The Phoenix Accord, An Historic Document- Presentation & Commentary

[TLFisher]

I have not seen this article posted here, thus I am doing so now. Taken from http://concernedbrothers.com/Phoenix...Commentary.pdf which I am also uploading as a pdf.

From the outside looking in, the agreement the brothers had was obviously reneged upon which may have led to the concernedbrothers website to being created. The concerned brothers needed a vehicle to express what Living Stream Ministry was not disclosing.
As the radio broadcaster Paul Harvey used to say..... “Now you know…the rest of the story,”.

[OBW]

An interesting document with an interesting history. I wish I still had the desire to carefully study Nigel's commentary, but, alas, I have little stomach for it at this time.

[UntoHim]

I have revised the stated "Principles" of this so-call "Phoenix Accord" to reflect the reality of what has always been the modus operandi of the Local Church/Living Stream Ministry since Witness Lee took the reigns of the movement in Taiwan over 70 years ago.

Principles

1. We honor and exalt the Lord Jesus Christ as the Head of the Body....
but only while acknowledging Watchman Nee and Witness Lee as our spiritual fathers in the Lord whose
ministries constitute the basis for the teaching and leading in the recovery today.

2. We honor and regard the Bible as the unique divine revelation and foundation for all teaching
and practice.....
but only while acknowledging Watchman Nee and Witness Lee as our spiritual fathers in the Lord whose
ministries constitute the basis for the teaching and leading in the recovery today.

3. We acknowledge and respect all the local churches as expressions of the one Body.....
but only while acknowledging Watchman Nee and Witness Lee as our spiritual fathers in the Lord whose
ministries constitute the basis for the teaching and leading in the recovery today.

4. We love the Lord, we love the Lord’s recovery and we love one another as brothers in Christ......
but only while acknowledging Watchman Nee and Witness Lee as our spiritual fathers in the Lord whose
ministries constitute the basis for the teaching and leading in the recovery today.

5. Our top priority is to keep the oneness of the Spirit......
but only while acknowledging Watchman Nee and Witness Lee as our spiritual fathers in the Lord whose
ministries constitute the basis for the teaching and leading in the recovery today.

6. In the Lord’s recovery we hold to the speciality and generality of the church life without
expecting uniformity.....
but only while acknowledging Watchman Nee and Witness Lee as our spiritual fathers in the Lord whose
ministries constitute the basis for the teaching and leading in the recovery today.

8. We should respect, honor, and appreciate one another’s portion and function in the New Testament ministry.....
but only while acknowledging Watchman Nee and Witness Lee as our spiritual fathers in the Lord whose
ministries constitute the basis for the teaching and leading in the recovery today.
-

[OBW]

Originally Posted by UntoHim

I have revised the stated "Principles" of this so-call "Phoenix Accord" to reflect the reality of what has always been the modus operandi of the Local Church/Living Stream Ministry . . . .

Very succinctly stated.

BTW, the line under your moniker and your signature are pretty much Greek to me.

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by UntoHim

I have revised the stated "Principles" of this so-call "Phoenix Accord" to reflect the reality of what has always been the modus operandi of the Local Church/Living Stream Ministry since Witness Lee took the reigns of the movement in Taiwan over 70 years ago.

I remember reading this Phoenix Accord 20 years ago back in the early 00's. A copy was passed out at a regional gathering. (I did not know of the meeting prior to it happening.) I first looked at the signatories, and immediately realized this was a top level meeting, 5 from the Midwest, and 9 from LSM / DCP.

Then I read the contents. Shocking! Elementary!

This Accord sounded like something from my primary level parochial school after a bunch of us had some religious squabble at recess. Could the Lord's "Recovery," with the so-called top student-disciples of the deceased "Consummate MOTA of this final age" Witness Lee, really be reduced to this? -- a document promising to behave as decent school children?

How far we had fallen! (Revelation 2.5)

It was about this time I began reading all I could find online concerning the Plymouth Brethren, our forbears, and their first ugly split. What an education that was! Slowly but surely I lost respect for every LC leader on that document.