Quote:
Originally Posted by Terry
If you were to, and for a starting point:
What led Witness Lee to North America?
1. Was it something divine?
2. Was it the World's Fair of 1962?
3. Was it due to the situations in Taiwan and Philippines being unreceptive to Witness Lee, he had to go somewhere for his ministry to be received?
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First some back story:
In 1952 Stephen Kaung moved to NYC and began to meet with the Local Church there that had been established by Chinese immigrants. ( I point this out because it was neither Stephen Kaung nor Witness Lee that "brought the recovery" to America.)
In 1958 Witness Lee as part of a longer trip went through LA and visited a church associated with Austin-Sparks. In 1959 Samuel Chang moved from Hong Kong to LA and began meeting with that church. Witness Lee also visited LA and met with some from that church in 1960 while passing through on a longer trip.
In the Spring of 1962 some from that church decided to start The Church in Los Angeles and held meetings in Samuel Chang's home. (Witness Lee did not start it.) During that year Witness Lee was at the World's Fair in Seattle with his son Tim. But his efforts failed there and he therefore owed a lot of money to disgruntled investors and lenders back in the Far East. He already had his return plane ticket and events scheduled but he couldn't go back so he said the Lord told him to stay in US for His recovery. He canceled his ticket and the events in the Far East and stayed in LA.
Let's think about that. A 56 year old man with a family and work to do is told by God to stay in LA and meet with a handful of people for His recovery? Not go home and take care of your responsibilities and face the music and clean things up and then I may down the road lead you to move to LA? What sounds more like God's speaking and leading?