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Indiana · 12-11-2011, 06:16 PM

Leadership for
Entering the Good Land

Houston Sister Speaking Truth
A couple of weeks ago I read a post by Thankful Jane where she once again brought the reader’s attention to the dark side of the church life where she had been a member, mainly in Houston. Her post related the passing over of sin by the elders and their taking the advice of Brother Lee in not dealing directly with the sinning elder. Although Brother Lee had his reasons for suggesting that the brother just re-locate, (which would include avoiding the risk in Houston of a lawsuit by the family), the result of not dealing with the sin in his locality has been catastrophic up to this day.

I had been reading more of her book these days about the issues that grieved her so deeply, the dark events and cruel behavior of elders, especially by Sam Jones and Dan Williams. Since she and others were so negatively impacted, one can understand why she wants to drive home the points she made about leaders, practices, and teachings that are stressed in the Local Churches - and examine the fruit! This is what responsible people do.

I realized yesterday who Sam Jones must be. In a phone call with a former elder in LA and Rosemead, I found out that his wife had repeatedly protested to her husband about the things she knew and that had been covered up in Texas. She had been in at least two Texas churches – Houston and Irving. In order to keep her quiet “the church” had bought a house for this elder and his wife. She has now passed away, only about a month ago.

Enemy's Entrenchment Manifest
Something riveting to me is that not only Jane, but also a brother in Texas spoke of the presence of spiritual darkness while in separate sessions with elders, the brother having the spiritual sight of a black snake spiraling upward behind the backs of the elders. Do I have this right? These testimonies make sense in light of the truth “pressed down” in unrighteousness among them and their evil behavior toward Jane and others, the basic lack of individual care for the members, and obsession with a man and a ministry.

(As a side note, “Steve Smith” and two elders sat behind me in the 1974-75 winter training on Romans, and I never forgot my impression of them. I could hear them talk, infrequently as it was, always low volume and uninspired, dragging, without joy. On breaks, from the beginning, I noticed they were not engaging at all, without light in their countenance or life in their step. They were very weighed down throughout the ten days of training, morning and night. I sensed death and darkness was with them and knew that something was wrong.)

I just share this experience and don’t know what they were experiencing in their lives, as elders one year into the ministry movement spawned by WL and Max in Jan.’74, a movement that escalated with each passing year. Did the crashing of Daystar affect them? Or, I carefully ask, had the elder already been in sin at this time? The reason I would say, yes, is because sin brings in death, and that type of sin would account for this kind of paralyzing death I witnessed. This is only a conjecture, a possibility that I posit.

Whatever the case, I would not have wanted to trust being under their care, and the march underway to the one accord drum beat to align elders with a universal leader precluded expectations that such an important movement would sacrifice its objectives to stop and care for people, and with sin.

The Sisters’ Reaction
The joyful brother in my phone conversation yesterday said that what was called a rebellion by the sisters was actually not a rebellion but a reaction they had to the sins of WL’s two sons. He himself testified that he could sense spiritual death in the office of Living Stream as he passed through it; and then one day he himself became a witness to Philip Lee’s moral misconduct, as was Warren Peterson also on another occasion. This sinning by PL was never treated and dealt with, though Max Rapoport tried. He had approached Brother Lee.

The sisters initially came together to pray, then they also approached Brother Lee and confronted him to deal with his son and the sin in the office of Living Stream. Ten years later reports came again and the church in Anaheim was in an upheaval over the undealt-with sins at Living Stream Ministry.

Focus on a Movement
With focus always on the movement and not on dealing with the sins and the unrighteous and cruel behavior in the leadership, death has now spread to the point of a possible imminent collapse of an unrighteous leadership.

Jane Anderson speaks in her book, The Thread of Gold, about the behavior of Local Church leadership which believes “it needs to protect the Local Church’s reputation and the ministry of Witness Lee”. She says it is “more than disturbing” that they are willing “to preserve their cause at the expense of others and even at the expense of truth”. (p. 263)

She is not alone in this thought. And the numbers are climbing around the globe. There are websites on the local churches that I didn’t know existed, as a brother told me of several, and my own timeline of LC history was sent to me from one of those sites, having been edited by someone and I think improved. In other words, many voices are being heard all around the world and the pressure is increasingly on LC leadership.

Moses Heart for God
As Moses prepared to lead the children of Israel into the good land of Canaan, we see a completely different picture of the leadership expected among God’s people than what has been prevailing in the Local Churches for decades. Moses received word from God for leaders to deal with equity in their oversight of the multitudes under their care.

In Brother Lee’s footnote he says,

“In Deuteronomy, Moses as the spokesman of God was like an aged, loving father speaking to his children with much love and concern.” (Deut. 1 note 2, RCV)

Deut. 1:9 And I spoke to you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you alone.

v 10 Jehovah your God has multiplied you, and now today you are as the stars of the heaven in multitude.

v 11 Jehovah, the God of your fathers, add to you a thousandfold ones like you and bless you as He has promised you!

v 12 How can I alone bear the burden of you and your strife?

v 13 Choose for yourself men who are wise and prudent and well-attested, according to your tribes, and I will make them your leaders.

v 14 And you said, The thing which you have said for us to do is good.

v 15 So I took the leaders of your tribes, men who were wise and well-attested, and I made them leaders over you, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officials for your tribes.

v 16 And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the cases, between your brothers and judge righteously between a man and his brother or the sojourner with him.

v 17 You shall not respect persons in judgment; you shall respect the small and great alike. You shall not fear the face of man for judgment is God’s. And the case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me; and I will hear it.

v 18 And I commanded you at that time all the things you should do.

