Quote:
Originally Posted by Igzy
I think the key to understanding this, Ohio, is to realize that these LC leaders have no clue what oneness is. To them oneness is going with the program, being a yes-man, and never rocking the boat for any reason.
The LC leaders are all about agenda. In fact, they consider being for the agenda as being one. But that's being a religionist.
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You have described the attitude of the common saint -- going with the program, being a yes-man, not having any opinion, submitting to the leadership regardless, being consecrated to the church, faithful in service and attendance, etc. Actually none of this is inherently bad on the part of the saints, rather it is
enabling the bad behavior of their leaders. And it is this rotten and abusive behavior of LC leaders which prompts me to write.
LC leaders like Witness Lee and Titus Chu
use agenda to lord it over the saints. Their constant emphasis on "oneness" has the motive of silencing and subduing the flock. With the other elders and workers, however, WL and TC
use intimidation as a means of control. Hence they do not control the churches directly, which is why WL and TC both have publicly challenged, "
which church did I control?" They control churches by controlling other leaders, especially the paid staff.
I lived thru decades of headquarter mandates from Anaheim or Cleveland disrupting the local church life. The Lord would lead us locally in a certain direction, caring for local needs, and then suddenly the entire church was launched in a new direction. On our part we were
practicing the oneness of the body (i.e. having no opinion, in one accord, being flexible, etc.), but the leadership at headquarters was
using agenda to flex their muscles, maintaining strict controls over the satellite churches.
We never asked for this new agenda. We were not seeking spiritual help from our "apostle." He just decided that we needed what he had in mind. Most of the time the church was in a healthy state, and the new agenda really hurt us, adding absolutely no long term spiritual benefit. Why would the "apostle" do this? ... Because he could! He was not in that position to serve, but to rule, and he used agenda to lord it over us. He was behaving just like the Gentle rulers the Lord had warned us about, yet he was disguised with esoteric spiritual language, and reinforced by a cadre of spiritual thugs.
That's just the system we were in. Individually none of these brothers was a "bad" brother. On the contrary, each was precious, gifted, and self-sacrificing. When it comes to leading the LC's, however, this system had a way of transforming beloved brothers into bullies.