local church, witness leelocal church, witness lee

A separate libel action was filed by the Church in Anaheim, Witness Lee, and William T. Freeman against Neil Duddy, the principal author of The God-Men; Spiritual Counterfeits Project; and Schwengeler-Verlag, publisher of a German translation of the same Duddy manuscript which was the basis for the second edition of The God-Men. [139][140][141][pageneeded] He pointed out that in Acts 14:23 Paul and his co-workers appointed elders in every church upon their return to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, while in Titus 1:5, Paul charged his co-worker to appoint elders in every city. The Kingdom of the Cults, 6th edition: The Definitive Work on the Subject by Walter Martin. He also believed Jesus was God incarnated as a man. Its fundamental difference from other church is Witness Lee's belief that christians of the Local Church are God-Man, aka human who through "exercising their spirit" has their own spirit purified and replaced by the Holy Spirit. 6:3) The recruiting motto of the United States Marine. Another book called The God-Men was also published around the time when The Mindbenders was. We must not only be saved, but also transformed into the living stones for the building of God. It started in China and spread to the U.S. See Judgment of Dismissal, www.contendingforthefaith.org/libel-litigations/harvest-house-et-al/PublicDocs/pd13.pdf. 6:4; 1 Cor. Main | Some of the beliefs of local churches at times are quite different with that of Evangelical Christianity although most of them are in line with the evangelical orthodoxy. Chapter 4 - Ex-Insider's Analysis of Witness Lee & The Local Church From this persecution, he developed tuberculosis, which is a disease that affects the lungs. Another one of Witness Lees beliefs was that God is Triune. What is the Church of Almighty God / Eastern Lightning? 13:31-33 ); Being degraded according to the course of church history; and. The divided state of the denominational/free group system is contrary to biblical injunctions to keep the oneness of the Body of Christ. In his testimony book, he outlined four areas he would be focusing on: Shortly after this, he began publishing magazines. This encyclopedia was written by John Ankerberg and John Weldon in 1999 and published by Harvest House. [88] In late spring of the same year Hank Hanegraaff wrote an article titled Discernment in an Age of Information Overload, in which he outlined principles for performing discernment ministry using the article by Geisler and Rhodes and the 2007 open letter as examples of how not to do apologetics. A believer was also a member of the Body of Christ. All defendants signed an agreement that stipulated financial recompense for damages and that Nelson issue a retraction[55] to be published in major newspapers and Christian periodicals nationwide. The ground of the church being constituted of three crucial elements. The issue included two statements by Hank Hanegraaff and an article by Gretchen Passantino in which she explained why she reversed her earlier critical opinion. After his visit to Yantai, he quit his job. For a month, they worked to help bring revival to Hong Kong. Finally, the local churches are an authentic expression of New Testament Christianity. Overview Founded by Witness Lee (1905-1997), the Local Church is known to insiders as "The Lord's Recovery." It's churches are usually called by the name of their cities (e.g. Among those who disagreed with these publications was Dr. J. Gordon Melton, who published an open letter in which he faulted the research and apologetic method of The God-Men and stated that Witness Lee's teachings had been grossly misrepresented. The panel of people researching included the President of Fuller Theological Seminary, Richard Mouw, members of the seminarys faculty, and the Dean of Theology. There are many substitutes for the living person of Christ; The clergy/laity system nullifies the proper function of the believers; and, The divided state of the denominational/free group system is contrary to biblical injunctions to keep the oneness of the Body of Christ. While I was researching, the local church movement came up over and over again. Our vision is to make an impact for God, here in Weissenburg . [40] InterVarsity Press, the publisher of the second edition of The God-Men, received a response including over five hundred pages of supporting documentation refuting the book's charges. [35][37], Responding to the strong demand for countercult publications after the Jonestown tragedy of November 1978, second editions of both books were published. From this moment forward, Lee was dedicated to serving God. The Three-Self Patriotic Movement, in China, commissioned a book to be written about how persecution toward the local church was justified. The full text of Dr. J. Gordon Melton's booklet An Open Letter Concerning the Local Church, Witness Lee, and The God-Men Controversy, written and published by Dr. Melton after the conclusion of Lee v. Duddy. Modalism is the view that the persons of the Trinity are not coexisting person, but merely represent three moods of divine revelation (Dictionary). The next year, he planted a church in Shanghai, China. This publication is three volumes put into one book. [76] Because Harvest House refused to sign a tolling agreement to extend the statute of limitations, ninety-nine local churches and LSM initiated a libel action against the authors and the publisher on December 31, 2001. [36] First editions of