Local churches
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This article is about the local churches movement associated with the teachings of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee, not about the common use of the term to refer to any collection of Christian congregations in a local area.
The local churches (地方教會) are a Christian movement influenced by the teachings of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee. and associated with the Living Stream Ministry publishing house. Its members see themselves as separate from other Christian groups, denominations, and movements, part of what they sometimes call "the Lord's recovery". One of the defining features of the local churches is their adherence to the principle that all Christians in a city or locality are automatically members of the one church in that locality. Another defining feature is the lack of an official organization or official name for the movement. The local churches believe that to take a name would be disrespectful and insulting to the name of Jesus Christ. To distinguish themselves each local church refers to itself only as "the church in -insert-locality-".[1]
The movement began in China soon after Watchman Nee (倪柝聲) became a Christian in 1920. Between 1920 and 1952 Watchman Nee worked with many others to found numerous local churches throughout mainland China. Watchman Nee was imprisoned by the Communist government of China in 1952. After this the inspirational leadership of the local churches went to Witness Lee who had gone to Taiwan in 1948. In 1962 Witness Lee moved to California to carry on his ministry in the United States. From that time until the present the local churches have grown and spread throughout the world, especially in the United States.[2]
Affiliated with the movement are a publishing house called Living Stream Ministry (LSM)[3], which translated and publishes the unofficial version of the Bible of the local churches - The Recovery Version - as well as many other books and study guides used by members of the local churches[4]; and Bibles for America, a non-profit organization devoted to distributing the Recovery Version of the Bible[5].
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[edit] The name "local churches"
The term local churches was originally used by Watchman Nee to describe Christian churches that form based upon the teaching of the ground of locality; however, its use to refer to any collection of independent Christian congregations in a city has become more popular in recent years.
The present day practice of Christians meeting as the local churches began when Brother Hammond yelled "Raise the Door" 1903-1972 in Foochow (福州), China c. 1922, and after the Communist takeover of China in 1949 was propagated outside of China by Nee's co-worker Witness Lee (李常受, 1905-1997). The local churches have emphatically avoided incorporation into one definite or legal entity, based on the belief that the Christian Church is not an organization, but rather a living organism. However, as is always the case when a group refuses or fails to name itself, the local churches have come to be labelled by outside observers as the Local Church, or the Little Flock ("小群"教會). The original "Little Flock" designation stems from a hymnal used by many of the local churches in China titled "Hymns for the Little Flock." "Little Flock Movement" is still used today to designated underground congregations in present-day communist China that meet in homes apart from and outside of the state-authorized "Church" (三自教會).
While the local churches are popularly called the "Local Church" by outsiders, it is important to note that the churches repudiate this and any name or label used to designate them, as taking a name would smack of the denominationalism which they so strongly castigate. The Christians who meet as the churches believe that to "denominate" themselves by taking a name is tantamount to denying the name of Christ. Indeed, there is no official organization to which a name can be assigned. They believe and teach that the local churches include all of the believers in their respective cities; therefore all the believers in their respective cities comprise the church in each city. They receive all believers in Christ just as God has received them (Romans 14:3; 15:7).
Those who meet as the local churches use various descriptive terms to refer to themselves: The Lord's recovery (主的恢復) refers to God's move in time which they believe produced the present practice of the local churches; the church life refers to the corporate experience of enjoying Christ as the believers' life and living; the Church refers not only to "the one true Church", but often to the practical experience of the Church as revealed in the New Testament; and the local churches (plural) is a description of how they see themselves. No one term predominates, and they are freely used interchangeably, even in mid-sentence.
Ironically, those in the local churches very rarely use the term the Local Church (singular and capitalized) to refer to themselves; many, in fact, consider this term given them by outsiders disparaging. They strongly disavow its use, as it suggests the idea of a denomination whose name is "the Local Church". Outsiders, on the other hand, find it difficult referring to a group of Christians who have distinct practices yet who have no official name, and so have assigned the local churches the label "the Local Church" for convenience and consistency of reference.
