In the period between the year 1879 and 1881, a man by the name of Pastor Russell from the protestant religion ( a religion that was inspired by Mart Luther's teachings and belief ) who was the founder of the bible student movement established Zion watch Tower tract society which is the headquarters of the Jehovah's Witness today.
Russell claimed that the Bible could be only understood according to his interpretations and he controlled what was written in the Watchtower magazine.
Russell died on Oct. 31, 1916, After his death,a Missouri lawyer named Joseph Franklin Rutherford took over the presidency of the Watch Tower Society.
Division rose up through the current new president that was leading the International Bible Students Association at that time, and as a result many members left the group but those who stayed and remained in fellowship with the watch Tower Society and in 1931 Rutherford changed the name of the organization to "The Jehovah's Witnesses." |