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To all the brothers who are partakers
of the gracious calling:
For years I have felt the need of a publication which could be used to communicate news of the work in all of the localities. A local newsletter belongs to a particular locality and serves a particular church. But we need a paper for the intercommunication of news which will serve all the localities, that is, one which will serve the work. The name, The Open Door, was chosen much earlier, and I had hoped that others would be raised up by the Lord to bear its responsibility. This was my hope because, on the one hand, there is the need, and on the other hand, my special stand makes it impossible for me to undertake the task myself. If this had been undertaken by someone else, it would have been merely personal and done by someone who was gifted to do it. But if I were to do it, it would become official and would be based on my position. Therefore, in order to avoid this, I dared not move for years.
I never believed that this newspaper would be issued under this kind of circumstance, at this time, and in this place. Now I must do what I did not wish to do. However, please keep in mind always, brothers, that this is a personal ministry and not the instrument of any organization. If any co-worker or church in any locality is unwilling to see their news appear in this publication, please say so in order that none might be offended in this matter. But I do wish that I could receive news from all the localities so that those who are concerned for them could make intercession.
The original intention of my recent trip was to go on to England and America. I did not know why, but I kept being delayed on the way. After spending ten weeks in Southeast Asia, I still had not entered the Indian Ocean. While at Penang, I felt the Lord wanted me to return to take care of some work before proceeding on to England.
The emphasis of The Open Door is the gospel work in all the localities. It seems that now is the time that the door for preaching the Word is open the widest, and we pray that God would cause us to make use of this opportunity. In this publication we will print:
(1) Articles concerning the principles of the work.
(2) News of gospel preaching in all the localities.
(3) The addresses of the workers (the apostles) on the move.
(4) The addresses of the meeting halls of the local churches so that the brothers who are escaping the war might know where to meet.
(5) The whereabouts of the brothers (the disciples) in the Lord at every place in order that comfort might be given to those who are concerned for them.
We are now temporarily publishing at Gospel Court, Lane 1, Hsiao-Dong-Jia, Hankow. In the future we may move to Ch'ang-sha, though this is difficult to predict. Our correspondence address remains at Hankow until further notice.
There is still one further matter. Because the itinerary of the co-workers in the various places is continually changing, it presents a problem to those who wish to write them. We wish to serve the brothers in this matter. Anyone wishing us to forward their mail may send it to the above address, and it will be taken care of accordingly.
This publication is not for sale. We trust in God for the supply of its need. Peace be unto you.
Your brother,Watchman Nee
"Those therefore who were scattered went throughout the land announcing the word as the gospel" (Acts 8:4).
The Lord Jesus commanded, "You shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8). But until today, we are still in "Jerusalem"; we have not preached in all "Judea and Samaria" yet, much less the uttermost part of the earth. Because God's apostles and disciples were hesitant to move out, He used the hand of Saul to scatter them "throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria" (8:1). Then He raised up an apostle — Paul — who was truly capable of answering His commission. During this period of persecution "the word as the gospel" was announced (v. 4). On the one hand, they were running for refuge. On the other hand, they were spreading the word.
During the past few years our work has mainly centered around the coastal regions. None of the places in the inland regions have seen God's full testimony. Although some brothers have paid attention to the work in various places, most are bound to the work in a single locality. I believe that God allows the present war to go on for our benefit. I believe His strategy today is the same as in the early days of the church. For this reason, I believe that we should produce the same result today as in those early days. I would speak as a brother and would suggest the following things:
(1) We all know that the church is local and that its administration and work are local. This is the time for the apostles (the workers) to turn the administration and work over to the local churches and for the local brothers to take up the responsibility of the local work and administration.
(2) Now is the time for the apostles to spend more time to labor in the inland regions. We should not have the concept that we must hold on to the coastal cities and go through tribulation with the brothers. We should realize that we are not running away from the tribulation; rather, we are going forth to preach the word. Actually, going to the inland regions under the present circumstances is more difficult and more uncertain than before. But we should trust in God rather than men, knowing that our provision and protection is from heaven. Those who do not look to God genuinely and absolutely are not qualified to work for Him.
(3) The responsible brothers in the various localities should remind the brothers in dispersion that they should not set their eyes too much on the war. During this time they should spend more time to preach the gospel and establish churches, just as Philip did in the region of Samaria. While it is true that the apostles should move out, it is also true that the disciples should move out.
I personally believe that God will use this war to expand and increase the sphere of His work. May our prayer be correspondingly deeper!
Finally, a word of reminder: Our urgent need is the preaching of the gospel and the establishing of local churches. We are not here to exhort others to leave the denominations. Those who pay attention only to the matter of denominationalism are not our brothers; they are not our co-workers and are not qualified to be our co-workers.
Brothers Chang Kwang-rong, Ho Yueh-chiao, and Chou Shing-yi and Sisters Chang Chi-nien and Liu Hwei-fen are all in Shanghai. [Address omitted]
Brother Witness Lee and Miss Peace Wang worked in Tai-Yuan, Ho-Tsin, and Chu-Ou in Shansi province. They are probably in Hou-Ma Town now. [Address omitted]
Brother Hsieh Yung-seng and Miss Tso Fu-ru are still in Ku-Ling with a special conference, which will probably end on the twentieth. [Address omitted]
Brothers Stephen Kaung, Faithful Luk, and K. H. Weigh are now working in Hong Kong. God has started a wonderful work there. Every Lord's Day about two hundred brothers and sisters are meeting together. [Address omitted]
Brother Chang Tze-jieh is still in Tsingtao. [Address omitted]
Brother Tang Shou-ling has left Nanking and is now living in San-Chao-Fu in Mou-Kan Mountain.
Miss Miao Yun-chun is still in Changchow. [Address omitted]
Brother Chen Ju-yien and Miss Huang Ro-chen are still in Canton. [Address omitted]
Brother James Chen is still in Amoy. [Address omitted]
Brother Chen Ke-san has returned to Sien-you. [Address omitted]
Brother Lin Kwang-tsao is still in Yunnan. [Address omitted]
Brother Simon Meek is in Manila. [Address omitted]
Brother Han Fu-shen has returned to Chin-Chiang from Hangchow. [Address omitted]
Brothers Lan Tsi-yi and Chang Yu-zhi are in Hankow. [Address omitted]
Through the direct and indirect impact of the war, many brothers in various localities have lost their properties and jobs, or they are in dire conditions. Their difficulties can be expected but cannot be felt unless one is actually going through the same trauma. When the saints in Judea were suffering calamities, Paul exhorted the churches to make special offerings on their behalf (1 Cor. 16; 2 Cor. 8—9). Indeed, your abundance should be "for their lack that their abundance also may be for your lack," for the divine principle is: "He who gathered much had no excess, and he who gathered little had no lack" (2 Cor. 8:14-15). May God grant us the grace to dispense grace to others.
At that time there was Titus. Today we have our Titus also. I have obtained the consent of Brothers K. H. Weigh and Lan Tsi-yi to serve as the receivers for such a fund. Their addresses are as follows: [Addresses omitted]
I will join with these brothers to distribute such a fund faithfully for the benefit of the brothers and the glory of God.
A servant of Christ,Watchman NeeSeptember 19, 1937