Individual churches are called by the name of their respective cities (e.g. "the church in San Francisco", "the church in Taipei" (台北市召會)). Those in the local churches insist that these are not official names, but refers to the New Testament model, pattern and practice of one church in one city (e.g. "the church in Jerusalem", "the church in Antioch").
Chinese language lacks capitalization and plural form while Chinese terms of Christianity were all translated from other languages. It is, technically, more difficult for Chinese-speakers to refer to their churches. In the beginning the standard Mandarin term "church" (教會) was used. But in recent years, the original Greek term "ekklesia" (召會) which is a new Chinese word coined by themselves is being adopted. Outside local churches, many would just call their church buildings "Meeting Halls" (聚會所).
[edit] Basis of the local churches
The local churches organize on two basic principles, both centered on the firm belief that all Christians are universally one Body in Christ. This is the same idea promulgated in the Nicene Creed "one holy catholic and apostolic church" ("one holy Christian church" in some Protestant versions. It is important to note that the Creed refers to the lowercase c catholic church, i.e. universal church, and not the uppercase C Catholic Church, that is, the Roman Catholic Church.)
The first principle is that all believers in Christ are members of the one universal church, the Body of Christ. They believe that the church is not a physical building, but the actual members, the assembly of the called-out ones (the word "church" derives from the Greek "ekklesia", meaning called-out.). So in that sense, they do not "go" to church, they are the church. The local churches believe that the one universal church is, as the term implies, universal; meaning it spans through space and time. Therefore it includes believers everywhere and from the past, present, and future. The universal church, however, is manifested in the local churches, where it is practically built up and expressed. They believe that God's eternal purpose is the built-up universal church, and building up of the local churches is the procedure. The local churches do not have any membership in the traditional sense of the term. They automatically recognize all Christians as members of the church in their respective localities. Although there is no statement of faith that anyone is required to assent to, the churches do require that a purported believer acknowledge that Jesus Christ is fully God and is also a genuine man (John 1:1,14), and confess that he is Lord (unbelievers are welcome to attend meetings, but are not considered "members" of the Body). A believer must specifically believe that this Christ died for their sins and that God raised him from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
Beyond believing these points, there is no ceremony or official process required for membership (such as a specific method of baptism, though baptism is required at least in some local churches). Nor is anyone quizzed on these basic points of Christian belief: the local churches' practice in receiving other Christians is akin to "innocent until proven guilty" -- they will immediately offer anyone the bread and wine of communion as long as they say they are a believer in Jesus Christ(some localities require the person to be baptized in the past before taking the bread and wine though). Without official membership lists or required fees (at the individual or church levels), the only practical sense of membership in the local churches is keeping track of those who attend meetings from week to week.
The second basis of the local churches is what they call the ground of locality (sometimes called "localism"), the belief that in every city or locality (that is, town, village, etc.), there is only one local church. This is based on the fact that there is no other pattern recorded in the New Testament. (Titus 1:5, Acts 14:23.) Following the New Testament pattern, the churches take no name but the name of the city in which they are physically located (for example, "the church in Los Angeles", "the church in New York City", "the church in Wilmington", etc.).
- Henry Cotterill, bishop of Edinburgh, authored the work "The Genesis of the Church" in 1872. He wrote:
"We have observed that whilst, in the language both of Christ Himself and of the apostles, the whole body of disciples or Christians everywhere is spoken of as “the Church,” yet apostolic writers speak of Christians in a particular country as “the Churches” in that country. But whenever they would describe the body of Christians in a single city,—even in Jerusalem where, shortly after the day of Pentecost, there were five thousand disciples, it is always “the Church,” never “the Churches,” in that city: the use of the singular indicating that common corporate life of Christians dwelling in the same place." (567)
- Augustus Neander, Professor of Theology at the University of Berlin, in "History of the Planting and Training of the Christian Church by the Apostles", 1889, he wrote:
"But the Epistlets of the apostle Paul give the clearest evidence that all the Christians of one city originally formed one church."
