View Single Post
Old 10-22-2018, 04:22 AM   #310
zeek
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Florida
Posts: 4,223
Default Re: Poor poor Christianity?

Witness Lee's ideal based on his reading of scripture was a church without religion, philosophy or human organization. And he found Christianity wanting because history had infected it with all three of these plagues. So the goal for his "Lord's recovery" movement was absolute purity in Christ.

What was the reality of the situation? There are cracks in his system visible even in the manifesto, The History of the Church and the Local Churches.

For example, Lee instructs his followers to reject any thought or practice of rank and position in the church. He notes that rank and hierarchy come from the struggle for power. He wishes to avoid even the concept of rank within the church. And how should they go about this? Lee directs church members not to use titles!
"The term elder is not and should not be a title. We do not have the title elder among us but we have some persons who are elders. We do not have any positions or titles in the church."
So, Lee's way to avoid hierarchy is not to call it by name even when it obviously exists because it was ordained by Lee himself. Thus, it is easily seen that Lee's prescription against hierarchy involved directing his followers to practice denial and doublespeak.
__________________

Ken Gemmer- Church in Detroit, Church in Fort Lauderdale, Church in Miami 1973-86


zeek is offline   Reply With Quote