both The Mindbenders and The God-Men were published in 1977. He said, My first turn was to know Christ, and my second turn was to know His Body. "Local Church" Information Site In closing, Watchman Nee and Witness Lee were dedicated to God. Local Church, Shouters, Assembly: Who's Who - Bitter Winter The Local Church Movement was a movement of churches started by Watchman Nee in the early 1900s. But such privilege is exclusive to the brothers and sisters of the local church, or so they teach us from a early age. The "Local Church" of Witness Lee is a religious movement whose teachings are rooted in Biblical Christianity, but with several unique elements that have led many observers to label the group a cult. The second is organic and is carried out through the life of Christ, which causes the believers to grow, be transformed, and mature until they are conformed to the image of Christ (2 Cor. A. In early January 2010 Norman Geisler authored a rebuttal, co-signed by Ron Rhodes, in which they made numerous accusations against both CRI and the local churches. The local churches would meet often to study the Bible, sing, and have times of teaching together. A few examples, include. The history of the conflict between Witness Lee and his Local Church movementalso known as the "Lord's Recovery Movement," along with their publishing arm, Living Stream Ministry (LSM)and the counter-cult establishment is far too long for a detailed recounting here, but those who are interested in the full story can access it . In 1999, a chapter on the local churches and Living Stream Ministry (LSM), the publisher of the ministry of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee, appeared in Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions (ECNR), by John Ankerberg and John Weldon, published by Harvest House. The countercult community also ignored the outcomes. An Open Letter to the Leadership of Living Stream Ministry and the Local Churches, December 2006, open-letter.org/. Info about the Local Churches movement or the Lord's Recovery We place a high priority on teaching from the Bible and following the example of Jesus. He identified three inherent deficiencies in this system: Critics represented Witness Lee's criticisms of organized Christianity as an attack on Christians and even on the Christian faith. To understand the local church movement, we should first learn more about the man who started the movement: Watchman Lee. One of his most well-known books is entitled, TheSpiritual Man. Because of this, both books continued to shape peoples perception and view of the local church and Witness Lee. As Ephesians 1:22-23 also shows us, the church is Christs Body, the fullness of the One who fills all in all. [29][30], In the summer of 1976 Peter Gillquist, the presiding NCAO apostle, became the head of the new books division at Thomas Nelson Publishers (Nelson), a respected Bible publisher. This helped to confirm Lees decision to enter ministry full-time. He was only 21 years old. The people within the local church saw the importance of speaking the truth about what Lee and Nee taught. To know Christ is only half of what the believers need. Many of the messages he spoke were later put into a book called, The Normal Christian Life. He was born in 1903 in Shantou, China. Jill Shook, To people in CWLF from Jill Shook, n.d. Bernie and Fran Adeney, Why we must leave the church which Jack and Arnie are caring for: an explanation, July 29, 1975. [94][95][96][97][98][99][100][101][102][103][104] Two messages by Witness Lee on this subject have been reprinted in LSM journal Affirmation & Critique (A&C). [136][137][138][pageneeded] This teaching is based on the New Testament examples of the church in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1), the church in Antioch (Acts 13:1), the church in Corinth (1 Cor. Nee said, My Christian life took a big turn from doctrines and knowledge to a living person, Christ, who is Gods centrality and universality.. Unsupported criticisms of anti-social behaviors led to three libel litigations. 9:6; Heb. During the 1970s the cordial relationship between the Local Church and the larger Evangelical Christian community ended. 3:14-17; 2 Cor. Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. Gunzenhausen (Mfr.) - Gunzenhausen, BY | Local Church Guide In 1950, Watchman Nee and Witness Lee were together for the last time in Hong Kong. J. Gordon Meltons call for other Christians to review the local church was taken seriously. He blamed Watchman Nee and Witness Lee for the trouble he had with a ministry he worked with previously. Stephen Finlan and Vladimir Kharlamov, eds.. See The Triune God at www.an-open-letter.org/resources/triune-god. The local churches are a Christian group which was started in China in the 1920s and have spread globally. Copyrights 2001-2003. He fully explains his beliefs in his book, The Normal Christian Church Life. The first issue of the LSM journal Affirmation & Critique (A&C), published in 1996, discussed the local churches view of biblical trinitarianism. No Ordinances. [20][21] In early 1975 Sparks asked a young CWLF staff member, Alan Wallerstedt, to prepare a manuscript critiquing the teaching and practices of the local churches. Through his research, he found Watchman Nees writings. Many ex members have friends and family still in and don't want anything from the group shared externally. The church in a city and the church in a house. Watchman Nee and his co-workers, including Witness Lee, established local churches