Dear Jehovah's Witnesses

When Did the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses Come Into Existence? A Historical Timeline

Most Jehovah's Witnesses assume that the modern Governing Body has existed continuously since the days of Charles Taze Russell, or even that it is a direct continuation of the apostles and elders in first-century Jerusalem. Current publications present that picture of continuity.

A careful reading of the organization's own literature, however, reveals a more gradual development. Over more than a century, Jehovah's Witnesses changed not only the structure of their leadership but also its identity and authority. The Governing Body familiar today is the product of several significant organizational and doctrinal developments.

This article traces those developments using Jehovah's Witnesses' own published history.

“Yeah, but…” — The Sound of Scripture Being Overruled

Whenever you read a scripture that plainly says something, and the first response you hear from another person—perhaps even another Jehovah’s Witness—is, “Yeah, but…,” that should tell you something important.

The Governing Body has decided...

Have you really seriously thought about what that statement, that preamble, of every organizational change means? It means the Governing Body themselves—yes, that group of old white (and Sam Herd)  men in New York—openly admit that they are not inspired by God. That’s not an accusation. That’s their own statement.

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