Guru Papers

[aron]

Originally Posted by Hope

Right after the meeting James Barber informed John So and I that WL was very upset. Francis Ball had tipped off James. WL did not want to have a quiet private talk but chose to dress the two of us down in the hall for all to see. As soon as the meeting was over, we two were marched to the front. Chairs were rearranged. John and I set by ourselves facing WL and about 50 brothers including James Barber who set behind WL in support of him. Scores of the attendance milled around the little court room and became an audience. WL never asked us to open our concerns but immediately launched into a tirade against us and issued a general warning that if we continued to question what the office and the ministry was doing we would cause a lot of damage to the saints and we would damage ourselves.

I can never forget the glare of despising we got from Ron Kangas as WL continued for about 10 minutes with the rebuke. Then he dismissed the meeting and we all went home. Was I ever in shock!!! So was John So. I was taking hospitality with Ned Sossaman. On the ride home he laughed and laughed. He said this regularly happened to the elders in Orange County.

Whatever happened to "God's humble bondslave" Witness Lee. . . it was a pretense, a sham, to be dropped if necessary. Other testimonies, for example by John Ingalls, Bill Mallon, and John So, corroborate this kind of autocratic, imperious leadership style, and treatment of underlings. The humble and self-effacing servant-of-all persona, who was "least of all the saints" and who "controlled no one", was just a public front, to sell books and fill conference chairs. It was a marketing ploy.

I am so glad I got out of the LC of Lee.

[Freedom]

Originally Posted by aron

Whatever happened to "God's humble bondslave" Witness Lee. . . it was a pretense, a sham, to be dropped if necessary. Other testimonies, for example by John Ingalls, Bill Mallon, and John So, corroborate this kind of autocratic, imperious leadership style, and treatment of underlings. The humble and self-effacing servant-of-all persona, who was "least of all the saints" and who "controlled no one", was just a public front, to sell books and fill conference chairs. It was a marketing ploy.

I am so glad I got out of the LC of Lee.

It is good that we have this window into the real Lee. Those like me who never met or heard Lee speak in person only got to know the 'bondslave' version of Lee that leaders made him out to be. And maybe the LC has toned things down a bit, but the example that Lee set is still there. His way of leadership is still viewed as the model that leaders follow. I'm sure the those who can handle it (such as FTT trainees) still get their share of 'perfecting'.

[TLFisher]

Originally Posted by aron

Whatever happened to "God's humble bondslave" Witness Lee. . . it was a pretense, a sham, to be dropped if necessary. Other testimonies, for example by John Ingalls, Bill Mallon, and John So, corroborate this kind of autocratic, imperious leadership style, and treatment of underlings. The humble and self-effacing servant-of-all persona, who was "least of all the saints" and who "controlled no one", was just a public front, to sell books and fill conference chairs. It was a marketing ploy.

Just like the old Canon marketing tag; "Image is everything". Even 19 years after his passing, LSM has an image to project and distribute. Their business is Lee far more than Nee so it's imperative to market Lee as "a humble bondslave", "perfected", etc.