DCP - 2016 in Review

[Koinonia]

January 31, 2017

Re: 2016 in Review

Dear Brothers,

2016 was a busy year at DCP. As we rely upon the fellowship and prayer of the churches and the saints, we want to share with you some of the progress made last year. One practical matter was our move into new offices at 1853 W. Ball Road, Suite 103, Anaheim, CA. 92804.

In 2016 DCP gave presentations at the Full-Time Training, Anaheim; at a gathering of Mountain States brothers in Albuquerque; and at a European Brothers Training in Baarlo. Topics included crucial truths that are under attack, how to inoculate new ones and to provide an antidote to those damaged by false reports and attacks on the truth, the history of opposition and rebellion, and the progress and importance of developing positive contacts with fellow believers.

Writing Projects
DCP produced a paper on the Triune God that was presented at the 2016 joint meeting of the Evangelical Philosophical Society and the Evangelical Theological Society. Five brothers attended, were positively received, and met a number of open scholars who were aware of Witness Lee’s ministry or Affirmation and Critique.

We continued work on a four-volume series on the history of the warfare surrounding and including the litigations over The Mindbenders, The God-Men, and the Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions. The draft and internal review of Books 1 and 2 are complete, and we have started our in-house review of the completed drafts of Books 3 and 4. Our burden in these books is to put to rest many false reports and to help equip the next generation in the Lord’s recovery how to face the enemy’s attacks.

DCP wrote a chapter for a book by Massimo Introvigne, Ph.D., on the Exclusive Brethren. The chapter corrects inaccurate historical accounts of the interactions between Watchman Nee and the Taylorite Brethren and explains Watchman Nee’s stand for the oneness of the Body. DCP provided information, including an explanation that we are not a denomination, to Roger Olson, theology professor at Truett Seminary, for his forthcoming edition of Handbook of Denominations in the United States. DCP also produced a draft entry for Georg Schmid’s updated Encyclopedia of Christian Churches, a widely used resource in the German-speaking world.

China-related
DCP provided research and logistical support to researchers for a book on Eastern Lightning (EL), also known as the Church of Almighty God, which will strongly differentiate it from the local churches, countering the trend among some academics. Support included visits to China, Korea, and Australia for meetings with relevant persons including EL members. DCP is preparing material in English and Chinese to inoculate the saints against EL’s heresies (a female (anti)Christ, denying the Bible, etc.) and deceptive tactics used to recruit from among attendees in local church meetings.

We continued contacts with various Chinese agencies and officials concerning cult issues and the ministry of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee. Just two years ago we were listed third on the list of xiejiao (commonly translated as “evil cult” in the West) by the China Anti-Cult Association (CACA). Last April, CACA published a new list of xiejiao and for the first time in many years, “the Shouters sect,” which it earlier identified with Witness Lee and the local churches, was not on the list.

A brother presented papers on Watchman Nee’s use of examples from a Chinese context to teach truths at a U.S. conference on Sinicization of Christianity and on the influence of Western missionary work on Watchman Nee’s family at Shanghai University.

Among the Churches Globally
DCP is working with co-workers in Europe to develop inoculation material in German. This includes three websites—witnessleelehren.org, die-wahrheit-des-evangeliums.org (already launched), and die- ortsgemeinden.de. All three should be live by the end of February 2017. The “We Were Wrong” edition of the Christian Research Journal has been translated into German, published in Germany, and posted on the CRI website. Some DCP-related publications are being translated and corrections are being made to inaccurate German-language Internet articles. DCP began a research project to resolve persistent misinformation left over from the late-1980s European turmoil. DCP has also:

• Supported the brothers in India as they face opposition online and from a new publication,
• Consulted with brothers in Puerto Rico concerning an ex-member’s competing work,
• Provided assistance so that Cuban leading ones may get U.S. visas to attend the seven feasts,
• Responded to a dissenting one’s article in the Netherlands (also posted online), and
• Assisted the church in Chicago with material to inoculate against a competing ministry.

Aggressive Contacts
We have continued the long-term project of discovering scholars and other respected Christians who may be potential friends of the Lord’s recovery. This requires research, travel, and much fellowship. One new area of this labor is contact and visitation with key persons in the German-speaking world.

Internet & In-Office Projects
DCP now operates ltm.org and has renamed it localchurchesfaq.org; this site has been redesigned for mobile use. Redesign of contendingforthefaith.org is nearly complete and an-open-letter.org is under redesign to improve user experience and mobile compatibility. We also continue to monitor and respond to matters on the web.

We cherish the fellowship and prayers of the churches and share the above matters with you in mutuality for the Lord’s interest.

