HomeREADERS, COPY AND USE THIS NOW PLEASE!MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS IN THE WATCHTOWER (JW'S)GROUPS IN HEAVENLEON WEAVER JRLETTER GOING TO JEHOVAH'S WITNESS INCLUDING ELDERSAPOSTLES' CREED--UNITING 95% OF CHRISTIAN CHURCHESALBERT EINSTEINPETER V. GREGERSONHYPOCRITICAL COMPROMISES WITH THE WORLDDECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE OF THE "FREED WITNESSES" MOVEMENTGOVERNMENT, IS IT RIGHT OR WRONG TO BE PART OF IT?"GOOD NEWS" BIBLE TRACTSISRAEL IN TOURISM AND HISTORYYOUNG PEOPLE -- HOW WATCHTOWER TREATS THEMGUESTBOOK...LIBRO DE VISITASWORD SEARCH GAMESTHE EXODUSJACKSON, GEOFFREYGUEST COMMENTSNEWS IN 2012ABOUTA1 -- DISTRIBUTEABORTIONSADAM AND EVEADAMS, DON ALDEN"ANGELS" -- WTSAFRICA RELATEDALCYON & PYRAMIDANNOUNCEMENTSANOINTEDAPOSTLESARCHAEOLOGY AND BIBLE VIDEOSARCHIVE--OLD NEWSARK OF COVENANTARMAGGEDON AND MISPREDICTIONSATHEISM ANSWEREDATTENTION: ATTORNEYS AT LAW!ATTORNEYS NOTE: MENLO PARK LAWSUIT!AUTHORS ETC"THE ANOINTED ONES!" -- A COMPLETE FREE BOOKBABYLON, DARIUS THE MEDE, ETCBAD-EVIL-AND-WICKEDBAPTISM(S)BAPTISM WATCHTOWER STYLE SINCE 1975BETHEL (WATCHTOWER) I.T. STAFFBIBLE READING SCHEDULEBIBLE STUDY AND RESEARCH TOOLSBIBLE STORY BOOKBIBLE STUDENT GROUPS (WORLDWIDE)FREE BIBLE STUDYBIBLE STUDENTSRETURN, PRESENCE OR PAROUSIA OF CHRISTBIBLE STUDIES HELPED TO QUIT JW'SBIBLE STUDY2BIBLE TRANSLATION (WATCHTOWER'S FALSE)BIRTHDAYS BIBLICAL BASISBLEEDINGLAMBSCHRISTMAS DATE OF DECEMBER 25BLOODBONHAM, TEXAS KINGDOM HALL*** BOOKS ***BRAND NEW-1BRAZILB.R.C.I.BUDDHISMBUILDINGSCALENDAR 2011CASH COWS AND OTHER MONEY TRAILS OF THE WATCHTOWERCHANGES & PREDICTIONSCHARISSA ET AL VERSUS WATCHTOWER RE PEDOPHILIACHATCHILD CUSTODY ISSUESCHINESECHRISTCHRIST FED THE NEEDY & SO CAN WECHRISTIAN FUN***** CHRISTIAN PACKET *****CHRISTIAN WITNESSESCHRISTMASCHRISTMAS TREE VERSUS WATCHTOWERCHRISTMAS STAR VERSUS WATCHTOWER'S FALSE CLAIMSCOCHISE PENDLETONCONFERENCE CALLSCONFUCIANISMCONTACTCONVENTION AND ASSEMBLY INFORMATION"CRISIS OF CONSCIENCE" BOOK BY RAY FRANZCRITICAL ORGANIZATIONS AGAINST THE BIBLE AND GODCROSS NOT STAKECRYOSUPERNATANTCULT TACTICS REVEALEDDANISH~DANSKDANSK ...NORSKE...SVENSKADATE SETTINGDAVID AND SOLOMONDAVID CARTER (DEAD/MURDERED EX-JW)DECLARATIONDOOMSDAY CULTS, WHY WRONG ABOUT 2 PETER 3:12DEUTSCH (GERMAN)DID YOU KNOWDIET AND HEALTHDANIEL (King of the North etc)DISCRIMINATION BY THE WATCHTOWER SOCIETYDISFELLOWSHIPPING (FORMAL SEVERE & UNCHRISTIAN SHUNNING)DIVINE NAMEDEPROGRAMING YOURSELF OR OTHERSDOOR STICKERSDRESS AND