In 1949 I came to Taiwan due to the unstable situation in mainland China. Before I came to Taiwan, southeast Asia was the only place overseas that had local churches, and the total number was less than one hundred. Now there are nearly nine hundred churches in the six continents of the earth. When the Lord’s recovery came to the United States, the things that attracted the American brothers the most were the truths and the life supply in the Lord’s recovery. These two items attracted them to come into the Lord’s recovery. Among those who came in during that time were college students and preachers. Nevertheless, there were a small number who held different opinions and eventually left us.
In 1972 and 1973 the Lord’s recovery in the United States began to spread through migration; the number of saints increased greatly. Many came in, and much opinion came in as well. In those years, some problems also arose in the United States. All the problems were due to opinions. Therefore, in 1982 I called an international elders’ meeting to do my best to help the brothers. In 1984 and 1985 I continued to call for international elders’ meetings. I said, “For the Lord’s recovery to spread on the earth, there cannot be any opinions, and everyone must be in one accord. The most important thing today is the oneness. Everyone needs to be in one accord, to blow one trumpet and accept one leadership.” I hope that by my speaking these words, you can see that the hindrances and losses we encountered in the Lord’s recovery in the last sixty years have all been due to different opinions. These opinions and arguments had almost nothing to do with the truth, but were related to the practices.
In one of the meetings in February of 1986, I formally announced, “I have tolerated the situation of discord in the United States for over twenty years already. From now on, I will not tolerate any longer.” This does not mean that if you are not in one accord, then you are not a local church. You are still a local church, but you will have difficulty working together with me. I am like Gideon blowing the trumpet. It does not mean that those who did not follow Gideon were not Israelites, but it means that those who did not follow Gideon could not be ranked within the army of Gideon. I have received a burden from the Lord, and this burden requires the co-workers to move in one accord.
Now I want to talk about the ministry station. Although here in Taiwan the name “The Gospel Book Room” is used, what we have here is still a part of the ministry station. The ministry station is composed of the Levites who serve the ministry. We all should see that the fact that the churches on the earth today can be established and supplied is altogether due to this ministry. And this ministry can become widespread, for the most part, due to the help rendered through the Levitical service in the ministry station. Suppose for these twenty years I had gone to the United States, and there had been no issue of publications, cassette tapes, or video tapes. In that case, the spread of the ministry would have been reduced by more than one-half. The expansion of this ministry depends not only on the effectiveness of the ministry itself, but also on the effectiveness manifested by the coordination between the work of the Levites in the ministry station and the ministry. This also indicates the importance of the ministry station.
There are a few basic principles of serving in the ministry station: first, no opinions are allowed, and second, everyone accepts one leadership. Although the ministry station is separated into three offices—Anaheim, Irving, and Taipei—there is only one management, one leadership. The ministry station has its direction and method of management. Those who come to serve all know clearly that they should only serve and not have any opinion. It does not matter how foolish or how poor the decisions of the ministry station seem to you, as long as you are one who comes in to serve, you must do things according to that way, and you cannot bring in your opinions. According to my experience, no matter how good the way is, once there are opinions, the matters will be ruined. The way may be somewhat foolish; yet it will be all right if there are no opinions.
In the beginning when I was leading the church in Taipei, I purposely worked to reach a point that no one had any opinion. When the elders came together, every one was positive, without any opinions. They were all of one heart. Hence, the Lord’s work in the first few years was becoming more prosperous day after day, and the number of believers increased continually. Therefore, I set up a basic principle for the ministry station that whoever comes to serve cannot bring any opinions. Of course, we are not capable in every aspect, but we have our own way. If you follow our way, you will succeed at the end.
I also desire that the service in the ministry station be harmonious. There needs to be harmony in order to have a testimony. Like those who helped Moses build the tabernacle, our Levites who help the ministry should have a testimony of oneness. Those who serve in the ministry station are not allowed to have discord. This ministry is for the building of the church. Naturally, the Levites who serve the ministry need to have the testimony of the ministry. I hope that those who serve in the ministry station can be in one accord and also love one another.
Now the Lord’s recovery is spreading abroad; the service of the Levites is increasing on all sides. From now on, we should not make distinctions between people; we all are the serving ones of the one ministry. Here there are no seniors or juniors; there is neither high rank nor low rank. We have only one management, one administration. In this service we have no opinions, and we do not care for right or wrong; we simply love one another and are harmonious together. We really feel that our commission is too great. May the fellowship today be of benefit to us and give grace within.
A message given by Brother Witness Lee in Taipei on May 14, 1987.