Publication date
12/15/14
Volume
35
Number
24
The WatchTower
1914--Annual Report--1914
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1914/24/1914-24-1.html
 
 
DECEMBER 
I, 
1914 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
which 
was 
the 
cause 
of 
our 
seeing 
and 
accepting 
the 
truth 
as 
our 
own. 
We 
believe 
that 
we 
owe 
you, 
and 
the 
Ecclesia; 
which 
we 
attend 
regularly, 
a 
debt 
which 
we 
shall 
never 
be 
able 
to 
pay. 
We 
feel 
as 
if 
the 
Drama 
was 
brought 
here 
for 
us 
alone. 
With 
that 
feeling 
in 
our 
hearts 
we 
can 
see 
and 
truly 
appre­ 
ciate 
our 
dear 
heavenly 
Father's 
great 
love 
for 
us. 
But 
we 
cannot 
see 
where 
we 
are 
deserving 
of 
such 
great 
love. 
'We 
are 
'truly 
happy 
now; 
we 
were 
not 
happy 
before. 
We 
could 
see 
too 
much 
of 
one 
another's 
faults. 
We 
sought 
world­ 
ly 
things, 
but 
now 
we 
count 
them 
"loss 
and 
dross," 
as 
the 
Apostle 
says. 
We 
have 
your 
six 
volumes 
of 
STUDIES 
IN 
THE 
SCRIPTURES. 
They 
are 
a 
great 
help. 
We 
spend 
a~ 
much 
time 
as 
we 
can 
in 
reading 
and 
studying 
them. 
We 
have 
taken 
the 
Vow. 
We 
read 
your 
Morning 
Resolve, 
and 
the 
Daily 
Heavenly 
Manna 
every 
morning. 
They 
are 
a 
source 
of 
comfort 
to 
us. 
There 
are 
many 
things 
which 
I 
have 
to 
be 
thankful 
for. 
I 
won't 
try 
to 
enumerate 
them, 
because 
my 
dear 
heavenly 
Father 
has 
been 
bountifully 
blessing 
me 
ever 
since 
I 
fully 
accepted 
the 
Lord 
as 
my 
Redeemer. 
I 
shall 
continue 
to 
pray 
for 
you, 
dear 
Brother, 
and 
I 
ask 
your 
prayers. 
Your 
brother 
in 
the 
Lord, 
VOL. 
XXXV 
BROOKLYN, 
N. 
Y., 
DECEMBER 
15, 
1914 
No. 
24 
1914-ANNUAL 
REPORT-1914 
WATCH 
TOWER 
BIBLE 
AND 
TRACT 
SOCIETY 
but 
chiefly 
the 
poor 
of 
this 
world, 
rich 
in 
faith, 
heirs 
of 
the 
For 
the 
sake 
of 
our 
many 
new 
readers 
we 
explain 
that 
the 
kingdom. 
Watch 
Tower 
Bible 
and 
Tract 
Society, 
as 
the 
parent 
organiza- 
With 
this 
before 
your 
minds, 
keep 
in 
memory 
thp 
fact 
that 
tion, 
represents 
all 
the 
activities 
in 
Christian 
work 
with 
which 
last 
year, 
the 
year 
before 
and 
sevpral 
years 
back, 
the 
brethren, 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
and 
its 
Editor 
are 
associated. 
All 
the 
THE 
WA'I'CH 
TOWER 
rpaders, 
have 
been 
spencling 
generously, 
work 
clone 
through 
the 
International 
Bible 
Students 
Association 
according 
to 
their 
ability, 
both 
of 
time 
and 
money. 
Now 
ancl 
Peopks 
Pulpit 
Association, 
directly 
and 
indirectly, 
is 
the 
sucldenly, 
as 
is 
evidencecl 
in 
their 
growing 
faith 
in 
the 
Lord 
and 
work 
of 
the 
'Watch 
Tower 
Bible 
and 
Tract 
Society. 