GROOMINGDZALEKA REFUGEE CAMPEARTHEASTERELDERS (COs, DOs, Etc)ESPANOL - SPANISHELDERS MANUAL (PUBLISHED 2010, USED 2011 ETC, SHOCKING)ESSENTIAL DOCTRINES -- WHAT SCRIPTURES SAY THEY AREFREEDOM LETTERS TO HELP OTHERS EXIT!FACEBOOKFACEBOOK'S "CHRISTIAN WITNESSES FELLOWSHIP" ITEMSFADING - HOW TO DO ITFAITHFUL & DISCREET SLAVE HAS BIBLICAL RESTRICTIONSFAMOUS JW'S AND FORMER JW'SFATHER'S DAYFINNISHFLAGS AND BANNERSFOODs FOR THE HUNGRY & NEEDYFREE MASONRY CONNECTIONS WITH WATCHTOWERFOR EX-JW'S THINKING ABOUT GOING BACKFOR EX-JW'S NOT RETURNING BUT BOTHERED BY PERSISTING BELIEFSFREE WITNESSESFRENCH - FRANCAISEFRUITSGAMESFUNERAL, BURIAL, GRAVE CUSTOMS AMONG JWsGENERATIONGERMAN ~ DEUTSCHGOD'S KINGDOM SOCIETY (GKS)GILEAD MISSIONARIESGOD'S NAMEGOD'S PLANGOOD NEWS FROM SCIENCEGOVERNING BODY & COMPANYGREEDHALLOWEENHEARTHEAVENHEBREW (MODERN & BIBLICAL/ANCIENT)HELLHELP! SOMEONE I KNOW IS BECOMING A JW!HIGH PLACESHIGHER EDUCATION (WATCHTOWER'S OPPOSITION TO IT)HINDI, INDIA, NEPALHOLIDAYSHOLY SPIRITHOUSE CHURCHESCHURCH ALTERNATIVES, MINISTRIES ETCIGLESIAS EN CASASINDEPENDENCE DAYS (Fourth Of July, Cinco de Mayo, etc)INDONESIAN - BAHASA INDONESIAINFORMATIONAL PICKETINGINTERNATIONALINTERNATIONAL EX-JWs DISCRIMINATION PROTESTSINTERNET USE - WATCHTOWER'S REACTIONIRELAND - LIST OF ELDERS AND KINGDOM HALL ADDRESSESJERICHO'S WALLJOE'S LISTJOHNNY THE BETHELITE'S REPORTSJOKES, CARTOONS, FUNNIES ETCJUDAISMJOSEPHJW CRIME & BLOOD NEWS IN U.S. STATESKINGDOM HALL ADDRESSES, PHONES, LETTERS ETCKINGDOM HALLS LOCATORKINGDOM OF GODKNORRKOREANKYRIA ABRAHAMSLATVIANFREE BIBLE LITERATURELEGALLETTERS COUNTERING SHUNNING ETCLETTERS TO ELDERS IN KINGDOM HALLSLETTERS TO ELDERS IN KINGDOM HALLSLAST SUPPERLINKSLITERACY IN THE TIME OF CHRIST AND THE DISCIPLESLONDON'S "NIGHT STALKER"LONGEVITYLOVEMALAWIALBERT SCHROEDERMARY AGUILAR'S WITNESSMEDIATORMEETINGS!MEMORIAL (Last Supper)MICHAEL JACKSONMICHAEL THE ARCHANGELMISCMISCELLANEOUSENJOYING THE OLD TESTAMENTMISSOURI KINGDOM HALLSMORAL STANDARDSMOTHER'S DAYMUSIC TO ENJOY EARTHWIDENEW COVENANT BIBLE STUDENTS CHURCH (Malawi)NEWS & VIEWSNEWS & VIEWS (RECENT)NEWS & VIEWS (Very Recent)NEWS & VIEWS (OLDER)NEWS & VIEWS (OLDEST)NEWSLETTERPAGANISM CONTRASTEDOATH OF ALLEGIANCEOBITUARIES, BIRTH AND WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENTSPARABLES, STORIES, SERMONS ETCPARADISEPATTERSON FARMSPEACEFULPEACEFUL PROTESTING: T-SHIRTS, SIGNS, LETTERS ETCPEDOFILAS ENTRE LOS TJ'S, UN CRISIS INTERNACIONALPHARAOHS ETCPHOTOS GALLERYPEOPLE FINDERSPILIPINOPONTIUS