House Church Talk - Re: The Local Church (history)

[wai]

Dear David, Claire, and all,

Sorry, I have missed your posts, and a few days has past.

Today I read the post on Itzhak Perlman's 3-string-violin, then noticed your
replies.

-------------------

Dear Claire,

        <<<<<<<<<<
        So, are you saying that out of fear or cowardice or a desire for
        self-preservation, witness Lee left China?
        >>>>>>>>>>>>>

In a sharper way to say it, yes.  In the name of preserving the movement's
bestowments, Lee tried to convince everyone else to leave China, but they
were not convinced.

When people in those groups mentioned this event, they usually did not
mention Lee's name at all.  They believed it is not godly to accuse each
other.

-----------------------

Dear David,

    <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
    Watchman Nee is sometimes viewed as a house church "purist," yet I
    understand that he either purchased a building or built one which was
    later seized by the Communists. Do you have the details?

    Watchman Nee has a niece named Rebecca, I believe in NY. She sent me a
    nice letter last year. :)
    <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

She must be old-aged.  So you are keeping in touch with these oldies?

In the 1920's to the 1930's, they as default bought buildings for meeting
purposes.  Even though, they from time to time meet in homes when there was
no "meeting hall".  They had sermons on Sundays, when Nee was preaching,
people flocked to hear him.

In 1938, Nee got a new understand from the New Testament.  In a training
camp, he asked the co-workers to re-consider the way they had been
churching.  Especially these 3 matters:
1/  resident minister;
2/  church building;
3/  and sunday service (weekly sermons)."
He started to view these 3 things as hindrances against church life, and
against evangelisation.  This is in the book: "rethinking of the work" or
"the normal christian church life".  He thought that the New Testament
churches were dominated by "each other" and "one another".

Then Nee started to work as a pharmaceutical factory CEO, and much criticism
was against him.  He was finally refused a ministry from his resident church
in Shanghai.

After WWII, in 1948, he gave trainings to the co-workers again.  He
mentioned those 3 hindrances again.  In those past 10 years, nothing had
been changed about those 3 things.  Nee thought that - NOT having dealt with
those things - had caused unsatifactions in their works.  So Nee reminded
them of changing these again.  In the book: "Church Affairs".

(No matter how much hype people had given Nee, he did not consider himself a
commander of those ministries in China.  What he told the co-workers was one
thing, but it was up to each individual to receive it from God, and work out
her/his own ministry.)

But those who left China continued to have buildings, while those remained
in China could not have buildings anyway.

-------

Another movement/groups in China during those hay-days, called "Jesus
families", had been meeting in homes majorly.  They were charismatic in
practice.

Some ministers in these two movements had worked together from time to time;
as the "little flocks" had once been only a loose connection.  These two
groups together became the driving force of the later evangelical explosions
in China.

God bless

       Tim Wai
       Hong Kong