The local churches should be organic; they should not be organizational. Although these two words are simple, they are not easily explained. Our minds are, by natural constitution, bent on being organizational. After we are saved and begin to love the Lord, and even after we have become elders, within we are still full of organizational thoughts. We always think in terms of control and organization. First Peter 5:1-3 says, “Therefore, the elders among you I entreat, who am a fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, who am also a partaker of the glory about to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God among you, overseeing not by way of compulsion, but willingly, according to God; not seeking gain by base means, but eagerly, nor as lording it over the allotments, but becoming patterns of the flock.” Shepherding is organic, while lording it over is organizational. For the elders to shepherd is an organic matter, while for them to lord it over others is an organizational matter. Although after the last four years of labor, the church in Taipei has been put on the right track of the new way, I am still worried that the element of organization is stronger than the element of organism. For example, when a meeting hall decides to preach the gospel, it gathers a few dozen brothers and sisters together, divides them into teams of three, and sends them out by teams to knock on doors and visit people. This way is rather organizational and is a hindrance to the proper organic functioning.
In the new way of the Lord’s recovery, there should not be this kind of organization; rather, every brother and sister should be led of the Lord and should be perfected. Every day they should live a revived and overcoming life. Every day they should have a touch with the Lord and should fellowship with Him. In this way, the Holy Spirit will have the circulation of life within us. A few of us will then spontaneously be burdened to go to visit people and preach the gospel. These few do not have to wait for the arrangement and organization of the elders; instead, they can just go out to preach the gospel. This will be organic and not organizational. It will be the prompting and leading of the Holy Spirit within. Not only does the preaching of the gospel have to be organic, but even the home meetings, the group meetings, and the district meetings have to be organic. These should not be carried out through organization. We should try our best to avoid any arrangement that resembles organization.
Why do we fall into organization? The reason for this is that we are not perfected enough organically. It is like a mother raising her child. Provided she gives the child enough nourishment and protects him from sickness, all of the child’s activities, no matter what they are, will be organic. But if one day the child has a stroke and his arms or legs become paralyzed, he will lose their organic function. When that happens he will need artificial arms or legs in order to perform the same functions. But then the functioning will no longer be organic; it will be organizational.
Because the co-workers and elders among us have not rendered enough perfecting and nourishment to the saints, the saints have not attained to the proper measure of life. None of the saints are burdened enough for the home meetings, the group meetings, and the district meetings. There is not even the adequate burden for the preaching of the gospel. Because there is the lack of burden, everything is done by instruction, promotion, and arrangement. This is proof that there is very little organic functioning by the saints. As a result, what is manifested is mostly human labor and is very close to being an organization. Today all of Christianity is greatly lacking in the life supply and life growth, and the result is that everything is maintained by organization. Although we have received mercy and light from the Lord to be a little different from them, in practice we are still very weak in the perfecting in life.
Let me give another obvious example. When there is the need to clean the meeting hall, the elders will announce the need, with the hope that the brothers and sisters will pick up the burden. Initially, when the announcement is made, many come to serve. But after a while, the zeal cools down, and as more friction comes in among the saints who serve, the number drops. This proves that the whole work is organizational rather than organic. The elders should help the brothers and sisters to pray more and to abide in a life of loving the Lord and having much fellowship with the Lord. In this way, the Holy Spirit will move in the saints, like blood circulating, to give them a feeling within that they should come to the meeting hall to clean. What others are reluctant to do, they will gladly take up. When they come to serve in this way, their service will be organic and not organizational.
First Peter 5:2 says, “Shepherd the flock of God among you, overseeing...according to God.” Shepherding the flock of God must not be according to methods, ordinances, or one’s own will; rather, it should be according to God, according to His life and nature. This is to be organic. “Not by way of compulsion, but willingly...not seeking gain by base means, but eagerly” (1 Pet. 5:2). All these are comparisons of the organic way with the organizational way. They show us that the elders’ shepherding should not be organizational, but organic.