PILATEPORTUGUESE - PORTUGUESPRINCEQUESTIONING IS OKAYRACISM IS WRONGRAY FRANZRAY FRANZREASONING TO SEE IF IT'S REALLY THE TRUTHREPLYING TO "ARE YOU A JW?"RICHARD RAWERESISTANCERUSSELLRESURRECTIONRUTHERFORDRUSSIASALVATION'S SCOPESATAN THE DEVILSCRIPTURES WITH OOOMPH!!!SCHISMS OFF THE WATCHTOWER ALL OVER THE EARTHSEARCHSECRET BOOK OF THE WATCHTOWER SOCIETYSERENA & VENUS WILLIAMSSECRETS THE......SEX, BEDROOM LAWS, ANTI-MARRIAGE DOINGS OF THE WATCHTOWERSHUNNINGSILENTLAMBSSITE WRITERSIXSCREENSOFTHEWATCHTOWERSONGS (CHRISTIAN)SONGS (WATCHTOWER SONGS EXPOSED)SOULSSOUP KITCHENS AND RECIPESSPACE AND THE BIBLE*** SPANISH ***STALKING, SPYING, SNITCHING AND WIRETAPPINGSTATISTICS AND SURVEYSSPANISH - ESPANOLSTOCK OWNED BY WATCHTOWERSUICIDES AMONG JW'sSVENSK ~ SWEDISHTAX DODGING EFFORTS BY WATCHTOWERTELEPHONE PRESENTATIONSTELETHONT-SHIRTS (FOR EX-JWs, CAUSES ETC)T-SHIRTS FOR SENDING MESSAGESTED JARACZTETRAGRAMMATONTHAITHANKSGIVINGTHEOCRATIC WARFARETHE TIME - EL TIEMPO (DE RELOJ)THIRD HEAVENTITHING - FOR OR NOT FOR CHRISTIANSTONGUES AND HEALINGSTRACTS COUNTERING WATCHTOWERTRACTS/LEAFLETSTRANSLATIONTRINITYTRUTHUNDERGROUND JW ITEMSUNITYUPPER ROOM MINISTRIES NEW ENGLANDVACCINATIONSVALENTINE'S DAYVAST APOSTATE ARMYVIDEOS1WATCHTOWER CARS AND SOME OTHER PERKSWATCHTOWER'S INCREASING DECLINE DURING 1997-2010WATCHTOWER "HATE" POLICIES AND OTHER UNBALANCESWATCHTOWER, SRA,THE OCCULTWATCHTOWER - U.N. TIES CONTINUINGWATCHTOWER BIGSHOTS' CARSWATCHTOWER SALES!WATCHTOWER'S BIGGEST FEAR!!!WATCHTOWERITESWEATHER UPDATESWEBSITE STORE (CHARITABLE CAUSES AND UPKEEP)WIRETAPPING AMONG CULTISTSWEEKLY BIBLE READERSWISE SAYINGS (GLOBAL)WITNESSINGWOMEN MINISTERS, WHAT THE REST OF THE SCRIPTURES SAYWOMEN AND INJUSTICESWORLD NEWSWRITE IT DOWN: 2014, THE 100TH YEAR OF THE 1914 MISPROPHECY IS COMING SOON!19752014
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PARTIAL LIST OF CURRENT BIBLE
STUDENT GROUPS
(USE OF THE CROSS IS AS A SYMBOL OF RESURRECTION HOPE
NOT MURDER WEAPON AS WATCHTOWER CLAIMS)
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| Symbolic of the resurrection hope due to Christ's ransom |
As you look at some Bible Student websites you will see most groups use
the cross with crown and wreath emblem. Jehovah's Witnesses are taught by Watchtower that the cross is to be regarded
as an evil symbol that is comparable to Christ and killed him; Bible Students are taught that as the apostle Paul taught it
is the positive symbol of the resurrection hope we have
due to Christ's ransom sacrifice.