throughout China according to this principle. There are many substitutes for the living person of Christ; The clergy/laity system nullifies the proper function of the believers; and. Disregard the focus and content of Witness Lee's teaching in the subject chapter. [114][115][116][117] These publications discuss the error of modalism and affirm that the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are not temporary manifestations but are co-eternal. If you love your basketball coach so much that you build her an altar and bow whenever she walks by, thatsdeification[its] treating a mere mortal as someone godly., Witness Lee said, In the second to the fifth centuries, the church fathers found three high mysteries in the Bible: (1) the Triune God, the Divine Trinity, the highest mystery; (2) the person of Christ; and (3) the deification of manthat man could become God in life and in nature but not in the Godhead.. Are the teachings of Witness Lee and the Local Church biblical? - NCESC Witness Lee on the Local Church Local Churches FAQ - Frequently asked questions concerning the local From there, he went to help establish local churches in China. Many group members are still Christian, some are not. The Local Churches | Circuit Court of the State of Oregon, Judgment of Dismissal, Harvest House Publishers v. The Church in Fullerton, case # 12-01-24034. All Rights Reserved. Witness Lee continued to follow and expound this principle in his work and ministry. One was undertaken by a panel of faculty members from Fuller Theological Seminary, including President Richard J. Mouw, Dean of Theology Howard Loewen, and Professor of Systematic Theology Veli-Matti Krkkinen; the other was by Christian Research Institute, headed by Hank Hanegraaff, along with Answers in Action, headed by Gretchen Passantino. He said: In the second to the fifth centuries, the church fathers found three high mysteries in the Bible: (1) the Triune God, the Divine Trinity, the highest mystery; (2) the person of Christ; and (3) the deification of manthat man could become God in life and in nature but not in the Godhead. Because the fall of man was occasioned by seeking knowledge, God uses the foolishness of the cross to destroy the wisdom of the wise. Witness Lee on the local church: Main Churches Matthew 18:17 In Acts and the Epistles Links The Local Aspect of the Church Introduction: The New Testament is very clear in its teaching concerning the universal church and the local church. We are a friendly Christian community where we welcome others to join us in our worship and service to God. He was arrested for theft, cheating on contacts, bribery, and more. Thus, both the NCAO and SCP had copies of Wallerstedt's manuscript. In 1968 Campus Crusade's national field director Jon Braun, who had read Watchman Nee's .mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:#d33}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:#d33}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#3a3;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}The Normal Christian Church Life,[4] and all of the regional directors under him left Campus Crusade seeking the New Testament church. The God-Men book was used to help support their argument against the local church. Lee went and visited Watchman Nee in Yantai, China. 1:22-23). My name is Sterling Byassee. Within a few years, Nees local church movement had spread throughout Indonesia, China, Malaysia, and Singapore. The Local Church | international religious group | Britannica Witness Lee. The purpose of this Website is to present, through selected excerpts from the writings of Witness Lee and Watchman Nee, these principles governing and guiding the proper practice of the local church as Christs expression on the earth today. God is one (Deut. People even attempted to meet with the authors and or/publishers in person, but all requests were ignored. While on this trip, Nee felt the call to full-time ministry. Their conclusion stated, It is the conclusion of Fuller Theological Seminary that the teachings and practices of the local churches and its members represent the genuine, historical, biblical Christian faith in every essential aspect. The full statement made by the seminary is available here. 2. The start of the controversy with him begins with the Christian World Liberation Front and the countercult ministry. Witness Lee and Watchman Nee: the history of the local churches [130][131] More recent articles in A&C have addressed this controversy.[132][133][134]. Peter Gillquist, letter to Sam Moore (President of Thomas Nelson Publishers), April 30, 1976. in Gunzenhausen, Bavaria is a Christian congregation serving the Gunzenhausen community and seeking, engaging, and encouraging others through a life-changing Christian journey. Deposition of Craig Lampe, Church in Dallas et al v. Thomas Nelson et al, October 28, 1981. Site Map | Do not attack people's personal beliefs. A Timely Speaking Watch a timely word of supply from messages given by Witness Lee. Despite the fact that they may live in different cities, in different countries, or in different centuries, they are nonetheless all one in Christ, and all are part of the church. Then, Harvest House went on to sue the Church in Fullerton, which was apart of the local churches. Nee was sentenced to fifteen years in prison. Watchman Lee was a Chinese church leader. 8:29; 1 John 3:2).