Charles Taze Russell, a draper of Pittsburgh, afterwards known as "Pastor" Russell, was the founder of the movement in 1872. Nathan Homer Knorr, its present head, prefers to say, "We broke in on the history of Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1872.
The Jehovah's Witnesses leadership claims: "The modern-day organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses began at the end of the 19th century." This is would be odd, since there was no "organization of Jehovah's Witnesses" in the days of Russell. Russell would not allow the Watch Tower of his day to be used for such a purpose. For some of Russell's own statements regarding such an organization,
We should note that there is a lot of false information about Charles Taze Russell often guised as "truth," "facts," "exposing [alleged] lies." To claim that the Jehovah's Witnesses began with Charles Taze Russell is highly misleading, to say the least. The truth is that there was no "Jehovah's Witnesses" faith until after Charles Taze Russell died. Russell certainly never believed in such a religious organization as "Jehovah's Witnesses." See:
It is claimed that the original founder of the organization was Charles Taze Russell. In reality, Charles Taze Russell did not believe in such an organization as the Jehovah's Witnesses; furthermore, Russell preached against the kind of authoritarianism that is found in the JW organization and certainly was not the founder of an organization that he did not believe in. For actual quotes from Russell regarding authority see: "Who Did Russell Actually Believe to Be the 'only authority' of the Church?"
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Since Russell was never associated with, nor did he believe in, such an authoritarian organization such as "Jehovah's Witnesses," it is inaccurate to say that the "real start of the Jehovah's Witnesses" was in 1874. Russell believed in no "new religion." He accepted and believed in the "old religion" of Jesus and the apostles. Russell never referred to the Bible Students association as the "only true religion."
See the presentation:
A New Religion?
A New Religion?
When Russell began publishing the magazine, "Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence," this was not at all related to the then non-existent "Jehovah's Witnesses" movement. Russell believed in no such movement, nor did he believe in the unique teachings of "Jehovah's Witnesses" regarding "God's visible organization" being authorized by God with a centralized authority here on earth that is supposed to govern God's people, nor did he believe in the kind of "Armageddon" that the Jehovah's Witnesses promote.
Did Russell claim to have started the only true church, or the only true religion?
Did Russell claim to have started the only true church, or the only true religion?
Some make the assertion that Russell claimed to have been the fonder of the "only true religion." Did Russell ever claim to be the founder of "the only true religion"? Absolutely not! Russell never made any kind of assertion of starting any religion at all; believing that Christianity had been started by Christ in the first century, he saw no reason to start any new religion. He certainly did not start the religion known as "Jehovah's Witnesses", nor in its sectarian stance of being the "only true religion". Russell believed until his death that the only true church was that which is enrolled in heaven, not in the records of any "organization" or "religion" on earth.
When Russell died, Rutherford was not elected as "the new leader of the Jehovah's Witness movement", as some have claimed. The "Jehovah's Witnesses" did not exist at that time. Rutherford was elected as the president of the legal entity, the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. Nevertheless, in a few short months, Rutherford had basically destroyed the legal entity as Russell had created it, and Rutherford assumed authority that Russell refused to assume. Rutherford -- after Russell died -- ambitiously began to restructure the Watch Tower Society as related to the Bible Students so as to make WTS resemble the Papal hierarchy. This was actually how the Jehovah's Witnesses' religion started. This, however, was after the death of Russell.
Rutherford evidently found the central doctrine that the Bible Students had been preaching for decades, that is, the "ransom for all", would not be suitable to accomplish his goals, so he began to insidiously renounce that doctrine around 1923, when he came forth his new ideas about the "second death". Eventually, Rutherford renounced the basis of the ransom altogether, and replaced that doctrine with his new gospel that most of the people of the nations would be eternally destroyed if they did not join up with his new organization.
By 1928, the vast majority of the earlier Bible Students movement worldwide (more than 75%) had rejected Rutherford's new organization as well as Rutherford's new "organization" gospel. In response, in 1931, it could be said that Rutherford officially started the "Jehovah's Witnesses" religion, although the creation of that "organization" took place slowly between 1917 and 1931. Such an organization, as Brother Russell had stated, has carnal appeal to the fallen human flesh, and thus could grow rapidly now that the Biblical standards were being compromised in favor of his organization "good news" message.
Related:
Original posted 2012; Updated and republished 2014; Updated 8/2021
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