Current status of the Local Church?

[aron]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I'm wondering if anyone knows whether the local church is increasing or decreasing in numbers.

This might not be the place to get an answer. Most of the posters here have not been meeting with the local church for a while.

Also, does anyone know if perhaps individual churches are seeing their doctrinal errors and turning away from them to true Biblical Christianity?

Doubtful. The whole system is built on a perfect ideal, so how can they change?

Let me give you a case study. A disabled brother on pension moved about 40 miles outside the city where housing is cheap. I periodically call him. He bemoans the fact that "the saints" have abandoned him, don't visit him, etc. I ask why not visit with some of the Christians near him? No, he replies; "I am absolute". This man won't have anything to do with "Christianity" because he is completely sold out for the local church, and the local church won't have anything to do with him because they don't consider him "good building material".

So in spite of the fact that the only evident fruit of Lee's ministry is to cut people apart, they won't change, because "they are absolute".

Are there particular states or cities where people are coming out and/or changing their fellowship's beliefs?

Two areas where people have "come out" somewhat are the Midwest (Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Ontario etc), and Brazil. But most of them have not changed their beliefs and practices very much. They are just practicing local church beliefs and customs apart from their original source, Witness Lee's Living Stream Ministry.