[120][121][122][123]. [119], Based on Romans 5:10 Witness Lee taught that God's full salvation has two aspects. Witness Lee and others in the local churches have pointed to passages in the Bible that indicate the coinherence of the three of the Divine Trinity. After the court cases were closed, Dr. J. Gordon Melton wrote an open letter. All threethe Father, the Son, and the Spiritare God (1 Pet. Witness Lee's view of God's organic salvation is related to his understanding of Christology, specifically, the relationship between the divine and human natures in Christ. Dr. J. Gordon Melton An Open Letter Concerning the Local Church The first book Gillquist commissioned was The Mindbenders by Jack Sparks. Three years later, Watchman Nee was arrested. Harvest House said the number of letters they were sending them was harassment. These principles for the practice of the local church have been comprehensively presented in the ministry of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee, two faithful Christian writers whom the Lord used greatly in the twentieth century to recover not only the scriptural truth, but also the scriptural practice of the local church. MinglingWas There Ever a Better Word?,, articles responding in detail to Geisler and Rhodes, Retraction Regarding Witness Lee and the Local Churches, The Institute for the Study of American Religion, Article by Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, A Statement from Fuller Theological Seminary, An Open Letter to the Leadership of Living Stream Ministry and the Local Churches, The Testimony of the Local Churches and Living Stream Ministry, Christian Research Institute, Concerning the Local Churches, A Response to the Christian Research Journals Recent Defense of the Local Church Movement, Contending for the Faith electronic books, An Open Letter from the Local Churches and Living Stream Ministry Concerning the Teachings of Witness Lee, "The Experts Speak Concerning Witness Lee and the Local Churches", "Comments by the judge at the trial's conclusion", "Becoming Like God: An Evangelical Doctrine of Theosis", "The High Peak of the Vision and the Reality of the Body of Christ", "The Seed of David Becoming the Son of God", https://archive.org/details/notesonbookoflev00mack, http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf214.xi.xiii.html, http://www.affcrit.com/pdfs/1996/03/96_03_a3.pdf, "On the Legitimacy of Evangelical Churches and Denominations", "On the Church as the Body of Christ and Its Practical Expression", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Local_Church_controversies&oldid=1134111299, An introduction defining the characteristics of cults, The main body of the book, containing chapters on individual groups; and. Why the Local Church was included in the - Apologetics Index [48][49] Over two thousand local church members were arrested, many were given extended sentences, and some were even executed. Watchman Nee was going to help Witness Lee with his publications. This is from his book called, Satans Strategies Against the Church. Lee was a Chinese Christian teacher and writer who heavily influenced the teachings and practices of the Local Church. God created and redeemed man for this purpose, that man might be the container into which He could dispense Himself. Local churches (affiliation) - Wikipedia [86] Hank Hanegraaff, representing CRI, an early critic of Witness Lee and the local churches, wrote, The result of our primary research is encapsulated in the following three words: We were wrong![87] The issue contained a seven-part article by Elliot Miller reassessing the local churches and responding to the 2007 open letter. Under his pillow was found the following note: "Christ is the Son of God who died for the redemption of sinners and resurrected after three days. First, lets look at his early life and then his ministry. He was in prison for the last twenty years of his life. [41], The Mindbenders and The God-Men accused the local churches not just of theological error but of sociological deviance, including practicing authoritarianism, thought reform, isolation of members, deceptive recruiting, use of fear and humiliation to control members, and financial malfeasance. Letters of Protest Written Prior to Litigation, www.contendingforthefaith.org/libel-litigations/harvest-house-et-al/PublicDocs/letters.html. These essences are mingled in Him as one person without the producing of a third nature. [92], The last of these statements echoes Athanasius aphorism, , " (For He was made man in order that we might be made God). Many chapters about the local church in this book were written by Braun. Even though critics claimed Witness Lee supported modalism, he did not support it in his own writings. The church said because the local church was written about, in the Encyclopedia, a normal reader would conclude the church was involved in the things listed above. [5][6] A short time later Braun joined a group led by Gene Edwards, a former Southern Baptist evangelist. The universal church is comprised of all believers throughout all the earth and throughout all of time. However, his presentation here emphasizes, in response to the urgent need among Christians today, the more practical aspect of the local church. [60] Neither Duddy nor representatives of Schwengeler-Verlag made an appearance. He wrote, The result of our primary research is encapsulated in the following three words: We were wrong! The issue also contained two more statements by Hanegraaf, an article in which Gretchen Passantino explains why she was reversed her opinion on the local church, and more. [44] In China the Three-Self Patriotic Movement commissioned two men to write a book to provide justification for a nationwide persecution against the local churches. The details of this practice are guided and governed by a number of principles which can be applied in all of the local churches. The time Nee and Lee had in Hong Kong was the last time they ever were able to speak to each other. [67][68][69][70][71] Elliot Miller, Editor-in-Chief of Christian Research Journal, later described the countercult community's rejection of the court's decision as suppressing truth for the sake of a common cause and camaraderie among colleagues.