Reviewing Church History

[Indiana]

Hello Everybody! Long time!

http://www.reviewingchurchhistory.com/index.html

A sister said recently, "Steve, there must be a way to get you back into the church life." She then spoke of the training messages she was enamored with. I understood her sentiment completely and also understand why she had withdrawn from the church life for 3 decades. The ministry she is enjoying now, she was away from for 30 years but I had heard and read everything during that time. But when I wrote a letter in 2001 to LSM addressing the benefits and costs of the New Way during the late 1980s turmoil, this was mistakenly taken as an attack on Witness Lee and his ministry. I was to learn increasingly what Paul meant about knowing all mysteries but not having love.

The little boy in the picture is my grandson now 21 years old.

[manna-man]

Hey Brother Steve.
Great to hear from you!
Time keeps on slippin, slipping, slipping into the future and our hope...

[manna-man]

Double post...

[awareness]

Originally Posted by Indiana

Hello Everybody! Long time!

http://www.reviewingchurchhistory.com/index.html

A sister said recently, "Steve, there must be a way to get you back into the church life." She then spoke of the training messages she was enamored with. I understood her sentiment completely and also understand why she had withdrawn from the church life for 3 decades. The ministry she is enjoying now, she was away from for 30 years but I had heard and read everything during that time. But when I wrote a letter in 2001 to LSM addressing the benefits and costs of the New Way during the late 1980s turmoil, this was mistakenly taken as an attack on Witness Lee and his ministry. I was to learn increasingly what Paul meant about knowing all mysteries but not having love.

The little boy in the picture is my grandson now 21 years old.

So great to hear from you Steve. It's been a while. Is your phone number still the same?

[Indiana]

A Masterful Deception of the Truth
1990 Quarantine Sessions 1990

On March 9-10, 1990, special meetings were held in Anaheim to elucidate brothers on “the problems and hidden factors of division” during the late 80s turmoil. Elders, co-workers, responsible ones would all hear messages by Witness Lee who would dispel all notions of his wrongdoing and compose The Fermentation of the Present Rebellion. His book, however, is not the truthful source for learning about the turmoil. In a masterful deception of the truth, it does not give the true factors of turmoil and division. That task fell to his first American co-worker, John Ingalls, who was in position to know the truth of the turmoil AND provide an honest rendering of it, which he did in Speaking the Truth in Love.

https://johningalls.com/#/reader

[PriestlyScribe]

Originally Posted by Indiana

...Witness Lee who would dispel all notions of his wrongdoing and compose The Fermentation of the Present Rebellion. His book, however, is not the truthful source for learning about the turmoil. In a masterful deception of the truth, it does not give the true factors of turmoil and division.[/url]

Thanks Indiana for posting a link to the latest digital version of John Ingalls' book - Speaking The Truth In Love. I especially appreciate the testimonies of Albert Zehr & Nigel Tomes which serve to strengthen and underscore this book's very important message. I will paste the contents of Nigel's Preface below:

Preface

*********** “The past is a different country, they do things differently there.” So goes the first line of L. P. Hartley's 1953 book, The Go-Between. It’s now over 30 years since John Ingalls published this little book, entitled Speaking the Truth in Love. The past three decades have dramatically changed the US & western society; it’s a “different country.” The “Local Church of Witness Lee,” aka “The Lord’s Recovery,” has also morphed in significant ways. It might be helpful, therefore, to sketch the context in order to provide background to aid current readers.*

*********** In the early 1960s the US proved to be fertile ground for the Gospel. The “Jesus Movement,” in various forms spread from the West coast throughout N. America and beyond. Around that time Witness Lee arrived in California from Taiwan, and capitalized on the Spirit’s move with his messages on “Christ versus Religion” and “Enjoying Jesus.” The Local Church movement attracted significant adherents. John Ingalls was among the early adopters. He became Witness Lee’s close associate, producing the Local Church hymnal—Hymns and drafts of the New Testament, “Recovery Version,” published by W. Lee’s Living Stream Ministry (LSM). Local Churches - the “church in [city X]” - spread to major cities in N. America.

*********** By the early 1970s the growth & spread of the Local Church movement slowed. This retardation accompanied a drive for centralization and uniformity around Witness Lee teachings and directives. Free-form conferences were replaced by more disciplined “trainings.” Further retardation occurred in the 1980s. Growth was largely confined to Chinese*and Korean*branches of the Local Church. In 1986/7 Witness Lee launched the “New Way,” a door-knocking and bathtub-baptizing campaign in Taipei, Taiwan. A cadre of young trainers (the future “blended brothers”) executed W. Lee’s campaign in the Far East, while calling for global allegiance to the “New Way” methodology. Simultaneously, uproar erupted in California over alleged moral misdeeds by W. Lee’s son, Philip, manager of LSM’s Head Office.* Nearby churches in Orange Co. CA. were impacted. This situation provoked John Ingalls (CA.), and others - William (Bill) Mallon (FL.), John So (Gr.) & Joseph Fung (HK) to speak out.

