In 1914 a religious writer, Rev. G.P. Pardington, produced a book of 238 pages that has a bearing on Watch Tower related history. It was a self-congratulatory history of a movement that dated its official start from 1889, although growing out of efforts from earlier in that decade.
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The Christian and Missionary Alliance was founded by
Albert B Simpson (1843-1919). Simpson was originally a Presbyterian clergyman
who started an independent ministry in New York in the early 1880s. He was a
prolific writer of books and hymns. Several ventures including two magazines
came together into the Alliance by 1889.
Pardington’s book outlined their belief system: the
Alliance’s theology was pre-millennial, strongly evangelical, with a special
emphasis on miraculous physical healing, which Simpson believed he had
personally experienced.
The book spends some time giving the history of various
supporters and workers around the globe, most of whom had died by that time. However,
for those with an interest in Watch Tower history, one reference stands out –
to the first president of the Watch Tower Society.
Over pages 208 and 209 – part of chapter called “Our
Honored Dead” there is a eulogy to one John Conley.
The date of death (July 25, 1897) and Pittsburgh location
clearly identifies this person as William
Henry Conley, who readers here will know as the first president of the
(unincorporated) Watch Tower Society in 1881.
Conley was an associate of CTR throughout much of
the 1870s, being mentioned in George Storrs’ Bible Examiner along with the Russells. He became a wealthy
industrialist and co-owner of an iron and steel business known as the
Riter-Conley Company. When Zion’s Watch Tower Society first started as an
unincorporated body in 1881, Conley was one of four who donated substantial
sums for a tract campaign. He was president of the Society and CTR was
secretary-treasurer. Yet by the time the Society was incorporated in 1884
Conley was missing and CTR was now president.
He would reappear briefly with a letter to Zion’s Watch Tower in 1894 which we will
come to later.
As noted by Pardington in 1914, Conley died back in
1897. But he was sufficiently well-remembered seventeen years later to merit a
paragraph in the book. Although it has to be noted that he was not sufficiently
well-remembered for Pardington to get his name right!
Going back to the time when William Henry and wife
Sarah were very much alive, quite a picture can be built up of their high-profile
involvement in this movement. The Alliance published a weekly paper originally called
The Christian Alliance and Missionary
Weekly. The Conleys are mentioned in its pages literally dozens of times.
A key reference is when Sarah died, a decade after
her husband. Her obituary also covers some of William’s history. It is found in
the Alliance Weekly for November 21,
1908.
William and Sarah’s support for the Alliance took
many forms. To review, here are some sample extracts from The Christian Alliance and Missionary Weekly over the years. In
addition to supporting mission work in Palestine, as noted by Partington above,
William was noted for his hospitality.
As his home had earlier been made available for the
Memorial celebration for the first two years of Zion’s Watch Tower, now it was available for Alliance activities.
From their paper for April 13, 1894:
His hospitality extended to lavish spreads for
Alliance visitors. From December 12, 1889:
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Sarah Conley was very fond of music. From February
6, 1891:
And November 11, 1892:
William was not just a sideliner supporter, but as
the above obituary for Sarah from 1908 shows, he also accepted office in the
Alliance.
For the Pittsburgh branch of the Alliance he became the president (March 13, 1896):
This support for the Alliance was not just in
administration, William also preached for the cause. Here he is presiding at a
church meeting (September 11, 1896):
Some of the topics he preached on would not have
sounded out of place from a ZWT evangelist, although the details may have
differed. From March 5, 1895 – “Dispensational Truths” (complete with a chart):
From February 22, 1896 – “The Second Coming of
Christ” – complete with another chart and William and Sarah singing:
From the same issue (February 22, 1896) – “Meat in due season”:
After William died, the obituary for his widow Sarah
showed how much she continued her support for the Alliance. She also accepted
positions in the movement.
From a regional convention covering five US States in
1907 (September 7, 1907)
Returning to the time when William died, his support
was so notable that a room at the Alliance’s own training school was dedicated
in his honor. The Missionary Training Institute in Nyack, New York, was founded
by A B Simpson back in 1882 and in due course became the official educational
facility for the Alliance. A special building was constructed for the school
overlooking the Hudson River in 1897. A news item from December 2, 1916
referred back to this event:
Unlike Pardington, here in 1916 the writer at least got
Conley’s initials right. So, while Conley rapidly faded from ZWT view, he was
extremely visible elsewhere.
His support for the Alliance was mentioned in the
newspapers when reporting on his death. From The Pittsburgh Press for
July 31, 1897:
So why did W H Conley
part company with CTR, at least theologically?
Several possible reasons
are suggested here, and it may have been a combination of factors.
The first possible
issue was how religious movements in the past sometimes evolve from proclaiming
a future hope to trying to deal with the “here and now.” A general example is
the Salvation Army where William Booth and others wanted to evangelize the poor,
but are more known today for social care. This did not happen to the Bible
Student movement. When ZWT began, its focus was clearly on preaching the
message, gathering in the last of the “saints,” and declaring the hope that God
will provide lasting solutions to mankind’s ills. It kept to that. Whereas the Conleys
obviously veered towards social care – supporting hospitals, a refuge for
women, rehabilitation of prisoners, etc. This was a different focus.
