The most glaring of these was the stress on the group’s central figure, Witness Lee. I understood the concept of appreciation and respect toward ministers, but when *(CL)>titles like “the oracle,” “the minister of the age” and “the apostle” were routinely ascribed to Lee it struck me as being devotion of an unbalanced kind. According to my long-term observations, this issue alone raised red flags in more people than all the other questionable items in the Local Church Movement put together. It is only a matter of time before intelligent people start making uncomfortable, probing assessments. Being a young idealistic person, I found its brethren-influenced style of Bible teaching fascinating…I began to see extremes in the Movement *(CL)>that went well beyond the mild eccentricities normally found among Christian groups. In 1984 I experienced a congenial introduction to the Local Church. By the late seventies, the group’s informal oneness of the spirit was well on its way to morphing into organizational uniformity (despite vigorous official denials). Purges, politics, jealousy, the rumor mill, and subtle forms of character assassinations surfaced. By the mid-eighties, the entire package was looking very similar to the “fallen Christianity” that the group had often ridiculed. Dogmatism crept in. Almost imperceptibly, the simple Christian faith became indistinguishable from the “vision” that defined the Movement. As a result, the spontaneity of yesterday was slowly supplanted, giving way to an “enjoyment” of forms, exercises, ways, activities, and *(CL)>the strictest kind of systematic theology. This infant book of Acts experience had a kind of raw, unrefined power. It was only a matter of time before someone felt it more efficient to domesticate that power by rigidly defining it. It was a setting where believers could taste New Testament church life. At some point before they declined to movement status, many local churches had functioned as vibrant communities of prayer, the Bible, and fellowship. The downward trend was so incremental that as usual in church history, the majority barely even noticed it. Happily, the Holy Spirit is not confined by such edicts, which the following chapters will go on to demonstrate.Ī Downward Trend According to members who long preceded me in the group, Local Church dynamics began eroding at an early stage. This book was written for them since they have more than likely heard that upon leaving “the Recovery” (that is, the Living Stream Ministry’s version of it), there is no place left to go except religious Babylon. Over the last few years, many have come to similar conclusions and to varying extents have withdrawn, looking for fresher, saner fields. My belief, simply stated, is that somewhere along the line most of these churches hardened into a movement of religious* (CL) >idiosyncrasies and extremes. Local Church insiders casually refer to their involvement with the group as being “the church life.” Yet my contention is that authentic New Testament church life cannot exist within it to any compelling degree. I have no interest in cataloging and addressing all of them. ttp:///īook Review-*(CL)=cultish leanings (Extreme sectarianism is only one step prior to cultishness.)ĭifferent views and opinions will emerge when talking to people who have been involved with the Local Churches. Unless otherwise noted, all scripture references are from the New King James Version (NKJV) and the New American Standard Bible (NASB). It may be freely copied and distributed, but not sold. Myer II Published by Assembly Life This publication may not be altered in any way without the express permission of the author.
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