[aron]

I have one bit of advice, and that is to stay 'local' in your fellowship in Wellington. I have seen the saints get cut off from one another due to 'extralocal' things influencing their relationships. Suannehill's testimony of what happened in Mansfield, Ohio is an example of the tragedy that can occur when extralocal factors become the determinants of assembling together, rather than faith in Jesus Christ.

If you, or others around you, are led to take a stand 'for the BB's' or 'for Titus Chu and the GLA churches', or some other thing, you will be easily divided one from another. Many saints, in your area as well as elsewhere, are trying to avoid that question by being as ignorant as possible of what is happening extra-locally. That is understandable, but I don't believe that is the necessary path, either.

We don't have to be forced into a stand for anything. God took a stand for the dying human race by sending His Son. And we have received Jesus as our Savior, and we can receive the believer next to us as our neighbor. I try to be intensely 'local', receiving whatever christian is next to me, regardless of if they are Baptist or Pentacostal or Greek Orthodox or local churcher. If they name Jesus, we are one. I don't like extra-local litmus tests. I am one with the believer next to me. God made us one. I believe it.

There is a saying, "Blood is thicker than water"; this I usually hear in reference to family relationships trumping other relationships (business, social, etc) when there is any conflict between the two. The connotations are usually negative (The Philip Lee Affair comes to mind). But I would like to use it anyway. The blood of Jesus is our tie, it is our binding element. The covering, cleansing, redeeming blood, and then the poured out Spirit. This is our connection, not Witness Lee's teachings or the 'ground' of locality. This is the tie that binds us, and I prefer to think that nothing can break it. The blood of Jesus is thicker than anything the religionists can dream up. So I receive the fellow pilgrims near me who have also seen the power of this blood.

I am glad you can have fellowship with both christians there in the denominations and in the LC. I pray that the Lord Jesus would keep any divisive spirit away from you all. Grace and peace to you and thank you for sharing.