Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches 2010 - Cokesbury
Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches 2010 - Cokesbury
Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches 2010 - Cokesbury
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leader <strong>of</strong> a Bible study group in Allegheny City,<br />
Pennsylvania. In July 1879, the first issue <strong>of</strong> Zion’s<br />
Watch Tower <strong>and</strong> Herald <strong>of</strong> Christ’s Presence (now<br />
called The Watchtower which is published in 175<br />
languages with a circulation <strong>of</strong> 37,252,000<br />
appeared. In 1884 Zion’s Watch Tower Tract<br />
Society was incorporated, later changed to Watch<br />
Tower Bible <strong>and</strong> Tract Society. Congregations<br />
spread into other states <strong>and</strong> countries, <strong>and</strong> followers<br />
witnessed from house to house.<br />
By 1913, printed sermons were in four languages<br />
in 3,000 newspapers in the United States, Canada<br />
<strong>and</strong> Europe. Hundreds <strong>of</strong> millions <strong>of</strong> books, booklets<br />
<strong>and</strong> tracts were distributed. Publication <strong>of</strong> the<br />
magazine now known as Awake! Began in 1919.<br />
Today, it is published in more than 80 languages<br />
<strong>and</strong> has a circulation <strong>of</strong> upwards <strong>of</strong> 36,725,000). In<br />
1931 the name Jehovah’s Witnesses, based on<br />
Isaiah 43 vs.10-12, was adopted.<br />
During the 1930s <strong>and</strong> 1940s, <strong>and</strong> as recently as<br />
2002, Jehovah’s Witnesses fought many court<br />
cases in the interest <strong>of</strong> preserving freedom <strong>of</strong><br />
speech, press, assembly <strong>and</strong> worship. They have<br />
won a total <strong>of</strong> 50 cases before the United States<br />
Supreme Court. A missionary training school was<br />
established in 1943, <strong>and</strong> it has been a major factor<br />
in the international expansion <strong>of</strong> the Witnesses.<br />
There are now 7.1 million Witnesses in 236 l<strong>and</strong>s.<br />
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe in one almighty<br />
God, Jehovah, who is the Creator <strong>of</strong> all things.<br />
They believe in Jesus Christ as God’s Son, the first<br />
<strong>of</strong> His creations. While Jesus is now an immortal<br />
spirit in heaven, ruling as King <strong>of</strong> God’s Kingdom,<br />
he is still subject to his heavenly Father, Jehovah<br />
God. Christ’s human life was sacrificed as a ransom<br />
to open up for obedient mankind the opportunity<br />
<strong>of</strong> eternal life. With Christ in heaven, 144,000<br />
individuals chosen from among mankind will rule<br />
in righteousness over an unnumbered great crowd<br />
who will survive the destruction <strong>of</strong> wickedness <strong>and</strong><br />
receive salvation into an earth cleansed <strong>of</strong> evil.<br />
(Rev. Ch.7 vs.9, 10; Ch.14 vs.1-5). These, along<br />
with the resurrected dead, will transform the earth<br />
into a global earthly paradise <strong>and</strong> will have the<br />
prospect <strong>of</strong> living forever on it.<br />
Headquarters<br />
25 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, NY 11201-<br />
2483, Tel. (718)560-5000x25263<br />
Media Contact, Office <strong>of</strong> Public Information, J.<br />
R. Brown<br />
Editorial Contact, Writing Department, James N.<br />
PellechiaWebsite: www.watchtower.org<br />
Officers<br />
Pres. Watch Tower Bible <strong>and</strong> Tract Society <strong>of</strong><br />
Pennsylvania, Don Adams<br />
Periodicals<br />
Awake!, The Watchtower<br />
The Korean Presbyterian Church<br />
Abroad*<br />
This body came into <strong>of</strong>ficial existence in the<br />
United States in 1976 <strong>and</strong> is currently an ethnic<br />
church, using the Korean <strong>and</strong> English language.<br />
Headquarters<br />
General Assembly <strong>of</strong> the Korean Presbyterian<br />
Church in America<br />
17200 Clark Ave., Bellflower, CA 90706, Tel.<br />
(714)816-1100 Fax (714)816-1120 Officers<br />
General Secretary, Rev. Jacob Se Jang, 5848<br />
Pimlico Road, Baltimore, MD 21209, Tel.<br />
(410)236-8939 Moderator, Rev. Dr. Young<br />
Chin Huh, 12601 Leda Lane, Garden Grove,<br />
CA 92840, Tel. (714)537-2687<br />
The Latvian Evangelical Lutheran<br />
Church in America<br />
This body was organized into a denomination on<br />
Aug. 22, 1975 after having existed as the<br />
Federation <strong>of</strong> Latvian Evangelical Lutheran<br />
<strong>Churches</strong> in America since 1955. This church is a<br />
regional constituent part <strong>of</strong> the Lutheran Church <strong>of</strong><br />
Latvia Abroad, a member <strong>of</strong> the Lutheran World<br />
Federation <strong>and</strong> the World Council <strong>of</strong> <strong>Churches</strong>.<br />
The Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church in<br />
America works to foster religious life, traditions<br />
<strong>and</strong> customs in its congregations in harmony<br />
with the Holy Scriptures, the Apostles’, Nicean<br />
<strong>and</strong> Athanasian Creeds, the unaltered Augsburg<br />
Confession, Martin Luther’s Small <strong>and</strong> Large<br />
Catechisms <strong>and</strong> other documents <strong>of</strong> the Book <strong>of</strong><br />
Concord.<br />
The LELCA is ordered by its Synod (General<br />
Assembly), executive board, auditing committee<br />
<strong>and</strong> district conferences.<br />
Headquarters<br />
7225 Oak Highl<strong>and</strong>s Dr., Kalamazoo, MI 49009,<br />
Tel. (269) 375-0389 Email: kaugars@earthlink.net<br />
Media Contact, Juris Pulins, 9531 Knoll Top Rd.,<br />
Union, IL 60180, Tel. (815)923-5919<br />
Email: pulins@earthlink.net<br />
Officers<br />
Pres., Dean Lauma Zusevics, Tel. (414) 421-<br />
3934 Email: izunpz@wi.rr.com<br />
Vice Pres., Rev. Anita Varsberga-Paza Email:<br />
macavp@yahoo.com<br />
Sec.,Girts Kaugars, 7225 Oak Highl<strong>and</strong>s Dr.,<br />
Kalamazoo, MI 49009, Tel. (269) 375-0389<br />
Email: kaugars@charter.net<br />
Treas., Vilmars Beinikis, 17 John Dr., Old<br />
Bethpage, NY 11804, Tel. (516)293-8432<br />
Periodicals<br />
Cela Biedrs, Lelba Zinas<br />
The Liberal Catholic Church—<br />
Province <strong>of</strong> the United States <strong>of</strong><br />
America<br />
The Liberal Catholic Church was founded Feb.<br />
13, 1916 as a reorganization <strong>of</strong> the Old Catholic<br />
Church in Great Britain with the Rt. Rev. James I.<br />
Wedgwood as the first Presiding Bishop. The first<br />
ordination <strong>of</strong> a priest in the United States was Fr.<br />
Charles Hampton, later a Bishop. The first<br />
Regionary Bishop for the <strong>American</strong> Province was<br />
the Rt. Rev. Irving S. Cooper (1919-1935).<br />
US RELIGIOUS BODIES<br />
129