68.36.40.196 (talk) |
m →External links: fixed broken link |
||
Line 67: | Line 67: | ||
*[http://www.bible411.com New Jersey, Bible Students Congregation of New Brunswick] |
*[http://www.bible411.com New Jersey, Bible Students Congregation of New Brunswick] |
||
*[http://www.pastor-russell.com/legacy/will2.html Documents relating to Bible Student schisms from 1917 onward] |
|||
*[http://www.cmfellowship.org/faq.htm Free Bible Students] Containing historical information. |
*[http://www.cmfellowship.org/faq.htm Free Bible Students] Containing historical information. |
||
*[http://www.heraldmag.org/2004_history/toc_history.htm Bible Student |
*[http://www.heraldmag.org/2004_history/toc_history.htm The History of the Bible Student Movement], special issue of "The Herald of Christ's Kingdom", published by the Pastoral Bible Institute |
||
*[http://www. |
*[http://www.pastor-russell.com/legacy/will2.html Various aspects of Bible Student History], Focussing on the schism following Russell's death, with many original source documents from that time. |
||
*[http://www.xjw-central.com/bsprofile.html Profile of the Bible Students movement], on an ex-[[Jehovah's Witnesses]] website, which references [[J. Gordon Melton]]'s work. |
*[http://www.xjw-central.com/bsprofile.html Profile of the Bible Students movement], on an ex-[[Jehovah's Witnesses]] website, which references [[J. Gordon Melton]]'s work. |
||
Groups' websites : |
Groups' websites : |
||
* [http://www.cmfellowship.org/ Christian Millenial Fellowship] |
* [http://www.cmfellowship.org/ Christian Millenial Fellowship] |
||
* [http://www.pastor-russell.com Official CT Russell website run by the Bible Students] |
|||
{{Bible Students}} |
{{Bible Students}} |
Revision as of 08:54, 15 November 2005
The Bible Student movement is a religious movement that sprang mainly from the teachings of Pastor Charles Taze Russell (whose folowers generally called themselves "Bible Students"). It has led to the creation of many movements, some of which have moved away from the doctrines of Pastor Russell. The most prominent group of the movement today is the Jehovah's Witnesses.
Early History
Apart from Charles Taze Russell early figures and influences included :
- Nelson H. Barbour (1824-1908)
- Henry Dunn (1801-1878)
- Dunbar Isidore Heath (1816-1888)
- George Stetson (1814-1879)
- Jonas Wendell (1815-1873)
- R. E. Streeter (1847-1924)
- Dwight Moody (1835-1899)
The Jehovah's Witnesses
The Jehovah's Witnesses have been the "main branch" of the movement, in the sense that they remained in control of the legal entities founded by Pastor Russell (such as the Watchtower Society), and that the other groups mostly formed themselves by disassociating themselves from the leadership of the Watchtower Society.
The New Covenant Bible Students
In 1909, Pastor Russell expressed that the "true church" was not developing under the New Covenant, and declared that the New Covenant was future, applied to the nation of Israel.
This, and challenges to other doctrines, led some to leave in 1910, leading to the formation of New Covenant Bible Students, who began to hold their yearly Christian Believers Conferences. Among them was E. C. Hennings, formerly Australian Branch Manager of the International Bible Students Association, who published The New Covenant Advocate and Kingdom Herald, which continued until 1944. A congregation of Bible Students, the New Creation Bible Students started to publish the New Creation magazine in 1940 which eventually led to the Christian Millennial Fellowship, a publishing house for the Bible Students.
M.L. McPhail, Pilgrim member of the Chicago Bible Students, also disassociated himself from Russell's movement at that time and led the New Covenent Bible Students in the United States, founding the New Covenant Believers in 1909. They published The Kingdom Scribe until 1975. This groups still publishes today under the name Berean Bible Students Church.
In 1928, the Italian Bible Students Association in Hartford, Connecticut withdrew it's support from the Watchtower Society and changed it's name to the Millennial Bible Students Church, then to Christian Millennial Fellowship, Inc.. They eventuallly rejected many of Russell's writings as erroneous. The group is now located in New Jersey.
The Associated Bible Students
Most of these groups seperated from the Watchtower Society in the years following Russell's death in 1916 and Joseph Franklin Rutherford's take over.
In 1918, a Bible Student Convention was held independantly of the Watchtower society. At the second convention, a few months later, the Pastoral Bible Institute was founded and began publishing The Herald of Christ’s Kingdom, edited by R. E. Streeter. The magazine continues to be published today [1].
The Australian Berean Bible Institute also formally seperated from the Watchtower society in 1918. They published The Voice and the People's papers.
In December 1918, Charles E. Heard and some others, considering Rutherford's recommendation to buy war bonds to be a perversion to Russell's pacifism teachings, founded the StandFast Bible Students Association in Portland. Their name originates from their decision to “stand fast on war principles that our dear Pastor Russell announced”. Opposed to public witnessing, they eventually dwindled and disappeared, but not without giving birth to a splinter group, the Elijah Voice Society, founded by John A. Herdersen and C. D. McCray in 1923, noted for their witnessing and pacifist activity.
In 1928, Norman Woodworth, cousin of C.J. Woodworth, left the Watchtower society (he had created its radio program), to create the radio program Frank and Ernest with the help of the Brooklyn congregation of Bible Students. In 1931, the Dawn Bible Students Association was founded (by Norman Woodworth among others) for the purpose of again publishing the "Studies in the Scriptures" series which the Watchtower Society had ceased publication of in 1927. They began publication of The Bible Students Radio Echo as a method of following up interest in the radio program. This publication was soon renamed "The Dawn and Herald of Christ’s Presence", a bi-monthly, and later monthly, journal. Today, they carry on with publishing work, as well as radio and television programs.
While most congregations are under no central leadership, most Bible Students remain united and supportive. The Pastoral Bible Institute continues to publish "The Herald", and acting as publishing houses for various ecclesias (congregations) around the world.
The Layman's Home Missionary Movement
Paul S. L. Johnson, eventually founded the Layman's Home Missionary Movement in 1919 (Again, Johnson's death in 1950 lead to internal disagreements and the formation of splinter groups, 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 to the faithful had ceased. His associate, Raymond Jolly, taught that he was the last member of the "great multitude" of Revelation 7. Upon his death all remaining members ceased any thought of enterinig heaven, and believed they would live upon a perfected earth in God's Kingdom as a group referred to as the "modern worthies".
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) and 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, and held that post until 1946. In 1951, he was disfellowshipped by N.H. Knorr and founded the Goshen Fellowship. He died in 1955, and the group is currently led by Frank Lewis Brown.
See also
External links
- Columbus, Ohio Bible Students
- Chicago, Illinois Bible Students
- North Seattle, Washington Bible Students
- New Jersey, Bible Students Congregation of New Brunswick
- 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, Focussing on the schism following Russell's death, with many original source documents from that time.
- Profile of the Bible Students movement, on an ex-Jehovah's Witnesses website, which references J. Gordon Melton's work.
Groups' websites :
Part of a series on |
Bible Students |
---|
Communities |
Publishing houses |
Publications |
Biographies |
Beliefs |
Separations |
Christianity portal |