BIBLE STUDENT MOVEMENT
- + Add to Faves
- + Translate
- + Share
العربية
ä¸å›½
Français
Deutsch
Ελληνική
हिनà¥à¤¦à¥€
Italiano
日本語
Português
РуÑÑкий
Español
(Redirected from Bible Students)
The 'Bible Student movement' is a religious movement with premillennialist expectations, that sprang from the teachings and ministry of Pastor Charles Taze Russell in the 1870s, whose followers generally call themselves "Bible Students". Following a schism after Russell’s death in 1916, several offshoot groups formed, some of which have today moved away from the doctrines of Pastor Russell to one degree or another. The largest group of the movement today is the Jehovah's Witnesses, although there are still thousands of Bible Students worldwide who have had increased visibility and influence in recent years due to the formation and growth of the world wide web.
Apart from Charles Taze Russell early figures and influences included:
★ Nelson H. Barbour (1824-1905)
★ John Nelson Darby (1800-1882)
★ Henry Dunn (1801-1878)
★ Dunbar Isidore Heath (1816-1888)
★ Dwight L. Moody (1835-1899)
★ George Stetson (1814-1879)
★ R. E. Streeter (1847-1924)
★ Jonas Wendell (1815-1873)
★ George Storrs
Main articles: Jehovah's Witnesses
Main articles: International Bible Students Association
Following the death of Pastor Russell in 1916 and subsequent election of Joseph "Judge" Rutherford in 1917, a schism arose among Bible Students which split the neo-Protestant/Adventist denomination in 1918.
In 1931, the Bible Students who remained affiliated with the organisation under Rutherford adopted the name Jehovah's Witnesses, from a scripture in the book of Isaiah - "'Ye are my witnesses,' saith Jehovah, and I am God.'" (However, the term "Jehovah's witness" had previously appeared in print in a 1928 edition of The Watch Tower (p356), in the context of the study by the Watchtower of pyramidology). Bible Students who refused to recognize the Watch Tower Society's claim to be God's mouthpiece were condemned as heretical.
Although the schism resulted in nearly three-quarters of the original membership leaving the organisation, Rutherford and his Board of Directors maintained control of the official organs of the Bible Society itself, including its offices, publications, and official journal - ''Watchtower''. The Annual Report of Jehovah's Witnesses for 2005 reports the active number of Witnesses worldwide to be 6.6 million.
Main articles: Free Bible Students
M.L. McPhail, Pilgrim member of the Chicago Bible Students, disassociated himself from Russell's movement at the same time as the New Covenant controversy emerged, and led the ''New Covenant Bible Students'' in the United States, founding the ''New Covenant Believers'' in 1909. The group published ''The Kingdom Scribe'' magazine until 1975. The group still exists today under the name ''Berean Bible Students Church''.
In 1928, the ''Italian Bible Students Association'' in Hartford, Connecticut withdrew its support from the Watchtower Society and changed its name to the ''Millennial Bible Students Church'', then eventually to ''Christian Millennial Fellowship, Inc.''. They eventually rejected many of Russell's writings as erroneous. The group is now located in New Jersey.
Main articles: Associated Bible Students
Many of the Bible Student congregations which hold to the writings and views of Pastor Russell refer to themselves under the generic title "Associated Bible Students". All congregations are autonomous, and despite use of this title, may not necessarily have contact with others. Those using this name are the largest segment resulting from the massive exodus (75%) from the Watchtower Society in the decade following Russell's death in 1916. This occurred after Joseph Franklin Rutherford was elected the new president, and began changing the doctrinal platform and organizational structure Russell had supported.
In 1917, four members of the Board of Directors for the Watchtower Society were expelled by Rutherford on a legal technicality that would have equally applied to him.[1] The Directors took issue with Rutherford's actions for numerous reasons as well as insisted he was violating Pastor Russell's will.[2] In 1918 they held the first Bible Student Convention independent of the Watchtower Society. At the second convention a few months later, the informal ''Pastoral Bible Institute'' was founded. They began publishing ''The Herald of Christ’s Kingdom'', edited by R. E. Streeter. Although the magazine continues to be published today [1], the Pastoral Bible Institute is essentially defunct, with only an editorial committee publishing the magazine.
The Australian ''Berean Bible Institute'' also formally separated from the Watchtower Society in 1918. They published ''The Voice'' and the ''People's Paper'' magazine. Offshoot congregations of the BBI still exist, but the full number of all Bible Students in Australia is estimated at less than 100.
