[OBW]

I understand both the "early Lee — Later Lee" thought and the "nothing changes" thought. And from a purely analytical analysis of any particular time in the history of the LCM, including its predecessors in Taiwan and China, things are seen as being both good and bad. Sometimes more of one and sometimes more of the other.

But from the other perspective, there is an undercurrent that seemed to have affected Nee before he was the leader of anything. And over time it came to a place that he became the MOTA, just not using those terms, and never insisting on it directly. And by that time Lee had become #2 because he had brought Nee back to the forefront.

Then Lee went to Taiwan and we see the first visible evidence of his desire for personal profit even at the expense of his flock. At the same time we see his desire to cast aside anyone who might appear to be a contemporary with sound teaching (thinking of TAS here). He financially raped the church in Taipei and had to leave, then came here where he talked in such humble terms as DR has reflected in the post repeated earlier.

And the LCM began as more of an independent group following a (the?) successor to Nee (who was a known factor). But Lee kept his distance for a while. He did go back and retake his place in Taiwan, but we didn't see that.

Then came Daystar. And the poor saints "lost their virginity" (to the sounds of his laughter). Then the thrusting of Max all over the U.S. followed by his ouster and the sudden need for Lee to be our leader. It only got worse from there.

I accept that on the surface there was an early Lee and a later Lee. But in hindsight it seems too likely that it was just surface. The makeup of a mime.

And I accept that there was a wonderful time of camaraderie among the members in the early days that affected everything from meetings to any other kind of fellowship. And that that special sense of things dwindled over time. And I accept that much of that was because God was in and among us.

But I do not believe that it was because God was among a (then) "right" version of the church that then lost something. It was not about the teachings of the LCM or Nee or Lee. It was about the breakout of a bunch of people from different forms that had become stifling to them. (Notice I did not say that those forms had simply become stifling. I do not believe that the forms, in themselves, are an issue. But for some any particular form may be a problem. And for others they are fully able to move forward with Christ in them.)

It is true that Eli had bad sons. And he ignored them until it was too late. And David had bad sons that almost took the kingdom from him and even tried to kill him. But that does not mean that there is no problem with Lee because he does not look much different that them. He does look different that them. David did not spend his pre-king time trying to figure out how to be king now. He did not gather forces with the goal of getting enough following to simply take over. He did defend his own life. But when someone (incorrectly) bragged that they had killed Saul, he ran them through because that was not to happen.

Paul and Barnabas had a falling out but both went on in ministry. (I ignore Lee's claim that Barnabas was wrong and simply disappeared.) But if Paul had been Lee, we would have been hearing about how we should never trust or listen to Barnabas again for ever and ever. That was pre-U.S. (for Lee) and therefore I have a problem with more than the surface of any kind of "early Lee."

Unless you think that maybe he started out back in the 1920s as a decent Christian with a heart to serve God. That would be the early Lee. The one who reconstituted the Shanghai church eldership to get Nee back in was already a form of later Lee (on the inside).

Do I think that he never had any kind of repentance along the way? It is possible. I would not say he did not. But he did seem to be wandering around trying to capture people with his "coworker of Nee" shtick from the time he hit the U.S. shores. Took more than a few weeks to take hold. But he was working on it. I think that a leader that needs to repent needs more than a change of scenery where no one knows your faults to simply start back in.

I'm not sure it ever happened.