In the spring of 1949, the Lord’s recovery took a step forward when some saints moved from mainland China to Taiwan. In recent days we have gathered some statistics on all the churches on the earth today. From this “official” survey, we have obtained accurate information showing that on this earth there are presently more than six hundred churches in the Lord’s recovery spread over five continents. We have not included mainland China in the statistics because we are not clear about its true situation.
In 1949 there were approximately eighty to ninety churches outside of mainland China, most of them being in Southeast Asia. At that time there were no churches in either Japan or Korea, and in Taiwan there were only five or six very small churches. For example, the church in Taipei had no more than a few dozen saints meeting in a Japanese-style house made of straw mats. In Hong Kong there was only one locality with a church. In Southeast Asia the churches were concentrated mostly in four countries: Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Further south toward Burma and India, there was some contact with a small number of people but no formal meetings anywhere. Therefore, the total estimate was at the most eighty to ninety churches.
After we were sent to start the work in Taiwan, the Lord was able to gain scores of churches on the island of Taiwan. During this time the publications we put out were used by the Lord in many ways. For example, the first publication we began upon our arrival in Taiwan was a magazine called The Ministry of the Word, which included a special series of issues entitled A Supplement on Fundamental Truths. Later this special series on the truth was published in a volume called Fundamental Truths in the Scriptures. The Lord greatly blessed this publication in the Philippines, particularly in the southern part. Within a period of ten to fifteen years the Lord raised up almost one hundred churches on the island of Mindanao alone through the Fundamental Truths in the Scriptures.
In 1958 the Lord led us to spread to the Western world; in particular we were led to contact America. Due to this contact we received the burden to spread the work of the Lord’s recovery to America. By the end of 1962 we were very clear that we should take up this burden. Moreover, we were clear that we should not direct our work only toward the Chinese community in America, as most of the Chinese evangelists or pastors had done. Amazingly, our work reached the Caucasian Americans from the very onset. Thus, the work of the Lord’s recovery entered into the English-speaking Western world from the very beginning.
By the year 1960 the number of churches had increased from a base number of eighty to ninety in 1949 to a total of approximately two hundred fifty. This included an increase of fifty to sixty churches in Taiwan, about one hundred churches in the southern part of the Philippines, and two to three churches in Japan. Thus, before the Lord’s recovery spread to the Western world, there were already two hundred fifty churches in the Far East.
A total of twenty-three years has passed since the inception of the work of the Lord’s recovery in America in 1962 to today. During this time, because the Lord’s work has been predominantly in the English-speaking world, it has spread from America to the other continents-to Europe, Australia, Africa, and also to Central and South America. This expansion has not been very fast or widespread, but during these twenty-three years, the Lord’s recovery has established at least three hundred seventy churches in the Western world. Adding these to the ones in the Far East, we have a total of about six hundred twenty to six hundred fifty local churches.
The point I am making here is that, on the one hand, we dare not say that this expansion has been very fast or very widespread, yet on the other hand, we must bow our heads in worship to the Lord because He has truly been working among us. On the five continents there are about forty countries with churches in the Lord’s recovery. In addition, this number does not include mainland China. This is a matter we all must see.
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