Establishing a Relationship in the Lord’s Calling: 1925 - 1935

A. Background: Witness Lee’s History

In the beginning of their history, a great geographical distance existed between Witness Lee and Watchman Nee. Watchman Nee was in the sourthern province of Fukien, China, and Witness Lee was in the northern province of Shantung, China.

Education

Watchman Nee was saved in 1920 and Witness Lee in 1925. Witness Lee’s mother’s maternal grandfather was a Southern Baptist, who in turn brought Witness Lee’s mother into Christianity. She studied in the American Southern Baptist mission school and as a teen-ager was baptized into the Southern Baptist Church about 1885. Witness Lee was born in 1905. She brought her son in contact with her Baptist Church in Chefoo. Witness Lee studied in the Southern Baptist Chinese elementary school and in the English mission college operated by the American Presbyterians in Chefoo. Though Witness Lee attended the Southern Baptist Church services and Sunday school in his youth, he was not saved and was never baptized by them. Eventually, for about five years, Witness Lee ceased attending any Christian services.

Salvation

I would like to serve You and preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus through the villages at any cost for my whole life

After Witness Lee’s second sister experienced salvation, she prayed for him and introduced him to a very fine Chinese pastor of the Chinese Independent Church. This pastor paid him a number of visits, encouraging Witness Lee to attend his Sunday morning services. After a long delay on his part, on the second day of the Chinese New Year in 1925, Witness Lee decided early in the morning to attend the services of that Chinese lndependent Church. After about two and a half months, they baptized Witness Lee into their membership by sprinkling. But it was not until a short time later that he was actually saved and turned to the Lord through the preaching of Sister Peace Wang in April of the same year. At that time Witness Lee was, in his own words “exceedingly ambitious” as a young man for his education and his future. But after he was saved under Sister Peace Wang’s preaching that afternoon, while he was walking home, he stopped and prayed to God, according to Sister Wang’s message, somewhat as follows: “God, I don’t like being usurped by Satan as Pharaoh, through the world as Egypt; I would like to serve You and preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus through the villages at any cost for my whole life." From that day Witness Lee loved the Bible. The word of the Bible became sweeter than honey, as mentioned in Psalm 19:10 and in Psalm 119:103. The Word nourished him, changed his life, and caused him to love the Lord and follow Him. Witness Lee collected as many books on the Bible as possible.

Meeting with the Brethren

Soon Witness Lee was led to attend the Brethren Assembly (the Benjamin Newton branch) in his town. The way they expounded the Bible and taught biblical truths attracted him very much. From the year Witness Lee was saved, he continuously attended their meetings for seven years. He learned much from them, especially in the matters of biblical types, prophecies, and parables. Their teachings helped him to give up worldliness in its outward aspect and kept him from drifting away from the Lord’s pathway. However, Witness Lee did not receive much help from them in the matters of life, the Spirit, and the church. He received a great deal of knowledge from their teachings but very little life.