by IslandWoman 20 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
If you mean Ray Franz and the other members of the writing department who advocated the elder arrangement... well, that could be. I can't disprove it.
Are you saying that the Elder arrangement idea (and subsequently the GB authority) may have originated in the Writing Department?
IW
Didn't Ray Franz and others who were compiling research for the AID book get some "new lite" and come to the conclusion that there were bodies of elders in the congregations?
I stand to be corrected on this information but if memory serves me correctly, according to Ray Franz, the governing body was established after the death of CT Russell. Russell did not want to leave the WT in the hands of one person so in his will he left it to a body of 7. Then after Russell death, Rutherford took over control with legal maneuvers and booted out those that opposed him. So from that point till 1971 when the board took back the power, it was basically ran by one or two people.
Will
Hi Minimus,
Didn't Ray Franz and others who were compiling research for the AID book get some "new lite" and come to the conclusion that there were bodies of elders in the congregations?
It seems so, but did that "new light" result in the forming of the powerful Governing Body arrangement that ultimately put out Ray Franz?
IW
IW,
Ray Franz makes several comments in his books regarding the undue influence one or more strong personalities on the GB have on the outcome of decisions made by the group.
Right now I would suspect Teddy boy is filling the shoes of the 'strong personality' quite well.
Danny
It seems that there was sort of a power struggle within the organization to share the authority that used to be exclusively that of the president. Russell and Rutherford had absolute control during their tenure. But things began to change in Knorr's administration. When the elder arrangment was introduced to the congregations, it was apparent that something was lacking in this "scriptural arrangement" at the headquarters. This was the chance for others to share the responsibility and power that came with leadership. Of course, as with all changes, the Society felt a need to justify it by giving the scriptural reasons. Some resisted this change including Knorr and Franz. But it was too late.
It's an old story. The Catholic church has struggled with the same issues down through its history. Does the Pope have sumpreme authority or is he subjected to that of the authority of the Cardinals? It is one that divided the church during the debates about the doctrine of the infallibility of the Pope in the 1870s. Many left the church and formed the "Old Catholics."
The very human organization of Jehovah's Witnesses is not immuned to the very human emotions and struggles that have beset other groups.
Island Woman wrote:
Are you saying that the Elder arrangement idea (and subsequently the GB authority) may have originated in the Writing Department?
I'm talking about the GB arrangement, not its authority.
The GB's authority came from the fact that it took over the President's authority, which was the creation of one man... J. F. Rutherford.
William Penwell wrote:the governing body was established after the death of CT Russell.
Well, actually, Russell established two committees. One was a Board of Directors, which had general oversight of the Society; and one was an Editorial Committee, which was responsible for what was printed in the Watchtower. Neither was called a Governing Body, although both, as you noted, were eventually taken over by Rutherford.
I'm not sure when the term 'Governing Body' started to be applied to the Board of Directors, but I think it may have been in the 40's.
Euphemism:
I'm not sure when the term 'Governing Body' started to be applied to the Board of Directors, but I think it may have been in the 40's.
I think you're right. The earliest ref I could find where that term is used in its current WTS sense is w1943, p. 216:
"Blessed is that servant, whom his lord, when cometh, shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, that he shall make him ruler over all his goods." (Matt. 24: 46, 47) Such prophecy makes certain that Jehovah’s "servant" class would prove faithful down till the Lord’s coming to the temple in A.D. 1918. At that momentous date, as is well known, the remnant Jehovah’s "people for his name" were colaboring with the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society as their legal governing body.Prior to that, the phrase was used in a derogatory sense to apply to the RC Hierarchy. Interesting how easily such terms can suddenly take on a "new" and acceptable meaning.
Craig
IN COC, Ray Franz does address this matter, and as mentioned, and if memory serves (I read the book over a year ago, borrowed from the local library) the elder "arrangement" did go into effect several years before the "body" concept was adopted at Headquarters. I believe it was 1976 when that happened.
Euphemism,
Island Woman wrote:
Are you saying that the Elder arrangement idea (and subsequently the GB authority) may have originated in the Writing Department?I'm talking about the GB arrangement, not its authority.
Thank you for correcting my statement.
Apparently the change in congregational structure eventually brought down Franz, Dunlap and some others at Bethel. As I said before the only thing the elder arrangement did was put lots of little men in place of the one. The GB arrangement did the same. No good has come of either.
Too bad.
IW
