This page will be further edited in the coming weeks. For now, go ahead and browse the timeline. It’s the same one found near the bottom of the home page, along with a organizational history and a timeline of events in Barbara’s life. The timeline only provides a rough outline, of course. We may expand it to include additional doctrinal adjustments over the years.
Some of the doctrinal adjustments have been subtle, because they were not announced as “new.” Sometimes one can get hints of an adjustment that isn’t fully spelled out for another few years. These will require a more detailed discussion.
1880
1885
1890
1895
1900
1905
1879Russell teaches Christ’s invisible presence began in 1874
1889The Time Is at Hand identifies 1914 as the end of the Gentile Times
- 1879Russell teaches Christ’s invisible presence began in 1874
- 1889The Time Is at Hand identifies 1914 as the end of the Gentile Times
1910
1915
1920
1925
1930
1935
1914 OctoberThe Gentile Times expire without the expected end; Russell reinterprets the date
1918Teaching that 1918 would see the destruction of Christendom passes unfulfilled
1920Congregations begin submitting weekly field service reports
1921Vaccination is condemned in The Golden Age
1925The prediction that the ancient worthies would be resurrected in 1925 fails
1927Christmas observance is abandoned
1928The pyramid as a divine witness is repudiated
1929The ‘superior authorities’ of Romans 13 are redefined as Jehovah and Jesus rather than secular rulers
1931 7/26The name Jehovah’s Witnesses is adopted; congregational identity is restructured around it
1935 5/31At the Washington DC convention Rutherford identifies the ‘great multitude’ as an earthly class, closing the heavenly hope to most
1938Marriage and childbearing are discouraged until after Armageddon
- 1914 OctoberThe Gentile Times expire without the expected end; Russell reinterprets the date
- 1918Teaching that 1918 would see the destruction of Christendom passes unfulfilled
- 1920Congregations begin submitting weekly field service reports
- 1921Vaccination is condemned in The Golden Age
- 1925The prediction that the ancient worthies would be resurrected in 1925 fails
- 1927Christmas observance is abandoned
- 1928The pyramid as a divine witness is repudiated
- 1929The ‘superior authorities’ of Romans 13 are redefined as Jehovah and Jesus rather than secular rulers
- 1931 7/26The name Jehovah’s Witnesses is adopted; congregational identity is restructured around it
- 1935 5/31At the Washington DC convention Rutherford identifies the ‘great multitude’ as an earthly class, closing the heavenly hope to most
- 1938Marriage and childbearing are discouraged until after Armageddon
1940
1945
1950
1955
1960
1965
1939Flag salute is formally prohibited, triggering mass expulsions of Witness children from US schools
1945 7/1The Watchtower prohibits blood transfusions for the first time
1951Blood policy is extended to cover all blood products
1952The vaccination ban is lifted and left to conscience
1952The modern disfellowshipping arrangement is formalised in The Watchtower
1961 1/15Accepting a blood transfusion becomes a disfellowshipping offence
1962 11/15The ‘superior authorities’ teaching reverts to secular governments, reversing the 1929 change
1966Life Everlasting in Freedom of the Sons of God draws attention to 1975 as the end of 6,000 years of human history
1967 11/15Organ transplants are condemned as cannibalism
1968Publications intensify expectation surrounding 1975
- 1939Flag salute is formally prohibited, triggering mass expulsions of Witness children from US schools
- 1945 7/1The Watchtower prohibits blood transfusions for the first time
- 1951Blood policy is extended to cover all blood products
- 1952The vaccination ban is lifted and left to conscience
- 1952The modern disfellowshipping arrangement is formalised in The Watchtower
- 1961 1/15Accepting a blood transfusion becomes a disfellowshipping offence
- 1962 11/15The ‘superior authorities’ teaching reverts to secular governments, reversing the 1929 change
- 1966Life Everlasting in Freedom of the Sons of God draws attention to 1975 as the end of 6,000 years of human history
- 1967 11/15Organ transplants are condemned as cannibalism
- 1968Publications intensify expectation surrounding 1975
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
1973Tobacco use becomes a disfellowshipping offence
1974 8/1Shunning is briefly relaxed, allowing limited family contact with disfellowshipped relatives
1975The expectation surrounding 1975 fails; membership growth stalls and many leave
1976Congregation oversight passes from a single overseer to a body of elders
1980Discussion of doubts about doctrine is made grounds for disfellowshipping even without promoting them
1980 3/15The organ transplant prohibition is reversed and left to individual conscience
1981 9/15Shunning is tightened; disassociation is introduced and those who formally leave are shunned as if expelled
1982Albumin and certain blood fractions are made a matter of conscience
1989Elders are directed to keep records of child sexual abuse allegations confidential at headquarters
1991 10/8An Awake! issue addresses child sexual abuse, prompting tens of thousands of letters
1992 4/8A follow-up Awake! on child sexual abuse is published
1995 11/1The ‘generation’ of 1914 is redefined, abandoning the expectation that 1914 contemporaries would see the end
1995 11/1Recovered or repressed memories are ruled insufficient to satisfy the two-witness requirement
