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Originally Posted by Evangelical
We should be careful of how we speak of God's servants, namely, to compare a full time worker who is supported by the church with the hirelings of denominations.
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The LSM is certainly careful about how they speak of God's servants, the same way the Madison Avenue advertisers are careful. Appearance is everything. As long as they can fool enough paying customers, they can make a good living.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Evangelical
I see a few ways in which the term "hireling" is appropriate for denominations, but not for the local church.
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Perhaps the local church members who pay their own living are exempt, but those who run the ministry, i.e. the MOTA and his upper-echelon, who are dependent, bought and paid for, the same as the pastor with the church board. If you're a cheerleader you get paid. The loudest cheerleaders rise to the top.
The LSM and affiliated local churches are either the unique move of God on the earth, and thereby qualified to judge all others as deficient, or it's a sham and a fraud.
I think the latter, because of: a) the deficient hermeneutics/interpretations (covered in detail elsewhere); b) the flip-flop on women (they co-started the movement, with Ruth Lee as the "editorial board" for decades); c) Daystar (following several financial scandals in the Far East); Philip Lee; paranoia and control issues (see "rebellions" and "storms" aplenty).
The LSM and affiliated local churches are not qualified to judge "poor Christianity" - they're a poster child for what's wrong with contemporary Christianity. One of many, unfortunately. Professional cult watcher HH characterized them as a mixture of ignorance and zeal, following his tour of Asia.
Quote:
Originally Posted by UntoHim
The Blended Brothers, LSM Co-Workers, Elders and Full-Timers fit the description of hirelings infinitely more than the average pastor, elder or ministry worker in "poor, poor Christianity." A hireling is simply a person who is beholden to another person, persons or organization. In the case of those within the religious system of the Local Church, they are beholden to the person and work of Witness Lee through the corporation he founded - The Living Stream Ministry. Let us not forget that Lee clearly and strongly stated that NO PERSON or PERSONS can replace him - the only thing that could replace him was "a corporation": The Living Stream Ministry. Every one of the positions I noted above - All the way from the most Blended of Blended Brothers all the way down to the little sister starting her first day at the FTT - They are all beholden as hirelings to the corporation that Witness Lee founded.
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This is similar to what I was saying - millions of dollars flowing through the system, with those persons who control the flow, controlingl the work, along with the doctrine and the members. The rest are typically either co-opted by the money flow or they get out.
I'm sure there are a few "pure ones" on the fringes. But they go on in spite of the system, not because of it.