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Watchman Nee used eight different means to carry out the ministry wrought into him by the Lord. Five were general and three were specific. The five general means were preaching the gospel, teaching the Bible, traveling, contacting people, and corresponding with people. The three specific means were holding conferences, conducting trainings, and issuing publications.
The first means Watchman Nee adopted to carry out his ministry was preaching the gospel. This means was primary in the early years of his ministry. He preached to both crowds and individuals; he preached in homes and on the streets; he preached in cities and in villages. He also preached at home and abroad. In addition to speaking, he used tracts and pamphlets to preach the gospel. Although he was not considered an evangelist primarily, he did much evangelistic work and brought hundreds of solid fruit to the Lord for the building of His churches.
Watchman Nee also used Bible teaching to carry out his ministry. Before 1928 he conducted a thorough study of the book of Revelation in Shanghai with a small number of believers. At the end of 1931 he conducted a one-month Bible study on church truth with the saints in Shanghai. After 1931 he conducted an intermittent study of the Gospel of Matthew with the church in Shanghai over a period of years. In or around 1932 he held a Bible study on tribulation and rapture truth with the saints in Shanghai. This study was published in a booklet entitled Tribulation and Rapture. In February 1934 following his third overcomer conference, he conducted a study with the church in Shanghai and a number of co-workers from different localities on the boundary of the local churches. These messages were published in a book entitled The Assembly Life. In May 1935 at the request of a few co-workers (fewer than ten), he conducted a thorough study on the Song of Songs at West Lake, Hangchow. These messages were also published in a book entitled The Song of Songs. In May 1937 he held a study with the church in Shanghai on gospel questions and how to enter into the kingdom. In October of the same year, he held another study with the church in Shanghai on the difference between the local churches and the work. In February 1938 he studied the truth of the Holy Spirit with the church in Shanghai. This study included the Comforter's work within the believers, the work of the Holy Spirit as poured out upon the believers, and the need for the believers' life to be filled with the Holy Spirit. In February 1938 he conducted several Bible study meetings with the church in Hong Kong. In 1945 he conducted a study on the orthodoxy of the church with the church in Chungking. This study was published in a book entitled The Orthodoxy of the Church. By means of such Bible studies, many saints were enlightened and the churches established.
Traveling was the third means Watchman used to carry out his ministry. Although he had no desire to be popular, under the leading of the Lord, he traveled through a number of provinces in China. Wherever he went, sinners were saved, believers were edified in life, and either the church was strengthened or the way was paved for a church to be established.
In 1922 he visited Shanghai, testifying in the Christian and Missionary Alliance Auditorium at North Szechuan Road.
In 1924 he preached in Hangchow. From there he went to Nanking to assist in the work of the Spiritual Light.
In 1925 he held revival meetings with the denominations in Changchow, south Fukien.
In March 1926 he visited Amoy, Kulangsu, Changchow, and Tung-An, in south Fukien for approximately two months.
In the summer of the same year, he held revival meetings in the province of Anhwei.
In the second half of 1926, he visited south Fukien again and established gatherings for the Lord's recovery in Amoy, Tung-An, and nearby places.
In the late fall of 1926, he was invited by Cheng Chi-kwei and Ruth Lee to visit Nanking for the second time. He stayed in the home of Brother Cheng and helped him translate Scofield's Bible Correspondence Course and preached at Nanking University.
In the beginning of 1927, he took up residence in the town of Tsao-Chiao, Wusih, Kiangsu, where he wrote the first volume of The Spiritual Man.
In March 1927 he visited Shanghai, attending the gatherings there with the saints in the Lord's recovery. He later settled in Shanghai.
In the summer of 1928 and in July of 1930, he went to Kuling, Kiangsi, for rest.
In January 1931 he visited Swatow and Chieh-Yang, Kwangtung, returning to Shanghai at the end of the same month.
In the same year he visited Peking.
