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When we speak of changing the system, I hope that all the elders, the co-workers, and especially the older co-workers and elders would not think that we are merely making a change in the way of doing things. In the changing of the system, we are addressing our neglect of the small groups; this is our biggest shortage. We must pick up the matter of the small groups again and pay attention to them. If we had been more alert in the past twenty years, we would not be suffering such a great loss today. This does not mean that we do not need the big meetings. I would like to emphasize again that the big meetings and the small group meetings are like two indispensable wings of an airplane. This is clearly revealed at the beginning of Acts (2:42, 46). Nevertheless, it is easy for people to stick to old ways as a matter of habit.
When the Lord brought us to Taiwan from mainland China, we made up our mind to eliminate everything that was unnecessary, based on past experience. We kept anything that was necessary and useful and eliminated anything that was unnecessary and not useful. As a result, our work in Taiwan greatly flourished; in the beginning it was very fruitful. However, some of our young co-workers came under the influence of “spiritual pursuit,” meeting with Brother T. Austin-Sparks in private when he first visited Taiwan. Although we boasted that we were in one accord, Brother Sparks used the example of these young co-workers to tell me that there were dissenters among us.
Once the dissenting ones among us stirred up trouble, the fresh and sweet feeling in the Lord’s work was lost, and instead, there was a continuous flow of damaging news and rumors that was very disheartening. This incident was a great loss to us, and it exposed that their type of “spiritual pursuit” should not be pursued. After the passing of Brother T. Austin-Sparks, there was no more so-called “spiritual pursuit” in Western Europe and the United States. If the incident involving Brother T. Austin-Sparks had not happened, the Lord’s recovery in Taiwan would not be limited to the situation that it is today, and the Lord would have already brought us into the present burden. At that time the dissenting ones said, “Brother Lee’s ministry is finished.” They thought that they had seen a vision, that they could carry out some work, and that they could preach the word. Hence, I went to the United States and left the work in Taiwan for more than twenty years. Objectively speaking, the work in Taiwan merely held on to an old way.
It is the Lord’s mercy that we are beginning to see the importance of the small group meetings. We are not abandoning the big meetings, but the big meetings should not come first; rather, the small group meetings should come first. The small group meetings are the foundation. If our work does not reach the small groups, at most, we are following degraded Christianity, no matter how good the big meetings are. Although we may not want to admit it, this is a fact. If we follow the way of the past, without seeing clearly that the small groups are the basis for the work of the church, we are in degradation because this is the way of Christianity.
Whether in Taiwan, in the West, or in Southeast Asia, the top priority of our work should be the small groups. We need to learn from scratch. The previous way is a thing of the past; both the “weapons” and the “tactics” are outdated. We are now using a new type of weapon and new tactics; therefore, we need to learn. We should not make excuses by saying that we do not understand or know how to do this. We need to learn from scratch and see that in order for the Lord’s recovery to have a way today, we must start with the small groups.
Concerning the producing of full-time serving ones, the co-workers and elders must work hard to arrive at a point where there can be one full-timer for every twenty persons among us. We must hold on to and practice this principle. To put it even more strongly, this should become a “law.” Therefore, this will require the speaking and leading of the co-workers and elders. In this way we will be able to gospelize Taiwan. We must preach the gospel all over the island of Taiwan. Otherwise, we will let the Lord down and also let our fellow countrymen in Taiwan down. We should lower our heads and confess our shortcomings. The Lord has given us a rich knowledge of the truth, and He has also led us to pursue life. However, have we afforded the Lord a way? We need to see our failure. We must establish the small groups in order to produce full-timers to gospelize Taiwan.
Furthermore, we must lead the brothers and sisters to coordinate with the Lord’s move in the matter of material riches. Everyone should offer up at least one-tenth (Mal. 3:10) and even offer up everything for the Lord. We should have this kind of atmosphere among us. In the Lord’s recovery we should be more zealous for the gospel than anyone else, and we should try our best to offer up material riches for the Lord’s use. Therefore, we should lead the brothers and sisters to be faithful in material offerings. We have to work hard on every aspect of the church life; we need to work hard on the small groups, lead the full-timers in a serious way, and be faithful in material offerings so that the Lord will have a way among us.
Not everyone who wants to serve full time can serve full time. This requires a process of screening and selecting. This can be carried out by the co-workers in each local church with the help of the elders. Some people are lazy by nature and are not suitable for serving full time. Such a person may have a heart to serve the Lord, but we should advise him to get a job, or he will cause problems in the future. Screening and selecting are essential. A full-timer should be at least a college graduate. If a person’s education level is not sufficient, we should advise him to go back to school. We should also advise those who are younger than twenty-two or twenty-three years old to go back to school and pursue further study.
There are always some in the church life who cause problems. We should advise such ones to not serve full time, because they are already a problem in the church. The co-workers in a locality, together with the elders in a locality, need to screen and select before asking a person to drop his job and serve full time. For those who are not suitable, it is better to advise them to either go back to school, to take up a job, or even to take care of their own family. We should not immediately agree to let someone serve full time. We need to be careful in this matter.
I hope that the older co-workers will proactively take up the responsibility to lead the new full-time serving ones. We should try our best to avoid organization and arrangement because organization and arrangement are a shame to us. There are approximately one hundred full-time brothers and sisters in Taipei. The co-workers who are older than they should take up the burden to lead them all the more.
