The Bible Student movement is a religious movement with premillennialist expectations, that sprang from the teachings and ministry of Pastor Charles Taze Russell in the 1870s, whose followers generally call themselves "Bible Students". Following a schism after Russell's death in 1916, several offshoot groups formed, some of which have today moved away from the doctrines of Pastor Russell to one degree or another. The largest group of the movement today is the Jehovah's Witnesses, although there are still thousands of Bible Students worldwide who have had increased visibility and influence in recent years due to the formation and growth of the world wide web.

Early history

Main article: Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses
M.L. McPhail, Pilgrim member of the Chicago Bible Students, disassociated himself from Russell's movement at the same time as the New Covenant controversy emerged, and led the New Covenant Bible Students in the United States, founding the New Covenant Believers in 1909. The group published The Kingdom Scribe magazine until 1975. The group still exists today under the name Berean Bible Students Church.
In 1928, the Italian Bible Students Association in Hartford, Connecticut withdrew its support from the Watchtower Society and changed its name to the Millennial Bible Students Church, then eventually to Christian Millennial Fellowship, Inc.. They eventually rejected many of Russell's writings as erroneous. The group is now located in New Jersey.

The New Covenant Bible Students

Main article: Associated Bible Students The Layman's Home Missionary Movement
In 1917, Alexander F.L. Freytag, Branch manager of the Swiss Watch Tower Society since 1898, founded the Angel of Jehovah Bible and Tract Society (also known as the Philanthropic Assembly of the Friends of Man and The Church of the Kingdom of God, Philanthropic Assembly). When he started publishing his views he was ousted from the Watchtower Society by Rutherford in 1919. He published two journals, the monthly The Monitor of the Reign of Justice and the weekly Paper for All.
Jesse Hemery was one of the most prominent Bible Students of England, and had been appointed president of the International Bible Students Association by Pastor Russell in 1901, holding that post until 1946. In 1951, he was disfellowshipped by N.H. Knorr and then founded the Goshen Fellowship. He died in 1955, and the group, with a small fellowship, is currently led by Frank Lewis Brown.

Some Bible Student (Pastoral Bible Institute) Beliefs