In Christ,

Abraham Ho and Dan Sady on behalf of DCP

[TLFisher]

Originally Posted by Koinonia

• Consulted with brothers in Puerto Rico concerning an ex-member’s competing work,
• Assisted the church in Chicago with material to inoculate against a competing ministry.

Goodness grief!
Does it always have to be a competition?

“Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”
“Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward. Mark 9:38-41

In principle same applies now as it was in the gospels.

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by Terry

Goodness grief!
Does it always have to be a competition?

“Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”
“Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward. Mark 9:38-41

In principle same applies now as it was in the gospels.

When DCP says they "consulted with local brothers," they really means they helped the local brothers to file lawsuits, spread rumors, back-bite their supposed rivals, and put other ministries out of business.

These are coded words only the insiders understand.

[Freedom]

When I read about the DCP's endeavors to interact with Christians outside, it seems that the goal has become to find others who might be friendly to their efforts. In other words, it seems they realize that they can't truly defend Lee’s teachings, and don’t want to engage in actual dialogue with the critics, but they do want to find people (like Hank/CRI) who might be more likely to accept their narrative of the LC. Ironically though, acceptance goes both ways. If they want the Christian public to accept the LC, then the LC also has to show acceptance of other Christian groups and ministries. We all know that will never happen. Even among those who are more supportive of the LC, I don’t think it’s lost on them that they LC is a very proprietary organization. So it seems clear that whatever the DCP is trying to accomplish involves mostly trying to get people to uncritically swallow their narrative of the LC.

I’m appalled at some of the deceptiveness of what they're doing. The best example of this is what they say about trying to dispel any notion of a linkage to the EL. But then they go on to speak of the need to 'inoculate' LC members (Shouters) in China against the heresies of the EL? Really!?!? LC members need to be warned of EL heresies? I thought there was no linkage. I thought that LC members have been 'constituted' with the truth. I guess not. The real story is likely that the Shouters are viewed as primary recruitment material for the EL, since the EL founder is a former Shouter from the Lord Changshou sect. The fact that the DCP has concerned itself with such things, supposedly irrelevant to the LC, serves as proof that there's a lot more going on than meets the eye.

[TLFisher]

Originally Posted by Freedom

When I read about the DCP's endeavors to interact with Christians outside, it seems that the goal has become to find others who might be friendly to their efforts. In other words, it seems they realize that they can't truly defend Lee’s teachings, and don’t want to engage in actual dialogue with the critics, but they do want to find people (like Hank/CRI) who might be more likely to accept their narrative of the LC.

The LSM/DCP usage of the word friends is a coded word of neutrality. It implies there could be a relationship that could be beneficial, but by no means does it imply being on equal footing.
A few years back some brothers from the Church in Seattle had visited some brothers from the Church in Moses Lake. The consensus of the meeting by the Seattle brothers was, "they're our friends".

[Freedom]

Originally Posted by Terry

The LSM/DCP usage of the word friends is a coded word of neutrality. It implies there could be a relationship that could be beneficial, but by no means does it imply being on equal footing.
A few years back some brothers from the Church in Seattle had visited some brothers from the Church in Moses Lake. The consensus of the meeting by the Seattle brothers was, "they're our friends".

The thing that is interesting about the DCP is just how much material they create with an LC member audience in mind. Presumably, an organization that is supposed to be defending the teachings of WL wouldn't need that much interaction with members who are supposed to already be sold on the teachings they follow. So once you delve into things a little bit deeper it becomes apparent that so much material is nothing more than propaganda. All the talk of 'inoculation' or addressing "competing ministries" have nothing to do with defending WL's teachings. An objective person doesn't need to be 'inoculated' from anything. As has been mentioned, that kind of talk is coded language.

What it really seems is at the heart of the issue is member retention. When you look how easily LC members can develop concerns or 'disappear', it makes sense why they want to reverse that. But as we know, they are unable to address the underlying factors related to that. Thus, their only strategy has been to limit the information available and hope that it works. The strategy does work on some people, I think that it worked on me for a while, at least in the sense that I had no desire to consider anything 'negative' that had been written about the LC. Eventually what changed my mind was not being conceived of anything, it was having certain experiences that were too troubling to ignore. People’s own experiences are what really serves as a direct contradiction to all the propaganda that comes out of the DCP. That’s why I don't worry too much about what the DCP is up to. They aren't fooling anyone but themselves.

[aron]

Originally Posted by Freedom

The fact that the DCP has concerned itself with such things, supposedly irrelevant to the LC, serves as proof that there's a lot more going on than meets the eye.

The fact that Adam & Eve are trying to cover themselves indicates an underlying issue.

