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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

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