Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania facts for kids
Logo
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| Formation |
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| Founder | Charles Taze Russell |
| Founded at | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Legal status | 501(c)(3) church |
| Headquarters | Warwick, New York, U.S. |
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President
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Robert Ciranko |
| Subsidiaries | Various |
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Formerly called
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| Part of a series on Jehovah's Witnesses |
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| Demographics |
| Jehovah's Witnesses by country |
| Organizational structure |
| Governing Body Faithful and Discreet Slave Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society Corporations of Jehovah's Witnesses |
| History |
| Bible Student movement Jehovah's Witnesses splinter groups |
| Beliefs & Practices |
| Doctrines |
| God's name · Eschatology · Blood · Disfellowshipping |
| Literature |
| The Watchtower · Awake! New World Translation |
| Controversies |
| Related people |
| Watch Tower Presidents |
| W.H. Conley · C.T. Russell · J.F. Rutherford · N.H. Knorr · F.W. Franz M.G. Henschel · D.A. Adams |
| Formative influences |
| William Miller · N.H. Barbour · George Storrs |
| Notable Former Jehovah's Witnesses |
| Raymond Franz · Olin Moyle |
The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania is a group based in Warwick, New York. It's the main organization used by Jehovah's Witnesses around the world. It helps guide their beliefs and shares their teachings. Members often call it "the Society." It works with other groups like the Watchtower Society of New York. Only a few hundred "mature, active and faithful" male Jehovah's Witnesses can vote in the organization. Thousands of Jehovah's Witnesses volunteer their time, without pay, at the Society's buildings in New York and other places worldwide.
The organization started in 1881 as Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society. Its goal was to share religious writings. It officially became a company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on December 15, 1884. In 1896, its name changed to Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. Later, in 1955, it was renamed Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. Since 1976, the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses has guided all the Society's activities.
Contents
History of the Watch Tower Society
On February 16, 1881, the Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society was created in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Its purpose was to print and give out religious writings. William Henry Conley was the president, and Charles Taze Russell was the secretary-treasurer. The Society's main magazine was Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence, which Russell first published in 1879. The Society announced its formation in the April 1881 issue of this magazine.
Becoming an Official Organization
On December 15, 1884, the Society officially became a company called Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in Pennsylvania. It was set up as a non-profit group, with Russell as president. Its office was in Allegheny, Pennsylvania. The Society's goal was to help people improve their minds, morals, and religion. It did this by teaching the Bible through books, papers, and other writings, and by offering free talks.
The rules said there would be seven directors, with three of them serving as officers: a president, vice-president, and secretary-treasurer. These officers were chosen from the directors and elected each year. Directors could stay in their role for life unless two-thirds of the voters removed them.
Anyone who gave $10 or more to the Society could vote. Russell explained that even though there were directors and voters, he and his wife, Maria, would mostly guide the Society. He said that by 1893, they owned more than half of the voting shares. Russell also said the Society was "not a 'religious society' in the ordinary meaning of this term." He called it a "business association merely" that helped share the truth. On September 19, 1896, the company's name changed to Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society.
In 1909, Russell asked Joseph Franklin Rutherford, a lawyer, if the Society's main office could move to Brooklyn, New York. Rutherford found that the Pennsylvania company couldn't register in New York. So, he suggested creating a new company there to do the Society's work. This new company, called the People's Pulpit Association, started on February 23, 1909. It gave the president "absolute power and control" over its activities in New York. The Society then sold its buildings in Pittsburgh and moved its staff to Brooklyn. Even though the New York company handled property and legal matters, Russell wanted the name Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society to be used on all letters and publications.
In 1914, the International Bible Students Association was created in Britain to handle things there. Like the People's Pulpit Association, it worked under the main Pennsylvania organization. All work done by these groups was seen as the work of the Watch Tower Society. The Watchtower magazine explained that the editor of the magazine was the president of all three groups. It also said that the Pennsylvania company was responsible for all money matters and supported the other groups and their work.
Changes in Leadership
Russell passed away on October 31, 1916. On January 6, 1917, Joseph Franklin Rutherford, a lawyer for the Watch Tower Society, was chosen as the new president. Under his leadership, the Society's role changed a lot. New rules gave the president full control over the Society's work worldwide.
By June 1917, four of the seven directors felt Rutherford had too much power. They tried to take back some of his authority. Rutherford then said he found a plan among the directors to take control of the Society. On July 12, 1917, Rutherford replaced these four directors with new ones. Both sides then published writings, accusing each other of bad behavior. The former directors said Rutherford made all headquarters workers sign a paper supporting him, threatening to fire anyone who refused.
In May 1918, Rutherford and seven other Watch Tower Society leaders were arrested. They were sentenced to 20 years in prison. Rutherford worried his opponents would take over the Society while he was away. But on January 2, 1919, he learned he had been re-elected president. By mid-1919, about one in seven Bible Students left the Society because they didn't agree with Rutherford's leadership.
Even though the Society started as a "business" to publish Bible writings, it began to change in the 1920s. It became more like a "religious society," with central control over Bible Student groups around the world. In 1938, Rutherford started using the word "theocracy" to describe the leadership of Jehovah's Witnesses. This meant that the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, led by Rutherford, managed the organization. The Society began appointing "zone servants" to oversee congregations. Rutherford said that congregations needed to follow this new structure.
Updates to the Rules
After Rutherford died in 1942, Nathan H. Knorr became president. He made more changes to the Society's role. In 1944, at a meeting in Pittsburgh, it was announced that the Society's rules would be updated. These changes, which took effect on January 1, 1945, made it clear that the Society's goals included:
- Preaching about God's kingdom to all nations.
