The true founder of the Society of Jehovah's Witnesses is Charles Taze Russell. He was born on February 16, 1852, in Allegheny, Pennsylvania. United States. His parents were wealthy people (his father owned a ready-made store clothes) and were members of the Presbyterian community of the city [2]. Young Charles, not finding satisfaction in Presbyterianism, he attended meetings for some time Congregationalists[3], but at the age of 16 he left them. He even comes out of the the local branch of the International Young Men's Christian Union [4]. For more than a year, Charles tried to determine which of the "churches" he knew of the truth is found until he joined the Adventists [5], whose club was located not far from his father's shop. Later, in one of his letters, he recalled: "One evening I happened to look into a dusty and dirty room in which some religious services were held... At first, I listened to the teachings there The Second Adventists [6] and their preacher Mr. John Wyndell" (Op. cit. 15:39).

Charles had been tormented by the question of predestination since childhood [7], so he I was delighted with the Adventists' denial of heaven and hell, of human immortality Soul. Soon he created a Bible study circle, which included Five of his close friends entered, jokingly calling him "pastor." Starting "a thorough Bible study independent of religious affiliation" (7, 8), this group in fact repeated the doctrines of the Adventists, asserting that “... the doctrine of the Trinity is not biblical, because only Jehovah appears Almighty God and Creator, that Jesus Christ is His first creation and only-begotten Son, that the Holy Spirit is not a person, but the invisible active force of God. This The group found out that the soul is not immortal, but dies, that hope is for the dead — resurrection, and that the punishment for unrepentant sinners is not eternal torment, but complete annihilation" (7:8).

In 1876, C. Russell got his hands on the magazine "Herald of the Morning" ("The Negald of the Morning"), published by Adventist Nelson Barbower of Rochester, New York State. The magazine said that in 1874 the invisible advent of Jesus Christ and "biblical proofs" of the accuracy of the of this date [8]. Russell became interested in Barbower's calculations and a few years later months met with him. At the meeting, it turned out that theological concepts "a Bible student independent of religious affiliation" and extreme Adventists completely coincide.

N. Barbower's journal was on its last legs and even announced about the temporary suspension of publications due to lack of financial support. Charles Russell became co-editor of the magazine and its main sponsor. Jointly with N. Barbower, he published a number of articles in it advocating extreme Adventist ideas. It was also decided to merge the Pittsburgh Russell's group of Bible Students with the Rochester group of followers N. Barbower.

In 1877, C. Russell and N. Barbower worked together on the book "The Three Worlds or the Plan of Salvation".

"This book proclaimed their belief that Christ's presence in the world invisibly began in the autumn of 1874, and from that time began the forty-year "Harvest period". At the same time, surprisingly accurately, they established 1914 as The end of the time of the Gentiles" ("Qualified to be Ministers of WTV & TS. 1955,—R. 300. Op. cit. to 16, 255).

After the publication of the book, C. T. Russell called a general meeting of his followers, in which he presented in an expanded form the "biblical proofs" of the invisible presence of Christ since 1874. But an embarrassment awaited him: most of the participants The assemblies recognized this evidence as "worthless and unreliable" (15, 41. Nevertheless, Russell remained unconvinced and even decided to limit business activity in order to have more time to promote new Ideas.

The cooperation between Russell and Barbower turned out to be short-lived. From because of the question of the atoning sacrifice of Christ, they began to disagree, ended in a quarrel and a breakup of relations.

In 1879, C. T. Russell began to independently publish the journal "Zion's Watch and Herald of Christ's Presence" Tower and Herald of Christ’s Presence”) [9]. In the same year, he married Mary F. Iskley, who shared Charles' views and actively helped him. She wrote a column of letters in Zion's Watch Tower and published several times articles in line with the doctrine of her husband.

In the late 70s and early 80s, C. T. Russell conducted an active propaganda a campaign to spread their ideas. In Pennsylvania and neighboring states circles of followers of "pastor" Russell are created. Naturally, everyone the new "Bible student" became first and foremost a student and a subscriber to Russell's magazine.

In 1881, a non-corporate organization was incorporated in Pittsburgh —Zion Watch Tower and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, and December 13 In 1884, it was incorporated as a corporation. The last date can be to be considered the official date of birth of the Society. In 1896, its name was slightly modified: The corporation became the Watch Tower Society, Bible and Treatises of Pennsylvania" (16, 225). Its permanent president until his death was Charles Taze Russell.

In 1881, C. T. Russell wrote the books "The Temple of the Soul", "The Best Sacrifices", "Food for thinking Christians." Since many of the author's ideas are constantly changed, in some of his books one could find statements that contradicted "truths" from his other books. The "pastor" himself later openly forbade his followers to read his early works (15, 42).

In 1886, C. T. Russell published the first book in the series The Millennial Dawn, later renamed Studies in the Scriptures (16, p. 225). In 1889, 1891, 1897, 1899, 1904, the remaining volumes of the series were published. and in 1917, the seventh volume of the "Studies" was published posthumously (15, 43). These books served as the basis for the formation of the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses.

C. T. Russell himself valued his creations very highly, placing them in the to some extent to a higher level than the Bible itself. He wrote: