Thinking

You are right. I should have been more specific. But I  think that what you did quote from Rolando Rodriguez was excellent as background to a lot of the Bible Student groups' take on this time in history.
Of course, as I know you know, we shouldn't just take what the Bible Students say as if it is the final word. When there is a discrepancy, Persson's book gives reasons why there are times when the Bible Student version is more correct and times when the Watchtower's version is more correct.
I wanted to quote some additional paragraphs in addition to the ones you quoted. But anyone who wishes can just look at the same link.
This is a good point. It seems that each offshoot wanted to highlight at least one specific doctrine that was more important to them, and which had caused a minor disagreement. You can also see a sense of who wanted to be thought of as the current "servant" or "steward." It became rather competitive. You can see it in the paragraphs you quoted about PSL's group coming up with Russell as "parousia" [faithful and wise] servant, and then PSL himself as "epiphany" servant, and then an "apokalypsis" servant. You can even detect competition over who would be called the "faithful and wise" servant back in Barbour's time, and the idea had come up among Second Adventists before him.
Who gets to be called "the Servant" or "the Steward" was a big deal, and it's really the main subtext of the whole P.S.L.Johnson versus J.F.Rutherford "contest." Persson's book points out how it was called "ludicrous" that Johnson first brought up this new title in regards to himself, but that Rutherford then went to convention after convention where he would spoke just after C.J.Woodworth would give the talk that always announced Rutherford as "the Steward."
I first heard about the Stand Fast movement in Bethel "morning worship" address by Brother Klein (Governing Body) where he admitted to having "apostasized" into that movement because Rutherford had compromised on political issues. He said that he later apologized to Rutherford and got back into the Watchtower Society.
Persson's book also mentions Brother C.E.Heard and the pamphlet and talk called "The Ship." The book also quotes from it in a few places.
A Bible Students archive site has some of the information about this, too: https://www.biblestudentarchives.com/documents/StandFastHistory.pdf
When I get to that part of the book I'll quote some of the things he says on page 528 through 545 (Kindle edition) about "The Ship" and about Brother C E Heard.

You'll see this a lot among the claims of contemporary and current Bible Student groups. But if Russell did dismiss him, it would not have been due to a specific conflict between them or about his personality at the time. I think it was in Faith on the March where MacMillan implies that Bethel was out of money by the end of 1914, having believed that there would be little need for money in 1915 and that the expensive production of the Photo-Drama had drained the coffers. So a lot of people were dismissed for financial reasons around 1915.
But the importance of Rutherford as legal counsel was still important, and Rutherford was still trusted with contributed writings and public addresses in 1915, so it would not have been like a "disfellowshipping" of any kind.
Bible Students make much of this just to make sure that people don't give too much attention to JWs. It creates a kind of pre-emptive rejection of JWs by Russell.

"The Ship" you were commenting about here reminds me of the same issue you brought up regarding whether the "ark" would be seen as an organization. I mentioned speaking to an 80+ year old elder who is a good friend of mine from Bethel. When we just spoke, he mentioned that when he taught Gilead classes, he once asked the class what would happen if anyone taught the "truth" of almost any paragraph from "The Finished Mystery." The class was in agreement that the person would be disfellowshipped. So he asked, then what was it that Jesus would have seen in the group so that he would choose to bless this particular ministry? I told him that I would have guessed that it was neutrality/no-War, no-Trinity, and no-Hellfire. He said that there were other groups who also taught those same three doctrines. I said I didn't know there were any that taught all three at the same time. But do I really know that there weren't such groups in Argentina, Poland, Scotland, etc. Maybe he would be driving at the value of the USA location, which didn't seem likely. But his only point was that all we can assume is that it had to be their love of Jehovah and his Son. That's what will always be the most important as doctrines continue to change. 
I hadn't given it too much thought that way. I always figured it was at least our core set of doctrines, but I still agree that it was a good point for discussion.