Another point is that the listings here are by no means complete.
In some locations there are only small groups; in others a lot. In the United States most sizeable Bible Student groups
are on the east and west coast, elsewhere the groups tend to be smaller.
Argentina: Estudiantes
de la Biblia. Argentina. Calle Almirante Brown 674, Monte Grande 1842, Buenos Aires Conductor: Avel Lupsor
Tel. 011-4296-0157; Calle 144 n° 565 entre 5 y 6, Berazategui 1884, Buenos Aires http://www.edlbargentina.com/ http://ar.oocities.com/edlbargentina/ edlbargentina@yahoo.com.ar
Associated Bible Students, New Haven, Connecticut http://absonh.net/about.html Mailing address for Christian Questions Talk Radio Program Christian Questions, P.O. Box 1837, New
London, Ct. 06320 Contact@christianquestions.net CQrewind@christianquestions.net
Associated Bible Students Of Central Ohio, Westerville,
POB 813, OH 43086
Australia: Christian Bible Students Association; Box 797F GPO; Melbourne, Victoria
3001, Australia. http://www.cbsm.org.au/ New Covenant News magazine. Baltimore Bible
Students: Associated Bible Students; P.O. Box 44; Jarrettsville, Maryland 21084; toll free: 1-877-596-9791;
Baltobible@comcast.net, Baltobible@aol.com http://www.baltimorebiblestudents.org/
Berean Bible
Students Church; 535 East Maple Street, Lombard, IL 60148 (630) 426-9055; http://www.bbschurch.org/ Bible Students Of Oakland County (Associated Bible Students); 6324 Tutbury Ln; Troy, MI 48098-2151
Brazil: Movimento
Missionario Epifania http://biblejskoe-znamia.ru/
Brasil: Estudantes da Biblia Associados no Brasil Aurora, Classe
de Estudos Belford Roxo, Rua Beco do Sossego 221, Parque Sao Vicente, Belford Roxo, RJ; Av. Rui, Barboza 1178, Sao Jose Pingais,
Parana Herald Of Christ's Kingdom magazine.
http://www.heraldmag.org/ ThePBI@aol.com toll free: 1- 888-7-ThePBI or 1-888-784-3724, phone answered Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific
Standard Time.
India Bible Students Association. No internet presence
found so far.
Japanese Bible Students -- they are mentioned but no current
website or other contact information was found
Romania: True Faith Jehovah’s
Witnesses. Str. Negoiului, no. 75, 540461 Tg. Mures, Romania email: http://the-true-jw.oltenia.ro/ the-true-jw@oltenia.ro There may be up to 30,000 members, some residing in other surrounding countries such as Hungary. They go mostly
by the teachings of Rutherford. Besides the TFJW, there are also many smaller Bible Student groups in Romania. Russia:
http://biblejskoe-znamia.ru/ San Diego Bible Students are mentioned but no website or
other contact information was found
Victoria Bible Students (Canada). http://www.members.shaw.ca/merlin1874/ merlin1874@shaw.ca
You may have noticed that no addresses were given for example for Mississippi, Missouri, Colorado, Iowa, Alabama,
Wyoming etc; but, yes, there are Bible Students in those and the other unlisted states; also in Mexico, Belgium, Switzerland
and China.
