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Originally Posted by Don Rutledge
I myself was labeled and excluded from the fellowship of the churches, not for what I had said or done but because I would not promote the LSM, Philip Lee, the “New Way” and those who were carrying out all the decrees of “the Office.” Nor would I join in to denounce brothers who had expressed concerns. It was not enough to be quiet and take the cross. Promote, join the program denounce or you are persona non grata. . . During my time of association with Brother Lee etc., I saw many fleshly rebellious people defame him and the churches. This kind of activity is to be condemned. During the 80s there were some who sought opportunity to defame and slander.
They're easy to discern. They always speak of personal offenses and never express regards for the Truth, the Lord or the Lord’s work. But brothers like John Ingalls and Bill Mallon etc. only expressed concern for the saints, the churches, and the truth and for Brother Lee himself and his ministry. They sought out Brother Lee over and over again to express their concerns. But the very ones who are now attacking you [GLA] brothers had successfully insulated Brother Lee physically and mentally. My experience was when you were able to speak with Brother Lee, he had already been poisoned by the LSM cadre. Yes, even our dear brother could be influenced by rumor and innuendo, but we all are human and he was no less a servant of the Lord because he may have been so.
I understand the LSM cadre likes to relate anecdotes of private talks with Brother Lee. I will also relate one experience. I would say that Brother Lee and I were not only brothers but had a very sweet relationship. I considered him to be my older friend as well as spiritual Father and I believe he considered me as a young friend. In 1976, in Dallas, shortly after the failure of the Day Star business, he was speaking to me of his relationship with Brother Nee. He said that he would have been severely rebuked by Brother Nee because Brother Nee had repeatedly warned them not to mix the church in a business. We were standing by one another. Then he put his arm around by shoulder. (I never before or after saw him embrace someone) He told me in the most sober voice, “Brother Don, I told Brother Nee that ‘if he left the vision he had given me that I would no longer follow him. Rather, I am following the vision he gave.’ Brother Don, if I leave the vision please do not follow me.” I assured him that I was following the vision.
In 1989 a paper was published and sent out by Living Stream that was an attempt to refute a message given by John Ingalls to the church in Anaheim. There were five serious violations of the truth and the vision I had been following. The headship of Christ, the Bible as the final authority of truth, hierarchy, the local standing of the church and the anointing of the spirit in every believer were all torn down. I was heart broken. Not bitter or negative. I did call Don Looper and Titus and tell them of my great consternation. Neither could agree with the paper but felt to ride out the storm.
I then met with some brothers, who had moved to Carolina from California, with whom I had been attempting to meet. They informed me that they were “turning me in” to the LSM and to Brother Lee for the failure to support the “new way” and that they had six phrases I had uttered over a two-year period that showed I was not one with the ministry. (They could not even come up with a complete sentence.) They also informed me that the oneness of the Body was the oneness with “the Apostle,” and that they expected everyone here to come into that standard of oneness. In addition, even though I did not say anything dissenting,my presence and my wife’s presence in the meetings ruined the meetings.
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