I have never banned anyone at all. Much less likely I would be to ban anyone who challenges me. I love being challenged, and wouldn't even be here if I didn't enjoy it.
I'm sorry I called your behavior "unchristian." When I refer to the unchristian behavior of others, I'm not saying that I am right myself or that I am even a good judge of who else is acting Christian or not. I refer mostly to how some people tend to appear in their comments. If a person continues to tell untruths, I don't necessarily think of them as a liar; they are often just mistaken. Like your false and mistaken belief that I have banned people. What you do on your own time isn't anything I would try to do anything about. If you are a non-Christian, atheist, or even an apostate (I don't think you are) I still think you should be welcome here. When I mention "unchristian" behavior, which I admit I should not have done, I am referring to a propensity to create dissension, etc.
I think that many of us, including Pudgy, and myself too, have done this to an extent. And this is one reason I would never try to get one person banned over another, it's a kind of judgment call that I would probably screw up, not knowing who was egging on the other to push buttons or get a rise out of them. I see several people who use snide remarks or hints about things that they evidently think will produce a response from another person. But I can't read minds; I can barely understand half of what some people say outright. So I would agree that I shouldn't have used the term "unchristian." I should have just said a propensity to promote dissension, rivalry, petty arguments over words, etc.

Wow that group sounds terrific…..I like Shultz tho I have not read of him much lately….I still have a book of his here to read….saving it for when and if the internet goes down…..I really hope those scholars are humble enough to let a little pooping seed picker in amongst them…. 

He doesn’t like Shultz? Who could not like Shultz?
Shultz recently told me that in his ‘scholar group’ he pointedly told off Rolf and it was apparently heated enough that he thought one or the other of them might be kicked off, and that he didn’t care if it was him, even though Rolf was a one-person minority.
He had previously tweeted of a certain “moron” in his group. I observed that every group was a moron and inquired if it was in connection to a certain dastardly deed where Rolf had played his hand. It was.
I have floated the possibility with another of that group that it might be a fine thing to add me to it, even allowing that I am so not much a scholar as a seedpicker—peck a seed here and poop it out there, just like they said of Paul.
So far no one has taken the bait.

Well all I can say after reading that is…bethel must have been like a nut house!!..and appears run by nuts!…
I certainly would not want any of my children to go there….adults or not!
As one older elder said here and of whom I would trust my life with..this was said from the platform and said with some despair in his voice.
THERE IS NO ONE IN THIS WORLD YOU CAN TRUST BUT JEHOVAH AND JESUS..NO ONE.
and I stand by his wise words…….sheesh 
oh and thanks for those links…I will look them up for sure…

Not that Walter will care about my opinion, but I believe his input has always been valuable when it comes to the subject of Bible Student history. If you'll unblock him, at least for this topic, you'll see a bit of antagonism here and there toward Schulz, Persson, Penton, etc. But I expect you will also see a lot of good points made, assuming you have more than a "xero" interest in the topic, of course.

That’s just it. I didn’t keep track of who. Nobody I knew personally. He expressed nothing toward me but good will. It was some form of media communication, the exact form I forget.

I don’t see any mention of him there. 
Yeah, I suppose you could get worked up over certain things. But to the point of missing the big picture? When he was baptized “into Christ” did he thereafter become brother to the 95% of Christians who equate Jesus with God?
This statement is telling to me: “I myself was sure that the Branch would not dare to do anything.” Isn’t there such a thing as overestimating your own importance? 
Recently Elon Musk proposed to buy Twitter. “I’m sure the left wouldn’t dare do anything,” he said.
 
 

Yes if only we could keep track of who said this and that….not to worry….

It is my bad @Thinkingfor saying jumping and thanks JWI for the correction. Just goes to show how fleeing out of a window or balcony becomes jumping out of it. That is what had stuck in my mind, I did not mean jumping as in jumping from a great height in danger of hurting oneself, but figuratively speaking as in running away....it sounds more dramatic but easily givers a false impression. I had wanted to read the whole account again for accuracy but I was on my phone and all my files were on the computer. The account is in a booklet called Harvest Siftings that was later reprinted in a WT of the same year I believe.
Here it is in PDF file of Harvest Siftings. It will give you a good idea of what transpired during that period, at least from the point of view of Rutherford and others. The bit about the window saga is on page 6.
https://ia600902.us.archive.org/5/items/WatchtowerLibrary/booklets/1917_shf_E.pdf
 
 

