Eventually, I was sent from mainland China to Taiwan, and we started the work there in 1949. After six years, in 1955, there was a great increase in our number. Some of the leading ones in Taiwan received some letters from abroad encouraging them to invite Brother Austin-Sparks. Two of the leading ones in Taiwan thought we needed the help in spirituality. I agreed with them, but I said that we had to be careful. I told the brothers that in a recent issue of Brother Austin-Sparks' paper, The Witness and the Testimony, there was a small paragraph written by him in which he expressed his thanks to the people who sent him Christmas cards. That was the January issue of 1955. I told the brothers that we had been enlightened by the Lord to cast down and give up all the things related to Christmas. Yet here was a spiritual person still expressing his thanks to the people who gave him Christmas cards. I told them that we know people not always by the main points but by the small things. This is because people can be very careful about the main points. They can pretend and cover things. But they are careless with the small things. We have to learn to know people not by the "head" but by the "tail."

For this reason I told the brothers that we had to be careful. We had good fellowship with those Christians in England. But I said, "Suppose we invite him to come and he is dissenting in something. Then we will have trouble. It might be better to keep our good fellowship with him without any direct contact." Two weeks later the two brothers again brought up the subject of inviting Brother Austin-Sparks. I went along with them, agreeing to invite him. I wrote the invitation, and he came to Taiwan in 1955.

Our time with him was wonderful during his first visit. He ministered on the spiritual side of Christ as life according to what we expected. Then we invited him to come a second time, but during his second visit he opposed the practicality of the church, the ground of the church. I had over thirty long talks with him. Each session was about two or three hours. But he was greatly opposed to the ground of the church. The practicality of the church is a great truth, but to practice this truth requires the paying of a price.

I say again that Brother Nee's ministry in the aspect of Christ was fully accepted, but his ministry in the aspect of the church was fully rejected. Some may feel that it is sufficient just to publish Brother Nee's books concerning Christ. However, it is altogether unfair to hide the books by Brother Nee concerning the church. This is dishonest. I was with Brother Nee day after day for many years, and he opened up his heart to me many times. I can say, at the very least, that I was one of three persons who knew him to the uttermost. I know where he stood. I was sent out of mainland China by Brother Nee. I asked him why he made such a decision. He told me that maybe the enemy would wipe us out in China. He said that if I were to go out, we would still have something left. In this sense, I was charged by him to be responsible for what the Lord had shown to him. The more that people try to hide Brother Nee's books on the church, the more burdened I am to put them out.