What's going on in OKC?

[Nell]

"Co-workers in the Lord’s recovery in North America" were signatories on the January 14, 2021 letter posted on shepherdingwords.com which named Colley Joseph and announced his removal from functioning as an Elder and as a "Co-worker".

What about the Elder he was defending for three years? There were no denials that this Elder had mistreated (to put it lightly) his family for three years. In fact, just the opposite. Is this Elder being sent away to another locality? Would it be safe to say that without the bad behavior of this Elder, none of this would have happened? Would it be safe to say that the failure of the leadership in Oklahoma City to "handle" the abuse by one of their own, lead to untold suffering of the wife and family of the offending Elder?

Regardless of the massive, tedious quotations from the "ministry" of Witness Lee and Watchman Nee, how is that working out for them?

A similar, widely publicized, situation occurred years ago when Ben McPherson was caught in sexual sin by Ray Graver. Ray reported to Benson Phillips, Joe Davis, Don Looper (deceased) and Don Rutledge. All were sickened by what McPherson had done and were ready to expose him publicly to the church, that all would be warned. Benson called Witness Lee with their intention. Benson allowed Lee to talk him/them out of it. Instead McPherson was banished to another locality in East Texas where he could "get some help". They were understandably sickened by his behavior and had no heart to "help" him. Witness Lee was nowhere to be found helping McPherson, and these men basically abandoned him. Years later, McPherson became a predator and seduced the wife of another Elder, divorced his own wife, she divorced her husband and they were married.

So the massive volume of quotations from Witness Lee's "ministry" about caring for the flock have a deafeningly hollow ring. So which is worse, the "the ministry" of Witness Lee, or the practices of the "Co-Workers" and "Elders". No one violates the "ministry" of Witness Lee more than the very men who preach it. No one violated "the ministry" of Witness Lee more than Witness Lee himself.

The hypocrisy began with Watchman Nee. See My Unforgettable Memories: Watchman Nee and Shanghai Local Church by Dr. Lily Hsu.

The hypocrisy continued with Witness Lee when his son, Phillip was caught seducing a sister in the Living Stream Ministry "office". When John Ingalls documented the fallout from this heinous behavior of Phillip AND Witness Lee, he ultimately resigned and went his own way.

As Trapped said "I don't believe the issue was that Colley was a threat to the ministry. ... He was just doing what he was trained to do - view everything as an attack, view the brother perpetrator as innocent and the sister victim as guilty, and twist the Bible to give his views credence. That is how the co-workers are trained." Really? How so?

If you want to remain in the Local Church of Witness Lee, in good standing, you are required to be “trained” by the following slogans which became “teachings”. As in any closed society, such as the so called "Lord's Recovery". the unwritten rules dominate the culture. This is only a few of the teachings of Witness Lee which have been interpreted into practice:

Attack: Anyone who tells the truth about Lee, LSM, is attacking.
Authority: Cover the brothers: WLee's sons got caught molesting the church secretaries and Lee covered it up.
Classification: Negative "Don't say anything negative."
Family: If you take care of the Church, God will take care of your family.
Fellowship: means "permission. "Don't do anything without permission." ... without “fellowship From “the brothers”.
Ministry: Life: We only care for life. (Truth is secondary to "life".)
Ministry: Oneness: means "Do what you are told."
Name calling: Little grinders: Witness Lee term for children.
Rebellion: Anyone who mentions Witness Lee's sons.
Rebellion: Disagree with Lee's ministry,
Slogan: Get out of your mind. Stop talking. Stop telling the truth.
Slogan: I don't have the peace. Means: I don't want to.
Slogan: Turn to your spirit. (Cover your ears, shake your head, la la la la la la la la.)
Slogan: You're in your mind. Diminish another’s own ability to think/choose
Mind: Talk over members as if they "know" what is best.
Storms, Turmoil: The consequences of telling the truth of Lee's ministry, LSM, Blendeds, "Co-Workers", and Elders is told.

Perhaps the worst, most insidious teaching of all is this one:
Benson Phillips: "All Non-Local Churchers are Unsanctified and Bankrupt"
“In any case, do not leave the Lord’s recovery. I can assure you that if you go away from the Lord’s recovery, you will have no way for the process of sanctification to go forward within you. Instead, you will just enter into a bankrupt situation. I know of no one who has left the Lord’s recovery and today is a great spiritual person on the earth. The sanctification process is carried out in the Lord’s recovery”
The Ministry Magazine Vol. 8, No. 1 Page 189, first paragraph - emphasis added

This is heretical. This teaching flies in the face of the redemptive work of Christ. This teaching is the most common stumbling of those who post on the forum about the suffering they are experiencing in the Local Church of Witness Lee. They stay in the Local Church of Witness Lee because they are threatened. They are afraid to leave.

Despite the "assurance" of Benson, this speaking is a lie of the devil. It teaches fear. The most common commandment by Jesus in the New Testament: fear not.

Nell