There are bits and pieces of this in our publications. It's only when you put all the pieces together and hear PSL Johnson's side of the story that some of the apparent discrepencies start to make sense. Persson discusses this episode at great length (of course), considering the 1973 Yearbook, 1975 Yearbook, Proclaimers, Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose (1958), Faith on the March (1957) and the old Watchtower publications from 1916, 1917, and 1918. But he also quotes extensively from contemporary Bible Student sources and recent Bible Student sources such as the one's that @WalterPrescott has quoted from.
In fact, most of the paragraphs that Walter has been posting are taken directly from the writing of Rolando Rodriguez. You can find them here: https://millennialmessengers.wordpress.com/tag/charles-taze-russell/
and much of it repeated on a forum here: https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/thepresenttruthforum/the-fiery-cloudy-pillar-t4686.html?sid=a8e09c4a4332c2aea4e21c85819a15ac
Persson acknowledges contact with Rodriguez for his book and credits him with providing some historical document(s).
I think it's easy to get the idea from what's been said that PSL jumped out a window due to a mental breakdown. This is a conflation of several things that have been said about him in our publications. In fact, PSL apparently never jumped out of a window, but let himself down from the balcony where his feet could reach the fence, and then let himself down from the fence, also without jumping. He did this because he was being trapped in one of the London Bethel rooms with the door blocked, and under guard, likely both to keep him from being able to participate in a planned court hearing the next day, and to resolve a matter about some missing money. And Hemery, the person still managing the London Bethel, and an adversary in the court case, apparently wanted to go through his letters and papers in his briefcase before the court hearing took place. Hemery ended up doing just that.
Nobody was hurt, and Rutherford did not treat PSL as if he really had serious mental problems when he got back, as you might expect if everything said about him was true. Rutherford just didn't want him going back to the London Bethel where he had seen (or likely caused) so many problems.
[Edited to add: I was wrong on this point about Rutherford not dealing with PSLJ as if he had serious mental problems. Rutherford was actually quick to deal with PSLJ as insane and mentally unbalanced, but Rutherford was inconsistent, and seemed to soften his position toward him. This hadn't made sense to me originally, and I was partly influenced here by the comments of a brother I spoke to at length about this very recently after reading this portion of the book. But Persson's book provides a detail that I take as an obvious clue as to the reason for Rutherford's inconsistency. Persson doesn't appear to draw any conclusion from that detail, but it makes me think that it was not just an absent-minded inconsistency on Rutherford's part. It served a purpose.]
If you read the 1973 Yearbook, it looks like Hemery's account (the only one given) is an attempt to add a lot more dramatic flavor to the episode than most Watchtower-style writing. It's as if he wanted to write like an amateur Mickey Spillane.

That’s the key to all of this……step back and look at the big picture…and take the time and relentless prayer to do that……

I wish I had kept track of who is was, but I didn’t.
Someone responded, by email, post, comment, I forget which, to say he used to edit Wikipedia for Witness-related things and he had to be on it all the time. He would say things from the Witness point of view and 24 hours later the apostates [his word] would have changed it back to something derogatory. P.S.L. Johnson would probably be too obscure for anyone to bother with.
What I can’t remember is if this was on his own initiative or if it was some freelance theocratic assignment, or a bit of both.
He liked some of the stuff I was doing, but cautioned my with a line from Nietzsche [so he was just your typical brother.   ]: “Battle not with monsters, lest ye become a monster, and if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.” I have let that moderate my behavior, even if not so far as calling a truce. 
If only all of Walter’s writings were of this caliber. I would unblock him in an instant.

This is just plain dumb pudgy…grow up…some things are just not decent to joke about….

Make sure you get his latest..he’s a very brave humble and honourable man…I do hope the GB hears it…not that it matters as the harm is done and cannot be undone.
Makes me understand the wording of….no flesh left…..and the need for Jehovah to step in for the sake of chosen ones…..

