Governing Body Stories

For reference we will use Wikipedia’s List of Governing Body members that you can see by scrolling further down to the end of this page. The links in that area of the page will take you to other areas on Wikipedia where more information is offered regarding some of the former members. Note that the expression “Governing Body” was used by the Watchtower Society up until the 1970’s to refer to the Watchtower Society “officers” and therefore Hayden Covington would be included as a member up until the re-definition. For a good discussion of the history of the Governing Body outside this site, we recommend:

https://jwfacts.com/watchtower/governing-body.php

An article from Barbara on this site mentions several members of the Governing Body in a discussion about the “Given Ones” (Nethinim). https://watchtowerdocuments.org/the-given-ones-jehovahs-provision/

The top of this page will include some of the more memorable anecdotes regarding the Governing Body members from other parts of this site (by Barbara) or a few contributed memories. Where the information about each one is lengthy, we will link to another page.

Nathan Homer Knorr – “historyofthewtbs” (who is currently helping to maintain this site) was at Brooklyn Bethel during Knorr’s final years, and witnessed his last few “Morning Worship” talks. “historyofthewtbts” says: “I remember feeling sad that he was obviously ill and dying, but it wasn’t public knowledge that this was a brain tumor he was suffering from. The first few “Morning Worship” talks I heard from him did not include the depression and melancholy in his voice and manner which was becoming more and more obvious during in late 1976 and early 1977. Now and then he would sometimes offer some cheerful “cheerleading” for the work being done and the expansion of the organization. The actual expansion up to 1975 was already plateauing by August and September 1976. But the “new boys” were still coming in for new construction and some of the longer-term Bethelites were often heard saying that the congregations were “scraping the bottom of the barrel” in finding new persons. So many had put in 4 or more years of Regular Pioneering before being accepted to Bethel, and now they were accepting anyone who could hold a paintbrush. People who had never pioneered, or were even being accepted solely because they had a computer science degree. Brother Knorr alluded to the “bottom of the barrel” idea when he would sometimes rail against the lack of spirituality or morality of some of the ones for whom he would announce dismissal from Bethel. There were some weeks when multiple dismissals would occur, and it was Knorr who made these announcements. To me, however, the most poignant memory was listening closely to his prayers. In them, he would speak about how much he would miss the earth, almost like he was saying he would miss this world. At our table, I hinted that you might think he didn’t want to be of the anointed. Of course, no one talked about it because we were learning about the brain tumor, and considered that as the source.

Frederick William Franz – There is a series of humorous memories of F W Franz, found on jehovahs-witness.com by “seven006.” Start with the link below: https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/58060/my-two-week-consulting-trip-bethel-beginning-end-part-1

Barbara also has an article about F W Franz here: https://watchtowerdocuments.org/fred-franz-rewarded-for-ineptness/

There are also some of F W Franz speeches in the Audio section: https://watchtowerdocuments.org/audio-archives/

Theodore Jaracz – Barbara has an article about Ted Jaracz https://watchtowerdocuments.org/the-theocratic-life-and-times-of-theodore-jaracz/

Because he played a key role, almost as an adversary, in the events that led up to her research on child abuse, he also appears in Barbara’s Diary covering that time period: https://watchtowerdocuments.org/barbara-andersons-diary/ and he also comes up in her resume here: https://watchtowerdocuments.org/barbaras-bethel-resume/

Daniel Sydlik – Barbara has a few stories to tell about Sydlik, because she and Joe spent time, even outside of Bethel, with Brother and Sister Sydlik. He is primarily mentioned in an article, appropriately, about Poland: https://watchtowerdocuments.org/whats-in-a-name/