*********** This book, Speaking the Truth in Love, bears the subtitle “A True Account of Events & Concerns Related to the Local Churches 1987–1989.” That subtitle alerts the astute reader about an alternative, “official,” account of these same events. John Ingalls carefully documents the lengths to which he, and other “concerned brothers,” went seeking to rectify the situation. However, John and others were “side swiped” by an abrupt change in tactics which saw them labeled as “conspirators,” and “rebellious ones,” accused of being in league with the Devil, and “speaking perverted things.” A litany of accusations appeared in the book Fermentation of the Present Rebellion, published by Living Stream Ministry (1990) under Witness Lee’s name and freely distributed through LSM’s distribution network.**Meanwhile Maoist-style denunciation meetings attacked John Ingalls & Co., during LSM’s regular training-sessions expounding Scripture - a combination which ought to be an oxymoron for any “Christian ministry.”

*********** “History,” it’s said is “written by the victors.” Prior to the Internet the printed Word reigned supreme; W. Lee’s Fermentation carried the day. In the “Local churches,” and LSM’s “trainings,” Witness Lee’s voice was the only one heard. His co-workers reinforced the “official party line” to local elders, who relayed it to regular church-members. John Ingalls’ Speaking the Truth in Love was a voice crying in the wilderness, overwhelmed in the cacophony of competing voices. In the “Great Lakes Area” churches, where I labored, we only heard the “official account,” and were untouched by the (so called) turmoil. John Ingalls and his “co-conspirators,” were dismissed as dissidents. For years thereafter the “official history” was reinforced via LSM’s podium and publications. As a result important voices -like that of John Ingalls - were effectively drowned out by those controlling the podium and the channels of communication within the Local Church movement.

*********** Twenty years later, in 2006/7, “turmoil” again erupted, this time targeting local churches in the “Great Lakes Area” of N. America, seeking to subjugate them under the control of LSM’s “blended brothers,” W. Lee’s successors. It was then, with a strong sense of déjà vu, that I and others were motivated to re-examine John Ingalls’ writings and the events of 1987—1989. By then the Internet had emerged, effectively “leveling the playing field,” so this time, alternative voices were heard and their writings read. Websites like “concernedbrothers.com,” “localchurchdiscussions.com,” provided forums to challenge LSM’s “official version” of events and to call out their pejorative attacks on individuals & churches.

*********** When the “dust finally settled,” around 2010, I was able to visit John Ingalls, Bill Mallon and others in S. California - the (so called) “dissidents,” “rebels,” and “conspirators.” What I found was a group of sincere believers, meeting as “the Church in Westminster” and in various house churches, seeking to practice a biblical form of the Christian faith. John Ingalls still endeavored to minister God’s Word to believers for their edification & encouragement; he passed away in 2016 at the age of 86. This brief historical account tells of his endeavors to be faithful to his Lord in a time of trouble.*

* * * Nigel Tomes,

* * * Toronto, CANADA

* * * July, 2020.

www.johningalls.com

P.S.

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by PriestlyScribe

*********** “History,” it’s said is “written by the victors.” Prior to the Internet the printed Word reigned supreme; W. Lee’s Fermentation carried the day. In the “Local churches,” and LSM’s “trainings,” Witness Lee’s voice was the only one heard. His co-workers reinforced the “official party line” to local elders, who relayed it to regular church-members. John Ingalls’ Speaking the Truth in Love was a voice crying in the wilderness, overwhelmed in the cacophony of competing voices.

In the “Great Lakes Area” churches, where I labored, we only heard the “official account,” and were untouched by the (so called) turmoil. John Ingalls and his “co-conspirators,” were dismissed as dissidents. For years thereafter the “official history” was reinforced via LSM’s podium and publications. As a result important voices -like that of John Ingalls - were effectively drowned out by those controlling the podium and the channels of communication within the Local Church movement.

*********** Twenty years later, in 2006/7, “turmoil” again erupted, this time targeting local churches in the “Great Lakes Area” of N. America, seeking to subjugate them under the control of LSM’s “blended brothers,” W. Lee’s successors. It was then, with a strong sense of déjà vu, that I and others were motivated to re-examine John Ingalls’ writings and the events of 1987—1989. By then the Internet had emerged, effectively “leveling the playing field,” so this time, alternative voices were heard and their writings read. Websites like “concernedbrothers.com,” “localchurchdiscussions.com,” provided forums to challenge LSM’s “official version” of events and to call out their pejorative attacks on individuals & churches.

One major missing item of truth in this account is that Titus Chu of Cleveland, the regional leader of the Great Lakes area Local Churches, knew the truth concerning all these events which transpired in Anaheim in the late 1980's. He could have warned us, but instead he put his loyalty to WL above the truth, and thus all the LC members were effectively deceived.

Unfortunately for TC, loyalty to these "Blended" leaders at LSM was not reciprocated. In 2006-08 they expelled Titus Chu from fellowship, and the actual events of history could no longer be hidden. Many dear Christians over the years have been stumbled due to the lawlessness of LC leaders.

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven upon all ungodliness and wickedness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth" -- Romans 1.18