The local churches contend that the practices of multiple congregations organizing as denominations, and the practice of individual congregations within a city splitting to form "independent churches" are unbiblical and divisive, as they are based on human preferences rather than on receiving everyone whom Christ has received. This is not to say that many local churches, particularly in larger cities, do not meet in the same meeting hall. However, although they may not meet in the same physical place, they are still considered the church in whatever-city. For example, the church in New York City has a hall in Queens and in Manhattan, but believers meeting in either hall are still considered part of one locality, the church in New York City. They are not considered the church in Queens or Manhattan, as those are boroughs and not cities. In such situations, there is still only one eldership overseeing the entire city-church who together lead all the congregations by consensus. There is a separate article on the ground of locality, including its criticisms.
[edit] Meeting life
Men and women of all ages meet with the local churches, representing a broad range of social, ethnic, and economic groups. Some devote a number of years or retire from their jobs to "serve the Lord" full-time. If not self-supported, these "full-timers" (全時間) are supported by free-will offerings, and devote their time to studying the Bible and caring for others spiritually, both believers and unbelievers. It is notable that the eldership is not usually salaried. Thus, most full-timers are not elders, and most elders are not full-timers, though quite a few are in the larger churches. Regardless of "full-time" status, all believers are encouraged to live like full-timers, emphasizing a personal relationship with Jesus, praying, meeting with other believers, and denial of the self (asceticism is strongly condemned, though).
In cities with many believers meeting as the local church, large meeting halls (聚會所) are acquired or built in close proximity to the neighborhoods in which they live, though most gatherings take place from house to house. When they do build meeting halls, they are generally unmarked, though some have a sign that generally reads something like "Meeting hall of the church in such-and-such-a-City".
Meeting life generally consists of meetings all together or by geographical district on Sundays, as well as many Bible-study and prayer meetings in the homes of the members throughout the week. Meetings are open to the public, whether at meeting halls or in homes. The giving of money is strictly free-will and secret. Contributions are usually placed in a box located at the rear of the meeting hall to avoid any psychological pressure to donate.
It is not uncommon for single male college students to live together near college campuses in "brothers' houses" (弟兄之家) and single female college students to live together near college campuses in "sisters' houses" (姊妹之家). These arrangements allow for close fellowship and the sharing of duties, and allow college students to maintain a Christian standard of living while attending secular universities. On many campuses, students have formed clubs for the purposes of Christian fellowship and evangelism. Club names include Christians on Campus, Campus Christians, Christian Student Fellowship, and similar names.
Those who meet with the local churches often lend themselves for the construction of meeting halls, training centers, and other tasks involved in their church life. A number of meeting halls have been built by them at substantial savings of time and money to the group. The former facilities for Living Stream Ministry (水流職事站) and Witness Lee's former home in Anaheim, California, were built in 1976 by the hands of those who meet as the churches.
[edit] Experiences in the United States
The local churches have experienced a reasonable amount of growth in numbers during its history in the U.S. Though a number of congregations in the U.S. were started before Witness Lee arrived to the U.S. by returning American missionaries and immigrants who were involved with the churches while in China, the movement did not gain much momentum until 1962. In that year, Witness Lee moved to the U.S. and began ministering mainly among Christians who were not satisfied with a Christianity they perceived to be full of un-Biblical teachings, extra-Biblical practices, immorality, and lack of focus.
The sharp denunciation of denominationalism and the call to unity and Biblical forms of worship attracted many Christians and Christian converts during the turbulent sixties and seventies. Those meeting as churches in established cities began moving to other major American cities to begin new churches. With thousands of Christians beginning to leave denominations to meet as the local churches in their respective cities, some denominational leaders became concerned. The ensuing controversy is discussed in a separate article on the Local Church controversy.
[edit] The Recovery Version of the Bible
The local churches encourage the use of a self-translated "Recovery Version of the New Testament" which was directly translated from Greek and is available from the church’s publishing arm, the Living Stream Ministry.