In summary, everyone needs to see that the principle of the new system is to place the work and the church in the hands of the saints. In referring to the churches, the Bible speaks only of the church of God (1 Cor. 1:2; 10:32), the churches of Christ (Rom. 16:16), and the churches of the saints (1 Cor. 14:33). There is no church of the elders or church of the apostles. We must give every believer the sense that the church belongs to them. We should work to develop their organic function. The elders and co-workers should not replace anyone; everything should be placed before the brothers and sisters. This is the reason that the small group meetings do not need leading ones. As long as the brothers and sisters have a willing heart, there will be opportunities for all. The elders and co-workers must hold on to this principle and not rely on arrangements.
In the new system everyone has a responsibility, everyone has a right, everyone has an opportunity, and everyone has the blessing. Everything involves everyone, and everyone needs to learn to live before the Lord. We need to discard the concept of “leading.” Every single member of our body is a leading member. Our feet take the lead to walk. Our eyes take the lead to see, and our hands take the lead to grasp things. We need to encourage the brothers and sisters to work, but we should not work in a chaotic way. If we become chaotic, God will not be pleased and will not bless us. Therefore, we need to learn.
The brothers need to know that the church is administrated by the elders. The principle is the same regardless of whether it is a small church or a large church. Taipei is a large church with more than twenty halls, and there are some important overall practical matters. The majority of the brothers are bearing responsibilities at various halls. A few older brothers bear broader responsibility. Any matters involving the overall aspects of the church should not be decided by the various halls. Rather, these matters need to be discussed and decided in an elders’ meeting of the church in Taipei. After a decision has been made, it can be passed to the various halls for execution. For example, matters concerning hall nineteen can be passed to the elders in hall nineteen, and matters concerning hall eight can be passed to the elders in hall eight. Matters concerning an overall aspect should be passed to the brothers responsible for the overall aspect. No one is under anyone, and no one is above anyone. Instead, everyone is under the decision of the elders’ meeting. This is the elders’ administration of the church.
The elders’ administration of the church depends altogether on discussion and decisions; everyone should come together for fellowship, discussion, and decisions. Once a decision has been made, matters concerning a particular unit can be passed on to that unit for execution. This does not mean that the responsible brothers in the church’s business office are above the elders in each hall. Everyone is equal, but each type of work is executed separately. This principle is very clear.
If we would like to talk about practical matters concerning the business office, some responsible brothers in charge of the main business office should discuss the matters first. After they have looked into the matters, they can make a proposal and have an elders’ meeting to fellowship with the elders in all the halls. Those who are elders in a large church should learn how to arrange a meeting and put forward a proposal. If it is felt that a particular matter should not be handled by the main business office but should be assigned to each hall, a joint decision must be made based on how the elders in each hall feel about it. In summary, we should not have the thought that other halls do not need to be concerned about matters related to a particular hall. Rather, all the elders of the church need to care about matters concerning every hall. We must grasp this principle.
The crucial point that we need to pay attention to is how to produce full-timers and how to lead them after they are produced. For example, there are close to one hundred full-time brothers and sisters in Taipei. We should consider whether to let them choose where they would like to meet or whether to make some other arrangements. Moreover, it is worthwhile for the elders to come together to study how to practice the small groups and how to lead them. Based on statistics, the attendance in the small group meetings is higher than the attendance in the Lord’s Day meeting. This is a good sign. Although the attendance of both meetings is not that ideal, it is good that the attendance in the small group meetings exceeds that of the Lord’s Day meeting. This proves that it is worthwhile to practice the small groups. When we look at the church attendance from now on, we should look first at the attendance in the weekly small group meetings instead of the attendance in the Lord’s Day meeting.
We must study how to pay attention to the small group meetings and how to make the small groups living, even to the point where they can fulfill the four functions of gaining new ones, recovering dormant saints, retaining people, and making the small groups living and rich.
The co-workers and elders need to gather together to receive the burden and to continue steadfastly in prayer. Although we may agree with the change of system, our burden is not sufficient. We may merely be accepting the change. Whether or not this change is successful, however, will depend on whether we have a burden. If the co-workers do not see the vision, then just changing the way will not be successful. We must have a burden. If there are still some who feel that there is no need for change and still want to have just the big meetings to give messages, they have not seen the vision. If we see the vision, we can no longer hold just big meetings to give messages. Instead, we will practice the small groups. We must follow every aspect, change every aspect, and learn every aspect. We should carry out a living work, not a dead work. This principle is very clear—we must take the way of the small groups.
May the Lord cover us with His precious blood. Although we have not done a perfect job, the foundation and principles have been laid. Moreover, we have all been in the work for a long time and are also responsible in the churches. I believe that we know how to go forward, how to make the small groups living and solid, and how to change the concept of the brothers and sisters. In the past the concept of the brothers and sisters was to pay more attention to the meeting on the Lord’s Day morning than to other meetings. I am afraid that we still subconsciously pay attention to the meeting on the Lord’s Day morning, without seeing that our foundational work depends on the small groups. From now on, the focus of our work should be to make the small groups living. This is the present need. We must all consider this carefully before the Lord and strive to promote the small groups in every place. This should be the focus of our work.
