A number of corporations are in use by Jehovah's Witnesses. They deal with legal issues and represent the interests of the religious organization. The sale of the magazines, and all Jehovah's Witnesses' literature, continued around the world until the early 1990s. The Watchtower is now distributed in exchange of donations. The Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of NY, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation, was as of 2001 one of the 40 largest revenue-generating companies in New York City, reporting an annual revenue of about US$951 million. ^[1] The corporation is now legally headquartered in Patterson, New York.^[2] Their yearly report is different from a Wall Street company as the company's employees are volunteers who live and work in the Brooklyn complex. Jehovahs Witnesses have produced a large amount of literature. ... The Watchtower is an illustrated religious magazine printed and published by Jehovahs Witnesses via their Watchtower Bible and Tract Society in Wallkill, Ulster County, New York and branch offices around the world. ... Cover of Awake! magazine Awake! is a general-interest magazine published by Jehovahs Witnesses. ... The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (NWT) is a modern-language translation of the Bible published by the Jehovahs Witnesses, specifically Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc. ... Aid to Bible Understanding (1969) was the first doctrinal and biblical encyclopedia of Jehovahs Witnesses. ... Throughout the history of Jehovahs Witnesses, their history, their beliefs, doctrines and practices have met controversy and opposition from the local governments, communities, or religious groups. ... Jehovahs Witnesses have beliefs and practices that are commonly regarded as controversial; by mainstream Christians for their doctrines that differ from mainstream Christianity; by governments for their refusal to participate in patriotic activities; and by the general public for their beliefs about blood transfusions and their treatment of members... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Charles Russell in 1911 Charles Taze Russell (February 16, 1852 – October 31, 1916), known as Pastor Russell, was an American evangelist from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania who founded what is known as the Bible Student movement. ... William Miller William Miller (1782 - 1849) was an American Baptist preacher, whose followers have been termed Millerites. ... Nelson H. Barbour, (1824-1905) a Millerite Adventist (see Millerites) born in Throopsville (misspelled Toupsville in a newspaper profile), a village near Auburn, New York. ... Elder Jonas Wendell (December 25, 1815 - August 14, 1873) of Edenboro, Pennsylvania, was a zealous Adventist preacher following in the spirit of William Miller. ... Joseph F. Rutherford Joseph Franklin Rutherford 8 November 1869—8 January 1942, is best known as the second president of the Watch Tower Society, the legal organization used by Jehovahs Witnesses. ... Nathan Homer Knorr (April 23, 1905 - June 8, 1977) was the third president of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society doing so on January 13, 1942, replacing Joseph Franklin Rutherford, who had served in the position since 1916. ... Frederick William Franz - (12 September 1893–22 December 1992) served as President of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, the legal organization used to direct the work of Jehovahs Witnesses. ... Milton George Henschel (August 9, 1920 - March 22, 2003) was the person who succeded Frederick W. Franz as the president of Watchtower Society. ... Don A. Adams is the current president of the Watch Tower Society, the most important of the Legal instruments of Jehovahs Witnesses. ... Hayden C. Covington (January 19, 1911 - November 19, 1978) was legal counsel for the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society during one of its most difficult periods in the mid-20th century. ... Alexander Hugh Macmillan (June 2 1877-August 26, 1966), also referred to as A. H. Macmillan, was an important member of the Bible Students, later known as Jehovah’s Witnesses. ... Raymond Franz, circa 1980 Raymond Franz (born 1922) was a member of the Governing Body of Jehovahs Witnesses from 1971 until May 22, 1980[1], and served at the organizations world headquarters for fifteen years, from 1965 until 1980. ... James Penton, Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta; Canada. ... Letter from Olin R. Moyle sent to J.F. Rutherford OLIN R. MOYLE Counselor 117 Adams Street. ... For other uses, see Corporation (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Nonprofit. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Patterson is a town located in Putnam County, New York. ...

The term "Watchtower Society" is often used as the collective name for the legal instruments of Jehovah's Witnesses. "Watchtower Society" has also been used synonymously with the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, even in their own literature, such as in the book Worldwide Security Under the Prince of Peace (1986) (OCLC 15485620). Recently, Jehovah's Witnesses want to be clear about making a difference between the Watchtower Society and the organization. The legal instruments are not identical with the organization, they are rather corporations used by the organization. The Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) was founded in 1967 and originally named the Ohio College Library Center. ...

Main corporations

The Watch Tower in Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania is two words, while Watchtower in Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York is one word.

Watchtower Bible and Tract Societies

The "Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, Allegheny, Pennsylvania" was founded in 1884, the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania remains the main legal entity used by Jehovah’s Witnesses and holds copyrights to most literature published by Jehovah's Witnesses. It was previously known as: Year 1884 (MDCCCLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... WT-Logo The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, headquartered in New York City, is the corporate entity of the Jehovah’s Witnesses religion. ... Jehovahs Witnesses publish books, brochures, magazines and tracts both for their public ministry and for members. ...

• Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society (1884-1896)
• Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society (1896-1955)

The "Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Incoporated, Brooklyn, New York" was founded in 1909 when the headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses moved to Brooklyn, the New York incorporation is a not-for-profit that publishes most of the literature distributed by Jehovah's Witnesses, including The Watchtower in 161 languages and Awake! in 84 languages including English, German, Swedish, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic, Indonesian, Hindi, and Zulu. It also acts as a legal representative and agent for Jehovah's Witnesses. It is also known as: Year 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... This article is about the borough of New York City. ... This article is about the state. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Nonprofit. ... Jehovahs Witnesses publish books, brochures, magazines and tracts both for their public ministry and for members. ... The Watchtower is an illustrated religious magazine printed and published by Jehovahs Witnesses via their Watchtower Bible and Tract Society in Wallkill, Ulster County, New York and branch offices around the world. ... Cover of Awake! magazine Awake! is a general-interest magazine published by Jehovahs Witnesses. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... “Arabic” redirects here. ... Hindi (हिन्दी) is a language spoken mainly in North and Central India. ... Zulu (called isiZulu in Zulu), is a language of the Zulu people with about 10 million speakers, the vast majority (over 95%) of whom live in South Africa. ... Agency is an area of law dealing with a contractual or quasi-contractual relationship between at least two parties in which one, the principal, authorizes the other, the agent, to represent her or his legal interests and to perform legal acts that bind the principal. ...

• People's Pulpit Association (1909-1939)
• Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Inc. (1939-1956)
• Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc (WTB&TS) (since 1956).

Other "Watchtower Bible and Tract Societies" were formed at later dates

• New Jersey incorporated in 1955.
• Florida incorporated in 1986.

International Bible Students Associations

The International Bible Students Association London was founded in 1914 in England and was the first legal corporation representing Jehovah's Witnesses in Europe. The IBSA incorporation is a not-for-profit that publishes most of the literature distributed by Jehovah's Witnesses, including The Watchtower. The International Bible Students Association is a corporation used by Jehovahs Witnesses. ... Year 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... IBSA can stand for: International Blind Sport Federation, the governing body for blind sports India-Brazil-South Africa Dialogue Forum, commonly known as IBSA, a three-country alignment Interstate Batteries, a private company of US International Bible Students Association, a charity in UK Category: ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Nonprofit. ... Jehovahs Witnesses publish books, brochures, magazines and tracts both for their public ministry and for members. ... The Watchtower is an illustrated religious magazine printed and published by Jehovahs Witnesses via their Watchtower Bible and Tract Society in Wallkill, Ulster County, New York and branch offices around the world. ...

The International Bible Students Association, Brooklyn, New York was founded in 1914 after the International Bible Students Association, London was founded. Year 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

Valley Farms Corporation

Incorporated in 1987

Other corporations

In addition to the Pennsylvania and New York corporations, other corporations sanctioned by the Governing Body exist some with specific tasks and others to farther the Witness's interests outside the United States.^[3]

• Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York. Incorporated in 2000 to specialize in matters dealing with the appointment of elders and ministerial servants, and other congregational matters.

• Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York. Incorporated in 2000 to give particular attention to those in special full-time service: Bethel volunteers, missionaries, traveling overseers, special pioneers; and assembly halls.

• Kingdom Support Services, Incorporated, New York. Incorporated in 2000 to deal with construction of Kingdom Halls and Assembly Halls, other engineering needs, and vehicles.

Corporations outside the USA

Since the formation of the ISBA in 1914 some 20 other corporations have been created throughout the world . Interaction Soil-Biosphere-Atmosphere International Society for Bayesian Analysis Independent Schools’ Bursars Association Category: ...

Aside from all of these, many other legal entities are used throughout the world to further the interests of Jehovah's Witnesses. For example, Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, Selters/Taunus to produce literature using the German branch office (which supplies a large portion of the world) or Jehovas vittnen - Bibelsällskapet Vakttornet to promote the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Sweden.

Revenue

Watchtower magazines, and all Jehovah's Witnesses' literature, were sold at cost around the world until the early 1990s. The Watchtower is now distributed for free, though donations may be encouraged. The Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of NY, Inc., not-for-profit publisher of The Watchtower, was as of 2001 one of the 40 largest revenue-generating companies in New York City, reporting an annual revenue of about $951 million US dollars. ^[4] The corporation is now legally headquartered in Patterson, New York.^[5] Its yearly report is different from a Wall Street company as the company's employees are volunteers who live and work in the Brooklyn complex. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Nonprofit. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Patterson is a town located in Putnam County, New York. ...

References

See also

• Organizational Structure of Jehovah's Witnesses
• Beliefs and practices of Jehovah's Witnesses
• List of Watchtower publications

The Organizational Structure of Jehovahs Witnesses is a religious hierarchy. ... The following reflects the current beliefs and practices of Jehovahs Witnesses. ... Jehovahs Witnesses publish books, brochures, magazines and tracts both for their public ministry and for members. ...

External links

• Jehovah's Witnesses: Watchtower Society Official Web Site
• Jehovah's Witnesses: Authorized Site of the Office of Public Information