At the end of March 1932, he visited Tsinan, the capital of Shantung province. While in Tsinan he spoke to over eighty students at Chi-Loo University who were on a mountain retreat in Taishan. Following this he worked at the university for eleven days. This visit paved the way for the church in Tsinan to later come into existence.
In June of 1932, he was invited by the Chinese Independent Church in Chefoo, where he spoke to denominational believers for one week. That visit facilitated the raising up of the church in Chefoo.
In July of the same year, he was invited to speak to the students and the church members at the Southern Baptist Seminary in Hwang-Hsien, a city close to Chefoo.
In April of 1933, Watchman visited the saints in the Lord's recovery at Tsinan, the capital of Shantung. From there he continued on to Chefoo to visit the church and spoke both to the saints in the Lord's recovery and to those in the denominations.
In the winter of the same year, he again visited Tsinan to visit the church and strengthen the saints there.
In October 1934 he held his fourth overcomer conference in Hangchow.
In the spring of 1935, he traveled with Samuel Chang, his brother George, and a third brother through the provinces of Chekiang, Kiangsi, and Hunan to visit the provinces of Kwangsi, Kweichow, and Yunnan to look over the situation as it related to the furtherance of the Lord's recovery.
In August of the same year, he visited Chefoo from Shanghai and held a special conference with the church there.
In October, again of the same year, he visited Kulangsu in south Fukien, holding a conference with the co-workers.
In January 1936 he traveled from Shanghai to Peking to visit the church there. From Peking he went on to Tientsin to strengthen the new work there by holding special gospel preaching meetings.
In May of the same year, he was invited to speak to the provincial officials in Kaifeng, Honan. From there he returned to Shanghai.
In November of 1937, he visited Hankow and conducted a retreat for the co-workers from the coastal provinces. At this conference he released his messages on the Rethinking the Work, which has been republished as The Normal Christian Church Life.
In December of 1937, he went to Hong Kong, polished messages for the Rethinking the Work, and returned to Shanghai in January of 1938.
In February he left Shanghai for Hong Kong again and held Bible study meetings there.
In 1941 he visited Hong Kong.
In March of 1945, he went to Chungking to live for a period of time during World War II. While he was there, a number of seeking saints contacted him. Meetings were held with them on the seven epistles in Revelation 2 and 3, which was the study that formed The Orthodoxy of the Church. In February or March of 1949, he visited Taipei, had fellowship with the leading brothers for ten days, and imparted much help to them in the matters of spiritual knowledge and experience of life.
In January of 1950, he visited Hong Kong from Shanghai for a period of two and a half months. He conducted church meetings in the evenings and met with the co-workers and leading ones in the church in Hong Kong in the mornings for a considerable period of time. In the first part of his visit, his ministry brought a revival to the church there. Due to this revival, many of the saints in Hong Kong handed over their possessions.
In addition to his domestic traveling, he also visited a number of foreign countries.
In November 1924 he visited Sitiawan in Malaysia. He visited the same place the following year and established the first church in Southeast Asia. He returned to China from Malaysia in May 1925.
In March 1931 he worked in Japan for one week.
Late in June 1933, he traveled through France and stayed in London, England, for a period of time. He visited the Brethren assemblies and also met with T. Austin-Sparks and those who met with him at Honor Oak, London. In London he also visited D.M. Panton and George Cutting who told Watchman, "Without Him I cannot live, and without me He cannot live." The Brethren brought him to America to visit the assemblies in Vancouver, Canada, and New York City. In New York he spoke in English to over two thousand Brethren believers. He returned to China in August of the same year. Through that visit the real condition of the Brethren assemblies became clear to him.
In July 1937 he visited Manila in the Philippines and conducted meetings there morning and evening. While in the Philippines, he held a mountain retreat in Baguio. There he spoke to over one hundred believers on the overcoming life of Christ, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and the truths concerning the church and fellowship.
