Quote:
Originally Posted by Truth
But what bothers me is the hypocrisy. One the one hand they say that the LCs are autonomous, but on the other hand there is an undercurrent (very subtle) that forces the church to use LSM materials. This is where the control really is: it is through their ministry.
Don't get me wrong. I love what LSM publishes, because I love WN/WL's ministry. But I don't agree with forcing it on others. And I think if we are going to force it on the churches, then we should call ourselves LSM churches. This would be more truthful than saying we are just non-denominational local churches.
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This is exactly right. They control through the imposition of their curriculum on the churches i.e. they control the content of the churches to the exclusion of all other ministries. BUT IMHO it is not so subtle. One of the reasons they excommunicated Titus Chu was he was publishing his own materials without coming under their umbrella and getting it approved by LSM.
Like you suggest if they were honest they would call themselves the LSM churches. Another alternative would be the Witness Lee churches. These designations more accurately describe what they really are about without pretense.
What they are asking all Christians in Portland to do (to use your example) is:
1. Meet with them in order to be a legitimate church
2. Acknowledge and come under the authority of the elders appointed by Witness Lee or the Anaheim Politburo.
3. Accept that the sole ministry allowed in "The Church in Portland" will be that of the LSM.
A real "The Church in Portland" would never look anything like the above. And I don't know many Christians who will swallow this sort of arrangement and especially those from a Protestant background. It is the antithesis of their tradition.