[72] As a result, The Mindbenders and The God-Men shaped others' perceptions of Witness Lee and the local churches for many years. The press widely ignored both court cases and the outcomes. He said that God is one, and has three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. [93] The subject of deification in various Christian traditions has been the subject of much recent study. The Triune God was a major point of emphasis in the ministry of Witness Lee. [52][53][54] After two years of discovery, the case was settled out of court. To understand the local church movement, you will also need to know who Witness Lee is. (Gal. Melton asked for this book to be discarded and for responsible Christian scholars to inspect Witness Lees teachings. His writing ended up being published in a series of books called, Brothers, Hear Our Defense.. Nee told Lee he needed to lead the elders of the church and buy land to make a new place of meeting for the church. In Acts 13:1 we find this phrase, Now there were in Antioch, in the local church, prophets and teachers. What does the Bible mean by the phrase the local church? (A Reassessment of the "Local Church" Movement of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee) . The Local Church movement was founded in China by Nee and brought to America in 1962 by Witness Lee. Nee went around the world teaching and giving a message about Christ in 1938. Summary The Local Church Founders In my ministry to the Chinese Christian community in the Boston area, the Lord has led me to minister among a group known as the "local church" or Living Stream Ministry - Publisher of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee Ministry Excerpts Life-study Portions eManna Geisler and Rhodes made many accusations against CRI and the local church in his letter. Later on, Witness Lee passed away on June 9th of 1997. [51], Discovery in The Mindbenders case revealed that Gillquist had used his position within Nelson to push for publication of the book over objections from internal staff and outside reviewers of the pre-publication proofs. 7. Much of his teachings were focused on the Triune God. An appendix addressing points of doctrine and claims of occult involvement in the new religions. [17][18][19], In 1974 three CWLF members founded a subsidiary countercult ministry, Spiritual Counterfeits Project (SCP). Witness Lee on the local church: Main Letters of Protest Written Prior to Litigation, January 11-November 20, 2001, www.contendingforthefaith.org/libel-litigations/harvest-house-et-al/PublicDocs/letters.html. Witness Lee on Universal & Local Aspects of Local Church These two groups were the Christian Research Institute (CRI) and Fuller Theological Seminary. He also explains how the Trinity is co-external. I decided to spend some time researching this movement. Nelson alone received approximately three hundred responses. A Brief Response to An Open Letter to the Leadership of Living Stream Ministry and the Local Churches (lctestimony.org/ResponseToOpenLetter.pdf). You can read his book here. Does this refer to a church building on a city street corner, possibly among many others in the same city? Watchman Nee gave his life to the Lord in 1920, late in the month in April. Witness Lee, a Bible scholar and teacher from mainland China and a co-worker of Watchman Nee, realized very early in his ministry that such confusion about the local aspect of the church had become a source of much damage to the universal oneness of the believers as well as a frustration to the accomplishing of the Lords purpose among mankind. He also pointed out that the Eutychian heresy was rejected at the Council of Chalcedon. The local churches retained six experts to testify on their behalf. Both of his parents were Methodist and he was baptized through the Methodist church when he was a young child. [107][108][109], Some Lutheran and Reformed Christians reject the teaching of deification, some of these due to their rejection of Christian perfection. To a large extent these controversies stem from the rapid increase and spread of the local churches in the United States in the 1960s and early 1970s. It is a guide to true spirituality. In addition, members were dismissed from jobs and family relationships were damaged. Peter Gillquist, letter to Jack Sparks, August 13, 1976. [75] They made several attempts to meet personally with Ankerberg and Harvest House president Robert Hawkins, Jr. Practical Virtues for the Church Life [Romans 12:9-21; Hebrews 13:1-7, 16-19]. Hank Hanegraaff, Discernment in an Age of Information Overload,. Nee and Lee spent time studying and researching the Bible, along with reading many books about God. He became a Christian at the age of 19 in 1925. Moreover, as a group forged in the cauldron of persecution, it has . Theologically, the Local Church is considered by most Christian apologists and countercult professionals to be a cult of Christianity.