Further Revelations: 1937 - 1950

At the end of December 1936, Witness Lee received a cable from Watchman Nee asking him to come to Shanghai immediately for an urgent conference of all the co-workers. Peace Wang, Chang Yu-tzu, a third co-worker, and Witness Lee arrived at Shanghai early on the morning of January 1, 1937. Watchman Nee met them at the station, and the conference started the same day. In that conference, messages were released which now form the substance of the book entitled The Normal Christian Church Life. During the conference Watchman Nee became ill with a cold. He called Witness Lee to his bedside and charged him to deliver the message that he intended to release on Acts 13. After receiving all the points from him, Witness Lee did as Watchman Nee desired and delivered the message, but Witness Lee confessed that “it was very inadequate.” Eventually, after he recovered, he gave that message again himself.

One day during this conference time, Watchman Nee took Witness Lee to see the construction work of the training center he had planned to build at Chenru, a suburb of Shanghai. He related to Witness Lee how he was burdened to pass on to the Lord’s young seeking ones some practical training on life, on the church, and on the work. The construction work of the training center was damaged by the invading Japanese in August 1937 before it was completed.

A. Witness Lee Sent to Northern China in 1937

At that time the decision was made that Witness Lee should travel throughout all the provinces of northern China to preach and teach in the denominations. They felt at that time that they should pass on all the light the Lord had given them to the denominations. In the summer and in the fall of that year, Witness Lee did much traveling in the northwestern provinces of Suiyuan, Shansi, and Shensi with Sister Peace Wang and others.

In that summer Japan invaded China, and many of the co-workers fled from the coast to the interior. At Sian, the last station of their journey in the northwest, they received a cable from Watchman Nee that they should go to Hankow in the central part of China to meet with him and the co-workers for a co-workers’ conference. Peace Wang and Witness Lee proceeded there by train. While waiting in Hankow for Brother Nee to arrive, Witness Lee received a cable from the elders in Chefoo urging him to return to care for his family because of the Japanese invasion. After Witness Lee left Hankow, Watchman Nee arrived and delivered the messages of The Normal Christian Church Life the second time in the co-workers’ conference. After returning to Chefoo, Witness Lee could not leave again because of the war, so for a period of time he was retained in northern China while most of the other co-workers were in the interior.