True. And he gets to that of course.
I like to look out for positive things that are "admitted" to be true, even when you might not expect the source to admit those positive things. In this case, it made me think that Rutherford, in 1916, still had a lot of faith in the chronology and in the imminent "manifestation" of Christ's return. If it didn't happen in 1914 as expected, or even in 1915 using Russell's recently shifted chronology, then it was at least expected that Russell would live to see his reward in person. And now that Russell hadn't lived to see the "change/translation/rapture" actually happen, Rutherford must have had faith that the end must still be extremely close. Perhaps he thought there was no time for legal maneuvering and politics.
What would it matter who was president of the Society if the end were coming upon them in just a few days or weeks? 
What I am seeing is that there were several factors that motivated the maneuvering, and it wasn't all centered on Rutherford himself. Others played a large part in what finally happened. [Edtied to add that some of those "manipulations" evidently started out as various factions and disagreements within the current leadership, and it's partly a matter of how quickly Rutherford would side with those who already, like himself, wanted some out and some to stay.]

Paul Samuel Leo Johnson Born Paul Samuel Leo Levitsky
October 4, 1873 Titusville, Pennsylvania, US Died October 22, 1950(aged 77) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US Occupation Minister Years active 1898–1950 Known for Founder of the Laymen's Home Missionary Movement Notable work Epiphany Studies in the Scriptures Part of a series on Bible Students Communities Free Bible Students Laymen's Home Missionary Movement Publishing houses Dawn Bible Students Association Pastoral Bible Institute Publications The Dawn The New Creation Frank and Ernest (broadcast) Studies in the Scriptures The Photo-Drama of Creation Biographies Charles Taze Russell Jonas Wendell William Henry Conley Nelson H. Barbour Paul S. L. Johnson A. H. Macmillan J. F. Rutherford Conrad C. Binkele Beliefs Jehovah Nontrinitarianism Atonement Dispensationalism Sheol and Hades Resurrection Annihilationism Separations Jehovah's Witnesses  Christianity portal v t e Paul Samuel Leo (formerly Levitsky) Johnson (October 4, 1873 – October 22, 1950) was an American scholar and pastor, the founder of the Laymen's Home Missionary Movement. He authored 17 volumes of religious writings entitled Epiphany Studies in the Scriptures, and published two magazines from about 1918 until his death in 1950. The movement he created continues his work and publishes his writings, operating from Chester Springs, Pennsylvania.
He was born in Titusville, Pennsylvania on October 4, 1873, to Jewishparents who had recently immigrated from Poland. His father was a prominent Hebrew scholar,[citation needed] and eventually became president of the Titusville synagogue. His mother died when he was 12, and his father remarried, both of which caused him distress; he ran away from home several times.
He eventually converted to Christianity and joined the Methodist Church.[clarification needed]
In 1890, he entered the Capital University of Columbus, Ohio, and graduated in 1895 with high honors. Records in that University's Library show him enrolled as Paul Levitsky;[citation needed] he then went to the Theological Seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Joint Synod of Ohioand graduated in 1898. He pastored a Lutheran church for a short time in Mars, Pennsylvania, and was then transferred back to Columbus, Ohio, at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, which was later razed to make way for highway infrastructure. He soon built a new church building and was noted (by the Capitol University Synod)[citation needed] to have baptized more people and collected less money than any other pastor in the synod.
In May 1903 he left the Lutheran Church as a consequence of changes in his beliefs, and began fellowship with the Columbus Ecclesia of the Watch Tower Society. The Lutheran Church later claimed they had disfellowshipped him for heresy, but he had already left them of his own free will.[citation needed] A year later, Pastor Charles Taze Russellappointed him as a Pilgrim of the Bible Student movement. He eventually served as Russell's personal secretary. In time, he became Russell's most trusted friend and advisor.[citation needed]
Johnson suffered a nervous breakdown in 1910 a result of withstanding dissidents from within who were challenging the teachings of Pastor C.T. Russell on questions around his understanding of the new covenant and the ransom for all.
Johnson left the Watch Tower Society when Joseph F. Rutherford took over its direction after Russell's death. He founded the Laymen's Home Missionary Movement in 1920, and served on its board of directors from 1920 until his death on October 22, 1950.
 
Rutherford changed Russell’s understanding of the ark from that representing Jesus…to representing the organisation….and just from this fast cursory search it doesnt seem he was much of a friend to Rutherford as he was to Russell.

Just be like a beroean and you should be good to go.

