Hi Orange,
A few years ago I attended the Dawn Bible Students national convention in Newberg, Oregon. It was most interesting. It had many elements of an extra large JW circuit assembly. It was held at a local college with about 3,000 in attendance. About a third of the audience wre ex-JWs. This is where I got to know the grandaughter of Olin Moyle, and learn some interesting information regarding the Moyle v Watchtower trial.
At this convention I was able to purchase the first book ever written by Charles Russell, called: Tabernacle Shadows. I spoke extensively with the Dawn Students, and learned that they could have beaten Rutherford legally, given that Rutherford had no authority to fire the four directors. Their attorney wanted to press forth and remove Rutherford, but after prayerful consideration, they decided to not take their brothers to court in accordance with Bible principles. They decided to just let the Society go. Many viewed the Watchtower Society as having returned to Babylon the Great.
I also attended a few of their Sunday meetings. These were most interesting, because they are truly Bible studies. They do spend the first half hour discussing pages from Studies in the Scriptures, but after that they discuss and even debate what they study in the Bible. Women and men participate equally. The children are watched by an adult and old kids, but essentially play quietly in a play area, while the adults study and debate.
Overall my assessment of them is: The Dawn Bible Students have all the good things you wanted with Jehovah's Witnesses, but none of the bad.
Jim Whitney
