No matter how big a church is, it cannot extend beyond the boundary of its locality. At the same time, no matter how small a church is, it cannot have anything less than the locality as its unit. If a church is smaller than a locality, it is not a church. If a church is bigger than a locality, it is not a church. What is smaller than a locality? For example, in the church in Corinth some said, “I am...of Cephas.” Others said, “I am of Paul,” or “I am...of Apollos,” or “I am...of Christ” (1 Cor. 1:12). They divided the church in Corinth into four parts. This is making the church too small. Therefore, Paul told them they were divisive and sectarian. First Corinthians 1 shows that it is wrong for a church to be smaller than a locality. Was Paul good? Yes! Was Apollos good? Yes! Was Peter good? Yes! But it is wrong to divide the church according to these persons. The church is divided according to localities, not according to the apostles. Paul said that to divide the church according to the apostles is divisive, sectarian, and fleshly. Dividing the church this way is to take the way of the denominations.
It is also wrong for a church to be bigger than the boundary of its locality. Please read your Bible. The Bible speaks of “the churches of Galatia” (1 Cor. 16:1), “the churches of Asia” (v. 19), and “the churches of Judea” (Gal. 1:22). In Judea there were many localities with churches. This is why we refer to them as the churches of Judea. We see this in Acts. In the book of Galatians we see “the churches of Galatia.” In Revelation 1:4 we see “the...churches which are in Asia.” After reading these portions of the Scripture, we should be quite clear about what the Bible says concerning this matter. No church is ever bigger than a locality. Galatia was a province in the Roman Empire; it was not a locality. This is why the Bible does not say, “The church of Galatia,” but, “The churches of Galatia.” There were several churches in Galatia. This is why the plural word churches is used instead of the singular church. Therefore, it is wrong for a church to be bigger than its locality.
The Bible does not say, “the church in Asia,” but “the seven churches which are in Asia”! Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea were all localities in Asia. These seven places did not become one united church. They remained seven churches in Asia. It is wrong for a church to be bigger than its locality. These seven churches did not become one big church. In the same principle, we see “the churches of Judea” because at that time Judea was a province of Rome. Originally, it was a nation. Later, it became a province. In the province of Judea there were many localities with churches. They could not be combined together to become one church.
We must see that God ordains to have only “the church in Foochow”; there cannot be an “XXX church in Foochow.” Having this would make the church smaller than its locality. Neither can anyone unite all the churches in the province of Fukien and make them one church. We can only have “the churches in Fukien,” not “the church in Fukien”; to have such would make the church bigger than its locality.
Brothers, we must be clear that the church cannot be named after a person, a doctrine, a system, or the place of its origin. It should be identified only by the name of its locality, not the name of its place of origin. There can only be “the church in Foochow”; there cannot be “the church of Shanghai in Foochow.” You cannot have the Roman Church in Shanghai. The Roman Church has to go back to Rome. If some believers from the church in Rome come to Shanghai, they can be part of the church in Shanghai, but they cannot set up a Roman Church in Shanghai. The place of origin cannot be brought to Shanghai. The Anglican Church should go back to England. The Anglican believers that come to Shanghai should become the believers in the church in Shanghai. They should not bring the Anglican Church to Shanghai. The church can only be local. In His Word, God has ordained that the church should be divided only according to locality, not nationality. There should not be any Chinese Church or Anglican Church. There can only be the church in London and the church in Shanghai. They are only localities. Churches are based on locality, not nationality. There is no such thing as “the Church of Christ in China” in the Bible.
There should not be any distinction of people, nationality, or doctrines. God’s Word only allows one kind of distinction— according to locality. Wherever you are, you are a member of the church in that locality. If you want to change your church, you have to change your locality. If I am in Foochow, and I cannot get along with a brother, there is only one way for me to leave the church in Foochow—I have to leave Foochow. God only recognizes the difference of locality. He does not recognize any other difference. I hope you will receive God’s mercy to see that there is only one church and that the church is local.