The 
the 
truth, 
in 
the 
fact 
that 
we 
are 
nigh 
at 
the 
door 
of 
the 
new 
Editor 
of 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
is 
the 
President 
of 
all 
three 
dispensation, 
everywhere 
there 
has 
been 
a 
willingness 
to 
give 
of 
these 
Societies. 
All 
finaneial 
responsibility 
connected 
with 
and 
much 
rejoieing 
in 
the 
privilege. 
Let 
these 
few 
words 
the 
work 
proceeds 
from 
the 
Watch 
Tower 
Bible 
and 
Tract 
prppare 
you 
for 
the, 
to 
us, 
stupemlous 
results 
of 
the 
year, 
Society. 
From 
it 
the 
other 
Societies 
and 
all 
the 
branches 
of 
which 
show 
that 
about 
One 
Million 
Dollars 
have 
been 
spent 
in 
the 
work 
receive 
their 
financial 
support. 
There 
is 
nothing 
the 
service 
of 
present 
truth 
this 
year 
by 
the 
classes 
for 
thea- 
unusual 
in 
this. 
It 
serves 
to 
keep 
the 
different 
parts 
of 
the 
tres, 
etc., 
and 
by 
the 
Society. 
work 
separate. 
Just 
so 
01lI' 
Methodist 
friends 
have 
a 
Methodist 
CREATION 
PHOTO-DRAMA 
Book 
Concern, 
an 
Epworth 
League 
for 
the 
young 
people, 
and 
After 
two 
years 
of 
preparation, 
the 
Photo-Drama 
was 
barely 
hoth 
Home 
ancl 
Foreign 
Missionary 
Soeieties, 
besides 
numerous 
rearly 
to 
give 
its 
first 
exhibition 
in 
.Tanu:uy 
last. 
It 
dill 
not 
get 
other 
aid 
societies, 
etc., 
etc. 
properly 
starte(l 
with 
a 
full 
swing 
in 
America 
until 
April. 
In 
Our 
division 
of 
the 
work 
was 
made 
necessary 
by 
the 
fact 
July 
we 
made 
a 
start 
in 
Grpat 
Britain. 
By 
Septemher 
the 
that 
the 
parent 
society 
Charter 
by 
the 
State 
of 
Pennsylvania 
Drama 
had 
begun 
operations 
on 
the 
Continent 
of 
Europe-in 
is 
not 
hy 
law 
permitted 
to 
hoM 
property 
in 
New 
York 
State; 
Germany, 
Switzerlan<1, 
Finlann, 
Sweden 
and 
Denmark. 
By 
Oc- 
hence 
the 
necessity 
for 
organizing 
a 
subsidiary 
society 
to 
hol<1 
tob-r 
it 
han 
reached 
Australia 
and 
New 
Zealand. 
Few 
can 
any 
real 
estate 
in 
New 
York. 
Similiarly, 
the 
laws 
of 
Great 
appreciate 
the 
aIJlount 
of 
In 
bar 
involyed 
in 
prpparing 
eaell 
Britain 
prevpnt 
any 
foreign 
soe.iety 
from 
holding 
title 
to 
real 
Drama 
outfit. 
The 
arrangempnt 
an<1 
preparation 
of 
the 
films 
('stah> 
there. 
This 
neepssitate(l 
the 
organization 
of 
the 
Inter- 
USP(] 
is 
comparatively 
an 
easy 
matter. 
Our 
difficulty 
lay 
in 
national 
Bihle 
Stu(lpnts 
Association 
with 
a 
British 
charter. 
procuring 
copies 
of 
fine 
art 
pietllres 
illnstrative 
of 
the 
history 
Thus 
it 
comes 
that 
we 
use 
sometimes 
the 
one 
name 
and 
some- 
of 
the 
worl<1 
from 
the 
(lawn 
of 
preation 
to 
the 
present 
timp 
an<1 
times 
the 
other 
in 
varions 
parts 
of 
our 
work-yet 
they 
all 
in 
into 
the 
fnture. 
