FOREWORD TO BIBLE STUDENTS WORLDWIDE (Where many Jehovah's Witnesses are going after leaving Watchtower) There are different yet historically related groups studying the Bible, and such groups have from years past also included those in a worldwide movement called the Bible Students and some adventistic groups.  Most basic is to know that the many different groups in the "Bible Students" movement are all free from any control by the Watchtower Society, which was led by Joseph Rutherford down an increasingly darker path after Charles Taze Russell's death in 1916.  The following estimations as to the numbers of Bible Students have been obtained from Bible Students themselves and as seen on various of their numerous websites.   Those Bible Students who associate and use as Bible study books publications by Charles Taze Russell may number up to 2000 who meet in close association in the U.S. on up to 5000 when those not meeting so regularly are added, and 65,000 or so globally, growing as Jehovah's Witnesses switch back to them from the Watchtower Society.  There are for example possibly 35,000 Bible Students who broke from Watchtower around 1950 in various groups in particular in Romania but also adjacent nations such as Moldava, Russia, Hungary.  The largest such group is called True Faith Jehovah's Witnesses. Centered in Warri, Nigeria, the God's Kingdom Society or GKS split from Watchtower in the 1930s, and its membership is now likely in the millions there.  There are also members in Ghana and other African nations.  In fact in recent years the GKS has also begun some recruitment in the U.S. for example in Detroit and New York, and it is spreading fast.  The beliefs are similar to those of the Watchtower Society and the Bible Students but most notably the GKS teaches that polygamy is okay in those lands where it is legal, for example in Nigeria.  Most Bible Student group, though, would not claim the GKS since it also is set up in as a centralized hierarchial organization with elders lording it over from top down. Especially from the early 1980s onward there have been some former Jehovah's Witnesses who have also begun their own independent groups, and some onlookers would classify most as being in another wing of the Bible Students movement.  However, unlike the Bible Students movement, such groups which we may call Free Witnesses for convenience and to be descriptive, do for example stay focused on the Bible itself and Christ rather than Russell or his Bible topics book series.  Often each group simply consists of a man and wife who quit the Watchtower and simply read the Bible itself together in their home. An examination of the Bible Students movement shows that it is said to descend from the Adventism movement, which came from the 1800s Baptist preacher William Miller who mispredicted the End several times during the 1800s.   Seventh Day Adventists, Christian (Second Day) Adventists and many smaller groups also developed after Miller from diverse other leaders, heads, "prophets" or spearheads such as the SDA's Ellen White; and some of those groups also mispredicted dates.  Common among many but not all are not just teachings about Armageddon or the End but "soul sleep," and resurrection in not only heaven but also upon this or another "new" earth restored to paradise or Edenic conditions.   Most groups have been peaceful but not for example the Branch Davidians whose shootout against the ATF at Waco, Texas, and fiery deaths will never be forgotten by many American TV viewers. The Bible Students are noted for emphasizing the Good News of "universal salvation," that is that Christ died as a ransom providing resurrection for literally ALL humanity, not just Bible Students but even those who never knew about Christianity because for example they lived and died long before Christ came to earth in jungles etc.  The Bible Students are known as being very peaceful, focused on developing Christ-like character, having deep knowledge of scriptures from personal study, attending assemblies and conventions they hold; also their belief that modern Israel was restored by God (Yahweh/Jehovah) in fulfillment of Bible prophecies.  Most Bible Student "eccclesias" (Greek for congregations) of two or more Bible Students meet in homes etc rather than church buildings.  They are free to "witness" or preach anyway they may feel best including by fine conduct and charitable acts of kindness although some in the U.S. at least at times do also pass out or leave tracts (Bible leaflets) at fairs, truck and rest-stops, businesses, restaurants and homes. To start a Bible Student group a person will simply pray then go do so (no need to tell or consult with anyone) by finding at least one other person willing to study the Bible itself or more usually the Bible itself by also with it whatever books you and the other person agree to use that focus on Bible topics or themes--Russell's books being widely available and known, therefore most often elected for topical studies.  Participants are freely able to offer their own differing views as shown and reasoned from scriptures, so that sometimes in the course of an hour possibly only one or several paragraphs might be covered. Groups may decide which if any of the older reputable Christian elders among them to elect, doing so usually once a year.  Elected, appointed or certified elders are helpful for various reasons including for example to perform legal weddings.  Some groups however do not have any formal elders but, as said, all older reputable Christians associating with such groups are automatically elders and any certifying of elders for services would thus have to list them all. Bible Student groups do also observe the Memorial of the Lord's Last Supper and Christian baptism.  They emphasize the high calling to heaven although also teach hope for resurrection upon paradise earth.  Shunning among them is extremely rare, blood transfusions are a matter of personal conscience, etc.  A Bible Student man can wear a beard, support his children in going to college.  A Bible Student woman freely decides if to wear jewelry, pants suits, etc.   In short, unlike with Jehovah's Witnesses who are dictated too about such matters by the Watchtower Governing Body men, there is great Christian Freedom for the rival Bible Students.  Free Witnesses are much the same but mostly consist of Ex-Jehovah's Witnesses and caring Friends who suffered through or because of the Watchtower Society so that they are also united from having had that experience.    Bible Study is mostly via a straight ahead reading from the Bible itself, not from any works by Russell or other imperfect humans.   You are reading about the Bible Students on ChristianWitnesses.com, a publishing site for what is called the Free Witnesses Movement, that is people who have gone through the rigid, harsh Watchtower experience before exiting.  When in Watchtower, Free Witnesses were constantly mistold by Watchtower elders and publications that the Bible Students 1. don't exist at all, 2. barely exist, 3. are "evil slaves," but upon exiting Watchtower they have learned that these remarks were all propaganda. Sometimes Christians affiliated with non-Watchtower churches will concede positive factors such as Bible Students are friendly to other Christians and non-Christians and unusually well-versed on the scriptures, but they think that because of historical connection Bible Students must also be dangerous cultists.  However, as noted above, the reverse is true, although it is indeed wise to stay alert in any and all religious groups since at any possible moment even the most benign could go bad.  It's happened before and Christ warns us all that among true wheat-like Christians known by their many acts of loving-kindness are also those who are counterfeit Christians known by their harshness and other bad fruitage.  Yes, anytime a Christian is hurt by others people calling themselves Christians, then s/he has the right to leave them and yet do so knowing that s/he can go to Christ.  With time there is healing and in general we all desire the opportunity to find new, decent and understanding friends in a Christian environment for the enjoyment of ourselves and our family members.  Gathering for worship does indeed spark many fine works for helping others and when we shine our lights of kindness we find that our sorrows fade, our strength soar again as on the wings of eagles.

