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Denominations - Protestant

Short profiles of selected Christian denominations in the U.S.

Jehovah's Witness

Adventist

Date Founded:  Early 1870s.

Membership: 1,184,249 Number of Clergy:  Jehovah's Witnesses have no paid clergy. Congregations: 13,021 as of 2010.

Headquarters:  25 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, NY 11201-2483

Schools & Seminaries:  None.

Publications:  The Watchtower, Awake

Website:  https://www.jw.org/en/

Social Media:  None

Core Beliefs:   Jehovah's Witnesses are Christians who "are different from other religious groups that are called Christian.

  • They believe that the Bible teaches that Jesus is the Son of God, not part of a Trinity.

  • They do not believe that the soul is immortal, that there is any basis in Scripture for saying that God tortures people in an everlasting hell, or that those who take the lead in religious activities should have titles that elevate them above others." 

  • The only special day commemorated by Jehovah's Witnesses is the death of Jesus.  They observe no other religious or secular holidays.

  • Jehovah's Witnesses are known for their door-to-door preaching, refusal of both military service and blood transfusions.

  • Jehovah's Witnesses do not use the term "church" to designate their buildings, and worship services are referred to as meetings.  Their meeting places are called Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses.

See https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/jehovah-witness-beliefs/ for more information.

Short History:  Begun by Charles Taze Russell with the formation of Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society, the group split into several parts during the leadership of Joseph Rutherford who incorrectly predicted the end of the world in 1925.  The largest group after the split, who remained loyal to Rutherford, took the name Jehovah's Witnesses in 1931.

Local meeting places close to LPTS campus:  There are a number of meetings in the Louisville area. 

Audubon, 4239 Illinois Ave, Louisville, KY 40213

West Downtown, 1630 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd, Louisville, KY 40203

Meeting Locator: https://apps.jw.org/ui/E/meeting-search.html#/weekly-meetings