MISSIONARY MOVEMENT “EPIPHANIA” AS A SUCCESSOR OF THE TEACHINGS OF CHARLES TAZE RUSSELL

Abstract

The article examines the origins and activities of the religious community Missionary Movement “Epiphany”. It is determined that this religious movement was formed in 1920 as a result of a split in the International Bible Students movement after the death of its founder, Charles Taze Russell. The Epiphany movement has been identified as being started by Paul Johnson, a former traveling preacher from the time of Charles Russell. It has been studied that this religious trend is numerically small and is present in a number of countries around the world, including Ukraine. The largest Ukrainian community is located in the village of Orlovka, Rivne region. The movement attempts to maintain aspects of the teachings and organizational principles espoused by Charles Russell. In particular, this community adheres to the principle of community autonomy, and the appointment of persons to ministry is carried out according to the elective principle. Activities and dissemination of views are carried out through websites and YouTube channels. It is noted that the Epiphany movement has two periodicals. One contains spiritual information for those becoming familiar with the movement's views. And the other is for those who are already established in the fundamentals of his teaching. One of the distinctive features of the community is the celebration of the Lord's Supper every year on the 14th month of Nisan according to the Jewish calendar. It has been determined that the question of the identity of the Epiphany movement is acute in the context of their identification with Jehovah's Witnesses. That is why on the websites of this movement it is largely explained that its views in a number of doctrinal points disagree with the teachings of that religious organization. It was found that a characteristic feature of the Epiphany movement is its view of other denominations from a positive side. They note the contribution of various denominations, most of them Protestant, in preserving over the centuries special aspects of true biblical teaching, and also highlight the figures who were the ideological founders of these movements.