Local churches

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The term Local churches (dt. Local communities or local communities , sometimes little flock [little flock]) originally referred to a special manifestation of Protestant Christianity in China . It essentially goes back to Watchman Nee and Witness Lee , whose teaching is now being disseminated by the Californian publishing house Living Stream Ministry . She co-founded the tradition of the Chinese house churches , shows parallels to the house church movement in general and can now also be found in other countries. The former house churches have now grown significantly.

background

Watchman Nee and Witness Lee first met in Yantai in 1932 . Both came from Christian families. Lee later became Nee's closest collaborator. Together with other co-workers, they planted churches across China and Southeast Asia. When the communist revolution came in 1949, there were at least 600 local churches . Since this group did not want to give itself a name, it was called by outsiders "Little Herd" because they sang songs by the British Plymouth Brethren , whose hymn book was entitled Hymns and Spiritual Songs for the Little Flock . Nee was imprisoned in 1952 and died in a labor camp 20 years later. Witness Lee emigrated to Taiwan in good time and built up a large number of churches there. In 1958 he started to travel to the USA, in 1962 he settled in Los Angeles, in 1969 there were already local churches in California, New York and Texas.

The American scholar J. Gordon Melton reports that "in China some of Nee's followers recognized Lee's teachings while the other part rejected them," so that "there is a distinction between the 'old local church' (Laodifangjiaohui, 老 地方 教会), which recognized Nee's teachings but rejected those of Lee, and came to the 'new local church' (Difangjiaohui, 地方 教会), Lee's own organization ”.

Theological Aspects

Typical aspects of the local churches can also be found in European brother communities, such as an elders body, the priesthood of all believers, the rejection of a clergy-lay system and the central role of the Lord's Supper . Special traditions are the emphasis on the common knowledge of Christ and the theology of "recovery" , an early Christian model for the local churches .

Ecclesiologically important is the emphasis on the spiritual unity of the believers in the respective city or (secular) community , which is intended to remove confessional divisions. Watchman Nee and Witness Lee emphasized that the New Testament names churches after their city. The Christians in Corinth are referred to as “the church of God that is in Corinth” ( 1 Cor 1: 2  ELB ). According to Nee and Lee, there should be only one municipality in each city, whose area of ​​responsibility encompasses the entire city in which it is located. Accordingly, the parishioners of call local churches their meetings as "the church in (name of city)." However, this statement does not mean: "We are the only true church", but: "We are only the true church, like all true believers are". This has contributed to its spread.

The liturgy and service of the local churches have an unusual effect on newcomers and include aspects of speaking in tongues and charismatic forms of worship. In China, among other things, the name Shouters (eng. Schreier) is common for the associated communities .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Reinhard Hempelmann: Ortsgemeinden (local churches) . In: EZW-Lexikon .
  2. ^ Alan Hunter, Kim-Kwong Chan: Protestantism in Contemporary China , Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2007, pp. 83ff.
  3. ^ Joseph Tse-Hei Lee: Watchman Nee and the Little Flock Movement in Maoist China. In: Church History 74: 1 (2005), p. 84.
  4. ^ A Memorial Biography of Brother Witness Lee. Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim 1998.
  5. ^ Joseph Tse-Hei Lee: Watchman Nee and the Little Flock Movement in Maoist China. In: Church History 74: 1 (2005), p. 72.
  6. ↑ a b c d Elliot Miller: Cultic, Aberrant, or (Unconventionally) Orthodox? A Reassessment of the “Local Church” Movement. In: Christian Research Journal 32.06 (2009), p. 10f.
  7. ^ David Adeney: China: Christian Students Face the Revolution . Intervarsity Press, Downers Grove 1973.
  8. ^ Joseph Tse-Hei Lee: Watchman Nee and the Little Flock Movement in Maoist China. In: Church History 74: 1 (2005), p. 69.
  9. ^ A b c Elliot Miller: Voices of Confirmation Concerning Watchman Nee, Witness Lee and the Local Churches. DCP Press, Anaheim 2010.
  10. ^ Witness Lee: Watchman Nee: A Seer of the Divine Revelation in the Present Age. Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim 1991.
  11. ↑ Interview: J. Gordon Melton. Local church, screamers, congregation: the who's who of the Watchman Nee tradition . In: Bitter Winter , January 15, 2019.
  12. ^ Joseph Tse-Hei Lee: Watchman Nee and the Little Flock Movement in Maoist China. In: Church History 74: 1 (2005).
  13. ↑ Gretchen Passantino: No Longer a Heretical Threat; Now Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ: Why, concerning the Local Churches, I No Longer Criticize, but Instead Commend. In: Christian Research Journal 32.06 (2009) p. 49.
  14. ^ Witness Lee: The Genuine Ground of Oneness. Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim 1979.
  15. ^ Watchman Nee: The Normal Christian Church Life , p. 74.
  16. ↑ Arthur C. beep grain: Profiles in Belief . Vol. II, III & IV, Harper and Row Publishers, San Francisco 1979, pp. 78f.
  17. ^ Joseph Tse-Hei Lee: Watchman Nee and the Little Flock Movement in Maoist China. In: Church History 74: 1 (2005), pp. 73-77.
  18. ↑ Gordon J. Melton et al. a .: The Experts Speak - The Testimony of J. Gordon Melton, John A. Saliba, Eugene Van Ness Goetchius, Rodney Stark, H. Newton Malony, and Edwin S. Gaustad Concerning Witness Lee and the Local Churches. Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim 1995.
  19. ↑ Gretchen Passantino: No Longer a Heretical Threat; Now Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ: Why, concerning the Local Churches, I No Longer Criticize, but Instead Commend. In: Christian Research Journal 32.06 (2009) pp. 48–50.
  20. ^ Elliot Miller: The Conclusion of the Matter: We Were Wrong. In: Christian Research Journal 32.06 (2009), p. 47.
  21. ↑ Hank Hanegraaff: We Were Wrong . In: Christian Research Journal 32.06 (2009), p. 4f.
  22. ↑ Collin Hansen: Cult Watchers Reconsider: Former detractors of Nee and Lee now endorse "local churches." In: Christianity Today, January 26, 2009.