Watchtower Society

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The Watchtower Society ( WTG ) is the central organizational body of Jehovah's Witnesses and designates a large number of legal entities . In Germany , the “Watchtower Bibles and Tracts Society of Jehovah's Witnesses, e. V., Selters / Taunus " a legal entity of the religious community of the" Jehovah's Witnesses in Germany Kdö.R. "based in Berlin.

The “Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania”, one of two American Watchtower Societies, acts as the parent company. It is a non-public stock corporation which, according to the statutes, can only have 300 to 500 shareholders with voting rights. In New York , where there are three production facilities for literature, around 5,800 Jehovah's Witnesses work free of charge for the WTG. There are further branches with around 15,000 members in over 100 countries worldwide . In the USA there are two legal societies based on historical developments that are run as the “Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society”. The first, with the name suffix Pennsylvania , which was originally located in Pittsburgh , and a younger one with the name suffix New York . Both legal companies are now based in Warwick (USA).

Worldwide offer of biblical explanatory publications

The Watchtower Society, as a non-profit publishing company, prints and publishes the monthly magazines The Watchtower and Awake! . Furthermore, various Bibles , such as the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures , and various other biblical explanatory publications in the form of books, brochures and tracts as well as in electronic form as audiobooks ( cassette , audio CD ) and video ( VHS , DVD ) published.

On the official online portal JW.ORG , the Watchtower Society offers the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures and other publications that explain the Bible, such as The Watchtower and Awake! , in various audio and e-book formats for free download. Likewise, all publications, including videos that explain the Bible, can be conveniently read online with all common mobile media such as tablets and smartphones . Current topics are regularly dealt with for the whole family, for spouses as well as for young people and children.

All publications were previously given out for a small contribution towards expenses; since 2000 these have been distributed free of charge worldwide (in Germany since 1991). The production costs are covered by donations.

Head of the Watchtower Society

The Watchtower Society is a legal body. Its president is the legal representative of this society. He has no special religious competencies that would put him above other Jehovah's Witnesses.

Branch offices worldwide

Germany

(currently existing organization in italics)

  • Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Jehovah's Witnesses, e. V., Selters / Taunus, since November 15, 1999
  • Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, German Branch, e. V., Selters / Taunus, February 17, 1984 to November 15, 1999
  • Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, German Branch, e. V., Wiesbaden, 1950–1984
  • Jehovah's Witnesses, International Association of Bible Students V., German Branch, 1946–1956
  • International Bible Students Association, German Branch, e. V., Magdeburg, 1927–1933 and 1945

Great Britain

  • Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Britain, since 1999
  • The Kingdom Hall Trust, London, since 1939
  • International Bible Students Association, London, since 1914

United States

(italics still existing today)

  • Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Incorporated, Brooklyn, New York, since 1956
  • Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Incorporated, Brooklyn, New York, 1939-1956
  • People's Pulpit Association, Brooklyn, New York, 1909-1939
  • Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, since 1955
  • Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, 1896–1955
  • Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society, Allegheny, Pennsylvania (1881–) 1884–1896
  • Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York, since 2000
  • Kingdom Support Services, Incorporated, New York, since 2000
  • Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York, since 2000
  • International Bible Students Association, Brooklyn, New York, since 1914

Canada

  • Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada, since 1967

Headquarters of the Watchtower Society in Germany

  • 1897–1899 Berlin (only literature depot)
  • 1899–1901 Bremen (only literature depot)
  • 1902–1908 Elberfeld, Mirkerstraße 45
  • 1908–1909 Barmen, Wertherstrasse 39
  • 1909–1923 Barmen, Unterdörnerstrasse 76
  • 1923–1933 and 1945–1950 Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 11–12
  • 1946–1983 Wiesbaden, Dotzheim, Kohlheck, Greifstrasse 2
  • since 1983 Selters / Taunus, district Eisenbach

President of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania

  1. William Henry Conley (1840–1897), President from 1881 to 1884
  2. Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916), President from 1884 to 1916
  3. Joseph Franklin Rutherford (1869–1942), President from 1917–1942
  4. Nathan Homer Knorr (1905–1977), President from 1942 to 1977
  5. Frederick William Franz (1893–1992), President from 1977 to 1992
  6. Milton George Henschel (1920–2003), President from 1992 to 2000
  7. Don Alden Adams (* 1925), President from 2000 to 2014

Bibles published by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society

From 1896

  • King James Bible
  • The Emphatic Diaglott - interlinear English-Greek (1926)
  • Leeser's translation
  • Murdock's translation
  • Newberry Bible
  • Tischendorf's New Testament
  • Variorum Bible

From 1902

From 1944

  • American Standard Version

From 1950

From 1969

  • Kingdom Interlinear Translation (revised 1985)
  • Makarios Bible (Russian) 1996 with copyright
  • The Bible in Living English; Translated by Steven T. Byington , copyright since 1957. From 1972 in own printing and publishing house.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Pennsylvania Department of State. ( Memento of the original from May 26, 2012 in the web archive archive.today ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.corporations.state.pa.us
  2. ^ Jehovah's Witnesses — Proclaimers of God's Kingdom , p. 229.
  3. ^ A b "Jehovahs loses comp case: Church may be forced to pay millions," New York Daily News , January 6, 2006. Retrieved October 3, 2009.
  4. ↑ 2009 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses . Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, 2009, p. 42.
  5. ↑ 2012 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses . Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, 2009, p. 55.
  6. ↑ JW.ORG: Official online portal of Jehovah's Witnesses with current audio and e-book downloads
  7. ^ The Emphatic Diaglott online