Pledge of Allegiance to Witness Lee

[ACuriousFellow]

A copy of the letter's text and Lee’s response (included below) can be found in one of the “Elders’ Training” books published by Living Stream Ministry.

...

April 11, 1986

The Brothers attending the February 1986 Elders’ Training

Dear Brothers:

Thank you for your letter dated February 21, 1986 with the list of signatures. I feel very sorry that I could not have time to acknowledge, with appreciation, what you have expressed in your letter and through your signatures until now. Being one with the ministry is a crucial matter, and its effects are exceedingly serious. Its proper definition is not to follow any man, any doctrine or any movement, but is to be one with the Lord’s move today according to the Lord’s vision, without any intrinsic element of exalting any person or promoting any work. May the Lord be merciful and gracious to us, that this action would not be misunderstood or misapplied by anyone in a way that would give the enemy Satan ground for utilization, thus frustrating the Lord’s move today, but rather that this action could be properly used by the Lord to swallow up all the germs of discord which have been existing, even among us, for quite a time in the past. May the Lord remember your kind wishes for me and bless your labors in Him.

Your brother in Christ, Witness Lee

...

(Elders’ Training Book 8: The Life Pulse of the Lord’s Present Move, from the Collected Works of Witness Lee, 1986, Volume 1, Chapter 10: Spreading the Gospel, pp. 299-301, published by Living Stream Ministry)

[ACuriousFellow]

It should be noted that this grand fear of "germs" and "rebellion" arose in the 1980s, which was a time in the history of The Lord's Recovery where a heavy emphasis was placed on a centralized publication source for all of the Local Churches in The Lord's Recovery for the sake of conformity. Several concerns arose from the dissonance that occurred between the concepts publicly touted in The Lord's Recovery in which hierarchy and leadership were denounced and the presence and pressure of Living Stream Ministry, a publishing company established by Lee and headed by his son, Phillip Lee. The dogmatic approach to disseminating and reinforcing Lee's teachings within the Local Churches disturbed many, including those like Steve Isitt and John Ingalls who personally felt like they owed much of their spiritual growth to Witness Lee.

Steve Isitt authored several books related to these matters and the concerns that arose among the churches. These include:
1. The Rosemead Rebellion
2. In the Wake of the New Way: The Costly Movement of a Man and a Ministry
3. Hiding History in the Nee and Lee Eras of The Lord's Recovery

John Ingalls also wrote on these matters, authoring a fairly well-known book in this forum: Speaking the Truth in Love.

You can see the heartache and conflict within the accounts of both of these brothers. It is no secret that many of us here feel that Lee was rotten from the very start, but these brothers make it clear that they gained much light and life with their brothers and sisters at the beginning of this movement. It is telling that ones such as these who gave Lee all the benefit of the doubt still found themselves heartbroken and disillusioned by the slow death they were witnessing in the churches of The Lord's Recovery and the authoritarianism that arose within the ranks of its leadership, all of it centered within their publishing powerhouse that is still in operation today controlling all the official publications of The Lord's Recovery under their now decades-old "One Publication" mandate.

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by ACuriousFellow

It should he noted that this grand fear of "germs" and "rebellion" arose in the 1980s, which was a time in the history of The Lord's Recovery where a heavy emphasis was placed on a centralized publication source for all of the Local Churches in The Lord's Recovery for the sake of conformity. Several concerns arose from the dissonance that occurred between the concepts publicly touted in The Lord's Recovery in which hierarchy and leadership were denounced and the presence and pressure of Living Stream Ministry, a publishing company established by Lee and headed by his son, Phillip Lee. The dogmatic approach to disseminating and reinforcing Lee's teachings within the Local Churches disturbed many, including those like Steve Isitt and John Ingalls who personally felt like they owed much of their spiritual growth to Witness Lee.

Great analysis and understanding. I’ll add some older history.

In the US during the mid 70’s was another so-called “rebellion” or “storm” which set the stage for the late 80’s, called the “Max Rebellion,” named after Lee’s Lieutenant Max Rapoport. Beginning as an charismatic Evangelist, Lee sent him out to “shake up” the LC’s in order to solidify control of the movement. Things went awry when Max developed his own following among the LC’s, with spirited infighting among local leaders and whole LC’s. Lee successfully threw Max under the bus, expelling him in shame, but with WL taking no responsibility himself, and came out looking “pure as the driven snow.”

Afterwards some of the Max lieutenants publicly and tearfully (albeit ignorantly) repented and then took the further step of proclaiming wholehearted public allegiance and unquestioned support for WL, our present day “Apostle Paul.” This set the stage, by eliminating almost all remaining discernment among those who stayed loyal to the “vision of Christ and the church,” for the subsequent total LSM takeover during the “New Way” which began in 1985 in Taipei.

WL was a master at “never letting any crisis go to waste.”

There is a clear difference between Jesus and those that follow Him, and those whose intentions are to build their kingdoms here on earth. We have few examples in scriptures about how Jesus dealt with people who tried to make him king, even by force and how He refused to give in and understood His calling. He fled, he withdrew!

On the other side we have Lee and company, who decided in the late 80’s to usher in the king Lee in the Lords Recovery, and instead of doing what Jesus did, Lee took the bait and sat up into the sit that’s not his. To this day, he is reigning supreme over many people who refuse to put Christ as the head, and will do anything to make sure king Lee is reigning. I read here awhile back that they still write books in his name as if that’s a true thing. His practices and personal revelations supersede the plain scriptures, as I have experienced that myself.

Now, which is the Godly and humble way of a true servant of Christ? It’s only by God one will see the hypocrisy and flee this group.


“Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.”
John 6:15

Originally Posted by Unregistered

, Lee took the bait and sat up into the seatt that’s not his. To this day, he is reigning supreme over many people who refuse to put Christ as the head, and will do anything to make sure king Lee is reigning. I read here awhile back that they still write books in his name as if that’s a true thing. His practices and personal revelations supersede the plain scriptures, as I have experienced that myself.

Lee never took the bait - Lee cast the line!