The New Testament Recovery Version was translated and revised by the Editorial Section of Living Stream Ministry from 1974 to 1991. The New Testament Recovery Version contains numerous study aids including: the subject and background of each book, detailed, interpretive outlines, enlightening footnotes, valuable cross-references, and a variety of useful charts and maps. All of these study aids were written by Witness Lee, who received much help from the writings of noted Bible expositors throughout church history, including his co-worker, Watchman Nee. The New Testament Recovery Version in its current format in English was published in 1991, and it is also available in Chinese, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, and several other languages. The Recovery Version of the Bible, including outlines, footnotes, and cross-references for both the Old and New Testaments have been available since December, 2002.
The Recovery Version Bibles may be read online: http://recoveryversion.org (English) http://www.recoveryversion.com.tw/Style0A/025/bible_menu.php (Chinese)
[edit] Controversy
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Please see the discussion on the talk page. |
[edit] Naming issues
The term "local church" is typically used in Evangelical circles to refer to assemblies of Christian believers organized near each other at the "local" level. Typically when the term "local church" is used within the organization associated with Witness Lee, it is used in contrast to all other groups claiming to be Christian. In other words, Witness Lee's group contends that as soon a group chooses a name to identify itself, then it loses both its local aspect and its unity with other Christians who meet without a name, such as Lee's group. In reality, the vast majority of Christians do not see the importance of these distinctions and they do not see themselves as divided because of a name or united because of the lack of one. However, it is noted that non-Christians view Christians in general as divided in the light of denominationalism.
Outside the organization, the term "Local Church" refers to the group of churches related to the Living Stream Ministry (LSM) that call themselves "the local churches". Some critics claim that the local churches were started by Witness Lee, a coworker of Watchman Nee who moved to the United States in the 1960s; however, those in the local churches, including Witness Lee himself, trace their practice of church life directly to Watchman Nee, his numerous publications on the topic of the local churches (see References below), and the hundreds of local churches that Watchman Nee himself raised up in China. Within the movement, it is known generally as "The Lord's Recovery," despite insistence that the movement never name itself to outsiders. See local churches for further explanation of the name(s) of the group.
As Witness Lee never claimed the name "Local Church" for the movement, and since the name was applied by those outside the movement, the term "local church" cannot be considered a trademark or trade name of any organization and remains in the public domain. This was decided in The Church in Houston (Complainant) v. Jim Moran, Light of Truth Ministries, in which
- "the Panel conclude[d] that Complainant has not met its burden of establishing that it has rights in the mark 'The Local Church.' The mark is not registered, and therefore enjoys no presumption of validity under United States law."
The Local Church lost its suit in court. However, when Mr. Moran died of a heart attack in 2003, his entire estate, including all published website material, was donated to Living Stream Ministry by his sister.
[edit] Summary of allegations against the Local Churches
This section attempts to summarize a number of allegations against the Local Churches. Some responses are given.
The Local churches differ from other Christian groups in the interpretation of a number of points, as does most of Christianity with itself, but they claim fully to agree with everything in the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed. This is the nub of the issue as it is difficult to find common ground in the first place.
As the issues here are of disputed neutrality and accuracy, it is hoped that Wikipedians will add (rather than delete) information to point out any deficiencies in these respects, in the spirit of having a neutral, factual discussion.
- Calling themselves God: Some have alleged (as one of the "sins" of "Leeism") that local church members call themselves God.
Response: It is important not to misconstrue what Witness Lee is teaching. It must be made clear that when he speaks of man becoming God, he means in life and nature, but not in the Godhead, which is the Triune God (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit). Man becomes God in the sense that the spirit of God dwelling in him and is transforming him with the divine elements of God's life into the image of God. This part is generally not in dispute [6]. It should be noted that John 10:34, even in the King James Version, says "Jesus answered them, is it not written, ye are gods?" The lower-case 'g' indicates that this use of the word is not in the Godhead but in life and nature, just as we see the words "The Spirit" to refer to the Holy Spirit and 'the spirit' to refer to the spirit of man.