1997 1/1A Watchtower article addresses known child abusers, but limits ‘known’ to cases already public
1997 3/14A body of elders letter narrows the definition of a ‘known’ molester still further
- 1973Tobacco use becomes a disfellowshipping offence
- 1974 8/1Shunning is briefly relaxed, allowing limited family contact with disfellowshipped relatives
- 1975The expectation surrounding 1975 fails; membership growth stalls and many leave
- 1976Congregation oversight passes from a single overseer to a body of elders
- 1980Discussion of doubts about doctrine is made grounds for disfellowshipping even without promoting them
- 1980 3/15The organ transplant prohibition is reversed and left to individual conscience
- 1981 9/15Shunning is tightened; disassociation is introduced and those who formally leave are shunned as if expelled
- 1982Albumin and certain blood fractions are made a matter of conscience
- 1989Elders are directed to keep records of child sexual abuse allegations confidential at headquarters
- 1991 10/8An Awake! issue addresses child sexual abuse, prompting tens of thousands of letters
- 1992 4/8A follow-up Awake! on child sexual abuse is published
- 1995 11/1The ‘generation’ of 1914 is redefined, abandoning the expectation that 1914 contemporaries would see the end
- 1995 11/1Recovered or repressed memories are ruled insufficient to satisfy the two-witness requirement
- 1997 1/1A Watchtower article addresses known child abusers, but limits ‘known’ to cases already public
- 1997 3/14A body of elders letter narrows the definition of a ‘known’ molester still further
2000
2005
2010
2015
2020
2025
2000 4/1Blood fractions become a matter of conscience; those accepting transfusions are treated as having disassociated themselves rather than being disfellowshipped
2002Revised child abuse handling instructions are issued to elders following media scrutiny
2004 6/15Guidance on acceptable blood fractions is clarified and expanded
2007Nine child sexual abuse lawsuits are settled confidentially in the United States
2010 4/15The ‘overlapping generations’ teaching is introduced to preserve the significance of 1914
2012 6/27The Conti verdict in California finds the organisation liable for failing to warn about a known abuser
2012 7/15The ‘faithful and discreet slave’ is redefined as the Governing Body alone
2015The Australian Royal Commission finds 1,006 alleged perpetrators recorded since 1950, none reported to police by the organisation
2016Warwick becomes world headquarters; congregational meeting formats are further streamlined
2017The UK Charity Commission concludes its inquiry into safeguarding practice
2017 4/20Jehovah’s Witnesses are banned in Russia as an extremist organisation
2019Elders are instructed to report abuse to authorities where required by law, while retaining the two-witness rule for congregational action
2023 NovemberPublishers are no longer required to report hours in the ministry; only participation and Bible studies are recorded
2023 12/15Governing Body Update announces that beards are a personal decision, ending a decades-long prohibition
2024Dress standards are relaxed: women may wear slacks and men may attend without a suit or tie
2024 JanuaryThe beards announcement is played to congregations worldwide
2024 MarchMembers may greet shunned individuals and invite them to meetings, unless they are regarded as apostates
2024 AugustThe term ‘disfellowshipping’ is retired in favour of ‘removed from the congregation’
2025A letter to Bethel members specifies that beards must be neatly trimmed
- 2000 4/1Blood fractions become a matter of conscience; those accepting transfusions are treated as having disassociated themselves rather than being disfellowshipped
- 2002Revised child abuse handling instructions are issued to elders following media scrutiny
- 2004 6/15Guidance on acceptable blood fractions is clarified and expanded
- 2007Nine child sexual abuse lawsuits are settled confidentially in the United States
- 2010 4/15The ‘overlapping generations’ teaching is introduced to preserve the significance of 1914
- 2012 6/27The Conti verdict in California finds the organisation liable for failing to warn about a known abuser
- 2012 7/15The ‘faithful and discreet slave’ is redefined as the Governing Body alone
- 2015The Australian Royal Commission finds 1,006 alleged perpetrators recorded since 1950, none reported to police by the organisation
- 2016Warwick becomes world headquarters; congregational meeting formats are further streamlined
- 2017The UK Charity Commission concludes its inquiry into safeguarding practice
- 2017 4/20Jehovah’s Witnesses are banned in Russia as an extremist organisation
- 2019Elders are instructed to report abuse to authorities where required by law, while retaining the two-witness rule for congregational action
- 2023 NovemberPublishers are no longer required to report hours in the ministry; only participation and Bible studies are recorded
- 2023 12/15Governing Body Update announces that beards are a personal decision, ending a decades-long prohibition
- 2024Dress standards are relaxed: women may wear slacks and men may attend without a suit or tie
- 2024 JanuaryThe beards announcement is played to congregations worldwide
- 2024 MarchMembers may greet shunned individuals and invite them to meetings, unless they are regarded as apostates
- 2024 AugustThe term ‘disfellowshipping’ is retired in favour of ‘removed from the congregation’
- 2025A letter to Bethel members specifies that beards must be neatly trimmed