[rayliotta]

Originally Posted by Ohio

Both Nee and Lee taught that there should be twice as many sisters as brothers in a local church.

This was "based" upon the house in Bethany in John chapter 12, which supposedly was a true model or "miniature" of the healthy church life. Read about these ten distinguishing "characteristics" in the first footnote on John 12.1. The footnote item (5) says "having more sisters than brothers," but I heard elsewhere on a number of occasions that Nee prescribed a 2:1 ratio.

Even the footnote seems to contradict this "model" ratio by including Simon the leper. That would make 2 brothers and 2 sisters, perhaps a more "ideal" ratio.

This footnote is so typical of the ministries of both Nee and Lee. Both needed to maintain their "Seer" status by "seeing" truths and patterns in the Bible which no one else could "see." By "seeing" the proper sister:brother ratio in a "normal" local church they established a standard which no church could measure up to.

So, I think this begs the question...and it may be a rather uncomfortable question...Why, really, would Watchman Nee and Witness Lee have wanted to believe that churches should have twice as many women as men?

It seems to me that this is a rather odd thing to think. Especially if you're going to preach that this actually should be characteristic of the churches under your ministry. So...is this a fair question to ask?