- Printing and giving out Bibles and other writings that explain Bible truths.
- Sending out missionaries and teachers to preach Bible truths door-to-door and lead Bible studies.
- Helping people improve their minds and morals by teaching them about the Bible and other subjects.
- Setting up Bible schools and classes.
- Training people to be ministers, missionaries, and teachers for Christian worship.
- Organizing meetings and large gatherings for worship.
The new rules also changed who could be a member of the Society. Before, anyone who donated $10 could vote. Now, only "mature, active and faithful witnesses of Jehovah" who serve full-time or as active ministers in congregations could be members. The number of members was limited to between 300 and 500. The rules also allowed for members to be suspended or removed if they didn't follow the Society's rules or purposes.
The Governing Body
In 1976, the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses took over the main direction of the Watch Tower Society and all Jehovah's Witness congregations worldwide. This change reduced the power of the Society's president. Since 2000, the president of the Watch Tower Society has been someone who helps the Governing Body.
Presidents of the Watch Tower Society
| Name | Date of birth | Date of death | Started | Ended |
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| William Henry Conley | June 11, 1840 | July 25, 1897 | February 16, 1881 | December 15, 1884 |
| Incorporated | ||||
| Charles Taze Russell | February 16, 1852 | October 31, 1916 | December 15, 1884 | October 31, 1916 |
| Joseph Franklin Rutherford | November 8, 1869 | January 8, 1942 | January 6, 1917 | January 8, 1942 |
| Nathan Homer Knorr | April 23, 1905 | June 8, 1977 | January 13, 1942 | June 8, 1977 |
| Frederick William Franz | September 12, 1893 | December 22, 1992 | June 22, 1977 | December 22, 1992 |
| Milton George Henschel | August 9, 1920 | March 22, 2003 | December 30, 1992 | October 7, 2000 |
| Don Alden Adams | January 16, 1925 | December 30, 2019 | October 7, 2000 | 2014 |
| Robert Ciranko | March 9, 1947 | – | 2014 | incumbent |
How the Society Works
The Watch Tower Society is a major publisher of religious materials. This includes books, magazines, and Bibles. By 1979, the Society had 39 printing locations around the world. In 1990, it printed 696 million copies of its magazines, The Watchtower and Awake!, in one year. These are offered door-to-door by Jehovah's Witnesses. As of 2013, the Society prints over 43 million copies of these magazines each month.
The Watch Tower Society calls its headquarters and branch office staff volunteers, not employees. They are part of the Worldwide Order of Special Full-Time Servants of Jehovah's Witnesses. These workers receive a small monthly payment, and the Society provides their meals and places to live. At the main office, called "Bethel," there are hairdressers, dentists, doctors, and other services for the workers, all provided without charge.
The Watch Tower Society does not share its financial details publicly. However, in 2011, it reported spending over $173 million to support special pioneers, missionaries, and traveling overseers in their work. Money received from giving out literature is a main source of income. Most of this money is used to support their preaching activities.
Buildings and Properties
The Watch Tower Society first had its office in Allegheny, Pennsylvania. In 1889, it moved to a new building called "Bible House" in Allegheny. This building had a meeting hall, printing areas, and living spaces for staff. In 1898, the building's ownership was transferred to the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society.
In 1909, the Watch Tower Society moved its main base to Brooklyn, New York. A four-story house was turned into a home for about 30 staff members. A former church building was bought and became the Watch Tower headquarters. It had space for 350 staff, a meeting hall, and printing facilities. The Society called its new home "Bethel."
Printing facilities were set up in Brooklyn in 1920. The Society began printing its magazines there. Over the years, the Society bought more buildings in Brooklyn to expand its printing and office spaces. These included large factories and residential buildings for its staff.
The Society also bought large farms in New York, such as Watchtower Farms in Wallkill, about 160 kilometers north of Brooklyn. Factories were built there in the 1970s. Another large farm was bought in Patterson, New York, for apartments, garages, and a hotel.
In 2009, the Watch Tower Society bought land in Ramapo, New York, planning to build new offices and homes there. A year later, the Society announced it would move its world headquarters from Brooklyn to a new complex in Warwick, New York. This new complex would house up to 850 people. In 2013, plans for the new headquarters were approved, including four residential buildings for about 1,000 people.
Selling Properties in Brooklyn
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In 2004, the Watch Tower Society started moving its printing work to its Wallkill factory. This led to the sale of many of its factory and residential buildings in Brooklyn. Some notable sales included:
- 360 Furman Street, sold in 2004 for $205 million.
- Standish Arms Hotel, sold in 2007 for $50 million.
- Bossert Hotel, sold in 2012 for $81 million.
- 124 Columbia Heights, the former headquarters, sold in 2016 for $105 million.
By 2011, the Watch Tower Society still owned 34 properties in Brooklyn. Many of the sold buildings were emptied by 2017 as the Society completed its move to Warwick, New York.
International Locations
In 1900, the Watch Tower Society opened its first office outside the US in Britain. Then came Germany in 1903 and Australia in 1904. By 1979, the Society had 39 printing branches worldwide. Many of these facilities were moved to farm properties in countries like Brazil, Sweden, Denmark, Canada, and Australia. In 2011, the Society had 98 branch offices around the world that reported directly to New York.
Images for kids
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Henry Weber, vice-president of the Watch Tower Society (1894–1904)
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