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How did Nathan Homer Knorr expand Jehovah’s Witness missionary work?

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Nathan Homer Knorr, who served as president of the Jehovah’s Witnesses from 1942 until 1977, significantly expanded the organization's missionary efforts through several key initiatives:

  • Specialized Training: He established the Watch Tower Bible School of Gilead in South Lansing, New York, specifically to train missionaries and leaders for global service.1
  • Educational Programs: Knorr implemented adult lay-education programs designed to equip individual Witnesses with the skills necessary to effectively teach prospective converts.1
  • Biblical Translation: Under his direction, a group of Witnesses produced a new translation of the Bible, which served as a primary tool for their outreach.1
  • Organizational Policy: He decreed that all of the society's books and articles were to be published anonymously, shifting the focus of the literature toward the organization's message rather than individual authors.1

These efforts built upon the foundation laid by his predecessor, Joseph Franklin Rutherford, further professionalizing the movement's evangelistic work and supporting its continued international growth.1