The part that is in dispute is where Lee teaches that man becomes part of God. This is denied, for example, by the link just given. Again, though, it is important to see the sense Lee means when he says this: all he is saying that Christians are part of the Body of Christ. Again, this is generally not thought of as a heretical claim by mainstream Christians at all.
- Alienation from family that does not attend the Local Church: Unlike many mainstream Christians, members of the Local Church generally discourage, avoid the practice of, and do not recognize the celebration of Christmas in the traditional sense: that is carol singing, putting up Christmas trees and other decorations, and exchanging presents. This is for two commonly cited reasons: (1) the claim by some theologians that Christ was born in the summer rather than on December 25, and (2) the ancient origins in pagan rituals of what is now commonly celebrated as Christmas on December 25.
The Christmas tree, for example, has origins in pagan Druidism. This practice of avoiding the celebration of mainstream Christmas is not, in and of itself, a criticism; however, it does speak to something larger. Each year during Christmas and Thanksgiving, the Local Church holds conferences attended by thousands of members from across the world. Local Church members claim that these two holidays are the only time of the year that almost everybody has for holidays, and are therefore optimal for attendance.
Critics note that this prevents members of the church from spending time with members of their own family who are not in the church.
Response: If a member wishes to spend time with their families, there is no pressure for them not to do so. There has never been any rule preventing members from spending time with their families during these holidays. Members can choose to attend these conferences or not.(It should be noted that American members of the Local Church freely celebrate the American holiday Thanksgiving).
- Allegation of sexual impropriety: One important allegation is regarding the controversy surrounding Witness Lee's son, Philip, general manager of Living Stream Ministry in the 1980s. Some said Philip was his father's heir apparent to the entire local church organization. This sparked controversy in why Witness Lee's son was made the head of a large publishing organization. In the 1980s, Philip moved into a home on the same property as Witness Lee and his wife. The controversy began when Philip was accused of committing adultery with several different women at the Living Stream Ministry office in the late 1980s. Several leaders (most notably the three former elders of the Church in Anaheim, John Ingalls, Al Knoch and Godfred Otuteye) became concerned over the allegations and brought their concerns to Witness Lee. When Lee did not publicly discipline his son, they resigned their positions and left the Church as did hundreds of followers.
Response: Philip Lee, however, did not become leader - and most members, at least internationally, had never thought of him as being heir apparent.
- Expense to Members of Trainings and Conferences: Critics claim that Living Stream Ministry drains members' expenses with numerous conferences and trainings.
Response: Members, however, assert that they enjoy and benefit from these conferences. In fact, not only does LSM hold numerous conferences, but most large churches also hold at least one or two conferences a year. In general, the local churches' culture is one in which members love to meet with each other as often as possible, and they often willingly use their vacations to attend such conferences. Members point to the fact that, while there is no teaching that attending meetings makes anyone a "good" Christian, the Bible directs believers to meet regularly (Hebrews 3:13; 10:25). They believe that frequent meetings help them grow in their relationship with Jesus. However since no cost comparisons are provided this concern will vary according to house-hold budget.
- Calling on the Name of the Lord Compared to Buddhist-style Mantras: Critics claim that the practice of "calling on the name of the Lord" is similar to Buddhist mantras.
Response: Members find it hard to understand what is "Buddhist" about calling "O Lord Jesus!" They cite the innumerable passages in the Old and New Testaments that tell believers to "call on the name of the Lord". They further consider the critics' accusation akin to Paul's persecution of the early Christians, where he was authorized to arrest all who called on the name of the Lord (Jesus) (Acts 9:14).
- Allegation of Un-Christian doctrine: Critics claim that the Local Church reverses the meaning of such essential beliefs as salvation, redemption, divine love, human nature and the Name of Christ. For example, the central doctrine of the group is "God became man that man would become God in life and nature, but not in the Godhead." As taught in the Local Church, this means that man must grow in the life of God until he is completely transformed into Christ's image, fully expressing God. Man's original sinful nature will never be recovered or "redeemed" in the sense of becoming truly better. Instead it must gain God's nature organically. Some critics claim that the local churches reverse the meaning of Un-christian doctrines, however the result of this double-negative is in fact to proclaim Christian doctrine.