A PARTIAL LIST OF THE COUNTLESS WORLDWIDE BIBLE STUDENT GROUPS (NOTE THAT THE CROSS IS A SYMBOL OF THE RESURRECTION NOT A MURDER WEAPON) 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.   African Bible Students.  Bible Students are in many nations of Africa, e.g. South Africa, western and eastern African nations: (1.) Dean Oswell, P. O. Box 771, Hyper by the sea 4053 South Africa; (2.) Israel Kibambe; Loj i; 42 Tiger Street; Greenwood Par; kRedhill, South Africai kl_toto@yahoo.fr 0748551169 or 0739852800  http://africanbiblestudents.com/ 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 Bulgarian Bible Students: http://www.bulgarianbiblestudents.com/ Chicago Bible Students http://chicagobible.org/ Chinese Bible Students in Australia but reaching out worldwide via the internet http://www.dawnbible.com/zh/content-zh.htm Colombia: Calle 20 B N° 82 B108, Barrio Belén Altavista, Medillín – Antioquía; Transver AL 34 DD Sur N°3009, Barrio Manuel Uribe Angel, Envigado – Antioquía Columbus Bible Students (Ohio) http://www.columbusbiblestudents.com/ (at last look still being constructed) Czech Republic: http://sdmh.sweb.cz/ 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/   The Dawn Bible Students Association; 199 Railroad Avenue; East Rutherford, NJ  07073;  1-888-440-DAWN  (toll free) DawnBible@aol.com  In 1966 their booklet Oh, the Blessedness  rejected much of Russell's views about Bible prophecy and end time predictions: http://www.dawnbible.com/booklets/blessedness.htm  http://www.dawnbible.com/ Detroit Bible Students; P.O. Box 51, Southfield, MI 48037-0051; http://www.biblenewsletter.org/ ; Bible Studies and Devotions are on Sunday mornings at 10 am and 11:30 am at the Meininger-Mahany Senior Community Center, Royal Oak, MI Forth Worth Bible Students http://www.divineplan.org/  1-800-8DIVINE France: Le Mouvement Missionnaire Interieur Laique French Bible Students: http://bibletude.free.fr/ Freie Bibelforscher (Free Bible Students... i.e. Free Bible Students in Germany): http://www.bibelgemeinde.org/ German Bible Students: http://bibelstudent.de/ Germany: http://www.bibelstandarte.de/index2.php Germany: Bibelforscher (=Bible Researchers).  http://bibelforscher.heim.at/ 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 Laymen’s Home Missionary Movement.  Bible Standard Ministries.  1156 St. Matthews; Chester Springs, PA 19425-2700 Road, Chester Springs, PA 19425-2700 Lithuanian Bible Students: http://biblijos-veliava.lt/ Los Angeles Bible Students; 406 Irving Drive. Burbank, CA 91504 (At the corner of Irving Drive and Glenoaks Blvd.) Info@LABibleStudents.org http://labiblestudents.org/index.htm Los Angeles Bible Students; 406 Irving Drive. Burbank, CA 91504 (At the corner of Irving Drive and Glenoaks Blvd.) Info@LABibleStudents.org http://labiblestudents.org/index.htm Macomb County Bible Students; Warren, Michigan  redesign@inbox.com http://www.pastor-russell.com/legacy/intro.html  The Miami Valley Bible Students Ecclesia; Dayton, Ohio area. http://www.godsplan.org/ The Miami Valley Bible Students Ecclesia; Dayton, Ohio area. http://www.godsplan.org/ Moldova Bible Students.  Moldova is a nation between Romania and Russia: http://www.adevarprezent.com/ New Albany-Louisville Bible Students, P.O. Box 197, New Albany, IN 47151-0197. New Brunswick Bible Students http://www.bible411.com/ North Seattle Bible Students.  http://www.nsbible.org/ webmaster@nsbible.org Northwest Indiana Bible Students; PO Box 767 Hebron, IN 46341; 1-888-306-6742; (Ask for Blessed Bible); BlessedBible@aol.com  http://www.blessedbible.com has some items and advertisements in Spanish and Korean Oakland County Bible Students http://www.bibletoday.com/ Orlando Bible Students.  Orlando, Florida. http://www.live365.com/stations/gospel_kingdom?play&site=live365 Orlando Bible Students.  Orlando, Florida. http://www.live365.com/stations/gospel_kingdom?play&site=live365 Peru: Francisco Pizarro 970, Trujillo E-mail: fduenasi@hotmail.com Bible Students of the Philippines.  Includes information in English, Tagalog and Cebuano. http://www.philippinebiblestudents.com/ Phoenix Bible Students; Arizona http://www.phoenixbiblestudents.org/ Poland: http://www.epifania.pl/ http://www.nastrazy.pl/ Polish Bible Students http://dabhar.org/wt/ Polish Bible Students Association; 5 Aberdeen Street; Blackburn South, Vic 3130; Australia  http://www.polishbiblestudents.com/ Portland Area Bible Students; PO Box 23232; Tigard, OR  97281-3232 http://www.portlandbible.com/ PortlandBible@Comcast.Net Romania: http://www.acsib.com/ 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://www.scripturestudy.net/ San Diego Bible Students are mentioned but no website or other contact information was found South African Bible Students http://africanbiblestudents.com/southafrica/index.html Southwest Bible Students PO Box 7155 Phoenix, Arizona 85011 Southwestbiblestudents@yahoo.com Ukraine: Bible Students.  http://biblijnyj-prapor.com.ua/   smre@biblijnyj-prapor.com.ua United Kingdom: Bible Fellowship Union (1917 - Present); active somewhere in or near London  United Kingdom:  Bible Standard; P.O. Box 612; Oldham OL3 7WG; UK. http://www.biblestandard.co.uk/  bs@biblestandard.co.uk United Kingdom: Birmingham Bible Students.  Based in Erdington.  Website not working. United Kingdom: http://ukbiblestudents.co.uk/ United Kingdom (England) Bible Students: http://morebible.tripod.com/index.html United Kingdom:  http://www.globallight.org.uk/ Victoria Bible Students (Canada).  http://www.members.shaw.ca/merlin1874/  merlin1874@shaw.ca Washington Bible Students http://washingtonbiblestudents.com/links.html Winnepeg Bible Students;  P.O. Box 217, Station Main; Winnipeg, MB R3C 2G9; (204) 799-2670 http://winnipegbiblestudents.com/ Young People: http://www.BibleStudentKids.com 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 too harsh and splintered.

