Bits of unreported history that may be of casual interest… as to doctrinal origins
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J.W. Sykes was one-of-a-kind in the Pentecostal movement, but he was considered quite a maverick who went his own way with heretical teachings repugnant to the Pentecostal faith.
Joshua Sykes’ congregation was integrated, unlike Pastor Russell’s public speeches/sermons where blacks and whites both could attend, but only in separate sections--Sykes's members were sitting side by side in the Pentecostal church.
This was considered dangerous and inflammatory at the time.
Pentecostal Preacher Joshua Sykes practiced racial and gender "integration" as early as 1908 -- having both African-American and female assistant preachers, staffers, and members. (The WatchTower Society was not fully integrated until the 1970s.)
During WW1, the Pentecostal Preacher Joshua Sykes forbade his followers from being employed in any kind of employment furthering or abetting the manufacturing of military equipment, supplies, and materials.
(It took the WatchTower Society until WW2 to do the same.)
Let us note the development of Sykes’ teachings and how Jehovah’s Witness’ teachings seemed to echo them!
Sykes proclaimed he was an anti-Trinitarian chosen by "Jehovah" to gather together and prepare "a people" for the imminent Second Advent of Jesus Christ.
J. W. Sykes served 15 months in federal prison, and three of his associates served 10 months in prison for ‘obstructing the draft’ by means of his public teaching and preaching.
Rutherford and his WatchTower gang served less than 9 months in prison for sedition.
When Rutherford grasped he was facing real imprisonment, he backpedaled and compromised. Read his press statement:
"The charges that I am in any way antagonistic to the United States government are false. I stand squarely with President Wilson in this great crisis and have no sympathy with anyone who does otherwise." -- J.F. Rutherford via April 1918 press release.
During WW1, at a time when Judge Rutherford had no issues with the displaying of the American Flag, nor had any issues with saluting the American Flag, nor had any issues with reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, nor had any issues with standing for the National Anthem, Pentecostal Preacher Joshua Sykes was teaching his followers that they could NOT perform any of those patriotic acts.
This was because they believed that reciting the Pledge of Allegiance was a form of "idolatry" forbidden by the Bible.
The ACLU successfully negotiated a settlement with that local school board by the start of the following school year -- within a matter of months. It was not until 9 years later, in 1935, that the ACLU and Judge Rutherford formed a partnership to repeat what the ACLU had done for Sykes' cult.
Pause and consider that one!
During WW1, at a time when Judge Rutherford was advising WatchTower Society headquarters staff and members to purchase Liberty Bonds, the Pentecostal Preacher Joshua Sykes was forbidding his members to do so.
Interestingly, during WW1, the Pentecostal Preacher Joshua Sykes was forbidding his members to support the American Red Cross -- financially or otherwise. The WatchTower Society did not get around to that until the latter 1940s.
During WW1, the Pentecostal Preacher Joshua Sykes was teaching his followers that they were NOT citizens of the United States, but were citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. It took the WatchTower Society until the 1950s to teach its members a version of such. Sykes actually needs mentioning in a prominent celebration of this insight.
Pentecostal Preacher Joshua Sykes and WatchTower Society President Joe Rutherford turned their religious followers into anti-government and anti-societal targets who made careers of attacking every human government, attacking every societal institution, and attacking every other Christian religion.
Prior to WW1, the ANTI-TRINITARIAN Pentecostal Preacher J. W. Sykes was teaching his followers to distinguish between"Jehovah God" and his Son, "Jesus Christ", and to openly and regularly refer to the "Father" as "Jehovah", and not just "God". By the 1920s, Joshua Sykes was making even more widespread use of the name "Jehovah", such that whenever some unidentified religious group or religious nut would make repeated use of the name "Jehovah", they were assumed to be part of Joshua Sykes' cult -- not the "Bible Students". Judge Rutherford did not make a major issue of the use of the name "Jehovah" until after Joshua Sykes died in 1929.
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Other persons of interest…
Ever hear of the famous 20th century Evangelist, H. A Ironside?
This preacher had been using a peculiar phrase to identify his followers.
He used the term “Jehovah’s witnesses.”
Ever hear of that phrase as occurring BEFORE 1931?
Judge Rutherford didn't capitalize the "w" in "witnesses".
He followed the use of the lowercase "w" in "witnesses", just as H. A. Ironside had already been using in his multiple Biblical commentaries and published sermons that Ironside had authored at least as early as 1909, and as was the "Jehovah's witnesses" notation in Ironside’s personal Bible next to Isaiah 43:10.
This whisper of “Jehovah’s witness” in Rutherford’s ear was not wholly unique.
Even the stones might well have cried out, eh?
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check out this source: https://jwemployees.bravehost.com/NewsReports/2033.html