| Part of a series on Jehovah's Witnesses |
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| About Jehovah's Witnesses | |
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| Demographics | |
| Organizational structure | |
| Governing Body · Legal instruments Faithful and Discreet Slave |
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| History | |
| Bible Student movement Jehovah's Witnesses splinter groups |
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| Government interactions | |
| Supreme Court cases | |
| Persecution | |
| United States · Canada Nazi Germany |
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| Controversies | |
| Beliefs | |
| Beliefs and practices | |
| God's name · Eschatology Blood · Disfellowshipping |
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| Literature | |
| The Watchtower · Awake! New World Translation |
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| Digital Files | |
| Related people | |
| Formative influences | |
| C.T. Russell · William Miller N.H. Barbour · Jonas Wendell George Stores · Henry Grew |
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| Watchtower Presidents | |
| J.F. Rutherford · N.H. Knorr F.W. Franz · M.G. Henschel D.A. Adams |
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| Notable Watchtower Officials | |
| Hayden C. Jehovah's Witnesses is a restorationist, millenialist Christian denomination As of August 2007 Jehovah's Witnesses have an average membership of approximately 6 The Organisational structure of Jehovah's Witnesses is a religious Hierarchy. The Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses is a body of elders who oversee all the activities of the denomination Bible verses quoted from the New World Translation except where noted The spiritual authority among Jehovah's Witnesses is vested The history of Jehovah's Witnesses dates from 1872 when Charles Taze Russell began to lead a Bible study group in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania The Bible Student movement is the name adopted by a Protestant religious movement with premillennialist expectations that emerged from the teachings and While the legal entities founded by Charles Taze Russell (the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society and the International Bible Students Association) have always Jehovah's Witnesses maintain that in the majority of countries they have legal status or are recognized as to having basic rights afforded them similar to those of mainstream Internationally there have been numerous Supreme Court cases involving Jehovah's Witnesses. See also Jehovah's Witnesses and governments Throughout the history of Jehovah's Witnesses, their beliefs doctrines and practices have engendered See also Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses Throughout the history of Jehovah's Witnesses, their beliefs doctrines and practices have engendered controversy See also Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses Walter Tarnopolsky, Canada's leading legal authority on civil liberties stated The best testing of the standard See also Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses endured intense persecution under the Nazi regime between 1933 and 1945 Jehovah's Witnesses have experienced controversy in their relationships with mainstream Christianity governments former members and the general public The beliefs and practices of Jehovah's Witnesses are based on the Bible teachings of its founder Charles Taze Russell and his successors Joseph Franklin Yahweh|God in Abrahamic religions Jehovah is an English reading of, the most frequent form of the Tetragrammaton, the name of God in the Hebrew Bible, in The Eschatology of Jehovah's Witnesses is central to their religious beliefs Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that the Bible prohibits eating blood and that this includes the storage and transfusion of Blood, including in cases of emergency Jehovah's Witnesses employ various levels of congregational discipline as formal controls administered by elders in the congregation Jehovah's Witnesses have been producing a large amount of literature since 1879. The Watchtower ( is a monthly illustrated religious Magazine, printed and published by Jehovah's Witnesses via the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society Awake! ( is a Magazine published by Jehovah's Witnesses, considered to be a companion magazine of The Watchtower. The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures ( NWT) is a modern-language translation of the Bible published by Jehovah's Witnesses, published in Charles Taze Russell ( February 16, 1852 &ndash October 31, 1916) also known as Pastor Russell, was a Protestant William Miller (1782–1849 was an American Baptist Preacher, whose followers have been termed Millerites. Nelson H Barbour, (1824–1905 a Millerite Adventist (see Millerites) born in Throopsville (misspelled Toupsville in a newspaper profile a village near Auburn, Elder Jonas Wendell ( December 25, 1815 - August 14, 1873) of Edenboro, Pennsylvania, was a zealous Adventist Henry Grew (1781-1862 was a Christian teacher and writer whose studies of the Bible led him to conclusions which were at odds with doctrines accepted by many of the mainstream Joseph Franklin Rutherford ( 8 November 1869 — 8 January 1942) often referred to as "Judge" Rutherford was the second president of Nathan Homer Knorr ( April 23, 1905 - June 8, 1977) was the third president of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, becoming so Frederick William Franz ( September 12 1893 – December 22 1992) served as President of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, the Milton George Henschel ( August 9, 1920 - March 22, 2003) was a longtime member of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses, who succeeded Don Alden Adams is the current president of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, the most important of the Legal instruments of Jehovah's Witnesses Covington · A. H. Macmillan | |
| Notable Former Jehovah's Witnesses | |
| Raymond Franz · James Penton Olin R. Moyle |