Steve Isitt
Dec 11, 2011

12-11-2011, 06:16 PM	#3
Indiana Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 718	Re: Leadership for Entering the Good Land Leadership for Entering the Good Land Houston Sister Speaking Truth A couple of weeks ago I read a post by Thankful Jane where she once again brought the reader’s attention to the dark side of the church life where she had been a member, mainly in Houston. Her post related the passing over of sin by the elders and their taking the advice of Brother Lee in not dealing directly with the sinning elder. Although Brother Lee had his reasons for suggesting that the brother just re-locate, (which would include avoiding the risk in Houston of a lawsuit by the family), the result of not dealing with the sin in his locality has been catastrophic up to this day. I had been reading more of her book these days about the issues that grieved her so deeply, the dark events and cruel behavior of elders, especially by Sam Jones and Dan Williams. Since she and others were so negatively impacted, one can understand why she wants to drive home the points she made about leaders, practices, and teachings that are stressed in the Local Churches - and examine the fruit! This is what responsible people do. I realized yesterday who Sam Jones must be. In a phone call with a former elder in LA and Rosemead, I found out that his wife had repeatedly protested to her husband about the things she knew and that had been covered up in Texas. She had been in at least two Texas churches – Houston and Irving. In order to keep her quiet “the church” had bought a house for this elder and his wife. She has now passed away, only about a month ago. Enemy's Entrenchment Manifest Something riveting to me is that not only Jane, but also a brother in Texas spoke of the presence of spiritual darkness while in separate sessions with elders, the brother having the spiritual sight of a black snake spiraling upward behind the backs of the elders. Do I have this right? These testimonies make sense in light of the truth “pressed down” in unrighteousness among them and their evil behavior toward Jane and others, the basic lack of individual care for the members, and obsession with a man and a ministry. (As a side note, “Steve Smith” and two elders sat behind me in the 1974-75 winter training on Romans, and I never forgot my impression of them. I could hear them talk, infrequently as it was, always low volume and uninspired, dragging, without joy. On breaks, from the beginning, I noticed they were not engaging at all, without light in their countenance or life in their step. They were very weighed down throughout the ten days of training, morning and night. I sensed death and darkness was with them and knew that something was wrong.) I just share this experience and don’t know what they were experiencing in their lives, as elders one year into the ministry movement spawned by WL and Max in Jan.’74, a movement that escalated with each passing year. Did the crashing of Daystar affect them? Or, I carefully ask, had the elder already been in sin at this time? The reason I would say, yes, is because sin brings in death, and that type of sin would account for this kind of paralyzing death I witnessed. This is only a conjecture, a possibility that I posit. Whatever the case, I would not have wanted to trust being under their care, and the march underway to the one accord drum beat to align elders with a universal leader precluded expectations that such an important movement would sacrifice its objectives to stop and care for people, and with sin. The Sisters’ Reaction The joyful brother in my phone conversation yesterday said that what was called a rebellion by the sisters was actually not a rebellion but a reaction they had to the sins of WL’s two sons. He himself testified that he could sense spiritual death in the office of Living Stream as he passed through it; and then one day he himself became a witness to Philip Lee’s moral misconduct, as was Warren Peterson also on another occasion. This sinning by PL was never treated and dealt with, though Max Rapoport tried. He had approached Brother Lee. The sisters initially came together to pray, then they also approached Brother Lee and confronted him to deal with his son and the sin in the office of Living Stream. Ten years later reports came again and the church in Anaheim was in an upheaval over the undealt-with sins at Living Stream Ministry. Focus on a Movement With focus always on the movement and not on dealing with the sins and the unrighteous and cruel behavior in the leadership, death has now spread to the point of a possible imminent collapse of an unrighteous leadership. Jane Anderson speaks in her book, The Thread of Gold, about the behavior of Local Church leadership which believes “it needs to protect the Local Church’s reputation and the ministry of Witness Lee”. She says it is “more than disturbing” that they are willing “to preserve their cause at the expense of others and even at the expense of truth”. (p. 263) She is not alone in this thought. And the numbers are climbing around the globe. There are websites on the local churches that I didn’t know existed, as a brother told me of several, and my own timeline of LC history was sent to me from one of those sites, having been edited by someone and I think improved. In other words, many voices are being heard all around the world and the pressure is increasingly on LC leadership. Moses Heart for God As Moses prepared to lead the children of Israel into the good land of Canaan, we see a completely different picture of the leadership expected among God’s people than what has been prevailing in the Local Churches for decades. Moses received word from God for leaders to deal with equity in their oversight of the multitudes under their care. In Brother Lee’s footnote he says, “In Deuteronomy, Moses as the spokesman of God was like an aged, loving father speaking to his children with much love and concern.” (Deut. 1 note 2, RCV) Deut. 1:9 And I spoke to you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you alone. v 10 Jehovah your God has multiplied you, and now today you are as the stars of the heaven in multitude. v 11 Jehovah, the God of your fathers, add to you a thousandfold ones like you and bless you as He has promised you! v 12 How can I alone bear the burden of you and your strife? v 13 Choose for yourself men who are wise and prudent and well-attested, according to your tribes, and I will make them your leaders. v 14 And you said, The thing which you have said for us to do is good. v 15 So I took the leaders of your tribes, men who were wise and well-attested, and I made them leaders over you, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officials for your tribes. v 16 And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the cases, between your brothers and judge righteously between a man and his brother or the sojourner with him. v 17 You shall not respect persons in judgment; you shall respect the small and great alike. You shall not fear the face of man for judgment is God’s. And the case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me; and I will hear it. v 18 And I commanded you at that time all the things you should do. Steve Isitt Dec 11, 2011