The structure and many beliefs of the house church movement movement in China resemble those
of the Bible Students. The two main leaders of the "Little Flock" house-church movement in China have
been "Watchman" Nee and later "Witness" Lee. There may be 50 million or so Chinese Christians.
In the United States the Worldwide Church of God bore some similarities which may be due to the initial founder
Armstrong borrowing some from the Bible Students and or the Watchtower Society. It eventually grew to harsh and splintered. |
SCHISMS OFF THE WATCHTOWER SOCIETY
Free Bible Students, German Bible Students, God's
Kingdom Society (GKS), India Bible Students Association, True Faith Jehovah's Witnesses, etc, etc!
EXITING AND EX-JW’s
are often amazed to discover that there are numerous large groups outside the Watchtower which originated from it. Most,
under the umbrella name "Bible Students" originated in 1917 when then Watchtower President Russell died and Joseph
F. Rutherford took control. Others have begun more recently, some large and some small. Eventually,
when prominent persons in the organization in the world headquarters or at branches on the different continents leave the
Watchtower, more, possibly large may also develop then.
Possible catch-all terms for the current de facto
situation among JWs going in 2009 were Associating Reform JWs or, as suggested by some such as former Governing Body member
Ray Franz, a Christian Freedom movement.
Today there are (1) an estimated 30%-50% of JWs out of
some 8 million total who attend kingdom halls to keep family ties but no longer believe Watchtower Society teachings/misteachings
very much if at all; and there are also (2) an unknown extra number of the many Ex-JWs who are now out of the Watchtower
Society and who did not leave God for atheism, paganism etc.
Many read the Bible itself apart
from Watchtower publications in their homes on their own or in small groups around the world. Though
wishing, praying and hoping Watchtower Society would reform, most recognize Watchtower is beyond any significant
doctrinal reforms due to the ongoing misleadership who place the Watchtower Society human organization above
God and safety even of JW children while claiming to speak for God.
Those who leave Watchtower, do
indeed include some who become non-believers in God, pagans etc, feeling thoroughly burnt by and untrusting of any religion;
while others become very evangelical Christians. However, the vast majority likely form a Silent Majority who simply
appear fewer in numbers because so generally quiet about their past experiences or who feel they must stay such in order to
not offend those family members or friends who are still active as JWs headed by Watchtower.
Given
general population statistics, though, those among the "Silent Majority" likely mirror the pattern for society in
general as many are independent Christians, many also Catholics, Baptists etc.
In the U.S. the largest, most developed
schism group, which dates to the early 1900s, has been the Dawn Bible Students Association which appears to be dwindling
from belief there is no major need to make new disciples in the time of "the end," followed by a more evangelical though
smaller Free Bible Students and even smaller groups under the umbrella of the Christian Millennial Fellowship.
Much
smaller groups include Bible Student's Fellowship (San Diego, CA), Bible Way Publications (Fort Lauderdale, FL) B. S.
C. (British), Chicago Bible Students (PO Box 6016, Chicago, IL 60680), Christian Renewal Ministry (Saratoga, CA), Church of
God - Faith of Abraham [(Wenatchee, WA), Haviland Davis (Albany, NY)], Standfast Movement (Portland, OR & Seattle,
WA) Groups that developed from the Chicago Bible Students include: Fort Worth Bible Students (Fort Worth, TX), Phoenixville
Bible Students (Kimberton, PA), Portland Bible Students (PO Box 23232, Tigard, OR 97223), and Seattle Bible Students Church
(PO Box 334, Bellevue, WA 98009). Now defunct are Olson Movement, Hirsho-Kittenger Movement. The address of the
Warren Bible Students is not known.
