Posted by AF - More info [AF] on November 05, 1999 at 21:18:08 {6xiCHW3gJ21EwaxRomAMdaOt1gg/Zk}:
In Reply to: *****Water, water everywhere posted by Friend on November 05, 1999 at 17:12:18:
In answering another question I found this interesting commentary in the December 15, 1971 Watchtower (p. 760):
How did this governing body make its appearance in recent times? Evidently under the direction of Jehovah God and his Son Jesus Christ. According to the facts available, the governing body became associated with the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. C. T. Russell was patently of that governing body back there in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Being fully dedicated to God through Christ, he set himself to apply his time, energy, abilities, wealth and influence to defending God's inspired Word and spreading its message. . . Dedicated, baptized, anointed Christians became associated with that Society at headquarters in Pennsylvania.
Note that Russell is only described as being "dedicated" while others are said to be "dedicated, baptized". This latter formula is universally used by the Society to describe JWs in some contexts. It suggests that Fred Franz, who wrote the text of the article (see Ray Franz's book Crisis of Conscience) knew that Russell was not baptized in the prescribed JW manner.
AF