British-Israel-World Federation
Promotes belief that British people descend from ancient Israel's lost tribes.
The British-Israel-World Federation, also known as the British-Israel World Federation, is an organization based in the United Kingdom that advocates for British Israelism. This is the belief that the people of the British Isles are the direct descendants of the Ten Lost Tribes of ancient Israel. The federation was established in London on 3 July 1919, though its origins lie in the 19th century. It brought together around 80 independent groups from the British Isles, Australia, New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, Canada, and the United States.
HRH Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, served as the federation’s main patron. She attended its first Congress in July 1920 and remained a patron until her death in January 1981. One of the founders was Reuben H. Sawyer, a clergyman from Portland, Oregon, who had established an Anglo-Israelism group there and also led the Oregon Ku Klux Klan. Sawyer spoke at the federation’s first conference in 1920. His supremacist views helped shape the anti-Semitic Christian Identity movement, which grew out of the philo-Semitic British Israelism. William Pascoe Goard was involved in early negotiations to form the federation and became its vice president in 1921. In 1922, he founded Covenant Publishing, the federation’s publishing arm, and served as the first editor of *The National Message*, which was published until 1981. The federation now publishes *The Covenant Nations* magazine.
From 1924, the organization maintained an office next to Buckingham Palace. It moved to Putney on the Thames in 1990, and since 2003 has been based near Bishop Auckland in County Durham.
British Israelism, also called Anglo-Israelism, holds that people of Western European descent, especially those in Great Britain, are the direct lineal descendants of the Ten Lost Tribes. The doctrine often includes the claim that the British royal family descends directly from King David. These central tenets have been refuted by evidence from modern genetic, archaeological, ethnological, and linguistic research.
The federation has expanded internationally, with branches in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and the Netherlands.
Its patrons have included HRH Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone (1919–1981); the Countess-Dowager of Radnor; the Duke of Buccleugh; Lord Gisborough; Lord St. John of Bletsoe; the Bishop of the Falkland Islands; William
- founded
- 3 July 1919
- headquarters
- London (1919–1990); Putney on the Thames (1990–2003); near Bishop Auckland, County Durham (since 2003)
- field
- Religious and historical advocacy
- nationality
- United Kingdom
- known_for
- Promoting British Israelism and the belief that the British royal family descends from King David
Lore & Background
The British-Israel-World Federation was formed in London on 3 July 1919, consolidating around 80 independent associations from the British Isles, Australia, New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, Canada, and the United States. Its main patron was HRH The Countess of Athlone, who attended the first Congress in July 1920 and remained a patron until her death in January 1981. One of its founders was Reuben H. Sawyer, a clergyman in Portland, Oregon, who was also involved in setting up an Anglo-Israelism group and served as leader of the Oregon Ku Klux Klan; his supremacist views influenced the development of the anti-semitic Christian Identity movement out of the philo-semitic British Israelism.
Reader's Guide
The British-Israel-World Federation is significant as the central organization for British Israelism, a doctrine that claims Western European peoples, especially the British, are lineal descendants of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. The group's beliefs have been refuted by modern genetic, archaeological, ethnological, and linguistic research. The federation maintained an office next to Buckingham Palace from 1924, moved to Putney in 1990, and since 2003 has been based near Bishop Auckland. Its publishing arm, Covenant Publishing, was founded in 1922 by vice president William Pascoe Goard, who also edited its magazine The National Message until 1981. The federation now publishes The Covenant Nations magazine. Its legacy includes influencing the Christian Identity movement through the involvement of Reuben H. Sawyer, whose supremacist views helped shift British Israelism toward anti-semitism.
Did You Know?
- The federation was founded on 3 July 1919 in London.
- Its main patron, HRH The Countess of Athlone, served from 1919 until her death in January 1981.
- One founder, Reuben H. Sawyer, was also a leader of the Oregon Ku Klux Klan.
- From 1924 the organization maintained an office next to Buckingham Palace.
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