In Africa the largest group originally related to Watchtower is probably God's
Kingdom Society (GKS). It may have as many as three million members, most in southern Nigeria. Since
Nigerian law permits polygamous marriage, and some Bible patriarchs had more than one wife, unlike the Watchtower
Society the GKS does not force those who have more than one wife to divorce all but one wife. There are smaller much
older, secretive groups throughout Africa, especially East Africa that are called part of the Kitawali or Watchtower
Movement. See elsewhere here for more information.
Going back to the days Charles Taze Russell, some
Africans accepted Watchtower teachings, preached to and baptized many followers quickly, and they combined doctrine with desire
to end European colonialism. Called Kitawali in Swahili, the Watchtower Movement's active guerrilla fighters
were notably active in what are now Malawi where led by Elliott Kmwana (1907-1909), in Zambia, and
in Zaire where Nyirenda, who went by the name Mwana Lesa (Son of God), fought until executed in 1926. They
remain active although covert as governments have continued to try to kill them.
At time of writing, schism
groups in Latin America were not known. However, they doubtlessly do exist and most probably go back to 1917,
a few more recently. In particular, given the size of population, some Spanish groups are likely in
Mexico and Argentina; some Portuguese speaking groups may be in Brazil.
In Asia, China's house-church movement includes the enormous underground
movement called the Little Flock which was begun by "Watchman Nee," but no direct ties are known to have ever
existed between it and the Watchtower Society. At a guess, if there are direct schisms in China they are
probably in or near Hong Kong.
The India Bible Students Association has existed since 1921 and go back to
Charles Taze Russell's visits there. At one time the Inida Bible Students Association mispredicted The
End in 1944. Conventions usually last three days.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s individuals began forming what may in
time become viable schism groups from the Watchtower. Currently most like Stafford's Christian Witnesses of
Jah are more on the order of ideas rather than realities, fellowships maintained via the presence of websites rather than
real-world in-person meetings.
Rick and Inez Fearon of sixscreensofthewatchtower.com have a house church
that is traditional in its Christian teachings but seeks to specifically help exiting or exited JWs. Based in
Tewksbury, Massachusetts, the Upper Room Ministries New England also phone tie-in's with ExJWs around the world.
Many other ExJWs including Raymond Franz, Peter Gregerson and Ronald E. Frye have suggested over
many years that ExJWs consider Bible reading groups meeting in homes. These are often called house churches.
The website you are reading here (christianwitnesses.com) is an online ministry that began about 2005 to help
ExJWs in general as well as those specifically wanting to fellowship by house churches. It thus includes
documents and items that appoint and train those seriously interested to be Elders providing real-world ministry services
including in regard to chartering, disciple-making, acts of kindness, how to conduct legally valid funerals and weddings
etc. Each minister stays independent because there is no central human leadership or hierarchy
of officials other than Christ himself.
Approaching and going into 2010 conditions appeared ripe for another major
schism, this time in Europe and North America. As noted earlier, from 30% up to possibly 50% of JWs were estimated to
be in what Circuit Overseers and others were calling "the Conscious Class," that is persons conscious that Watchtower
was providing increasing bad, ineffective and potentially dangerous misleadership and so inclined to quit outright
if able but didn't in order to keep ties to other JW family and friends. Being JWs only nominally, many were reading
the Bible much more on their own, ignoring Watchtower more about shunning and doctrines such as about blood transfusions,
cutting donations to Watchtower. In effect there was already a de facto schism though yet to be articulated as of late
April 2010.
Jerry Bergman, an Ex-JW who is a noted scholar and teaching professor has written a book telling
about many of the different groups that have developed out of the Watchtower from the late 1800s to the present. However,
I do not now have a copy of it, and it does not mention some of the more recent groups mentioned among the groups listed below
that are not only schisms off the Watchtower but other common, often mainstream churches such as Baptists, Catholics, Methodists,
Presbyterians etc. If you, the reader, come across leads to more schisms than you find here, please email me about them
at jmasonemerson@yahoo.com.