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Hayden C. Alexander Hugh Macmillan ( June 2 1877 - August 26, 1966) also referred to as A Raymond Franz (born 1922 was a member of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses from 1971 until May 22 1980, and served at the organization's James Penton is a Professor emeritus of History at the University of Lethbridge in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. Olin R Moyle was legal counsel for the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society from 1935 to 1939 on staff at the headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses in Brooklyn Covington (January 19, 1911 – November 19, 1978) was legal counsel for the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society during one of its most difficult periods in the mid-20th century. Events 1419 - Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England completing his reconquest of Normandy. Year 1911 ( MCMXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 1095 - The Council of Clermont, called by Pope Urban II to discuss sending the First Crusade to the Holy Land Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, a Not-for-profit organization headquartered in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, Hayden Covington also holds the record for the most Supreme Court victories in the United States. Thurgood Marshall, former Justice of the Supreme Court, had a record of litigating 23 favorable case but this record falls far short of Hayden C. Thurgood Marshall ( July 2, 1908 – January 24, 1993) was an American Jurist and the first African American Covington's record of 37 victories in the United States Supreme Court. A brilliant Constitutional lawyer, he argued numerous cases before the United States Supreme Court on behalf of Jehovah’s Witnesses in defense of their religious freedoms, winning most of them, and thus indirectly, advancing the cause of civil liberties on behalf of all American citizens. The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. Jehovah's Witnesses is a restorationist, millenialist Christian denomination In 1967, he famously defended then world heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali in his legal battle against the draft during the Viet Nam War. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. Biography Early life Cassius Clay Jr was born on January 17 1942 The Draft redirects here For other uses see Draft. Conscription in the United States has been employed several times usually during The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia
Covington was born in East Texas, and raised on a farm near Dallas. East Texas is a distinct geographic and ecological area in the U His father was a Texas Ranger. The Texas Ranger Division, commonly called the Texas Rangers, is a law enforcement agency with statewide Jurisdiction based in Austin, the An able student, he worked his way through law school in San Antonio, successfully passing the Texas bar exam, with an impressively high score, one year before graduation. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. He was admitted to the Bar in 1933. Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
He was attracted to the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses and impressed by the dedication and character of the members, defending several of them in Texas courts prior to formally joining the group himself. His first exposure to their teachings was through listening to the broadcast sermons of Watch Tower Society President Joseph F. Rutherford on radio station KTSA in San Antonio. Joseph Franklin Rutherford ( 8 November 1869 — 8 January 1942) often referred to as "Judge" Rutherford was the second president of
Word of his successes in defending the Witnesses reached the New York headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses, and he was asked by President Rutherford to join him in representing the Society on a case before the U. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous S. Supreme Court. He was then invited to join headquarters staff as general counsel in 1939, succeeding Olin R. Moyle, who had been ousted that year in a dispute with Rutherford. Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Olin R Moyle was legal counsel for the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society from 1935 to 1939 on staff at the headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses in Brooklyn Upon Rutherford’s death in 1942, Covington was elected Vice President and a director of the Watch Tower Society, succeeding the newly elected President, Nathan H. Knorr. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Nathan Homer Knorr ( April 23, 1905 - June 8, 1977) was the third president of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, becoming so
A subsequent policy change resulted in Covington's resignation from the Vice Presidency and departure from the board in 1945, although remaining on staff as legal counsel. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Throughout most of its history, appointment to the board of directors of the Watch Tower Society, and thus to the "Governing Body" of Jehovah's Witnesses, has been limited to those professing to be of the "anointed class" within the group; the "spirit begotten" sons of God who would "rule as Kings" in heaven with Christ. Jehovah's Witnesses teach that salvation is possible only through Christ’s ransom sacrifice and that individuals cannot be saved until they repent of their sins and call on the name Heaven may refer to the physical heavens the sky or the seemingly endless expanse of the Universe beyond Christ is the English term for the Greek ( Khristós) meaning "the anointed " To date, the one exception was Hayden C. Covington.
What undoubtedly brought him to the attention of Muhammad Ali was his extensive experience with the U.S. Selective Service System and draft boards across the nation, where he realized many successes. The Selective Service System is the means by which the United States administers military Conscription. Speaking of the Selective Service, and conscription during the second world war he said: "A small proportion of the draft boards during World War II were extremely fair. The Draft redirects here For other uses see Draft. Conscription in the United States has been employed several times usually during World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The National Headquarters of the Selective Service System, acting through General [Lewis Blaine] Hershey, was also fair. Lewis Blaine Hershey ( September 12, 1893 - May 20, 1977) was the second Director of the Selective Service System, the means by which Arrangements were made between him and me for the exemption of our full-time ministers and members of the Bethel [Headquarters] Family. He wrote an opinion for guidance of boards on this policy. Some draft boards obeyed this but others did not. "
Covington was eventually excommunicated or "disfellowshipped" for a time, but was subsequently "reinstated", or re-admitted to the group, remaining until his death. Excommunication is a religious Censure used to deprive or suspend membership in a religious community Excommunication is a religious Censure used to deprive or suspend membership in a religious community Jehovah's Witnesses employ various levels of congregational discipline as formal controls administered by elders in the congregation
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Justice Harlan Fiske Stone, 12th Chief Justice of the United States (July 3, 1941 – April 22, 1946) wrote: "The Jehovah's Witnesses ought to have an endowment in view of the aid which they give in solving the legal problems of civil liberties. Harlan Fiske Stone ( October 11 1872 – April 22 1946) was an American Lawyer and jurist. The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English "
References
- Faith On The March, A. H. Macmillan, Prentice-Hall, inc. , 1957
External links
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