CONSIDERING HOW TO BRING THE PROBLEMS BEFORE BROTHER LEE
October – November 1987
The grievous conduct reported by the sister from the LSM office had a precedent that we were well aware of. Ten years previously there had been reports of similar incidents in the LSM office confirmed by several eye-witnesses. This compounded the serious nature of the case.
…
During the next few days I telephoned several brothers, co-workers whom I respected and trusted and with whom I had served for many years. They were aware of the incidents ten years previously. …
What happened ten years prior in 1978? What is John talking about?
Before the information contained on the Bereans Forum "went away," I regularly downloaded the entire forum which contained the posts on the Local Church. The links to this Local Church section on Breans are broken, so I'm relying on what I downloaded years ago. This post has been cleaned up to remove graphic lines and superfluous html coding.
There are names in this post that appeared for years on the Bereans Forum, therefore I'm repeating them here.
Title: Max Rappaport’s ‘Rebellion’
Posts by: Nell on June 23-24, 2005, 01:52:14 PM
After a brother walked into the Living Stream office of Phillip Lee and caught him "in the act" with a married sister who was not his wife, the brother went to Max. Max went to WL and "rebelled". WL predictably "shot the messenger" and Max was hung out to dry. I think that might the one piece of information that could make a lot of things fall into place for you.
This is the nutshell account that I've heard from several sources, more than once, over many years. In the last few months, I was visiting in a home where one of the guests was the very brother who walked in on Phillip and the sister. It was interesting hearing from him on the subject.
Don Hardy walked in on Phillip Lee in a compromising position. My only documents indicated that it was Warren Peterson. She confirmed that there were actually two occasions where brothers walked in on Phillip Lee in the Living Stream Office.
The History of Philip Lee discussion appears on this forum.
From the information appearing in this thread, and other places, I think we have a picture of who the bad actors were/are and how the culture of sexual abuse in the Local Church and the Living Stream Ministry began and why it continues.
I've attached a copy of the article from the Los Angeles Times dated January 7, 1989 which briefly mentions Max near the end.
Again, we pray for all the young women who were abuse by wolves in sheep's clothing. We pray for their healing and real recovery.
To the present day sexual abusers in the Local Church we say, in addition to being a criminal,
you are sick.
You need help. Hiding behind the "cover the brothers" teaching of Witness Lee will not stand at the judgment seat of Christ. For your own sake, stop your sinful behavior. Repent to those you have abused and repent to the Body of Christ.
Nell