"volumes, known as the ""Watchtower Reprints"", which have since been reprinted by various Bible Student groups. On 15 October 1931, the magazine was renamed ""The Watchtower and Herald of Christ's Presence""; in January 1939, ""The Watchtower and Herald of Christ's Kingdom""; from March 1939 until the present, its full name has been ""The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah's Kingdom"". The stated purpose of ""The Watchtower"" is to draw attention to the kingdom of God, which Jehovah's Witnesses believe is a real government that will soon replace all earthly governments. According to the magazine's mission statement: THIS MAGAZINE, The Watchtower, honors Jehovah God,"
"the Watchtower Bible And Tract Society's perspective. It has also presented medical opinions of various medical conditions. Conditions that have been featured in ""Awake!"" include dementia, stroke, infectious diseases, bipolar disorder, and postpartum depression. Many issues claim that mankind is living in the end times. The magazine's editor under the titles of ""The Golden Age"" and ""Consolation"" was Clayton J. Woodworth, who later served on the boards of several corporations of Jehovah's Witnesses. When the magazine was renamed ""Awake!"", the journal's editorship became anonymous. (Autobiographical articles credited to individual members about their experiences and circumstances occasionally appear.) Publication is overseen"
"Jehovah's Witnesses publications The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society produces a significant amount of printed and electronic literature, primarily for use by Jehovah's Witnesses. Their best known publications are the magazines, ""The Watchtower"" and ""Awake!"" ""The Watchtower"" was first published by Charles Taze Russell, founder of the Bible Student movement, in 1879, followed by the inception of the Watch Tower Society in 1881. Supporters adopted the name ""Jehovah's witnesses"" in 1931. Particularly since 2001, when referring to other Watch Tower Society publications their literature has typically stated that it is ""published by Jehovah's Witnesses"", though the edition notice identifies"
"are best known for their door-to-door preaching, distributing literature such as ""The Watchtower"" and ""Awake!"", and refusing military service and blood transfusions. They consider the use of God's name vital for proper worship. They reject Trinitarianism, inherent immortality of the soul, and hellfire, which they consider to be unscriptural doctrines. The group does not observe Christmas, Easter, birthdays or other holidays and customs they consider to have pagan origins incompatible with Christianity. They prefer to use their own Bible translation, the ""New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures"", although their literature occasionally quotes and cites other Bible translations. Adherents commonly"
"Awake! Awake! is an illustrated religious magazine published every four months by Jehovah's Witnesses via the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. It is considered to be a companion magazine of ""The Watchtower"", and is distributed by Jehovah's Witnesses in their door-to-door ministry, with a total worldwide circulation of over 75 million copies in 204 languages per issue. The magazine was originally published bimonthly under the name The Golden Age on October 1, 1919, by the International Bible Students Association. (In 1930 it was published in Danish under the name New World.) On October 6, 1937, it was"
"worldwide preaching work, ""without hindrance."" The sale of Jehovah's Witnesses' literature was gradually phased out in other countries, and ""Awake!"" has been distributed free of charge worldwide since early 2000, its printing being funded by voluntary donations from Jehovah's Witnesses and members of the public. Awake! Awake! is an illustrated religious magazine published every four months by Jehovah's Witnesses via the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. It is considered to be a companion magazine of ""The Watchtower"", and is distributed by Jehovah's Witnesses in their door-to-door ministry, with a total worldwide circulation of over 75 million copies"
"by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society as early as 1917. Many Bible Students were disaffected by Rutherford's rejection of Russell's views regarding his role in the restoration of the ""truth"" and support of the Great Pyramid as having been built under God's direction. Those remaining supportive of Rutherford adopted the new name ""Jehovah's witnesses"" in 1931. They renamed their magazine as ""The Watchtower"". Many of the most prominent Bible Students who had left the society held their own meeting in October 1929 to gather other dissenters; the First Annual Bible Students Reunion Convention was held in the old"
"and literature displays. The Watch Tower Society operates a website, JW.org, which provides access to Watch Tower Society literature and video streaming. Jehovah's Witnesses make extensive use of Watch Tower Society literature, including books, magazines, booklets and handbills, to spread their beliefs and to use as textbooks at their religious meetings. The publications are produced in many languages, with a small selection available in 500 languages. Their primary journal, ""The Watchtower"" is published simultaneously in nearly two hundred languages and, along with ""Awake!"", available in audio and electronic formats. Issues of both publications are compiled annually into bound volumes, and"
