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.
Read moreFrom Martin Luther to 1914: How Centuries of Upheaval Led to a Prophetic Date
The year 1914 is one of the most important dates in the theology of Jehovah’s Witnesses. According to their teaching, 1914 marked the beginning of Christ’s invisible heavenly reign and the start of the “last days.” To many people, that doctrine can seem like it appeared suddenly from a complicated Bible calculation. But historically, the road to 1914 stretches back through centuries of religious upheaval, political revolution, social anxiety, and prophetic interpretation.
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