We 
adopte<1, 
an<1 
a<1apten, 
eYcrything 
we 
could 
the 
en<1 
mean 
the 
Watch 
Tower 
Biblp 
and 
Tract 
Society-to 
tin<1 
already 
prepare<1 
and 
suitable 
to 
our 
purposes; 
but 
this 
which 
all 
donations 
should 
be 
made. 
Ipft 
hun<1re<1s 
of 
paintings 
an<1 
sketche,; 
to 
be 
made, 
from 
1914 
A 
VERY 
NOTABLE 
YEAR 
whieh 
in 
turn 
to 
make 
the 
sten'opticon 
slides. 
For 
instance, 
we 
have 
for 
forty 
years 
been 
looking 
forward 
With 
all 
this 
accomplishe<1, 
a 
still 
further 
difficulty 
pre- 
to 
the 
present 
year 
as 
the 
one 
in 
which 
Gentile 
Times 
would 
sente<1 
itself. 
We 
wished 
to 
have 
those 
beautiful 
pictures 
hand- 
expire 
and 
the 
01)(', 
thcf('fore, 
in 
w'hich 
we 
might 
expect 
some 
colore<1-really 
beautiful. 
To 
attain 
our 
purpose 
wc 
had 
some 
spceial 
manifpstation 
of 
the 
transfer 
of 
earth's 
government 
to 
p:linterl 
in 
Paris 
and 
some 
ill 
Lon(lon, 
while 
the 
majority 
were 
its 
new 
King, 
l\{pssiah. 
'We 
had 
hoperl 
that 
the 
ending 
of 
the 
done 
in 
Philadelphia 
:mrl 
New 
York. 
We 
requirerl 
of 
these 
Gentile 
'rimes 
mig'ht 
have 
signifipd 
the 
enrling 
also 
of 
the 
artists 
their 
very 
lH'st 
skill 
in 
coloring. 
We 
shoul'l 
not 
forget 
ehnreh's 
tinH's, 
or 
years, 
in 
the 
flesh, 
the 
ushering 
of 
all 
the 
to 
say 
that, 
with 
otllPrs, 
onr 
own 
Art 
Hoom 
turne(l 
out 
a 
large 
Lord's 
consecrated 
people 
into 
the 
kingdom. 
The 
latter 
ex- 
shnre 
of 
the 
work. 
Although 
we 
nrp 
not 
a(l<1ing 
to 
the 
number 
peetation 
brought, 
we 
are 
sure, 
a 
great 
hlessing 
to 
our 
thon- 
of 
panoramas 
with 
painte<1 
slides, 
yet 
the 
breakage 
is 
so 
great 
san(ls 
of 
rea<1ers. 
It 
brought 
them 
quickening 
of 
spiritunl 
that 
evrn 
now 
we 
hnve 
twenty 
eontinually 
at 
work 
on 
replace- 
interests, 
anrl 
zeal 
to 
know 
and 
to 
do 
the 
Mastel' 
'8 
will. 
It 
ments 
and 
in 
photographing 
anrl 
tinting 
the 
Eureka 
Dramas. 
hroug'ht 
them 
he:lrt 
searchings, 
to 
sep 
whether 
or 
not 
thpy 
Gorl 
kin(lly 
veilerl 
onr 
pYPs 
as 
resper'ts 
the 
amount 
of 
labor 
wprp 
rea<1y 
for 
the 
kingrlom. 
It 
hrought 
them 
a 
cOlUlition 
of 
eonn('de(] 
\\"ith 
the 
Drama. 
lIa(1 
we 
forpkno\\'n 
tll(> 
cost 
of 
time 
peaer 
with 
God 
\\"hieh 
passeth 
all 
human 
U1Hlerstanding, 
so 
aIHl 
money 
and 
patience 
necpssary 
for 
the 
Rtart 
wp 
would 
never 
that 
now 
they 
are 
able 
to 
rejoice 
in 
the 
will 
of 
the 
Lord, 
\yhat- 
have 
hegun 
it. 
But 
neither 
did 
we 
know 
in 
advance 
the 
grpat 
ev(,r 
it 
may 
he. 