"Tower Society have been Frederick W. Franz (June 1977 – December 1992); Milton G. Henschel (December 1992 – October 2000), Don A. Adams (October 2000 – 2014) and Robert Ciranko (incumbent). Adams and Ciranko are considered ""helpers"" to the Governing Body, which retains authority over the corporations. The corporation is a major publisher of religious publications, including books, tracts, magazines and Bibles. By 1979, the society had 39 printing branches worldwide. In 1990, it was reported that in one year the society printed 696 million copies of its magazines, ""The Watchtower"" and ""Awake!"" as well as another 35,811,000 pieces of"
"Tidings, founded in 1895 (renamed Angelus in 2016), and published jointly by The Tidings Corporation and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and Maryknoll, founded in 1907 by the Foreign Mission Society of America which brings news about the organization's charitable and missionary work in over 100 countries. There are over 100 Catholic magazines published in the United States, and thousands globally which range in scope from inspirational messages to specific religious orders, faithful family life, to global issues facing the world wide Church. The Watchtower publication was started by Charles Taze Russell on July 1879 under the title"
"Development of Jehovah's Witnesses doctrine The doctrines of Jehovah's Witnesses have developed since publication of ""The Watchtower"" magazine began in 1879. Early doctrines were based on interpretations of the Bible by Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society founder Charles Taze Russell, then added to, altered or discarded by his successors, Joseph Rutherford and Nathan Knorr. Since 1976, doctrinal changes have been made at closed meetings of the group's Governing Body, whose decisions are described as ""God's progressive revelations"" to the faithful and discreet slave. These teachings are disseminated through ""The Watchtower"", and at conventions and congregation meetings. Most members of"
"direction to avoid reading criticism of the organization, frequent and tightly controlled ""indoctrination"" meetings, regimentation, social alienation and elaborate promises of future rewards. Apart from life stories, the authors of all Watch Tower Society magazine articles and other publications are anonymous and correspondence from the society does not typically indicate a specific author or personal signature. Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania is a non-stock, not-for-profit organization headquartered in Warwick, New York. It is the main legal entity used worldwide by Jehovah's Witnesses to direct, administer and disseminate doctrines"
"means of the publication of tracts, pamphlets, papers and other religious documents, and for religious missionary work.” In 2001 ""Newsday"" listed the Watch Tower Society as one of New York's forty richest corporations, with revenues exceeding $950 million. Originally known as the ""Peoples Pulpit Association"", the organization was incorporated in 1909 when the Society's principal offices moved to Brooklyn, New York. In 1939, it was renamed ""Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Inc."", and in 1956 the name was changed to ""Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc"". Until 2000, a member of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses"
"renamed ""Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society"" in 1896; similar names had been in unofficial use since at least 1892. ""Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc."" is a corporation used by Jehovah's Witnesses which is responsible for administrative matters, such as real estate, especially within the United States. This corporation is typically cited as the publisher of Jehovah's Witnesses publications, though other publishers are sometimes cited. The corporation's stated purposes are: “Charitable, benevolent, scientific, historical, literary and religious purposes; the moral and mental improvement of men and women, the dissemination of Bible truths in various languages by"
"with God's spirit-directed organization,"" though Witness publications say baptism symbolizes personal dedication to God and not ""to a man, work or organization."" Their literature emphasizes the need for members to be obedient and loyal to Jehovah and to ""his organization,"" stating that individuals must remain part of it to receive God's favor and to survive Armageddon. The organization produces a significant amount of literature as part of its evangelism activities. The Watch Tower Society has produced over 220 million copies of the ""New World Translation"" in whole or in part in over 160 languages. ""The Watchtower"" and ""Awake!"" are the"
"Jehovah's Witnesses Association of Romania Jehovah's Witnesses Association of Romania () is the formal name used by Jehovah's Witnesses for their operations in Romania, with a branch office located in Bucharest. It is one of eighteen officially recognised religious denominations in the country. According to a national census held in 2011, it has 49,820 adherents, making it the country's tenth-largest denomination. Each congregation is supervised by a group of elders appointed by the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses. The magazines ""The Watchtower"" and ""Awake!"" are both published in Romanian. Bible Student groups first appeared in present-day Romania through Hungarian missionaries"