In December 1918, Charles E. Heard and some others, considered Rutherford's recommendation to buy war bonds to be a perversion of Russell's pacifist teachings. As a result, they founded the ''StandFast Bible Students Association'' in Portland, Oregon. The name originates from their decision to “stand fast" on war principles that Pastor Russell had espoused. Opposed to public witnessing, they eventually dwindled in numbers, and then completely dissolved, but not without giving birth to a splinter group known as the ''Elijah Voice Society'', founded by John A. Herdersen and C. D. McCray in 1923. They were especially noted for their witnessing and pacifist activity.
In 1928, Norman Woodworth, cousin of C.J. Woodworth, left the Watchtower Society after having been involved with their radio ministry, to create an independent Bible Student radio program ''Frank and Ernest''. Funding was provided with the help of the Brooklyn congregation of Bible Students. In 1929 they sponsored and held the First Annual Reunion Convention of Bible Students at the old Bible House used by Pastor Russell in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1931, the Dawn Bible Students Association was founded (by Norman Woodworth among others) for the sole purpose of again publishing the "Studies in the Scriptures" series that the Watchtower Society had officially ceased publishing of in 1927. The Dawn began publication of a leaflet called ''The Bible Students Radio Echo'' as a method of following up the immense interest in the radio program. This publication was soon made into a magazine and renamed "The Dawn and Herald of Christ’s Presence". It was initially a bi-monthly, and then later a monthly journal. Today, they carry on with publishing work, as well as radio, television, and internet radio programs. Over the past thirty years controversy has surrounded the Dawn as their publishing committee began to espouse more liberal points of view, pulling away from some of Charles Russell's viewpoints, and alienating many Bible Students as a result. In 1974 a group of Bible Students at a Convention in Fort Collins, Colorado formally decided to cease their spiritual fellowship with and financial support of the Dawn Bible Students Association for this very reason. Although not an offshoot group per se, they refer to themselves as "Independent Bible Students". The split was not intended to eliminate or restrict personal fellowship, but rather was viewed as a 'stand for the truth' by ceasing sponsorship of elders associated with the Dawn, and avoiding attendance at conventions held by congregations that supported the Dawn. In recent years attempts have been made to bring the two sides back together, with varying results. A committee that had been formed at the 1974 Convention decided to begin publishing a monthly non-doctrinal Bible Student news and information magazine, called "The Bible Students Newsletter". It has become what is now the most widely distributed publication amongst all Bible Students worldwide.
Although nearly all congregations, known as an "Ecclesia" (from the Greek word for "called out ones") are under no central leadership, most of the well established Bible Student congregations and members remain firmly united and strongly linked. Many Ecclesia's sponsor yearly or bi-yearly conventions, usually held from April through October. Although the general public are invited, the majority in attendance are usually Bible Students from surrounding areas, or those who have traveled from abroad. Depending upon the convention, total attendance is usually less than one-hundred. The yearly Dawn General Convention (held in late Summer), Chicago Bible Student's New-Years-Eve Convention (held around December 31st), the Indiana-Ohio Convention (held in June or July), and The International Convention (held biannually in Europe on even years during the month of August) see the largest overall attendance, sometimes numbering over two-thousand.
Main articles: Layman's Home Missionary Movement
Paul S. L. Johnson, eventually founded the Layman's Home Missionary Movement in 1919. Johnson's death in 1950 lead to internal disagreements, and resulted in the formation of splinter groups, such as the ''Epiphany Bible Students Association'', and the ''Laodicean Home Missionary Movement''. Johnson believed he was the last member of the 144,000, and that with his death all chance for a heavenly reward of immortality offered to the Christian faithful had ceased. His associate and successor, Raymond Jolly, taught that he was the last member of the "great multitude" of Revelation 7. Upon his death all remaining members of this group ceased any thought of entering heaven, and believed they would instead live upon a perfected earth in God's Kingdom as a group referred to as the "modern worthies", associates of the "ancient worthies" – the ancient Jewish prophets which God will resurrect to guide the world in his Kingdom.
In 1917, Alexander F.L. Freytag, Branch manager of the Swiss Watch Tower Society since 1898, founded the ''Angel of Jehovah Bible and Tract Society'' (also known as the ''Philanthropic Assembly of the Friends of Man'' and ''The Church of the Kingdom of God, Philanthropic Assembly''). When he started publishing his views he was ousted from the Watchtower Society by Rutherford in 1919. He published two journals, the monthly ''The Monitor of the Reign of Justice'' and the weekly ''Paper for All''.
Jesse Hemery was one of the most prominent Bible Students of England, and had been appointed president of the International Bible Students Association by Pastor Russell in 1901, holding that post until 1946. In 1951, he was disfellowshipped by N.H. Knorr and then founded the ''Goshen Fellowship''. He died in 1955, and the group, with a small fellowship, is currently led by Frank Lewis Brown.
1. Rutherford dismissed the four directors by claiming that they had never been confirmed as directors at an annual corporation meeting. A. H. Macmillan claimed that Rutherford conferred with an outside lawyer who agreed that they could be dismissed for that reason. (Α. H. MacMillan, «Faith on the March», Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc, 1957, p. 80.
2. Marley Cole, "Jehovah’s Witnesses – The New World Society" (New York: Vantage Press, 1955) pp. 86-89: ''"Four directors wanted a reorganization.... A things stood the president was the administration. He was not consulting them. He was letting them know what he was doing only after it was done. He was putting them in the position of advisers on legal corporate matters"''. The book was written by Cole, an active Witness, as if he were a non-Witness, and was published by an outside publishing firm to reach people that would not take Society literature, but it was sold by the Watchtower too ("The Watchtower August 15 1955, p. 511).
★ International Bible Students Association
★ Jehovah's Witnesses splinter groups
★ Pastor-Russell.com The official CT Russell website run by Bible Students
★ Chennai Bible students
★ New Delhi Biblestudents
★ Columbus, Ohio Bible Students
★ Chicago, Illinois Bible Students
★ North Seattle, Washington Bible Students
★ New Jersey, Bible Students Congregation of New Brunswick
★ Winnipeg Bible Students Association
★ Free Bible Students Containing historical information.
★ The History of the Bible Student Movement, special issue of "The Herald of Christ's Kingdom", published by the Pastoral Bible Institute
★ Various aspects of Bible Student History, Focusing on the schism following Russell's death, with original source documents.
★ Millennial Morning Associated Bible Students of Jersey City, NJ
★ Bible Student Ministries Bridgewater, New Jersey
★ Soldiers of the Cross A History of the Bible Student Movement
Groups' websites:
★ Christian Millennial Fellowship
★ Worldwide Report of Jehovah's Witnesses
Charles Russell in 1911
The 'Bible Student movement' is a religious movement with premillennialist expectations, that sprang from the teachings and ministry of Pastor Charles Taze Russell in the 1870s, whose followers generally call themselves "Bible Students". Following a schism after Russell’s death in 1916, several offshoot groups formed, some of which have today moved away from the doctrines of Pastor Russell to one degree or another. The largest group of the movement today is the Jehovah's Witnesses, although there are still thousands of Bible Students worldwide who have had increased visibility and influence in recent years due to the formation and growth of the world wide web.
| Contents |
| Early history |
| Jehovah's Witnesses |
| The New Covenant Bible Students |
| The Associated Bible Students |
| The Layman's Home Missionary Movement |
| Other groups |
| References |
| See also |
| External links |
Early history
Apart from Charles Taze Russell early figures and influences included:
★ Nelson H. Barbour (1824-1905)
★ John Nelson Darby (1800-1882)
★ Henry Dunn (1801-1878)
★ Dunbar Isidore Heath (1816-1888)
★ Dwight L. Moody (1835-1899)
★ George Stetson (1814-1879)
★ R. E. Streeter (1847-1924)
★ Jonas Wendell (1815-1873)
★ George Storrs
Jehovah's Witnesses
Main articles: Jehovah's Witnesses
Main articles: International Bible Students Association
Following the death of Pastor Russell in 1916 and subsequent election of Joseph "Judge" Rutherford in 1917, a schism arose among Bible Students which split the neo-Protestant/Adventist denomination in 1918.
In 1931, the Bible Students who remained affiliated with the organisation under Rutherford adopted the name Jehovah's Witnesses, from a scripture in the book of Isaiah - "'Ye are my witnesses,' saith Jehovah, and I am God.'" (However, the term "Jehovah's witness" had previously appeared in print in a 1928 edition of The Watch Tower (p356), in the context of the study by the Watchtower of pyramidology). Bible Students who refused to recognize the Watch Tower Society's claim to be God's mouthpiece were condemned as heretical.
Although the schism resulted in nearly three-quarters of the original membership leaving the organisation, Rutherford and his Board of Directors maintained control of the official organs of the Bible Society itself, including its offices, publications, and official journal - ''Watchtower''. The Annual Report of Jehovah's Witnesses for 2005 reports the active number of Witnesses worldwide to be 6.6 million.