Response: Nowhere does the local church ever dispute the efficacy of salvation. It is important to separate "salvation" from "redemption" when one attempts to understand the local church's stand.
- Allegation of disdain toward Christianity and all things Christian: Critics claim that the Local Church blatantly hates Christianity, and even since they declare to be christians that they hate themselves! Members unabashedly affirm their disdain for traditional denominational Christianity as a religious system.
Response: It is not the believers into Christ from which they separate themselves, but the system of Christianity which they consider degraded. Individual members, however, have expressed respect and admiration for the organization and practices of the Plymouth Brethren, the Religious Society of Friends, and certain Baptist congregations. Members of the "Local Church movement" emphatically assert that they love and receive all Christians as their genuine brothers and sisters, but believe that God is using the local churches to carry out His practical testimony of oneness in this current age. They also claim to accept all true believers as members of the one universal Body of Christ. While critics do not disagree with Paul's charge to the Corinithians not to demoninate based on a name or a ministering servant, critics do not agree that they need to practically meet and express the oneness of Christ's body within their locality.
- Pray-Reading: Critics claim that Local Church members worship the published words of Witness through their practice of Pray-Reading. Members "pray-read" non-inspired spiritual works, such as the words of hymns and the words of Witness Lee as well as other Christian writers. Pray-reading is sometimes described as "Buddhist" by critics because it involves repetition in which critics say the mind can be distracted from Christ by Satan. Critics claim the local church christians who frame bible verses are worshipping these words, other critics claim that praying over outlines is worshipping paper. Some critics suggest not praying over outlines and study guides for light, saying it is safer not to even read them. Still some claim that local church christians repeat some words as many times as Buddhists therefore they must be Buddhists.
Response: Members strongly defend the pray-reading of the Bible based on verses such as Ephesians 6:17-18 that mentions taking the Word of God with all prayer, and verses such as Jeremiah 15:16, Matthew 4:4, and 1 Peter 2:2 that talk of eating, drinking, and breathing the words of God from the Bible. Members do not understand what is wrong with simply repeating spiritual words (food and drink) they enjoy and applying those words to a prayer to God. It is always foremost in every brother and sister's head that he is not praying to those words, but to God. Contrary to allegations, "normal" prayer is never thought of as inferior to pray-reading by all members of the local church.
Of course, the allegation of being Buddhist is completely unfounded.
- Allegation of Having Numerous front organizations: Critics claim that the Local Church has placed several "front" organizations to hide their identity from the unsuspecting public. "Front organizations associated with the local churches include Living Stream Ministry and Bibles for America. Anonymous critics claim that they must be hiding something and the Local Church is a front.
Response: The registered Christian publisher Living Stream is really a publisher of Christian books; and the agency Bibles for America does actually distribute bibles. Also, the link between the local churches and these two organisations has never been hidden by the local churches, nor by these two organisations.
- A related allegation that there is extreme secrecy involving identifying the organization, and that no name is ever given to inquirers.
Response: Local church members point out that they reject the name "Local Church", and have always taught that the Christian Church should not bear any name. See discussion on names in the article, the local churches. Members rarely ever use that name to refer to themselves and thus rarely use the name with outsiders.
Response: The local church has never identified itself with any other denomination.
- Lawsuits against critics: In 1977, two books, The Mindbenders and The God-Men were published accusing the "Local Church" of being a cult. Organizations and individuals associated with the Local Church have successfully sued certain critics for libel on these and different occasions. Critics consider this an abuse of libel laws to silence free speech. After defendants exhausted their finances and resources, The Mindbenders was eventually retracted and withdrawn from publication with a public apology, and The God-Men was determined in court to be “in all major respects false, defamatory and unprivileged, and, therefore, libelous.” However, the trial was uncontested when the defendant declared bankruptcy the day of the trial, and could not appear in court. Also, the author of The God-Men moved to Denmark immediately before the trial. The decision was thus delivered in default. The Statement of Decision is the legal record of the verdict of the Superior Court of the State of California in and for the County of Alameda. Regardless of these uncontested victories critics find any local church victories as controversial.
