The co-workers should not depend on me for the trainings. I cannot bear such a heavy burden. Ever since I returned on November 21, 1970, I have been in numerous meetings with no rest. Furthermore, the burden of the Book Room is also upon me. I often stay up until midnight to review manuscripts. Therefore, the brothers need to receive this burden. Regardless of whether I am present, they must hold an East Asia conference at least once every two years. Such a conference will greatly benefit the churches. If my energy and time allow me to travel, I will return to help with the conference. In any case, it is necessary that the co-workers bear this burden.
It would be more suitable to have an East Asia conference during the holidays. The summer holiday may be more suitable because a substantial number of saints either work in schools or are students. Most of my work in the United States is done in the summer. That time affords the best opportunity for me to work. According to past years, the work accomplished during the summer is often more effective than what is done during the rest of the year. From June to September I will be in conferences, and the schedule for these three months will be very tight. However, the results reaped during these three months will be equivalent to the results for the rest of the year. For this reason I will not be able to come to Taipei during the summer. Therefore, the brothers and sisters need to receive the burden to pray for the international conference.
A time of joint training is needed; it would be a great help to the churches. Last week the saints from various places in Taiwan came together to be trained. That training was a great help to all the churches. The strengthening from that training issued in positive results in the recent gospel meetings. Of course, a foundation must first be laid in every local church. Based on such a foundation, the trainings and conferences cause the saints to be burning. At present, the churches in Southeast Asia and Japan are somewhat established. If the co-workers can go and strengthen the churches there, an international conference would have a greater effect on the saints. Therefore, such a conference is indispensable. The brothers should have more fellowship concerning this matter to confirm this need.
The co-workers must always remember the direction of our work. On one hand, the co-workers should strengthen the local churches, help them to spread, and perfect and cultivate the saints. On the other hand, the co-workers should encourage the churches to attend the international conference and help the churches to prepare for the conference. The co-workers and the elders must understand our current situation so that they endeavor in this direction for the sake of the Lord’s testimony.
The Lord will bless and propagate His work, so the churches need to receive this burden and give one-tenth of their offerings. The elders may decide to send the offering to Taipei. The general business office of the church in Taipei can open an account to take care of the offerings from the churches. Whenever a need arises in relation to the international conference, these funds will be available for use. If the churches are led to use their offering in a certain way, they should do so. For example, the church in Kaohsiung may feel to help the church in Taitung and give its offering to Taitung. Or the church in Taitung may feel to give its offering to Hualien. Even if a local church is not led to give to a specific need, in principle it should not keep its offering. The church should send it to a fund in the general business office in Taipei. However, this fund is not for the general business office; the business office merely oversees the use of this fund on behalf of the churches. When there is a shortage in funds for the international conference, the general business office can designate a portion of these funds for use. However, we should not depend entirely on this fund to meet the needs for the international conference. There may be a need for the churches to give more. In short, every church should give one-tenth of their offerings.
The work in Hong Kong began in 1937 when Brother Weigh Kwang-hsi was led by the Lord and confirmed by the work to begin the work there. In the spring of 1950 Brother Nee visited Hong Kong from mainland China for the last time and brought a revival to the church in Hong Kong. During this revival the brothers and sisters willingly handed themselves over. At that time Brother Nee sent me a cable, asking me to go to Hong Kong and make arrangements for the elders, deacons, and all the services in the church. I stayed in Hong Kong for one and a half months and made arrangements for the services of the elders and the deacons. Since the church did not yet have a meeting hall, we formed a purchasing and construction group. We then bought a piece of land on Observatory Road and began the construction of a meeting hall. From 1950 to 1956 the saints progressed according to the leading in the work. Many blessings were brought in during that period of time, because of the one accord among the saints.
From 1956 to 1958 one of the elders there was dissenting concerning the leading in the work; he desired to take another way. When the problem in Taiwan broke out, this brother spoke with the dissenting brothers in Taiwan and supported them. In 1961 he began to publicly accuse me of speaking heresy. He could not accept the teaching concerning the Son being the Father, concerning the Son being the Spirit, or concerning the New Jerusalem not being a place but a person. He was also strongly opposed to our practice of burying our oldness. In 1968 his opposition became stronger. He considered burying our oldness to be heretical and said that it was an act of nailing the Lord Jesus to the cross again, which violated the Lord’s Person. In August of 1970, while the co-workers were absent, he called a meeting of the whole church, in which he openly declared his opposition and claimed that I spoke heresy. Another elder in Hong Kong felt the severity of the situation and called Brother Weigh Kwang-hsi and other elders, who were in the United States at the time, to discuss how to deal with the situation. In September three brothers returned to Hong Kong, and the dissenting brother was stopped from doing anything further for the time being. When he continued his opposition, Brother Weigh called me long distance and said that I should go to Hong Kong as soon as possible. After much fellowship with the brothers in the United States, I went to Hong Kong on October 15.
The six elders had announced a conference beginning on October 16. However, the dissenting elder called a meeting on October 15, in which he stirred up the saints. On October 16 the saints took over the meeting hall and declared that they were chasing away heresy. As a result, we decided not to have the conference.
The Lord used this situation to sanctify the church in Hong Kong. This opposition appeared to be related to the truth. However, it was not about the truth but about a brother wanting to do another work and have another move. His actions were the same as the opposing brothers in Taiwan. All the brothers and sisters are clear that it was not a matter of the truth but of someone desiring to establish a territory and do his own work. The most fearful thing in the work is for someone to have ambition and establish another territory. There was nothing controversial in the aspect of the truth. This ministry does not speak heresy. It does not say that the Lord Jesus is a sinner or that the Lord Jesus is not God. Accusing me of speaking heresy was an excuse. The dissenting ones were not willing to receive the leading in the work. They put out their own teachings and established a territory for themselves. This was the basic problem. Nevertheless, the Lord used the turmoil that they stirred up to sanctify His church.