I have never heard or read the GB likened to Jesus….and I dont know anyone who even thinks that?

Oh no not Carl Olaf Jonsson….that just wrecked it for me…

Just be like a beroean and you should be good to go.

I recon we are far in the time of the end - the pushback will fail. (but I could be wrong). They tried to do this before and it failed.  I seem to think they have all their ducks in a row now.  Some governments are being taken to court with the true facts of the pandemic....... so now they are forced to bring in the world government with more powers (and the powers are frightening because nothing is clearly defined), to get done what they want done. It is most probable that DARPA, NASA and other organizations such as CIA which is  assisting Biden to get it done.
They now have the technology to suppress information and believe me all who do not comply and talk differently and do not comply will see the abomination wreak its destruction.   Religion is the main obstacle in their way at present. 
 

Paul Samuel Leo Johnson Born Paul Samuel Leo Levitsky
October 4, 1873 Titusville, Pennsylvania, US Died October 22, 1950(aged 77) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US Occupation Minister Years active 1898–1950 Known for Founder of the Laymen's Home Missionary Movement Notable work Epiphany Studies in the Scriptures Part of a series on Bible Students Communities Free Bible Students Laymen's Home Missionary Movement Publishing houses Dawn Bible Students Association Pastoral Bible Institute Publications The Dawn The New Creation Frank and Ernest (broadcast) Studies in the Scriptures The Photo-Drama of Creation Biographies Charles Taze Russell Jonas Wendell William Henry Conley Nelson H. Barbour Paul S. L. Johnson A. H. Macmillan J. F. Rutherford Conrad C. Binkele Beliefs Jehovah Nontrinitarianism Atonement Dispensationalism Sheol and Hades Resurrection Annihilationism Separations Jehovah's Witnesses  Christianity portal v t e Paul Samuel Leo (formerly Levitsky) Johnson (October 4, 1873 – October 22, 1950) was an American scholar and pastor, the founder of the Laymen's Home Missionary Movement. He authored 17 volumes of religious writings entitled Epiphany Studies in the Scriptures, and published two magazines from about 1918 until his death in 1950. The movement he created continues his work and publishes his writings, operating from Chester Springs, Pennsylvania.
He was born in Titusville, Pennsylvania on October 4, 1873, to Jewishparents who had recently immigrated from Poland. His father was a prominent Hebrew scholar,[citation needed] and eventually became president of the Titusville synagogue. His mother died when he was 12, and his father remarried, both of which caused him distress; he ran away from home several times.
He eventually converted to Christianity and joined the Methodist Church.[clarification needed]
In 1890, he entered the Capital University of Columbus, Ohio, and graduated in 1895 with high honors. Records in that University's Library show him enrolled as Paul Levitsky;[citation needed] he then went to the Theological Seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Joint Synod of Ohioand graduated in 1898. He pastored a Lutheran church for a short time in Mars, Pennsylvania, and was then transferred back to Columbus, Ohio, at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, which was later razed to make way for highway infrastructure. He soon built a new church building and was noted (by the Capitol University Synod)[citation needed] to have baptized more people and collected less money than any other pastor in the synod.
In May 1903 he left the Lutheran Church as a consequence of changes in his beliefs, and began fellowship with the Columbus Ecclesia of the Watch Tower Society. The Lutheran Church later claimed they had disfellowshipped him for heresy, but he had already left them of his own free will.[citation needed] A year later, Pastor Charles Taze Russellappointed him as a Pilgrim of the Bible Student movement. He eventually served as Russell's personal secretary. In time, he became Russell's most trusted friend and advisor.[citation needed]
Johnson suffered a nervous breakdown in 1910 a result of withstanding dissidents from within who were challenging the teachings of Pastor C.T. Russell on questions around his understanding of the new covenant and the ransom for all.
Johnson left the Watch Tower Society when Joseph F. Rutherford took over its direction after Russell's death. He founded the Laymen's Home Missionary Movement in 1920, and served on its board of directors from 1920 until his death on October 22, 1950.
 
Rutherford changed Russell’s understanding of the ark from that representing Jesus…to representing the organisation….and just from this fast cursory search it doesnt seem he was much of a friend to Rutherford as he was to Russell.