Foes: Witnesses Bracing for Lawsuits
By THE
ASSOCIATED PRESS
October 10, 2000
NEW YORK (AP) -- An organizational shakeup under way among the Jehovah's Witnesses may have been ordered by the faith's leaders to shield themselves from lawsuits over the group's religious practices, dissenters say.
A spokesman for the group denied the allegation.
The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, as the group is officially known, had been run by a Governing Body. But on Saturday, president Milton Henschel, 80, and the six other board members resigned, and it was announced that religious and administrative duties will be divided, with three newly formed corporations running U.S. operations.
Under the changes, the religious leaders will not be officially involved with the Watch Tower society.
Though the Witnesses say no important cases are pending, defectors from the religion have talked about suing the society, headquartered in Brooklyn, over various grievances.
Those could include lawsuits over church members who died or suffered because the denomination opposes blood transfusions. Also, the organization could face lawsuits over its practice of expelling members.
Raymond Franz of Winston, Ga., the only Governing Body member ever to quit and write about the religion's inner workings, also noted that France has a a new law targeting religious organizations accused of mind control, while German law requires severance pay for church workers who leave.
``They are trying to find means to protect themselves legally,'' Franz said.
A Web page operated by former Witness Randall Watters of Manhattan Beach, Calif., said that the current duties of Witness officials will not change and that the the new structure ``clearly is meant to provide isolation of guilt'' in light of ``the litigious days ahead for the Watch Tower organization.''
James N. Pellechia, public affairs director for the religion, denied that potential legal problems had anything to do with the reorganization. He said the Governing Body is simply being relieved of administrative tasks so it can ``concentrate more on the ministry of the Word.''
An official statement said decentralization would also allow the Witnesses to keep pace with growth. The Witnesses reported 5.9 million active members as of last year, 980,000 of them in the United States.
Jehovah's
Witnesses Order Shake-Up
The
Associated Press
Mon
9 Oct 9, 2000
NEW YORK (AP) — Leaders of the Jehovah's Witnesses have ordered the biggest
organizational shake-up since the evangelist sect was incorporated 116 years
ago, saying it would help the 5.9-million member group expand worldwide.
The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, as the group is officially known, had been run by a so-called Governing Body. Now, religious and administrative duties will be divided, with three newly formed corporations running the group's U.S. operations.
President Milton Henschel, 80, and the group's six other board members resigned their posts on Saturday.
``The reason for the changes was both theological and practical,'' said public affairs director James N. Pellechia.
He said the Governing Body, now relieved of its administrative tasks, would be able to "concentrate more on the ministry of the Word.''
Don Adams, a 50-year veteran of the organization, has been named president of the organization, and seven lower-ranking members will make up the new board. Henschel will remain a member of the Governing Body, which will have a rotating chairman rather than a permanent leader.
Until Saturday, the head of the Watch Tower society was always regarded as the single leader of the religion, dating back to founder Charles Taze Russell. He began publishing a magazine detailing the imminent end of the world system in 1879, incorporated the Watch Tower society in 1884 and ruled the religion till his death in 1916.
Watch Tower presidents have taken a lower profile since the days of Russell and his flamboyant successor Joseph Rutherford, who died in 1942. "I don't believe the Witnesses look to any one person'' as leader, Pellechia said.
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