and was carried into the King James Bible's translation of in Exodus 6:3. Rutherford laid the foundation for the sect as we know it today.Īccording to the Jehovah's Witnesses, there is one God, and since 1931, they have insisted that He be called 'Jehovah.' This is a corruption in the pronunciation of the Hebrew, which occurred about the third century B.C. He also transformed the congregational structure of the sect as it was under Russell into a rigid theocracy. Rutherford officially incorporated the group in 1931 as the Jehovah's Witnesses with the legal title, 'The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society.' Rutherford developed Russell's ideas into a formal doctrinal system. Upon Russell's death in 1916, Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford, a Missouri lawyer who had defended Russell in several of his legal battles, succeeded him as president of the society. During his missionary work, he faced several scandals including separation from his wife after 18 years of marriage, and the accusation of fraud for selling 'miracle wheat' for a very high price. He traveled on preaching missions throughout the United States and Europe, organizing his followers, who were called Russellites, Millennial Dawnists, International Bible Students and finally Jehovah's Witnesses. In 1879, Russell founded the journal The Watchtower and in 1884 formed the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. His later study of the Bible led him to deny the existence of hell and the doctrine of the Trinity, and to express Arian views concerning the nature of Jesus Christ, denying His divinity. He was baptized a Congregationalist, and was raised in a strict Protestant family. We provide these articles to help you understand the distinctions between denominations, including origin, leadership, doctrine, and beliefs.The Jehovah's Witnesses were founded by Charles Taze Russell, a former haberdasher from Philadelphia, in early 1872 in Alleghany, Pa. This article is part of our Denomination Series, listing historical facts and theological information about different factions within and from the Christian religion. Photo courtesy: © Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/srz In 2012, global membership was about 1.7 million. However, worldwide the church is growing. Much of that loss is attributed to differing opinions and the loss of the Lancaster Mennonite Conference in its membership.

denominations of Mennonites, numbers have fallen about 17 percent, according to a 2016 report. The Mennonite Church USA, which doesn’t include all U.S. The Mennonite World Conference counts nearly 6,000 congregations in the United States. About 35 percent of the total in the world are in Africa, 20 percent are in Asia, nearly 10 percent is in the Caribbean and Latin America, and about 3 percent are in Europe. Of the total, 32 percent of Mennonites are in North America. Photo courtesy: Unsplash/benwhitephotographyĪccording to the Mennonite World Conference, there are about 2.1 million Mennonites in 87 countries in the world. According to the church’s Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective, the church will stay pray for that person to be restored to the church. However, the group also believes that if “an erring member persists in sin without repentance and rejects even the admonition of the congregation,” he or she may be suspended or excommunicated. They thus acknowledge their frequent need of cleansing, renew their willingness to let go of pride and worldly power, and offer their lives in humble service and sacrificial love.” “Believers who wash each other’s feet show that they share in the body of Christ.

Mennonites also encourage the practice of foot washing. According to Mennonite USA, the church “believe(s) that, through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God offers salvation from sin and a new way of life to all people.” On baptism, the church sees it as a sign of cleansing, a pledge before the church and a testimony to “God’s gift of the Holy Sprit.” Core to their beliefs are many that are in line with other Christian beliefs.

Basics of jehovah witness beliefs