Currently, the Living Stream Ministry is acting as the legal plenipotentiary on behalf of member churches which it legally names "The Local Church." This naming is for legal reasons only.
[edit] Old information regarding The Mindbenders
- The Mindbenders by Jack Sparks - A POV treatment of the controversy surrounding The Mindbenders and its eventual retraction by Thomas Nelson Publishers. In 1980, four separate lawsuits were filed against Thomas Nelson in Anaheim, Dallas, Atlanta, and Cleveland, for a total of $37 million. When Thomas Nelson's liability insurance was near exhaustion, Thomas Nelson opted to settle out of court and issued a retraction as part of the settlement, which appeared in several newspapers. This retraction does not comment on alleged errors in the book; neither does it apologize for its content. Further, the retraction was issued by Thomas Nelson, whereas Jack Sparks did not issue any retraction.
[edit] Information regarding the current case with Harvest House Publishers
Sites in support of the Local Church:
- Defamation Action regarding Harvest House Publishers' Book written by John Ankerberg and John Weldon
- Response to Harvest House Corporate Statement - Response to Harvest House's comments below.
Sites by Harvest House: In this suit, The Local Church officially uses the name "Local Church" to refer to itself as a legal entity. The Living Stream Ministry acts as the sole decision-making organ, or headquarters, for all the various churches and business ventures.
- Harvest House Corporate Statement on the Local Church/Living Stream Ministry Lawsuit - A brief statement about the lawsuit regarding the Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions (henceforth ECNR).
- Harvest House Frequently asked questions regarding the lawsuit
- Harvest House Publishers and Authors Address Newest Allegations from The Local Church and Living Stream Ministry
Texas Judiciary Opinion
On January 5, 2006 the Court of Appeals for the First District of Texas issued this opinion:
- "This is a libel suit brought by a church against a publisher and two authors after the church was included in a book about “religious cults,” as that term is defined in the book. The publisher and authors moved for summary judgment, which the trial court denied. This interlocutory appeal followed. See Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code Ann. § 51.014(b) (Vernon Supp. 2005). Because we agree that the passages in the book that refer to the church are not, as a matter of law, defamatory, we reverse the judgment of the trial court and render judgment that the church take nothing from the publisher and authors."
In conclusion, the court stated:
- "Because the allegedly libel statements are not defamatory, as a matter of law, we sustain the publisher and authors’ first issue on appeal. Accordingly, we need not address the remaining issues and decline to do so.
- "We reverse the judgment of the trial court and render judgment that the church take nothing from the publisher and authors."
[edit] History of the controversy
The following is taken in part from a 1984 copy of the SCP Newsletter. Please note that the source of this material has a decided bias against the Local Church.
