[Ohio]

"Let me tell you a story concerning my own experience. For a period of six years, from 1942 to 1948, Brother Watchman Nee was out of his ministry. Because of the work of the Devil in China, there was a spiritual storm that kept Watchman from ministering. He and I were separated during the war. After the war, in 1946, I was invited to come from the north to the capital city in the south. When some of the co-workers who were involved in that storm against Brother Nee and who also knew me very well came from afar to meet with me, they said, 'Brother Lee, can you say that Brother Nee has ever been wrong?' I replied, 'Brothers, whether he is wrong or right is not my business. You must admit one thing—that we all owe very much to Brother Nee. We all must admit that he was just like a father to us all. If he was not a father to you, I must testify strongly that, in the Lord's economy, he certainly was a father to me. Before I met with Brother Nee, I knew nothing of the Lord's economy. He is my spiritual father, and my spiritual being came out of him.' Then I told the brothers the story of Noah. I said, 'Brothers, look at Noah's case. Was Noah wrong? Certainly he was wrong. But, it is not a matter of whether Noah was right or wrong; it is all a matter of from where we have received our being. Was Noah not our father? If he was your neighbor and not your father, it would be another story. But remember that you derived your being from him. He is your father. Whatever you are and whatever you obtained has come out of him. This involves you with the divine government.

Brothers, I didn't see the thing for which people condemn Brother Nee. Even if I did see that he was wrong, I have no position to say anything about his wrongdoing, because he is my spiritual father and my spiritual being came out of him. I could never say anything against him. I am under God's government. Brothers, you must consider that it is not a small thing to be against our spiritual father. When you were not against Brother Nee, what was your inner feeling?' They all admitted that they felt so much life. When I asked, 'How about now?' they responded, 'We have to admit that we are just dead. We have no anointing or watering within. We are dried up.' Then I said, 'Brothers, you should listen to this real sensation. Don't care for your mental analysis. According to your mental analysis, Brother Nee is condemned, but as long as you condemn him, you are dead. The more you condemn him, the more dead you are.' Immediately, the brothers turned and were saved from their dead situation." [Life-Study of Genesis]

Under Titus Chu, we heard this often concerning Lee, "he is my spiritual father, his mistakes are none of my business." Actually, as shepherds of the church of God, they are your business. God is our real Father, remember? "Call no man father." On the one hand, we in the LC's regularly condemned the Catholics for calling the priest their "Father," and then our leaders instruct us to do the same.

The question remains, are our responsibilities greater to our spiritual "father" or to our heavenly Father and His children under our care? If loyalty to one's superior trumps all, then we are an army, not a church. We are not talking about meany complaints here, like whether our spiritual "father" drives a Chevy or a Cadillac. We are referring firstly to God's righteousness, and secondly to stumbling God's children.

Those in the Recovery who have spoken out in the past concerning the sins of their leaders were willing to suffer for righteousness sake, and they did. Those who spoke out concerning the stumbling of God's children were not hirelings but real shepherds.

This next statement that "my spiritual being came out of him," robs God of His glory. Our spiritual being came out from Him. The New Jerusalem of God's people may be our mother, working together with God, but never our source.