Name (year of death)Tenure beganTenure endedLength of tenureSource(s)
Thomas James Sullivan[a] (1974)1 October 1971[89]30 July 19742 years, 302 days[91][92][93][94]
John Otto Groh[b] (1975)23 January 19753 years, 114 days[95][91]
Nathan Homer Knorr[c] (1977)8 June 19775 years, 250 days[96][97]
Grant Suiter[d] (1983)22 November 198312 years, 52 days[98][99]
Frederick William Franz[e] (1992)22 December 199221 years, 82 days[100][101][102]
Lyman Alexander Swingle[f] (2001)14 March 200129 years, 164 days[103][104]
Milton George Henschel[g] (2003)22 March 200331 years, 172 days[91][105]
William Kirk Jackson[h] (1981)15 October 197113 December 198110 years, 59 days[106][91]
George Demetrius Gangas (1994)28 July 199422 years, 286 days[107]
Raymond Victor Franz (2010)20 October 1971[108]22 May 1980[i]8 years, 215 days[39][91][109][110][111]
Leo Kincaid Greenlees (?)October 19711984–1985[j]c. 13–14 years[112][113]
Charles John Fekel (1977)c. 28 November 1974[k][114]24 April 1977c. 2 years, 147 days[115]
Ewart Charles Chitty (?)1979[l]c. 4–5 years?[116]
John Charles Booth (1996)8 January 1996c. 21 years, 41 days[117]
William Lloyd Barry (1999)2 July 1999c. 24 years, 216 days[118]
Karl Frederick Klein (2001)3 January 2001c. 26 years, 36 days[119][120]
Albert Darger Schroeder (2006)8 March 2006c. 31 years, 100 days[121]
Daniel Sydlik (2006)18 April 2006c. 31 years, 141 days[122]
Theodore Jaracz (2010)9 June 2010c. 35 years, 193 days[123]
Martin Pötzinger (1988)c. 7 September 1977[m]16 June 1988c. 10 years, 283 days[125]
Carey Walter Barber (2007)8 April 2007c. 29 years, 213 days[126]
John Edwin Barr[n] (2010)4 December 2010c. 33 years, 88 days[127]
Gerrit Lösch1 July 1994Incumbent32 years, 43 days[87]
Guy Hollis Pierce (2014)c. 2 October 1999[o]18 March 2014c. 14 years, 167 days[84][6][128]
David Howard SplaneIncumbentc. 26 years, 315 days[84]
Mark Stephen Lett
Samuel Frederick Herd
Anthony Morris III1 September 2005c. 22 February 2023[p]c. 17 years, 174 days[85][129]
Geoffrey William JacksonIncumbent20 years, 346 days[85]
Douglas Mark Sanderson1 September 201213 years, 346 days[88]
Kenneth Eugene Cook, Jr.c. 24 January 2018[q]c. 8 years, 201 days[79]
Gage Fleeglec. 18 January 2023[r]c. 3 years, 202 days[83]
Jeffrey Winder
Jody Jedelec. 5 October 2024[s]c. 1 year, 312 days[86]
Jacob Rumph
  1.  Director 1932–1973.
  2.  Director 1965–fl. 1973.
  3.  Director 1940–1977, vice-president 1940/1941–1942, president 1942–1977.
  4.  Director 1938–1983, secretary–treasurer 1947–1983.
  5.  Director 1944–1992, vice-president 1945–1977, president 1977–1992.
  6.  Director 1945–2000, secretary-treasurer 1983/1984–2000.
  7.  Director 1947–2000, vice-president ?–1992, president 1992–2000.
  8.  Director 1973–?.
  9.  Resigned, disfellowshipped in 1981.
  10.  Resigned.
  11.  Announced 28 November 1974.
  12.  Resigned.
  13.  Announced 7 September 1977. Appointed to succeed Fekel, Knorr and Groh.[124]
  14.  Director fl. 1982.
  15.  Announced 2 October 1999.
  16.  Announced 22 February 2023. Left the Governing Body in unclear circumstances.
  17.  Announced 24 January 2018.
  18.  Announced 18 January 2023.
  19.  Announced 5 October 2024.

Timeline

Timeline of Governing Body members since the Body’s establishment in October 1971. Resignation dates for Greenlees and Chitty are approximate with high uncertainty. References are in the table above.

  Died in office

  Tenure ended while still alive

  Incumbent

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