If 
the 
Lonl 
will 
eontinue 
us 
in 
his 
favor, 
it 
success 
that 
would 
atteu(l 
the 
Drama, 
and 
that 
through 
it 
nearly 
will 
matter 
little 
to 
us 
whether 
we 
are 
on 
this 
side 
of 
the 
veil 
eight 
million 
l)(>0l'lp 
in 
the 
Unitec1 
Rtah>s 
aIHI 
Canada 
havo 
or 
on 
the 
other 
sic1e-so 
great 
are 
anI' 
joys 
and 
blessings, 
and 
alrea(ly 
hearc1 
a 
glorious 
message 
,from 
the 
Wonl 
of 
God 
(a 
so 
pronounced 
the 
peace 
whieh 
rules 
our 
hearts. 
preeious 
message 
that 
they 
\yill 
never 
forgd), 
also 
that 
In 
God's 
provic1ence 
the 
present 
year 
has 
hern 
the 
most 
other 
hundreds 
of 
thOUS:lllds 
in 
other 
lands 
are 
hearing 
in 
wonderful 
one 
in 
the 
history 
of 
our 
Society. 
We 
believe 
that 
their 
own 
tongues 
"\ron(lerful 
wor<1s 
of 
lif('." 
We 
had 
the 
Lord 
has 
used 
it 
mightily 
in 
pulling 
down 
pre.iudiee, 
tw('nty 
Dramas, 
whieh, 
in 
four 
parts, 
were 
ahle 
to 
serve 
eighty 
ignoranee, 
superstition 
and 
error. 
It 
seems 
as 
though 
this 
cities 
each 
day. 
The 
all(liences 
varied 
from 
four 
thousand 
year 
w(' 
had 
the 
grand 
elimaet('rie 
of 
all 
previous 
efforts 
on 
down 
to 
less 
than 
a 
hun(lred, 
aecording 
to 
place 
and 
circum- 
the 
I'a 
rt 
of 
Go(l 
's 
eonsecratcil 
people 
to 
show 
forth 
the 
praises 
stances. 
of 
him 
who 
has 
calle<1 
us 
out 
of 
darlmess 
into 
his 
marvelous 
'l'he 
C];I,S('S 
whi('h 
put 
on 
the 
Dramas 
in 
the 
various 
eities 
light. 
Tn 
or<1er 
that 
the 
r('sults 
may 
be 
sern 
in 
their 
truly 
eXl'erienee(1 
grent 
blessings 
aIHl 
also 
grpat 
trials. 
They 
had 
miraeulous 
light, 
it 
is 
proper 
that 
we 
remin<1 
our 
rearlers 
that 
preeious 
opportunitips 
for 
serving, 
saerifieing 
time 
and 
money. 
we 
han: 
no 
ehureh 
org'anization 
in 
thp 
orrlinary 
sense 
of 
the 
'l'hese 
faithful 
saf'I'ifices 
the 
Lor<1 
rewarded, 
as 
he 
ahYays 
does. 
wor<1. 
no 
bondage 
of 
nny 
kin(l, 
no 
obligation 
to 
pay, 
either 
to 
The 
trials 
of 
faith 
and 
patience 
sometimes 
arose 
from 
accidents 
the 
parent 
society 
or 
anyborly 
else, 
either 
ten 
per 
cent. 
or 
eausing 
(]Plays 
in 
the 
r"cpiving 
of 
films; 
sometimes 
from 
mis- 
any 
oth('r 
sum. 
Vve 
remind 
you 
also 
that 
no 
solieitations 
un<1('rstanrlings 
hetwe('n 
the 
frienrls 
in 
connpction 
with 
the 
for 
money 
in 
any 
way 
are 
authorized 
by 
this 
Society; 
that 
serviee 
of 
the 
Dr;lllla; 
sometin]('s 
through 
misuIHlerst:lIIrlings 
every 
amount, 
thcrefo"e, 
which 
haR 
come 
into 
our 
halllls, 
and 
along 
fin;l1Ieial 
lines 
],ee;11I8(' 
of 
not 
being 
experts 
in 
the 
matter 
heen 
use<1, 
hns 
hecn 
a 
voluntary 
<1onation 
from 
a 
willing 
heart. 
of 
kpeping 
:H"'OlllltS. 
