spun off of the WTB&TS through the years.

  I don't think anyone left the WTB&TS simply because of a name change. There were serious doctrinal and control issues involved at various points in the WT history, even during Chuck Russell's time. Basically, the Bible Students who didn't agree with Rutherford, like those who earlier didn't agree with Russell, just kept on being Bible Students although several new names were invented to identify each group, and many of those groups are still active today, althogh none to the magnitude of the JWs, because CTR didn't place as much emphasis on book sales as Rutherford later did.
• 

  kurtbethel

  There are many bible student groups around. Do a search for "bible students" and see what comes up. One local group had a booth at the county fair and I picked up several booklets there, including a softcover "Divine Plan of the Ages". I showed this to my study conductor and I was sure to point out it was written by CT Russell. Then I showed him the pyramid chart and 1914 date. It is worthwhile to look in to what the bible students are doing if you want to flesh out what you know of JW history. My perception is that they tend to be independent study groups with no strong central authority.
• 

  Nathan Natas

  Kurtbethel said,

  It is worthwhile to look in to what the bible students are doing if you want to flesh out what you know of JW history.

  That's a good point - when a person leaves the Watchtower Ark, they are swiftly forgotten. In many (not all, sadly) cases the Bible Students know "the rest of the story."

  One thing that I think is VERY unfortunate is the tendency of both Bible Students and JWs to ignore all personal details of the lives of their members. This is rooted, I think, in the beliefs that a) "creature worship" (or any personal attention) is wrong and b) that the person's life isn't over- it is just paused. Because of this, though, there are (for example) witnesses who don't know what Rutherford's middle name was, don't know that he was alienated from his wife and son, and couldn't identify ten percent of the names hidden behind all the initials mentioned in JW publications.

  I VALUE the "human story," (because I believe it is the only story there is) and I regret that many times such stories are lost in time. We will never know what Malcolm Rutherford thought of his dissolute father because no one ever bothered to interview him. Maria Russell had tales to tell, but either felt it was wrong to tell them or couldn't find an interested audience. Similar situations with Moyle, McPhail, Covington, Henninges, Salter, Robison, etc., etc., etc. and especially in regard to their wives.
• 

  Awakened at Gilead

  Yeah, We only know about Maria Russell what the WTS spews out, so its a shame she didn't spill the beans...
• 

  Gopher

  Here's a Wikipedia article you might find useful: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovah's_Witnesses_splinter_groups

  Active splinter groups

  • Associated Bible Students
  • Dawn Bible Students Association
  • Christian Millennial Fellowship
  • Layman's Home Missionary Movement
  • Lord's Witnesses
  • Pastoral Bible Institute

  Defunct Groups

  • Bible Student's Fellowship?
  • Hirsho-Kittenger Movement
  • Olson Movement
  • Ritchie Movement led by A. I. Ritchie, vice-president of the Watchtower Society)
  • Servants of Yah
  • Sturgeon Movement