Dawn Bible Students Association
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The Dawn Bible Students Association is a legal entity used by a branch of the Bible Student movement.
In 1928 Norman Woodworth, following intense personal disagreement with the new policies the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society was following, left to create the radio program Frank and Ernest with the help of the Brooklyn congregation of Bible Students. He had previously been responsible for producing the same radio program for the Society. In 1932, the Dawn Publishers, Inc. was founded in Brooklyn, New York, just block away from Watch Tower headquarters, in the 1940s it was moved to Rutherford, New Jersey under its current name; Dawn Bible Students Association. The Dawn was founded, by Woodworth and others, with the intention of becoming a publishing house to begin redistributing the Studies in the Scriptures series written by Charles Taze Russell. Such distribution by the Society was ceased as of 1928. In time, the text of the "Frank and Ernest" radio program was published in a brochure entitled Bible Student's Radio Echo. Soon, its name was changed to The Dawn and Herald of Christ’s Presence magazine, and its size changed to 16-pages. It began as a bi-monthly, then later monthly, journal.
Today the Dawn continue publication of Pastor Russell's Studies in the Scriptures, as well as booklets written by various Bible Students. They also produce radio and television programs. Over the years they have moved further away from a conservative view of Pastor Russell and his writings, to a more liberal one.
The Dawn was mainly responsible for regathering the Bible Students who splintered off after the death of Pastor Russell, when Judge Rutherford took control. As a result, they began to form new congregations of Bible Students throughout the world, publishing their literature in various languages. However, their popularity began waning when the leadership began introducing new views. At first these views were overlooked by the majority of Bible Students affiliated with them, however as time went by these changes could no longer be ignored. Individuals and whole ecclesias (congregations) began separating themselves from the Dawn.
In 1966 the Dawn published Oh, the Blessedness; a small booklet which rejected most of Pastor Russell's views of Bible prophecy and end time predictions. This rejection polarized those Bible Students who still accepted Russell's views, and an independent movement was formed. Pastor Russell's Studies in the Scriptures and other writings never before reproduced since his death were now being republished independently of the Dawn. New radio and television programs were invented, new journals, newsletters, books and booklets were being printed by various Bible Student individuals and congregations independent of the Dawn.
The Bible Students are a movement that formed as a result of the ministry of Pastor C.T. Russell. Following his death in 1916, a schism developed which eventually resulted in the establishment of the "Bible Students" as a separate movement from 1918, and the formation of the Jehovah's Witnesses in 1931. Bible Students follow the teachings and views of Charles Taze Russell, by practicing regular reading and study of the Bible and utilizing the six volumes of Studies in the Scriptures, a biblical textbook series written by Pastor Russell from 1886 to 1904.
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| The Bible Students |  |
|---|---|
| History, Movements and Faith: | Bible Student movement | Associated Bible Students | Layman's Home Missionary Movement | Publishing houses: Pastoral Bible Institute | Dawn Bible Students Association | Literature: Studies in the Scriptures | The Dawn (magazine) | The Herald | People: Charles Taze Russell | Paul S. L. Johnson |