The New Covenant Bible Students
Main articles: Free Bible Students
M.L. McPhail, Pilgrim member of the Chicago Bible Students, disassociated himself from Russell's movement at the same time as the New Covenant controversy emerged, and led the ''New Covenant Bible Students'' in the United States, founding the ''New Covenant Believers'' in 1909. The group published ''The Kingdom Scribe'' magazine until 1975. The group still exists today under the name ''Berean Bible Students Church''.
In 1928, the ''Italian Bible Students Association'' in Hartford, Connecticut withdrew its support from the Watchtower Society and changed its name to the ''Millennial Bible Students Church'', then eventually to ''Christian Millennial Fellowship, Inc.''. They eventually rejected many of Russell's writings as erroneous. The group is now located in New Jersey.
The Associated Bible Students
Main articles: Associated Bible Students
Many of the Bible Student congregations which hold to the writings and views of Pastor Russell refer to themselves under the generic title "Associated Bible Students". All congregations are autonomous, and despite use of this title, may not necessarily have contact with others. Those using this name are the largest segment resulting from the massive exodus (75%) from the Watchtower Society in the decade following Russell's death in 1916. This occurred after Joseph Franklin Rutherford was elected the new president, and began changing the doctrinal platform and organizational structure Russell had supported.
In 1917, four members of the Board of Directors for the Watchtower Society were expelled by Rutherford on a legal technicality that would have equally applied to him.[1] The Directors took issue with Rutherford's actions for numerous reasons as well as insisted he was violating Pastor Russell's will.[2] In 1918 they held the first Bible Student Convention independent of the Watchtower Society. At the second convention a few months later, the informal ''Pastoral Bible Institute'' was founded. They began publishing ''The Herald of Christ’s Kingdom'', edited by R. E. Streeter. Although the magazine continues to be published today [1], the Pastoral Bible Institute is essentially defunct, with only an editorial committee publishing the magazine.
The Australian ''Berean Bible Institute'' also formally separated from the Watchtower Society in 1918. They published ''The Voice'' and the ''People's Paper'' magazine. Offshoot congregations of the BBI still exist, but the full number of all Bible Students in Australia is estimated at less than 100.
In December 1918, Charles E. Heard and some others, considered Rutherford's recommendation to buy war bonds to be a perversion of Russell's pacifist teachings. As a result, they founded the ''StandFast Bible Students Association'' in Portland, Oregon. The name originates from their decision to “stand fast" on war principles that Pastor Russell had espoused. Opposed to public witnessing, they eventually dwindled in numbers, and then completely dissolved, but not without giving birth to a splinter group known as the ''Elijah Voice Society'', founded by John A. Herdersen and C. D. McCray in 1923. They were especially noted for their witnessing and pacifist activity.
In 1928, Norman Woodworth, cousin of C.J. Woodworth, left the Watchtower Society after having been involved with their radio ministry, to create an independent Bible Student radio program ''Frank and Ernest''. Funding was provided with the help of the Brooklyn congregation of Bible Students. In 1929 they sponsored and held the First Annual Reunion Convention of Bible Students at the old Bible House used by Pastor Russell in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1931, the Dawn Bible Students Association was founded (by Norman Woodworth among others) for the sole purpose of again publishing the "Studies in the Scriptures" series that the Watchtower Society had officially ceased publishing of in 1927. The Dawn began publication of a leaflet called ''The Bible Students Radio Echo'' as a method of following up the immense interest in the radio program. This publication was soon made into a magazine and renamed "The Dawn and Herald of Christ’s Presence". It was initially a bi-monthly, and then later a monthly journal. Today, they carry on with publishing work, as well as radio, television, and internet radio programs. Over the past thirty years controversy has surrounded the Dawn as their publishing committee began to espouse more liberal points of view, pulling away from some of Charles Russell's viewpoints, and alienating many Bible Students as a result. In 1974 a group of Bible Students at a Convention in Fort Collins, Colorado formally decided to cease their spiritual fellowship with and financial support of the Dawn Bible Students Association for this very reason. Although not an offshoot group per se, they refer to themselves as "Independent Bible Students". The split was not intended to eliminate or restrict personal fellowship, but rather was viewed as a 'stand for the truth' by ceasing sponsorship of elders associated with the Dawn, and avoiding attendance at conventions held by congregations that supported the Dawn. In recent years attempts have been made to bring the two sides back together, with varying results. A committee that had been formed at the 1974 Convention decided to begin publishing a monthly non-doctrinal Bible Student news and information magazine, called "The Bible Students Newsletter". It has become what is now the most widely distributed publication amongst all Bible Students worldwide.