But, 
]'i,~'htly 
r('ceiverl, 
all 
these 
trials 
vVe 
remiwl 
you 
also 
that 
it 
is 
true 
of 
the 
Lonl's 
people 
in 
harl 
their 
good 
effeet, 
helping 
to 
test 
love, 
to 
develop 
patience 
general, 
.lust 
as 
the 
Seripturcs 
tell, 
that 
among 
them 
are 
not 
an(l 
thus 
to 
hroaden 
Christian 
eh:nact('r. 
It 
is 
safe 
to 
say 
many 
rich, 
not 
many 
wise, 
not 
many 
learned, 
not 
many 
noble, 
that 
the 
Drama 
has 
done 
as 
much 
for 
the 
friends 
of 
the 
truth 
[5591J 
DECEMBER 1, 1914 which was the cause of our seeing and accepting the truth as our own. We believe that we owe you, and the Ecclesia, which we attend regularly, a debt which we shall never be able to pay. We feel as if the Drama was brought here for us alone. With that feeling in our hearts we can see and truly appreciate our dear heavenly Father’s great love for us. But we cannot see where we are deserving of such great love. We are truly happy now; we were not happy before. We could see too much of one another’s faults. We sought worldly things, but now we count, them ‘‘loss and dross,’’ as the Apostle says. Vou. XXXV THE WATCH TOWER BROOKLYN, N. Y., DECEMBER 15, 1914 (371-372) We have your six volumes of STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES. They are a great help. We spend as much time as we can in reading and studying them. We have taken the Vow. We read your Morning Resolve, and the Daily Heavenly Manna every morning. They are a source of comfort to us. There are many things which I have to be thankful for. I won’t try to enumerate them, because my dear heavenly Father has been bountifully blessing me ever since I fully accepted the Lord as my Redeemer. I shall continue to pray for you, dear Brother, and I ask your prayers. Your brother in the Lord, No. 24 1914—ANNUAL WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY For the sake of our many new readers we explain that the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, as the parent organization, represents all the activities in Christian work with which THe WatcH Tower and its Editor are associated. All the work done through the International Bible Students Association and Peoples Pulpit Association, directly and indirectly, is the work of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. The Editor of THz WatcH Tower is the President of all three of these Societies. All financial responsibility connected with the work proeceds from the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. From it the other Societies and all the branches of the work receive their financial support. There is nothing unusual in this. It serves to keep the different parts of the work separate. Just so our Methodist friends have a Methodist Book Concern, an Epworth League for the young people, and both Home and Foreign Missionary Societies, besides numerous other aid societies, ete., ete. Our division of the work was made necessary by the fact that the parent society Charter by the State of Pennsylvania is not hy law permitted to hold property in New York State; hence the necessity for organizing a subsidiary society to hold any real estate in New York. Similiarly, the laws of Great Britain prevent any foreign society from holding title to real estate there. This necessitated the organization of the International Bible Students Association with a British charter. Thus it comes that we use sometimes the one name and sometimes the other in various parts of our work—yet they all in the end mean the Wateh Tower Bible and Tract Society—to which all donations should be made. 1914 A VERY NOTABLE YEAR For instanee, we have for forty years been looking forward to the present year as the one in which Gentile Times would expire and the one, therefore, in which we might expect some special manifestation of the transfer of earth’s government to its new King, Messiah. We had hoped that the ending of the Gentile Times might have signified the ending also of the ehurch’s times, or years, in the flesh, the ushering of all the Lord’s consecrated people into the kingdom. The latter expectation brought, we are sure, a great blessing to our thousands of readers. It brought them quickening of spiritual interests, and zeal to know and to do the Master’s will. It brought them heart searchings, to see whether or not they were ready for the kingdom. It brought them a condition of peace with God which passeth all human understanding, so that now they are able to rejoice in the will of the Lord, whatever it may be. If the Lord will continue us in his favor, it will matter little to us whether we are on this side of the veil or on the other side—so great are our joys and blessings, and so pronouneed the peace which rules our hearts. In God’s providence the present year has been the most wonderful one in the history of our Socicty. We believe that the Lord has used it mightily in pulling down prejudice, ignorance, superstition and error. It seems as though