| Date | Controversy With | Controversy Over | What The Local Church Did | Outcome |
| 1966 | Members of the Little Flock Church at Shuman Reservoir, Taiwan. | Church property. In this rural church, the elders welcomed as Bible teachers persons previously excommunicated by Witness Lee in Taipei. A church split followed, and control of church property became an issue. | Followers of Witness Lee from out of town staged a sit-in in the church building and threatened to "take the next step" if the keys to the building were not given to them. | Approximately 90 church members reluctantly gave up the church property to approximately 10 of Lee's followers. [Note: Two out of the three persons listed on the title as owners of the building were sympathetic to Witness Lee]. |
| 1971 | Believers in Church Assembly Hall, Hong Kong | Ownership of church property on Observatory Road in Hong Kong. The church was split over this. | Church members sympathetic to Witness Lee filed a lawsuit against other members. | Out of court settlement. Property went to followers of Witness Lee. |
| 1973 | Christian Literature Crusade. Fort Washington, PA. | Alleged inaccuracies in The Ecclesiology of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee by James Mo-oi Cheung. | Threatened to sue Christian Literature Crusade. | CLC recalled books, apologized to Witness Lee, agreed not to publish revised edition. |
| 1977 | Dr. Walter Martin, Founder and Director, Christian Research Institute. San Juan Capistrano, CA. | Criticism of Witness Lee and The Local Church in public lectures. | Lawsuit threatened by The Local Church. | Threat ignored. No legal action taken. |
| 1977 | Maranatha Village. Santa Ana, CA. | Sale of The Mind Benders, a book critical of The Local Church. | Requests made by men identifying themselves as Local Church members that Maranatha Village refrain from selling the book. Persons placed Local Church tracts in the books racks. | Store continued to sell the book. Employees removed Local Church tracts from book racks. |
| 1978 | Believers in The Church in Denver. Denver, Colorado. | Ownership of church property in Denver. The church was split over this. | Church members sympathetic to Witness Lee filed a lawsuit against other members. | Out of court settlement. Property went to Witness Lee's followers. |
| 1978 | Lighthouse Christian Store. Long Beach, CA | Sale of The Mind Benders in the store. | Local Church members requested that the book be removed from the bookshelves. | Bookstore refused to remove the book from bookshelves. |
| 1979 | Christian Herald Books, publisher. Dr. Ronald Enroth, author. | Mention of The Local Church in The Lure of the Cults by Dr. Ronald Enroth. | Lawsuit threatened by The Local Church. | Without consulting the author, the publisher removed all references to The Local Church in a revised edition. |
| 1979 | Nelson Publishers. Nashville, TN; Dr. Jack Sparks, author. | The Mind Benders, a book examining cults which included a chapter on The Local Church. | Filed four separate lawsuits simultaneously in Anaheim, Dallas, Atlanta and Cleveland for $37 million. | Settled out of court with the publisher issuing a retraction and ceasing distribution of the book - the author making no apology or retraction. Media reports that The Local Church received $150,000 in settlement. Estimates are that over one million dollars was expended in litigation costs before settlement. |
| 1979 | Daniel Smith, former missionary with China Inland Mission; pastor; Bible teacher. Vancouver, B.C., Canada | Comments critical of The Local Church in Pilgrim of the Heavenly Way, Smith's self-published autobiography. | The Local Church sent one of their leaders to Canada asking that the book be retracted - "half threatening me," according to Smith. | Author rewrote |
[edit] References
- J. Gordon Melton (1985). An Open Letter Concerning the Local Church, Witness Lee and the God-Men Controversy. The Institute for the Study of American Religion. ([7])
- "Loose Cult Talk - There just might be a better way to solve theological disputes." Christianity Today, March 2006([8])
[edit] External links
[edit] Critical Sites
- "Local Church" Information Site by Daniel Azuma
- The Thread of Gold Ex-member book
- Apologetics Index Entry on the Local Church
- Apologetics Research Ministry Entry on the Local Church
- Religious Movements Homepage Entry on the Local Church
- The Watchman Expositor Entry on the Local Church
- Harvest House Publishers Appellate Court Rules in Favor of Harvest House
[edit] Sites maintained by members of local churches
- The Lord's Recovery - A History of the Lord's Recovery, as written by those inside the movement. Of particular interest is The Present Recovery which covers the recent history from an insider point of view.
- Living Stream Ministry Online Publications - A significant collection of Living Stream Ministry publications online.
- Contending for the Faith - Responses to critiques, information regarding cases involving the The God-Men and The Mindbenders, and current litigation involving Harvest House Publishers. Specifically, one should note the arguments for the alleged Biblical basis for the current litigation.
- Statement of Faith - Statement of Faith by the Living Stream Ministry
[edit] Information regarding lawsuits
- Critical view - The Spiritual Counterfeits Project Newsletter, which includes their final thoughts on the trial.
- Defense by LSM - A thorough treatment, with a copy of the statement of the decision.