The second possible
issue was a personal tragedy in the Conley family.
One assumes that William and Sarah were unable to
have children themselves, because they adopted a little girl called Emma. She
died in 1881. That she was adopted is clearly shown by the notice of her death
in the Pittsburgh
Daily Post for 15 December, 1881, which
drew attention to the fact.
Her grave marker has the poignant inscription “Our
Pet.”
This tragedy may have
affected Conley’s religious focus. A main feature of the Alliance platform was
Divine Healing. Simpson firmly believed he had been miraculously healed; this
was a main prompt in starting the organization.
For a while it would have links with the developing Pentecostal
movement. It would be too late for Emma, but a belief in Divine Healing may
have attracted Conley.
However, perhaps the
most obvious reason for a parting of the ways was a straightforward theological
divide. As ZWT commented on doctrines in its early years, there was an obvious
rift in the making. The various groups that provided a background
to CTR’s ministry had widely diverging views on God and Christ, but many were
non-trinitarian.
In marked contrast, the organisation that Conley
threw his money behind was strictly orthodox. It still exists and as the
Alliance World Fellowship claims a membership of over six million today. A
modern-day website lists its core beliefs. Under WHAT DO WE BELIEVE? the first
statement of faith is:
“We believe that Jesus is the Christ, God
incarnate.”
Elaborating further: “There is one God…existing eternally
in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”
Those are not words you
would ever find in Zion’s Watch Tower.
Instead,
the issue for July/August 1881 (R249) calls the trinity a “heathen dogma” and
by July 1883 (R505) the doctrine was described as “totally opposed to
Scripture.” This allowed no room for compromise.
Other doctrinal differences likely surfaced when Conley
helped fund George Peters’ monumental work The
Theocratic Kingdom published in full in 1884. CTR obviously had a preview
because he reviewed it in Zion’s Watch
Tower for May 1883. Conley is given a prominent dedication for financial
help given at the start of the third volume. CTR’s told his readers how they
could obtain the work but there was a warning. He wrote:
“We
regret to have it to state, however, that he is not free from Babylon's
shackles, being yet identified with the Lutheran sect – hence has been hindered
from a fuller development in grace and knowledge of the word and plan of God
than if he stood in the full liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free.”
Peters
identified himself as “Rev” in volume one, and “Evang. Luth. Minister” in
volumes 2 and 3. Conley had come from a Lutheran background and likely knew
Peters from earlier days.
CTR did not exactly raise enthusiasm for the book.
He concluded his comments:
“While
we cannot recommend it to you more than as above, to briefly state the facts
and circumstances, yet if you should conclude to order it or a prospectus of it
you should address our brother and friend as above.”
CTR
called Peters a “brother” and “friend” but it was hardly an endorsement of a
huge project Conley had helped bankroll.
So by 1884, perhaps for
a variety of reasons, there had been a parting of the ways. Many years later,
when CTR reviewed his association with Conley in The Watch Tower for July 1, 1912, pp.211-213, he singled out Conley’s
take on faith-healing as a problem. He also suggested that Conley had been
ensnared by materialism.
As noted earlier,
Conley was to reappear “out of the blue”
in a letter written to Zion’s Watch Tower
in 1894.
CTR had been subjected
to an attack on his personal integrity including his business dealings from
four former associates. He responded with a special issue of Zion’s Watch Tower dated April 25, 1894, entitled A Conspiracy Exposed and
Harvest Siftings. The aftermath
of this was another special Zion’s Watch
Tower for June 11, 1894, which reproduced many letters of support. One came
from W H Conley. CTR introduced the letter before reproducing it.
“Another brother who
was a member of the early Allegheny Bible Class writes as follows:
“My Dear Bro. In Christ:—
I have read carefully pages 92 to 119 of A Conspiracy Exposed and Harvest
Siftings with special interest, and must say my recollection of events named by
you are very much like your own; and while there are some details, in some
cases, of which I know nothing, and hence cannot speak as to them, yet I do
know there were such transactions as you name, and at the dates given. I am
quite conversant with some of the dealings, and am surprised at the very
merciful manner in which you speak of those with whom you were associated.
"The servant is not greater than his Lord." "If they have done
these things in a green tree, what will they do in the dry?"—"Perils
among false brethren," etc., etc.
As to myself, you can rely on one thing, viz., All reports stating that I deny
the ransom are absolutely false...
W.H. Conley”
By this time however,
he was fully and very publicly committed to the Missionary Alliance. There is
no mention that he had once been president of the Watch Tower Society. CTR
simply called him “a member of the early Allegheny Bible Class.” This avoided
controversy and maybe even potential embarrassment for Conley.
Looking back on William Conley’s life of philanthropy, some subjective readers may conclude that probably the best thing he ever did with his money was that early help he gave in the start of Zion’s Watch Tower Tract Society.
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