I 2000 trådte selskabets femte præsident, [[Milton George Henschel]], tilbage, og Adams blev selskabets nye præsident.<ref>"Jehovah's Witnesses Order Changes at Top", ''Grand Rapid Press'', Grand Rapids, Michigan, October 14, 2000, page B5</ref><ref>"New Leadership Structure for Jehovah's Witnesses", ''Deseret News'', Salt Lake City, Utah, October 10, 2000, s A02</ref> Alle medlemmer af det [[Styrende Råd]], som har ansvaret for de teologiske doktriner i trossamfundet trådte i 2000 tilbage fra deres poster i [[Vagttårnetselskab]]et. Adams var den første præsident, der ikke var præsident for det styrende råd og ikke tilhørte de udvalgte 144.000, som den salvede skare består af .<ref>''Christianity Today'', 5. marts, 2001, [http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2001/march5/12.25.html hentet 18. juli 2011] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015012921/http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2001/march5/12.25.html |date=15. oktober 2012 }}</ref><ref name=WP>"Jehovah's Witnesses Order Shake-Up" af Richard N. Ostling, ''The Washington Post'', 9. oktober 2000, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/aponline/20001009/aponline235956_000.htm hentet 18. juli 2011] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108181538/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/aponline/20001009/aponline235956_000.htm |date= 8. november 2012 }}, ''"The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, as the group is officially known, had been run by a so-called Governing Body. Now, religious and administrative duties will be divided, with three newly formed corporations running the group's U.S. operations. President Milton Henschel, 80, and the group's six other board members resigned their posts on Saturday. ... Don Adams, a 50-year veteran of the organization, has been named president of the organization, and seven lower-ranking members will make up the new board. Henschel will remain a member of the Governing Body."''</ref>
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