They don't want you to notice that these fig leaves suddenly fell from the sky and stuck to their bodies; to think about it too much, and wonder how all this came to be.

I read a report on cults in China, and something like eight of the twelve covered in the paper traced themselves back to the LC.

But of course, that's just a coincidence. There's no connection whatsoever.

Homegrown theology, self-obsessed subjectivism, contempt for the established church, secrecy, paranoia, control issues, personal revelations of one's own self-exalted status, deceptive recruiting. . . nah, there's no connection. Just coincidence is all. Coincidence and misunderstanding.

[Drake]

Originally Posted by aron

I read a report on cults in China, and something like eight of the twelve covered in the paper traced themselves back to the LC.

But of course, that's just a coincidence. There's no connection whatsoever..

Aron,

You can trace denominations back to the reformation too. You can trace mainstream cults to the reformation. You can probably trace hops beer to the reformation.

So what? History of any flavor has correlation.

The fallacy in your argument is that you think correlation proves causation. It doesn’t. Which indicates that you are also under the influence of subjective validation... that is, you want to validate a belief you already hold as a starting point.... then you look for cause to prove the belief.....you see correlation and sure enough to you it is proof of causation.

It’s a logical fallacy. Your argument is a shooting from the hip at best. It could even be worse..... like seeing bunnies in the clouds.

Drake

[TLFisher]

Originally Posted by Koinonia

• Supported the brothers in India as they face opposition online and from a new publication,
• Consulted with brothers in Puerto Rico concerning an ex-member’s competing work,
• Provided assistance so that Cuban leading ones may get U.S. visas to attend the seven feasts,
• Responded to a dissenting one’s article in the Netherlands (also posted online), and
• Assisted the church in Chicago with material to inoculate against a competing ministry.

Why should there be concern what other ministries are doing? Unless the issue is revenue.
After all regardless of ministries, all are after the Lord's work.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord
1 Corinthians 12:4-5

[Trapped]

Originally Posted by Koinonia

January 31, 2017

Re: 2016 in Review

Dear Brothers,

2016 was a busy year at DCP. As we rely upon the fellowship and prayer of the churches and the saints, we want to share with you some of the progress made last year. One practical matter was our move into new offices at 1853 W. Ball Road, Suite 103, Anaheim, CA. 92804.

In 2016 DCP gave presentations at the Full-Time Training, Anaheim; at a gathering of Mountain States brothers in Albuquerque; and at a European Brothers Training in Baarlo. Topics included crucial truths that are under attack, how to inoculate new ones and to provide an antidote to those damaged by false reports and attacks on the truth, the history of opposition and rebellion, and the progress and importance of developing positive contacts with fellow believers.

Writing Projects
DCP produced a paper on the Triune God that was presented at the 2016 joint meeting of the Evangelical Philosophical Society and the Evangelical Theological Society. Five brothers attended, were positively received, and met a number of open scholars who were aware of Witness Lee’s ministry or Affirmation and Critique.

We continued work on a four-volume series on the history of the warfare surrounding and including the litigations over The Mindbenders, The God-Men, and the Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions. The draft and internal review of Books 1 and 2 are complete, and we have started our in-house review of the completed drafts of Books 3 and 4. Our burden in these books is to put to rest many false reports and to help equip the next generation in the Lord’s recovery how to face the enemy’s attacks.

DCP wrote a chapter for a book by Massimo Introvigne, Ph.D., on the Exclusive Brethren. The chapter corrects inaccurate historical accounts of the interactions between Watchman Nee and the Taylorite Brethren and explains Watchman Nee’s stand for the oneness of the Body. DCP provided information, including an explanation that we are not a denomination, to Roger Olson, theology professor at Truett Seminary, for his forthcoming edition of Handbook of Denominations in the United States. DCP also produced a draft entry for Georg Schmid’s updated Encyclopedia of Christian Churches, a widely used resource in the German-speaking world.

China-related
DCP provided research and logistical support to researchers for a book on Eastern Lightning (EL), also known as the Church of Almighty God, which will strongly differentiate it from the local churches, countering the trend among some academics. Support included visits to China, Korea, and Australia for meetings with relevant persons including EL members. DCP is preparing material in English and Chinese to inoculate the saints against EL’s heresies (a female (anti)Christ, denying the Bible, etc.) and deceptive tactics used to recruit from among attendees in local church meetings.

We continued contacts with various Chinese agencies and officials concerning cult issues and the ministry of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee. Just two years ago we were listed third on the list of xiejiao (commonly translated as “evil cult” in the West) by the China Anti-Cult Association (CACA). Last April, CACA published a new list of xiejiao and for the first time in many years, “the Shouters sect,” which it earlier identified with Witness Lee and the local churches, was not on the list.