"first came in 1926: the group was considered a deviation from mainstream Christianity and an extra headache for authorities busy dealing with new extremist movements. At that point, ""The Watchtower"" was banned, part of a wider move to curtail the group's publications. By the early 1930s, pressure had eased and the headquarters moved to Bucharest, as part of a shift into eastern and southern Romania. Orthodox Ukrainians and Serbs were converted, followed by Romanian Seventh-day Adventists in Moldavia and inroads into Dobruja, Oltenia and Muntenia. The group was legalised again in 1933; its application to register as a joint-stock company"
"and historically accurate and reliable and interpret much of it literally, but accept parts of it as symbolic. They consider the Bible to be the final authority for all their beliefs, although sociologist Andrew Holden's ethnographic study of the group concluded that pronouncements of the Governing Body, through Watch Tower Society publications, carry almost as much weight as the Bible. Regular personal Bible reading is frequently recommended; Witnesses are discouraged from formulating doctrines and ""private ideas"" reached through Bible research independent of Watch Tower Society publications, and are cautioned against reading other religious literature. Adherents are told to have ""complete"
"of the cross in worship, rejection of Christmas and birthday celebrations and the view of the biblical Armageddon as a global war by God that will destroy the wicked and restore peace on earth. In 1945 the Watch Tower Society, which Russell had founded as a publishing house, amended its charter to state that its purposes included preaching about God's Kingdom, acting as a servant and governing agency of Jehovah's Witnesses and sending out missionaries and teachers for the public worship of God and Jesus Christ. The denomination was banned in Canada in World War I, and in Germany, the"
"most widely distributed magazines in the world. Translation of Witness publications is done by over 2000 volunteers worldwide, producing literature in over 950 languages. Publications are also available online at the organization's official website. Much of their funding is provided by donations, primarily from members. There is no tithing or collection. In 2001 ""Newsday"" listed the Watch Tower Society as one of New York's forty richest corporations, with revenues exceeding $950 million. The organization reported for the same year that it ""spent over $70.9 million in caring for special pioneers, missionaries, and traveling overseers in their field service assignments."" Jehovah's"
"of the ""New Covenant"" mentioned by Jeremiah, and led the New Covenant Bible Students in the United States, founding the New Covenant Believers in that year. The community, which members informally refer to as Free Bible Students, published ""The Kingdom Scribe"" magazine until 1975. The founding group is now known as the Berean Bible Students Church in Lombard.<ref name=""http://www.bbschurch.org/"">""Welcome to Berean Bible Students Church""</ref> In 1928 the Italian Bible Students Association in Hartford, Connecticut withdrew its support from the Watch Tower Society and changed its name to the Millennial Bible Students Church or Christian Millennial Fellowship and later to Christian"
"According to its first issue, the magazine's purpose was to draw attention to Russell's belief that people of the time were ""living 'in the last days' 'the day of the Lord'—'the end' of the Gospel age,"" and that ""the dawn of the 'new' age, are facts not only discernible by the close student of the Word, led by the spirit, but the outward signs recognizable by the world bear the same testimony."" In 1908 the name was changed to ""The Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence"". In 1920, the Watch Tower Society reprinted all issues from 1879–1919 in seven"
"been directed by a president and board of directors. Until January 1976, the president exercised complete control of doctrines, publications and activities of the Watch Tower Society and the religious denominations with which it was connected—the Bible Students and Jehovah's Witnesses. When the Society's second president, J. F. Rutherford, encountered opposition from directors in 1917, he dismissed them. In 1925 he overruled the Watch Tower Society's editorial committee when it opposed publication of an article about disputed doctrines regarding the year 1914. In 1931, the editorial committee was dissolved. In 1943 ""The Watchtower"" described the Watch Tower Bible and Tract"
"the public preaching work, and forming ""judicial committees"" to investigate and decide disciplinary action in cases where members are believed to have committed serious sins. Ministerial servants fulfill clerical and attendant duties, but may also teach and conduct meetings. The organization is directed by the Governing Body—an all-male group that varies in size, but since January 2018 has had eight members,—based in the Watchtower Society's Warwick, New York headquarters. Each of the Governing Body members claims to be of the ""anointed class"" with a hope of heavenly life (whereas most Jehovah's Witnesses hope to be resurrected in an earthly paradise)."
