Post by sfo on Aug 17, 2005 20:41:46 GMT -5
It may come as a surprise to some of you that Charles Taze Russell, the founder of the Watch Tower Society was not it's first president. The Proclaimer's book (1993), page 576 declares: "...Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society was formed on Feb. 16, 1881, with W.H. Conley as president and C.T. Russell as secretary and treasurer...In 1884, Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society was legally corporated, with C.T. Russell as president..."
I find this fascinating. W.H. Conley, goes from being president of the un-incorporated Society in 1881 to no mention in the legal corporation of 1884. Not only is he no longer president, but he is not even an officer or a director. Moreover, there are only three references about him in the pages of Zion's Watch Tower magazine, none acknowledging his previous rank.
From Zion's Watch Tower (ZWT), April, 1880, R 94:Page 8 under "Christ Our Passover" we find:
"It has for several years been the custom of many of us in Pittsburgh to do this, i.e. remember the Passover, and eat the emblems of our Lord's body and blood, and it has ever been an occasion of solemn pleasure and communion and was particulaly so this year. We met on the night of March 24th, as usual, at the house of Bro. and Sis. Conley, it being the most commodious..."
Again, the following year in the April, 1881 issue, R. 207: page 2 under "The Lord's Supper" we read:
"We have so far observed here in Pittsburgh for some years and it has ever been a blessed occasion. We will celebrate it this year at the residence of Bro. W.H. Conley, No. 50, Fremont St., Allegheny City, Pa., April 24th, at 8 o'clock P.M., and cordially invite all who can do so, to be present to join us. Brethren and sisters from a distance will be entertained by the friends here. If possible please send a postal card to 'WATCH TOWER' office, No. 101 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., and call here on your arrival."
So far, we have learned the location of the Conley house and that it was a commodious dwelling, which would indicate that he was well to do. From other sources I learned that Conley was one of the Directors of the Third National Bank of Allegheny, the Home for Colored Children, and St. John's General Hospital. It was purportedly at this bank in an upper room that C.T. Russell and others met for Bible study for five years, before they met up with Barbour. Conley, at first an Advent Christian, was also a long time friend of George Storrs and George Stetson, two other Advent Christians and mentors to C.T. Russell. It was through Stetson that Conley met Russell. But by 1881 Conley was no longer Advent Christian, but a follower of Russell.
The next entry on Conley comes from the June 1, 1894 ZWT, page 176 under "Voice of the Church""
"[Another brother who was a member of the early Allegheny Bible class writes as follows:"]
"My DEAR BRO. IN CHRIST!--I have read carefully pages 92 to 119 of 'A Conspiracy Exposed and Harvest Siftings' with special interest, and must say my recollection of events named by you are very much like your own; and while there are details, in some cases, of which I know nothing, and hence cannot speak to them, yet I do know that there were some transactions as you name, and at the dates given. I am quite conversant with some of the dealings, and am surprised at the very merciful manner in which you speak of those whom you were associated. 'The servant is not greater than his Lord.' 'If they have done these things in a green tree, what will they do in the dry?'--'Perils among false brethren,' etc. etc.
"As to myself, you can rely on one thing; viz., All reports stating that I deny the ransom are absolutely false. The no-ransom people may talk, but they have nothing in me.
W.H. CONLEY"
It seems rather puzzling why Russell doesn't tell his readers anything further about Conley other than he was a brother in the early Allegheny Bible Class. And even more baffling is that there is not one mention of Conley's death at Allegheny, three years later, on July 25, 1897 in the pages of Zion's Watch Tower. Yet, both W.I. Mann and J.H. Paton, who were then disassociated from Russell gave note of his passing in Paton's Aug. 1, 1897 "The World's Hope," pages 234-235.
I find this fascinating. W.H. Conley, goes from being president of the un-incorporated Society in 1881 to no mention in the legal corporation of 1884. Not only is he no longer president, but he is not even an officer or a director. Moreover, there are only three references about him in the pages of Zion's Watch Tower magazine, none acknowledging his previous rank.
From Zion's Watch Tower (ZWT), April, 1880, R 94:Page 8 under "Christ Our Passover" we find:
"It has for several years been the custom of many of us in Pittsburgh to do this, i.e. remember the Passover, and eat the emblems of our Lord's body and blood, and it has ever been an occasion of solemn pleasure and communion and was particulaly so this year. We met on the night of March 24th, as usual, at the house of Bro. and Sis. Conley, it being the most commodious..."
Again, the following year in the April, 1881 issue, R. 207: page 2 under "The Lord's Supper" we read:
"We have so far observed here in Pittsburgh for some years and it has ever been a blessed occasion. We will celebrate it this year at the residence of Bro. W.H. Conley, No. 50, Fremont St., Allegheny City, Pa., April 24th, at 8 o'clock P.M., and cordially invite all who can do so, to be present to join us. Brethren and sisters from a distance will be entertained by the friends here. If possible please send a postal card to 'WATCH TOWER' office, No. 101 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., and call here on your arrival."
So far, we have learned the location of the Conley house and that it was a commodious dwelling, which would indicate that he was well to do. From other sources I learned that Conley was one of the Directors of the Third National Bank of Allegheny, the Home for Colored Children, and St. John's General Hospital. It was purportedly at this bank in an upper room that C.T. Russell and others met for Bible study for five years, before they met up with Barbour. Conley, at first an Advent Christian, was also a long time friend of George Storrs and George Stetson, two other Advent Christians and mentors to C.T. Russell. It was through Stetson that Conley met Russell. But by 1881 Conley was no longer Advent Christian, but a follower of Russell.
The next entry on Conley comes from the June 1, 1894 ZWT, page 176 under "Voice of the Church""
"[Another brother who was a member of the early Allegheny Bible class writes as follows:"]
"My DEAR BRO. IN CHRIST!--I have read carefully pages 92 to 119 of 'A Conspiracy Exposed and Harvest Siftings' with special interest, and must say my recollection of events named by you are very much like your own; and while there are details, in some cases, of which I know nothing, and hence cannot speak to them, yet I do know that there were some transactions as you name, and at the dates given. I am quite conversant with some of the dealings, and am surprised at the very merciful manner in which you speak of those whom you were associated. 'The servant is not greater than his Lord.' 'If they have done these things in a green tree, what will they do in the dry?'--'Perils among false brethren,' etc. etc.
"As to myself, you can rely on one thing; viz., All reports stating that I deny the ransom are absolutely false. The no-ransom people may talk, but they have nothing in me.
W.H. CONLEY"
It seems rather puzzling why Russell doesn't tell his readers anything further about Conley other than he was a brother in the early Allegheny Bible Class. And even more baffling is that there is not one mention of Conley's death at Allegheny, three years later, on July 25, 1897 in the pages of Zion's Watch Tower. Yet, both W.I. Mann and J.H. Paton, who were then disassociated from Russell gave note of his passing in Paton's Aug. 1, 1897 "The World's Hope," pages 234-235.