Quote:
Originally Posted by Freedom
What I want to say is that Christianity has changed over the last 100 years. This is a dynamic process that is happening right before our eyes. Such groups were essentially trying to distance themselves from the denominationalism of yesteryear, just like the LC. The existence of such groups didn't fit the LC paradigm, and even to this day I have heard some LCers insist on saying that such non-denominational groups are denominations. Tell me how that makes any sense.
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The Spirit of God used the tremendous social unrest of the late 60's (
primarily Viet Nam protests on college campuses and racial tensions in the ghettos in reaction to MLK's murder) to breathe new life into His church. The old wineskins of the denominations we grew up in were rejected for something new from God. All sorts of experimental and transitional church settings were initiated, some of which survived and many did not.
When Witness Lee came to this country in the early 60's, the transition and unrest had just begun. At that time, there were basically
only the denominations. In Ohio, we had Catholics, Orthodox, Lutherans, Methodists, and Baptists. The European immigrants had come to find work in the cities, and they brought their denominations with them. These old Gothic architectural wonders called "churches" had become almost synonymous with the dying rust-belt culture. During this time of social upheaval, it was either change or die, and many could not. I was raised Catholic, and they tried to adjust by changing the Mass from Latin to English.
After Witness Lee was in this country, he added "free groups" to his hatred for denominations. Genesis Life Study Message (approx. #56) on Lot and his daughters was used to condemn these
free groups in every way possible. That message is perhaps the most pathetic one Lee ever gave. Since then, however, many of these "free groups" have grown up to be non-denominational community churches. Lee had to condemn everything Christian to prove that he alone was the MOTA, and the LC's alone were His testimony.