BIBLE STUDENTS IN INDIA (Photos by Marten Sarfas of the U.K.)
The South India Bible Students Committee has its headquarters in Bangalore, India. It obtains some of its literature from the Dawn Bible Students by way of a Northwest India Committee.  Further below are some photos courtesy of Martin Sarfes from the United Kingdom.
HISTORY OF BIBLE STUDENTS IN INDIA In 2011 there were about 28 million (28 000 000) Christians in India, a nation with about 1.2 billion (1 200 000 000) people.  Christianity arrived in India very early, quite likely borne there by Thomas the apostle.  The main religion in India is Hinduism.  Its adherents can hold different beliefs or even be atheists and yet be considered good Hindus, which means that Hinduism tends to be assimilative. According to heraldmag.org, Charles Taze Russell along with six other Bible Students visited India in 1912, and that was also the year when S. P. Devasahayam, also called Davey, began full-time preaching work near Nagercoil.  Among other publications, he translated Russell's first volume in the series called Studies in the Scriptures into Tamil and later also Malayalam.  Davey's health declined a lot in 1920 so he appointed  V. Devasandosham to continue his work, eventually dying in 1936.   V. Devasandosham organized the Associated Bible Students in India and the association was later named the India Bible Students Association.  It was largely in Madras. He unwisely suggested that the end might in 1944 so that after 1939 many Bible Students in India sold all their possessions to preach, later causing many to be disappointed and or quit.    Sometime during 1920-1924, a Bible Student named Pakian, who was of poor health and who had come from Singapore, began printing a lot of tracts in Tamil as well as a monthly magazine.  Successors to P. Devasandosham (1920-1944) were T. C. Devakannu (1944-1970), S. Rathansami (1967-1975) of Tiruchiripali, and Sebastian (1975 onward). There have been Tamil language conventions for the India Bible Students Association every year since 1921.  The conventions now last about three days with some 500 in attndance and are rotated among a few of India's cities.  Most Bible Students in India are in the southern part of the nation, but there are several hundred all over the nation. Committees exist for literature in northwestern and southern India.   Sundar Raj Gilbert gave up an engineering career to help people outside of the Tamil area in 1940 and eventually this led to the Northwest India Committee known in the U.S. and Canada as the Northwest Committee for India and nowadays as Friends of India. In 1965 the South India Bible Students Committee formed.  It has published literature in many of India's languages including Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Oriya, Gujarati, Telugu, Kanada, Malayalam, and Marathi.