"The Watch Tower Society supported Swaggart in the case, arguing that the perceived sale of religious literature should be exempt from taxation. From March 1, 1990, the journals were made available at no cost, on a freewill donation basis in the United States, with the stated purpose of simplifying their Bible educational work and distinguishing themselves from those who commercialize religion. An article in the May 1990 issue of ""Our Kingdom Ministry""—a newsletter provided to members—stated that ""there are growing pressures against all religious elements"" and went on to say that their main concern was to move ahead in the"
"the second convention a few months later, the informal Pastoral Bible Institute was founded. They began publishing ""The Herald of Christ's Kingdom"", edited by Randolph E. Streeter. An editorial committee continues publication of the magazine in a reduced capacity, and reproduces other Bible Student movement literature, including Russell's six-volume ""Studies in the Scriptures"". The Australian Berean Bible Institute (BBI) formally separated from the Watch Tower Society in 1918. It published ""The Voice"", and continues to publish the ""People's Paper"" magazine. There are several 'classes' of Bible students in Australia that hold similar beliefs to those promulgated by the BBI, but"
"the publisher as the Watch Tower Society. Along with books and brochures, other media are also produced, including CDs, MP3s and DVDs, and Internet downloads and video streaming. New publications are usually released at Jehovah's Witnesses' annual conventions. Most literature produced by Jehovah's Witnesses is intended for use in their evangelizing work. Publications for preaching are also routinely studied by members, both privately and at their meetings for worship. Their most widely distributed publications are: When interested individuals are encountered, Witnesses offer a home Bible study course, using a current publication, such as ""What Does the Bible ""Really"" Teach?"", which"
"""theocratic organization"", reflecting their belief that it is God's ""visible organization"" on earth. The organization is led by the Governing Body—an all-male group that varies in size, but since January 2018 has comprised eight members, all of whom profess to be of the ""anointed"" class with a hope of heavenly life—based in the Watch Tower Society's Warwick headquarters. There is no election for membership; new members are selected by the existing body. Until late 2012, the Governing Body described itself as the representative and ""spokesman"" for God's ""faithful and discreet slave class"" (approximately 10,000 self-professed ""anointed"" Jehovah's Witnesses). At the"
"Watch Tower Society ""over all his belongings"". The ""belongings"" are said to today include Jehovah's Witnesses' Brooklyn headquarters, branch offices, Kingdom Halls and Assembly Halls worldwide as well as the ""great crowd"" of Jehovah's Witnesses. In 1881, an article in ""Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence"" by the magazine's editor Charles Taze Russell identified the ""faithful and wise servant"" as ""that 'little flock' of consecrated servants who are faithfully carrying out their consecration vows—the body of Christ ... the whole body individually and collectively, giving the meat in due season to the household of faith—the great company of"
"the ban of ""The Watchtower"" in France, publication of the magazine continued in various French territories. In French Polynesia, the magazine was covertly published under the name, ""La Sentinelle"", though it was later learned that ""The Watchtower"" had not been banned locally. In Réunion, the magazine was published under the name, ""Bulletin intérieur"". In 1996, one year after Georgia adopted its post-USSR Constitution, the country's Ministry of Internal Affairs began a campaign to detain tons of religious literature belonging to Jehovah's Witnesses. Government officials refused permits for Jehovah's Witnesses to organize assemblies, and law enforcement officials dispersed legal assemblies. In"
"his magazine, ""The Watch Tower"", and his legal and publishing corporation, the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. Under Rutherford's direction, the International Bible Students Association introduced significant doctrinal changes that resulted in many long-term members leaving the organization. The group regrew rapidly, particularly in the mid-1930s with the introduction of new preaching methods. In 1931, the name ""Jehovah's witnesses"" was adopted, further cutting ties with Russell's earlier followers. Substantial organizational changes continued as congregations and teaching programs worldwide came under centralized control. Further refinements of its doctrines led to the prohibition of blood transfusions by members, abandonment"
"disseminate tracts, papers, doctrinal treatises and bibles; three years later, on December 15, 1884, Russell became the president of the Society when it was legally incorporated in Pennsylvania. Russell's group split into several rival organisations after his death in 1916. One of those groups retained control of Russell's magazine, ""Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence"", and his legal corporation, the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society of Pennsylvania and adopted the name ""Jehovah's witnesses"" in 1931. Substantial organizational and doctrinal changes occurred between 1917 and the 1950s. The religion's history has consisted of four distinct phases linked with"
"a separate but similar incident as such a second witness against a member accused of sexual abuse. The Watch Tower Society has been criticized for its refusal to reveal the names and academic credentials of the translators of its ""New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures"" (NWT). The Society has claimed members of the NWT's translation committee wished to remain anonymous in order to exalt only the name of God, ""The Watchtower"" stating that the educational qualifications of the translators were unimportant and that ""the translation itself testifies to their qualifications"". Raymond Franz, a former member of the Governing Body,"