Although nearly all congregations, known as an "Ecclesia" (from the Greek word for "called out ones") are under no central leadership, most of the well established Bible Student congregations and members remain firmly united and strongly linked. Many Ecclesia's sponsor yearly or bi-yearly conventions, usually held from April through October. Although the general public are invited, the majority in attendance are usually Bible Students from surrounding areas, or those who have traveled from abroad. Depending upon the convention, total attendance is usually less than one-hundred. The yearly Dawn General Convention (held in late Summer), Chicago Bible Student's New-Years-Eve Convention (held around December 31st), the Indiana-Ohio Convention (held in June or July), and The International Convention (held biannually in Europe on even years during the month of August) see the largest overall attendance, sometimes numbering over two-thousand.
The Layman's Home Missionary Movement
Main articles: Layman's Home Missionary Movement
Paul S. L. Johnson, eventually founded the Layman's Home Missionary Movement in 1919. Johnson's death in 1950 lead to internal disagreements, and resulted in the formation of splinter groups, such as the ''Epiphany Bible Students Association'', and the ''Laodicean Home Missionary Movement''. Johnson believed he was the last member of the 144,000, and that with his death all chance for a heavenly reward of immortality offered to the Christian faithful had ceased. His associate and successor, Raymond Jolly, taught that he was the last member of the "great multitude" of Revelation 7. Upon his death all remaining members of this group ceased any thought of entering heaven, and believed they would instead live upon a perfected earth in God's Kingdom as a group referred to as the "modern worthies", associates of the "ancient worthies" – the ancient Jewish prophets which God will resurrect to guide the world in his Kingdom.
Other groups
In 1917, Alexander F.L. Freytag, Branch manager of the Swiss Watch Tower Society since 1898, founded the ''Angel of Jehovah Bible and Tract Society'' (also known as the ''Philanthropic Assembly of the Friends of Man'' and ''The Church of the Kingdom of God, Philanthropic Assembly''). When he started publishing his views he was ousted from the Watchtower Society by Rutherford in 1919. He published two journals, the monthly ''The Monitor of the Reign of Justice'' and the weekly ''Paper for All''.
Jesse Hemery was one of the most prominent Bible Students of England, and had been appointed president of the International Bible Students Association by Pastor Russell in 1901, holding that post until 1946. In 1951, he was disfellowshipped by N.H. Knorr and then founded the ''Goshen Fellowship''. He died in 1955, and the group, with a small fellowship, is currently led by Frank Lewis Brown.
References
1. Rutherford dismissed the four directors by claiming that they had never been confirmed as directors at an annual corporation meeting. A. H. Macmillan claimed that Rutherford conferred with an outside lawyer who agreed that they could be dismissed for that reason. (Α. H. MacMillan, «Faith on the March», Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc, 1957, p. 80.
2. Marley Cole, "Jehovah’s Witnesses – The New World Society" (New York: Vantage Press, 1955) pp. 86-89: ''"Four directors wanted a reorganization.... A things stood the president was the administration. He was not consulting them. He was letting them know what he was doing only after it was done. He was putting them in the position of advisers on legal corporate matters"''. The book was written by Cole, an active Witness, as if he were a non-Witness, and was published by an outside publishing firm to reach people that would not take Society literature, but it was sold by the Watchtower too ("The Watchtower August 15 1955, p. 511).
See also
★ International Bible Students Association
★ Jehovah's Witnesses splinter groups
External links
★ Pastor-Russell.com The official CT Russell website run by Bible Students
★ Chennai Bible students
★ New Delhi Biblestudents
★ Columbus, Ohio Bible Students
★ Chicago, Illinois Bible Students
★ North Seattle, Washington Bible Students
★ New Jersey, Bible Students Congregation of New Brunswick
★ Winnipeg Bible Students Association
★ Free Bible Students Containing historical information.
★ The History of the Bible Student Movement, special issue of "The Herald of Christ's Kingdom", published by the Pastoral Bible Institute
★ Various aspects of Bible Student History, Focusing on the schism following Russell's death, with original source documents.
★ Millennial Morning Associated Bible Students of Jersey City, NJ
★ Bible Student Ministries Bridgewater, New Jersey
★ Soldiers of the Cross A History of the Bible Student Movement
Groups' websites:
★ Christian Millennial Fellowship
★ Worldwide Report of Jehovah's Witnesses
This article provided by Wikipedia. To edit the contents of this article, click here for original source.
psst.. try this: add to faves
