[Hope]

Hello Brother Unto,

On the other hand what you are asking is a little bit complicated in one respect. Do you know of one case where there was such a group as you described "an EXISTING Christian group, with an EXISTING group of leaders/elders who were already following and practicing the teachings of an EXISTING apostle." Maybe there was some group of local churchers who flat out rejected the group you have set up as the object of the exercise. If they did, that was a clear failure and breakdown of the teaching. It is not easy to find the group you have described. But on the other hand ...

In the mid seventies there was a small group in Goldsboro NC. They had read Watchman Nee and one of the elders was related to a sister in the church in Raleigh. They were meeting as the church in Goldsboro. Some from Raleigh began to fellowship with them and joined them. They attended a conference in NY City with WL and were warming received and recognized by him and all the other churches. This was a very big point to one of the elders in Goldsboro.

During my travels, I visited them. I heard a lengthy relating of their history from the elders, all who were from the original meeting. They had rejected a few would be apostles, in particular a Gene Edwards co-worker. They seemed to like WL for his expounding of the Bible and greatly appreciated the way he had received them just as they were and recognized them as one of the churches. Whenever I heard the brothers in Raleigh give any report regarding the Southeast they always included Goldsboro as no different than any other church. I never remember Goldsboro making any efforts to attend trainings in Anaheim though they being small could have gone unnoticed by me.

Hope, Don Rutledge

A believer in Christ Jesus who is seeking to be a true disciple.