this year we had the grand climacteric of all previous efforts on the part of God’s consecrated people to show forth the praises of him who has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. In order that the results may be secn in their truly miraculous light, it is proper that we remind our readers that we have no church organization in the ordinary sense of the word, no bondage of any kind, no obligation to pay, either to the parent society or anybody else, either ten per cent. or any other sum. We remind you also that no solicitations for money in any way are authorized by this Society; that every amount, therefore, which has come into our hands, and been used, has been a voluntary donation from a willing heart. We remind you also that it is true of the Lord’s people in general, just as the Scriptures tell, that among them are not many rich, not many wise, not many learned, not many noble, REPORT—1914 but chiefly the poor of this world, rich in faith, heirs of the kingdom. With this before your minds, keep in memory the fact that last year, the year before and several years back, the brethren, Tne WatcH Tower readers, have been spending generously, according to their ability, both of time and money. Now suddenly, as is evidenced in their growing faith ih the Lord and the truth, in the fact that we are nigh at the door of the new dispensation, everywhere there has been a willingness to give and much rejoicing in the privilege. Let these few words prepare you for the, to us, stupendous results of the year, which show that about One Million Dollars have been spent in the service of present truth this year by the classes for theatres, ete., and by the Soeicty. CREATION PHOTO-DRAMA After two years of preparation, the Photo-Drama was barely ready to give its first exhibition in January last. It did not get properly started with a full swing in America until April. In July we made a start in Great Britain. By September the Drama had begun operations on the Continent of Europe—in Germany, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden and Denmark. By October it had reached Australia and New Zealand. Few ean appreciate the amount of labor involved in preparing each Drama outfit. The arrangement and preparation of the films used is comparatively an easy matter. Our difficulty lay in procuring copies of fine art pictures illustrative of the history of the world from the dawn of ereation to the present time and into the future. We adopted, and adapted, everything we could find already prepared and suitable to our purposes; but this left hundreds of paintings and sketches to be made, from which in turn to make the stereopticon slides. With all this accomplished, a still further difficulty presented itself. We wished to have those beautiful pictures handeolored—really beautiful. To attain our purpose we had some painted in Paris and some in London, while the majority were done in Philadelphia and New York. We required of these artists their very best skill in eoloring. We should not forget to say that, with others, our own Art Room turned out a large share of the work. Although we are not adding to the number of panoramas with painted slides, yet the breakage is so great that cven now we have twenty continually at work on replacements and in photographing and tinting the Eureka Dramas. God kindly veiled our eyes as respects the amount of labor connected with the Drama. Had we foreknown the cost of time and money and patience necessary for the start we would never have begun it. But neither did we know in advanee the great suecess that would attend the Drama, and that through it nearly eight million people in the United States and Canada havo already heard a glorious message from the Word of God (a precious message that they will never forget), also that other hundreds of thousands in other lands are hearing in their own tongues ‘‘wonderful words of life.’’ We had twenty Dramas, which, in four parts, were able to serve eighty eitics each day. The audiences varied from four thousand down to less than a hundred, according to place and cireumstances. The Classes which put on the Dramas in the various cities expericneed great blessings and also great trials. They had precious opportunities for serving, sacrificing time and money. These faithful sacrifices the Lord rewarded, as he always does. The trials of faith and patienee sometimes arose from accidents eausing delays in the reeciving of films; sometimes from misunderstandings between the friends in connection with the service of the Drama; sometimes through misunderstandings along financial lines because of not being experts in the matter of keeping accounts. But, rightly reeeived, all these trials had their good effect, helping to test love, to develop patience and thus to broaden Christian character. It is safe to say that the Drama has done as much for the friends of the truth [5591]

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