A brother presented papers on Watchman Nee’s use of examples from a Chinese context to teach truths at a U.S. conference on Sinicization of Christianity and on the influence of Western missionary work on Watchman Nee’s family at Shanghai University.

Among the Churches Globally
DCP is working with co-workers in Europe to develop inoculation material in German. This includes three websites—witnessleelehren.org, die-wahrheit-des-evangeliums.org (already launched), and die- ortsgemeinden.de. All three should be live by the end of February 2017. The “We Were Wrong” edition of the Christian Research Journal has been translated into German, published in Germany, and posted on the CRI website. Some DCP-related publications are being translated and corrections are being made to inaccurate German-language Internet articles. DCP began a research project to resolve persistent misinformation left over from the late-1980s European turmoil. DCP has also:

• Supported the brothers in India as they face opposition online and from a new publication,
• Consulted with brothers in Puerto Rico concerning an ex-member’s competing work,
• Provided assistance so that Cuban leading ones may get U.S. visas to attend the seven feasts,
• Responded to a dissenting one’s article in the Netherlands (also posted online), and
• Assisted the church in Chicago with material to inoculate against a competing ministry.

Aggressive Contacts
We have continued the long-term project of discovering scholars and other respected Christians who may be potential friends of the Lord’s recovery. This requires research, travel, and much fellowship. One new area of this labor is contact and visitation with key persons in the German-speaking world.

Internet & In-Office Projects
DCP now operates ltm.org and has renamed it localchurchesfaq.org; this site has been redesigned for mobile use. Redesign of contendingforthefaith.org is nearly complete and an-open-letter.org is under redesign to improve user experience and mobile compatibility. We also continue to monitor and respond to matters on the web.

We cherish the fellowship and prayers of the churches and share the above matters with you in mutuality for the Lord’s interest.

In Christ,

Abraham Ho and Dan Sady on behalf of DCP

Can anyone who grew up in another (non-LC) church chime in at all about if this kind of thing is normal for other churches? Like do your typical other churches out there deal with inoculations and antidotes and rebellions and storms and anti-cult work and equipping their members for the next round of attacks and oppositions and obsessions with "competing ministries" and dissenters and looking for "potential friends" etc etc etc now my head is spinning and I can't possibly believe that other churches remotely spend any time on this kind of thing?

I mean, how much easier would it be to lighten up on the off-kilter Lee stuff and have their own mini "we were wrong" moment, and just then be freed to go on possibly actually be obsessed with the actual gospel rather than defending every statement of a guy who made many erroneous statements!

I mean, I heard all growing up that as a Christian you are expected to encounter opposition, but I just can't accept that this is the type of opposition a normal Christian is supposed to expect. What kind of opposition do other (non-LC) Christians encounter?

[byHismercy]

Originally Posted by Trapped

Can anyone who grew up in another (non-LC) church chime in at all about if this kind of thing is normal for other churches? Like do your typical other churches out there deal with inoculations and antidotes and rebellions and storms and anti-cult work and equipping their members for the next round of attacks and oppositions and obsessions with "competing ministries" and dissenters and looking for "potential friends" etc etc etc now my head is spinning and I can't possibly believe that other churches remotely spend any time on this kind of thing?

I mean, how much easier would it be to lighten up on the off-kilter Lee stuff and have their own mini "we were wrong" moment, and just then be freed to go on possibly actually be obsessed with the actual gospel rather than defending every statement of a guy who made many erroneous statements!

I mean, I heard all growing up that as a Christian you are expected to encounter opposition, but I just can't accept that this is the type of opposition a normal Christian is supposed to expect. What kind of opposition do other (non-LC) Christians encounter?

Reminds me of Scientology. Where they peddle sci-fi, the LSM is peddling Gods' word. I wonder which is more offensive to the Lord.
~~~Disclaimer...I did not grow up in Scientology....

[leastofthese]

Originally Posted by Trapped

Can anyone who grew up in another (non-LC) church chime in at all about if this kind of thing is normal for other churches? Like do your typical other churches out there deal with inoculations and antidotes and rebellions and storms and anti-cult work and equipping their members for the next round of attacks and oppositions and obsessions with "competing ministries" and dissenters and looking for "potential friends" etc etc etc now my head is spinning and I can't possibly believe that other churches remotely spend any time on this kind of..

Grew up in non-LC church. I moved quite a bit as a child as well. The simple answer is no. I never experienced any of what you described until I met the LC a few years back.

It is such a sad state of affairs. I pity those deceived to believe that Witness Lee and his recovery are THE way. So much energy wasted on learning and defending Witness Lee and his dying movement.