NEW COVENANT BIBLE STUDENTS (EX-JW'S BIBLE STUDENTS) GROWING IN REFUGEE CAMP IN MALAWI, AFRICA ExJWs began this Bible Students church in Malawi, about 100 young and old at the very start Brother and Sister Innocent who teach brought them together and got the building constructed Standing ready to continue in service to God and their fellow humans Solemn, eager elders at the inauguration of the new church Christian groups grow by involving the young, providing loving fun for them too Ready to minister These photos include Innocent Hankanimana who founded a Bible Students group in the Dzalaka Refugee Camp near the capital of Malawi in Africa as well as some photos of the newly built Bible Students church building that he and his wife helped build (completed in 2010) next to where they live.  He and many others had been Jehovah’s Witnesses but saw that Watchtower had become too extreme in how it shuns (disfellowships), pressures JW parents to have children bleed to death, etc.  The couple and other Bible Students now enjoy many studies with people in the camp who are not only from Malawi but other African nations.  At the Memorial of the Last Supper held on Passover day, 2011, there were six new disciples baptized.  Last heard the group was doing well but encountering persecution from JWs in the Watchtower Society.

I.B.S.A. IS PART OF WATCHTOWER NOT THE BIBLE STUDENTS The International Bible Students Association (I.B.S.A.), based in the United Kingdom, is controlled by the worldwide Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses, and there is no benefit from it to the various Bible Student Groups.  I.B.S.A. was founded in 1914 when Charles T. Russell, the founder of the Bible Students was alive, but the Watchtower Society led by Joseph Rutherford grabbed control of it, and ever since then it has been one of Watchtower's many sister corporations.  Read more about it here: http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/ScannedAccounts/Ends47/0000216647_ac_20090831_e_c.pdf

Song books are few so one book has to be shared by several who are singing.  Those attending are refugees from many different African nations and of many different languages, Swahili being the one that most know.

The photo on your left shows a schedule of Bible talks on topics such as about resurrection.  As seen in the central and right photo, some although not all have Bibles, and those who do appreciate them greatly.  Those who don't just have to listen carefully.

The photos above show a number of young ones as well as some as adults.