More sources on the internet: http://www.jehovahs-witnesses.info/sscc12.html http://www.biblestudents.net/history/daughters_tower.htm Search also using google.com and wikipedia.org.
In Europe the True Faith Jehovah's Witnesses which began
in Romania, has grown into surrounding nations and would likely spread into West Europe faster except ultra-conservative.
The German Bible Students date to 1930. They are fairly large and publish the monthly Herald Of Christ's Kingdom.
Polish Bible Students began in 1921. Their conventions have about 2,000 in attendance. They publish Day Break
monthly.
The Bible Fellowship Union began in 1917 when directors of the International Bible Students
Association quit Watchtower and in 1919 began their own publishing. Today they have the Bible Study Monthly and Derrick
Nadal became BFU President in 2000. They do not mention Russell prominently or use his writings. They cooperate
with the PBI of the United States, a now mostly defunct group http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastoral_Bible_Institute http://www.heraldmag.org/
The Philanthropic
Society originated in Switzerland in 1919. It was founded by Charles Taze Russell's former Swiss branch overseer
Alexander F. L. Freytag. Today there are branch offices in Switzerland, France, Germany, Belgium, and Italy. It
was formerly called The Angel of Jehovah Bible And Tract Society among other names.
BREAKING FREE IN LETHBRIDGE, CANADA
Some 80 JWs in and around Lethbridge, southern Alberta province,
Canada, quit Watchtower en masse in late 1979 and thereafter led by Jim and Marilyn Penton. They did so for a number
of reasons. One was Watchtower's ruining the lives of JWs with the false prediction of the world ending in 1975.
Others were the unloving pressure put on JWs to preaching at door after door and mistreatment of those wanting higher education. Watchtower's
witch-hunting events are documented in James Beverley's book Crisis of Allegiance. Some of those
leaving Watchtower formed a loose Christian friendship network or fellowship rather than a new, rigid religious
organization.
BREAKING FREE IN BONHAM, TEXAS
Most members of the Bonham, Texas congregation seceded from Watchtower about
1985-1986. Watchtower expelled Wendel Baker along
with Trymer L. Berry, James E. Coleman, Ralph E. Deal, and Tony M. Jones. Some of those, however, stayed with
Watchtower.
Watchtower sent in Elders Luther Brogdon, Richard L. Scofield, Ronald H. Williams, and Bennie Bolin to try to regain
control. Ralph Deal and Tony Jones were both still alive in 2010 in the Bonham area.
There was a legal battle for ownership of the kingdom hall building and those who seceded prevailed in court.
According to a temporary Bethelite, he heard while working at the world headquarters that at least some of the Governing Body
members in Brooklyn literally cried with embarassment.
So Watchtower's Governing Body directed Jehovah's
Witnesses to quickly build another, larger, prettier, more expensive kingdom hall building in Bonham.
Also, some pro-Watchtower JWs began putting out false stories that those who seceded were sexually immoral, into witchcraft,
were never really JWs anyway, etc, etc.
In fact, according to Tony Jones in an interview, a tape recording
of which may be found at sixscreensofthewatchtower.com, they were all sincere elders who however resented Watchtower
trying to lord it over them, control them in all aspects.
Several years after they had left Watchtower,
both Jones and Deal joined the Roscicrucians, an organization similar to Free Masonry but they had never imposed their views
on anyone. The non-elders, most of whom also quit Watchtower, were likewise frustrated by the organization's becoming
more dictatorial, flip-flopping on its teachings, the 1975 misprophecy, etc.
The legal battle for the original
kingdom hall in Bonham was won by the locals. However current ownership, at least at this writing in June 2010, is
not clear, and it may now be in the hands for example of a person in the construction business. So far the building still
stands although it is not well maintained, some of the paint chipping off and the lawn not mowed.
In
order to fill Watchtower's large new kingdom hall, Watchtower had to have Jehovah's Witnesses move in from many other
locations. Jones believes, from what he has seen by looking over at its parking lot that attendance at that
building has since waned.
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