The Jehovah’s Witnesses group was started in the 1870’s by Charles Taze Russell, who drew ideas from Seventh Day Adventism and Christadelphianism.The Watchtower magazine was
first published in 1879. Through door-to-door proselytising and authoritarian leadership, they have grown to about 3.9 million members by 1991.

From 1970 a million JWs resigned or were disfellowshipped.
 
The Watchtower Society’s Headquarters are at 25 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, New York. It is ruled by a group of 12 men headed by a president who rules for life with absolute power.
 
These presidents have been: Charles Russell (1874-1916)
 
Joseph Rutherford (1916-1942)
Nathan Knorr (1942-1977)
Fred Franz (1977-1992 )
Milton Henschel (1992- )
 
Fred Franz’s nephew, Raymond Franz, has left the organisation. He wrote the book ‘Crisis of Conscience’ exposing the group as having:
 
1) Antibiblical teachings
2) Given many false prophecies
3) Changed its teachings and policies
4) Lied and covered up information
5) Destroyed many of its members’ lives.