Through sixty years of practice, we have learned the lesson not to rely on organization. Therefore, strictly speaking, we do not have organization, and we have no desire to have anyone to be the head. In the past, when Brother Nee was taking the lead, he never took the position of the head, as in a worldly organization. Today, among the three ministry stations, although I have the ground to do all the speaking, I have no desire to speak on the ground of organization. I hope that such a situation will not exist among us. All those who come to serve in the ministry station need to have a heart of consecration. Furthermore, only those who are recognized by our bookroom as suitable can be accepted to serve. In the United States, especially in Irving, many brothers and sisters who come to serve in the ministry station are not the so-called employees, but volunteers who do not receive any compensation or support. Of course, we know the needs of some and will take care of them. Therefore, the service of the ministry station is not like a worldly organization hiring some employees to do the work. Rather, it is all the serving ones consecrating themselves, for the sake of loving the Lord, and each exercising his ability to do what he can do and what he should do.
From 1949 when I came from mainland China to start the work in Taiwan, until 1961 when I turned to the United States, we had only the Gospel Book Room in Taiwan publishing my writings. There was no service of the ministry station yet. After I started the work in the United States in 1962, the Stream Publishers was established in 1963 in Los Angeles to publish the messages I released in the United States. Brother Samuel Chang, who has since gone to the Lord, took charge of this for eleven years. In 1974 we moved from Los Angeles to Anaheim, and we began to have trainings twice a year, summer and winter, specifically for the Life-study of the Bible. This caused the business affairs among us to increase, and the ministry station was formed in order to meet the need. From that time on, we began to publish the Life-study Messages, one each week. In 1976, the church in Anaheim and the ministry station finished the construction of the meeting hall in Anaheim; then the ministry station began to conduct business from there. The business activities gradually spread and increased. Also the serving ones in the ministry station had their views broadened and saw the future of the ministry station and the need of the Lord’s recovery. They developed the issuing of audio and video tapes and kept expanding until they reached the situation of today, where there are three stations in Anaheim, Irving, and Taipei to carry on the business activities. The main business activity of the Anaheim station is the administration and the publishing, that of the Irving station is the printing of the English and Spanish publications, and that of the Taipei station is the publishing of the Chinese literature. Although there are three stations, there is only one management, presided over by one administration.
In the United States, the Irving station in Texas has its business office located in the large building jointly built by the church in Irving and the ministry station. Starting from 1982, the annual winter training for the Life-studies has been held there. Hence, beginning from 1983, Anaheim has had only the annual summer training.
Although the three ministry stations are located far apart from one another, because of the convenience of telecommunication, along with the harmonious coordination between the personnel working in Anaheim and in Irving, all the serving ones would give themselves to serve together wherever the need is. Hence, there is no sense of distinction between them. I hope that those who are serving here in Taipei will also have no feeling of strangeness toward those who came from the other two stations and will completely eliminate any concept of distinctions. We three stations are one group of people with everything the same, without any distinctions. For example, Hall One is having a major remodeling, and the serving ones from the two stations of Anaheim and Irving have come. If you see any place that needs to be swept or cleaned as you are going in and out here, you should do it spontaneously. Not only should the serving ones of the ministry station do this, but those in the local churches are needed also, if they can come to coordinate to help together. Even if you can come only to move a few pieces of brick or to empty the trash, it is a very beautiful thing.
I hope that you all are clear, first, that we have no organization. Second, we all come here to serve because of our love toward the Lord. Third, you should not think that only if you have a certain position do you have a certain responsibility, and if you do not have any position, you do not have any responsibility. Fourth, concerning those who are from overseas, regardless of whether they are from the churches in different localities or from the ministry station, all of us are one group of people and should not have any distinctions. We are very clear with respect to the truth that the church is the church, and the ministry is the ministry. The ministry is for the perfecting of the church, and the church cooperates with the ministry. In financial matters there should be a clear separation between the church and the ministry. However, concerning the cooperation needed for the accomplishment of the Lord’s work, the two should work together.
Today the Lord has given us the best opportunity here in Taipei to live out the vision we have seen concerning the Body of Christ. People have come here to attend the training from all the major continents of the whole earth. We should grasp this opportunity to have contact and fellowship with the brothers and sisters from overseas to understand the blessed situation of every place. It is as if we are living in a big family. As far as finances are concerned, our affairs are very clearly separated room by room. But when outsiders come to knock on the door, no matter who they are looking for, it is this family’s matter. Whoever hears the knock will come out to answer the door. What people see concerning us should be one family in every aspect.
I hope that the brothers in Taipei, whether elders or co-workers, or those serving in the ministry station or the bookroom, or full-time brothers and sisters, can properly express the Body of Christ. It is correct that as far as procedures for handling business and financial relationships are concerned, the ministry and the church are clearly separated. However, when we come to serve together, we are one group of people bearing God’s commission together.
What we are doing today is to cause the Lord’s recovery on the earth to be perfected, and to allow the Lord’s recovery to spread out from us. We thank the Lord that at the end of this age, He has raised up His recovery on the earth, and has also chosen us and put us in His recovery. Moreover, through the advancement of science and technology, with the convenience of transportation, He caused these things to work for the Lord’s recovery. Although we are weak and unworthy, the Lord nevertheless has brought His recovery to every place on this earth through us. This time the Lord has brought so many brothers and sisters from every country to coordinate and serve together with us. We look to the Lord for His visitation that we may be filled with God Himself and with reality in all our services. I hope that we can all be under this burden to offer our prayer always.
A message given by Brother Witness Lee in Taipei on April 8, 1987.