more history of Jehovah’s Witnesses

14. The name “Jehovah’s Witnesses” was adopted in 1931

• The name 'Jehovah's Witnesses' was adopted in 1931.
• Before that, they were mainly known as Bible Students.
• Rutherford announced the new name at a convention in Columbus, Ohio.
• The name came from Isaiah 43:10:

“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen.”
Isaiah 43:10 NIV

• The new name helped separate Rutherford’s followers from other Bible Student groups.
• Jehovah’s Witnesses’ official history says Rutherford gave the talk on July 26, 1931, to more than 15,000 people, with part of the programme broadcast by radio.

15. Why the new name mattered

• The name change was not only cosmetic.
• It marked a new identity.
• It said:
  • they were not just Russell’s Bible Students
  • they were Jehovah’s special witnesses
  • they were separate from historic churches
  • they were separate from other Bibles. Student splinter groups
• This helped create a strong “us and them” identity.
• After 1931, the group became more clearly distinct from mainstream Christianity.

16. Rutherford’s major changes

• Rutherford shaped Jehovah’s Witnesses in many ways.
• Under him, the movement became more active and strict.
• He promoted:
  • door-to-door preaching
  • strong central authority
  • public campaigns against churches
  • refusal of military involvement
  • refusal to salute the flag
  • rejection of Christmas and birthdays
  • strong separation from “worldly” society
• These features became major marks of Jehovah’s Witness life.
• The First Amendment Encyclopedia notes their refusal to salute flags and their legal battles over evangelism and religious freedom.

17. Kingdom Halls

• Jehovah’s Witnesses do not usually call their meeting places "churches".
• They call them Kingdom Halls.
• This fits their emphasis on God’s Kingdom.
• The term became common under Rutherford’s leadership.
• AP explains that Jehovah’s Witnesses call their place of worship a Kingdom Hall because they understand “church” as the worshippers, not the building.

18. The 1914 doctrine developed

• The date 1914 became one of the most important dates in Jehovah’s Witness teaching.
• Russell expected 1914 to be connected with the end of the present world system.
• When this did not happen in the expected way, the teaching was reinterpreted.
• Jehovah’s Witnesses later taught that Christ began ruling invisibly in heaven in 1914.
• This doctrine became central to their end-times message.
• Britannica says Russell connected Christ’s invisible presence and the millennial kingdom expectation with 1914, although the kingdom did not come as expected.

19. 1925 and further prophetic expectations

• After 1914, other strong expectations developed.
• One important date was 1925.
• Rutherford promoted the idea that ancient faithful men like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob might return soon.
• The expected events did not happen.
• These failed expectations caused disappointment.
• But the organisation continued and reinterpreted its prophetic framework.
• This pattern became part of the history of Jehovah’s Witnesses:
  • strong expectation
  • disappointment
  • reinterpretation
  • continued loyalty to the organisation

20. Nathan H. Knorr period: 1942–1977

• Rutherford died in 1942.
• He was succeeded by Nathan H. Knorr.
• Knorr led the organisation from 1942 to 1977.
• Under Knorr, Jehovah’s Witnesses became more organised internationally.
• The preaching work expanded strongly.
• Training improved.
• Missionary work became more structured.
• Their publishing system became more professional.
• Britannica’s student history notes that Knorr governed the movement from 1942 to 1977.

21. The New World Translation

• Under Knorr’s leadership, Jehovah’s Witnesses produced their own Bible translation.
• This is called the New World Translation.
• The Christian Greek Scriptures were released in 1950.
• The Hebrew Scriptures were released later in volumes.
• This translation became very important to Jehovah’s Witness identity.
• It supports many of their distinctive teachings, especially about the name "Jehovah", Jesus, and the Trinity.
• From an Orthodox Christian view, this translation is one of the major concerns because some verses are rendered in ways that support Watch Tower doctrine.

22. Blood transfusion teaching

• One of the most famous Jehovah’s Witness teachings is refusal of blood transfusions.
• This teaching developed especially from the mid-20th century.
• They connect it to biblical commands to abstain from blood.
• They apply this not only to eating blood but also to medical transfusion.
• AP notes that Jehovah’s Witnesses are especially known for this distinctive teaching and that they remain opposed to transfusions of donated blood, though there has been a recent clarification allowing members to decide about storing and reusing their own blood in some medical situations.

23. Legal battles and public identity

• Jehovah’s Witnesses became famous for legal battles.
• These involved:
  • door-to-door preaching
  • distribution of literature
  • refusal to salute the flag
  • conscientious objection to war
  • refusal of blood transfusion
• In the United States, their court cases helped shape religious freedom and free speech law.
• Between 1939 and 1950, they won many Supreme Court cases involving literature distribution and permit requirements.
• The First Amendment Encyclopedia says they won 14 of 19 Supreme Court cases in that period involving distribution of literature and permit issues.

24. Persecution under Nazi Germany

• Jehovah’s Witnesses were persecuted under Nazi rule.
• They refused to give full loyalty to Hitler.
• They refused military service and political worship of the state.
• Many were imprisoned.
• Some died in concentration camps.
• AP reports that about 1,500 Jehovah’s Witnesses died during the Holocaust out of about 35,000 in Germany and Nazi-occupied countries at the time.

25. The 1975 expectation

• Another major date in their history was 1975.
• Many Jehovah’s Witnesses expected that 1975 might be connected with Armageddon or the end of the present system.
• When 1975 passed, there was disappointment.
• Some members left.
• The organisation later softened or reinterpreted the issue.
• This is important historically because it showed again the danger of date-setting.
• Jesus warned against this kind of certainty about dates:

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
Matthew 24:36 NIV

26. The Governing Body became more prominent

• In the modern organisation, the Governing Body is the highest leadership group.
• Before the 1970s, the president of the Watch Tower Society had enormous influence.
• In the 1970s, leadership became more formally organised around the governing body.
• In December 1975, the Governing Body accepted organisational adjustments.
• From 1976, committees helped oversee different parts of the worldwide work.
• Jehovah’s Witnesses’ own 1977 Yearbook describes these organisational changes and the creation of branch committees.

27. Global expansion

• Jehovah’s Witnesses expanded from a small American Bible study movement into a worldwide organisation.
• Their growth was helped by:
  • door-to-door preaching
  • translated literature
  • missionary activity
  • strong central organisation
  • repeated meetings and training
  • simple message about God’s Kingdom
• They became known internationally for public preaching.
• Pew Research says Jehovah’s Witnesses have origins in 19th-century America and are known for door-to-door proselytism.

28. Moving from Brooklyn to Warwick

• For many years, Brooklyn, New York, was the world headquarters.
• Later, Jehovah’s Witnesses moved the world headquarters to Warwick, New York.
• Their official site says they purchased land in upstate New York in 2009 for the relocation from Brooklyn.
• The move reflected changes in printing, administration, and global organisation.

29. Modern Jehovah’s Witnesses today

• Jehovah’s Witnesses are now a global religious movement.
• They are present in many countries.
• Their 2025 official service report lists:
  • 84 branches
  • 241 lands reporting
  • 119,652 congregations
  • 9,205,326 peak publishers
  • 9,047,083 average publishers preaching each month
• This shows how far the movement developed from a small Bible class in Pittsburgh.