Watch Tower Society Expands Preaching Internationally
FROM its start the Watch Tower Society purposed the “dissemination of Bible truths in various languages.” Already when it was first formed (not yet incorporated) in 1881, it began to set up funds to provide for the publishing and distribution of Bible literature in languages other than English.
In 1881 two associates of Charles Taze Russell traveled to England to arrange for the distribution of the pamphlet Food for Thinking Christians. The year before this the work had already spread to Canada.
In the early 1880’s the Watch Tower magazine mentioned the need for publications to aid Swedish-speaking and German-speaking people in the United States. Swedish literature became available in 1883. By 1885 some German literature was available, and there was a request for translations into Norwegian.
In 1891 Russell and some companions began a tour of Ireland, Britain, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Russia, Turkey, Greece, Palestine, Egypt, Italy, Switzerland, France, Belgium and the Netherlands. One purpose of this trip, as stated in Zion’s Watch Tower for July 1891, was to consider “what can be done to forward the spread of the Truth among the people of foreign countries.”
This trip convinced Russell that he should push for completion of the French translation of the first volume of the Millennial Dawn series, as well as translations of these books for the Swedes, Norwegians and Danes. During the 1890’s the message had spread to many countries of Europe, with publication of literature in several languages.
A branch of the Watch Tower Society was established in Britain in the year 1900. Other branches were established in Germany in 1903 and in Australia in 1904. In The Watch Tower of March 1, 1904, this notice appeared on page two: “This journal is published in the French, German, Swedish, Danish and Italian languages.”
In order to study how to expand further the preaching of the good news on a worldwide basis, Russell and six brothers made a tour around the world in 1911-12. Upon their return, arrangements were made to produce literature in the six principal languages of India as well as in Chinese and Japanese. In contrast with the varied missionary activity of Christendom, these brothers concluded: “We know nothing to suggest, except that the true Gospel of salvation be preached—the Gospel of the Kingdom of Messiah.”—Matthew 24:14.
In 1914 the second cooperating corporation, the International Bible Students Association, was formed, this time to hold property and carry forward the publishing and distribution of Bible literature throughout the British Commonwealth of Nations, under the direction of the Watch Tower Society.
At present, some 70 legally formed corporations and associations are carrying forward the purposes of the Watch Tower Society in many countries around the world. All are serving the same purpose, the advancement of the preaching of God’s Kingdom to all peoples as man’s only hope.
All these corporations are philanthropic, being supported by voluntary contributions and the services of voluntary workers. The principle on which the Watch Tower Society operates is that nobody associated with it receives a salary or has financial gain but receives only room and board and a small allowance to cover basic needs. This principle has been followed by those associated with all these societies.
In 1943 the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead was started for the purpose of training full-time missionaries to expand the preaching work into all the earth.—Matthew 28:19, 20.
Today the work of the Watch Tower Society is being administered through 95 branch offices around the world, with the cooperation of the 70 associated corporations or associations, and is conducted on a global scale in 205 lands.
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Branch at London, England, 1900
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Branch at Elberfeld, Germany, 1903
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C. T. Russell aboard the Lusitania on European tour
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Bethel home, Japan branch
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Branch in Brazil
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Branch in South Africa
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View of Spain branch
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Branch home, offices and factory, Australia
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Administrative building, Germany branch
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Bethel home, Canada branch