In September of the same year, he traveled from Manila to visit Singapore, Sitiawan, and Penang in Malaysia.
In February 1938 he traveled from Shanghai to Hong Kong, Singapore, and Penang, holding meetings with the churches in these places respectively.
In April Watchman traveled through India, arriving in London in May to meet with T. Austin-Sparks.
On July 22 he attended the Keswick Convention with Brother Sparks. In the morning a missionary meeting was held. The chairman of the meeting, Mr. W.H. Aldis, knowing Watchman was present at the meeting, asked him to offer prayer. He hesitated at first, but after checking with Sparks and being encouraged by him, he offered the following prayer: "The Lord reigneth. He is reigning, and He is Lord of all. Nothing can touch His authority. It is the spiritual forces that are out to destroy the interests of the Lord in China and Japan. We do not pray for Japan. We do not pray for China. But we pray for the interests of Thy Son in China and Japan. We do not blame any man. They are only tools in the hand of the enemy of the Lord. Lord, we stand in Thy will. Lord, shatter the kingdom of darkness. Lord, the persecution of Thy church is persecuting Thee."1 This prayer was offered in the presence of a Japanese Christian at the time the great havoc of the invading Japanese army was increasing. The whole congregation was both captivated and deeply impressed by this prayer.
In October of the same year, he was invited to visit Denmark. He also visited Norway, Germany, and Switzerland. He returned to London by way of Paris. While staying in London, his book Rethinking the Work was translated into English. The work of translation was done with the help of some sisters, and the book was published by Austin-Sparks' bookroom under the title Concerning Our Missions. This book was published with the hope of being able to minister to the Lord's people in the Western world on the practicality of the church life. At that time his ministry on Christ as life was fully accepted in northern Europe. However, the atmosphere at that time was not conducive to the release of his ministry on the practicality of the church life. It was for this reason that he was burdened to leave with them his main publications on this matter.
He left England in May of 1939, returning to Shanghai in July by way of India and Singapore.
His visits to the foreign countries left those who met him with a deep impression that he was commissioned by the Lord. These contacts paved the way for the future furtherance of the Lord's recovery outside of China.
Watchman Nee also fulfilled his ministry by personally contacting people. He used this means mostly in dealing with special cases. He was rich in life and keen in discernment, always affording timely help to those who came to him. Through his personal fellowship, many wanderers were brought back to the Lord, many distracted believers were brought back on track, many defeated saints were recovered to the Lord's victory, many needy persons received the supply of life, and many seeking ones were enlightened to turn to the Lord's recovery. His spirit was always strong and able to discern the real situation of those who came to him. Thus, he was able to give them proper instruction either in the spiritual life or in practical matters.
The last of the several general means Watchman Nee used to fulfill his ministry was correspondence with others. Contacting and fellowshipping with people by letter is the same, in principle, as contacting them personally. Letters containing questions and personal needs frequently came to him from believers in many places. If time had allowed, he could have given his full time to this matter alone. He possessed the adequate knowledge and bountiful life supply to answer the questions of his correspondents and supply their need.
What follows is an excerpt from his open letter in the fourth issue of The Present Testimony, published in July 1928. This letter reveals how much he engaged in letter writing to carry out his ministry:
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In the last four months I have devoted my entire being to the writing of The Spiritual Man. Because of this, I have been unable to reply to many incoming letters which have piled up. I wish the brothers and sisters who have written me will realize that my delay does not mean I do not have a heart for you. Every letter has been carefully read. I am most sympathetic toward your problems. However, because of the time limitation, I have been unable to reply immediately. I wish all those who correspond with me will bear this in mind.
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The following is another excerpt from his open letter in the thirteenth issue of The Present Testimony, published in March 1930:
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Regarding many who have written asking questions on the Bible, frankly speaking, I cannot reply. If I were to answer each question, I would need to open a Bible correspondence course. However, if there are problems concerning spiritual life, I might be able to allot a little time for them.
