Milton George Henschel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Part of a series on Jehovah's Witnesses |
|
About Jehovah's Witnesses | |
---|---|
Demographics | |
History | |
Organizational Structure | |
Governing Body Faithful and Discreet Slave Legal Instruments |
|
Government Interactions | |
Beliefs | |
Doctrines · Practices | |
Eschatology Blood · Disfellowshipping |
|
Persecution | |
Controversy | |
Related People | |
Formative Influences | |
William Miller · N.H. Barbour Jonas Wendell |
|
Presidents & Members | |
List of Jehovah's Witnesses C.T. Russell · M.G. Henschel J.F. Rutherford · F.W. Franz D.A. Adams · N.H. Knorr |
|
Ex-Members & Critics | |
R. Franz · E.C. Gruss |
Milton George Henschel (August 9, 1920 - March 22, 2003) succeeded Frederick W. Franz as the president of Watchtower Society.
Milton Henschel relocated to Brooklyn as a teenager in 1934 when his father, Herman George Henschel, moved to the area to work on construction projects in the printeries and residence building for Jehovah's Witnesses. The young Milton was baptized during his adolescence. He married Lucille Bennett in 1956. Over the years he filled various administrative capacities for the international organization headquarters. According to his friends, he was known for being practical, flexible, reasonable and kind.
Henschel was appointed secretary to Nathan H. Knorr in 1939 who was overseeing work at the Watchtower printery. Knorr continued to keep Henschel as his assistant after becoming president of the Watchtower Society in 1942. Henschel was often with Knorr in his travels, visiting at least 150 countries during this time. In 1963 Henschel was detained and physically assaulted together with a large group of Jehovah's Witnesses in Liberia during a religious conference. He returned just a few months later to meet with Liberia's president for the purpose of gaining freedom of worship for Jehovah's Witnesses.
He became the president of the Watch Tower Society in 1992 and was in this office until 2000. In that year organizational changes took place, as the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses was separated from the society's board of directors. As a result, the members of the Governing Body stepped down from their capacities in the Watchtower society. Henschel thus left his office to Don A. Adams, a non-member of the Governing Body. Henschel remained a member of the Governing Body until his death.