T. Austin Sparks vs. Jessie Penn-Lewis

Jessie admitted T. Austin Sparks copied from her in his independency, which is not conducive for the Church. Naturally these problems don't occur in Biblical locality because according to locality there is proper authority and submission in harmony in the Work and no breaking off as it were. Watchman Nee lost interest in T. Austin Sparks because of Spark's schism. Biblical locality, Nee recognized, solves this problem.

Geir Lie recounts,

According to Jean Kinnear, it was her late father’s ecumenical attitude which was responsible for his and several of his fellow members’ decision to “vacate the Baptist Church and establish the Honor Oak Christian Fellowship and Conference Center in a rented school building” in 1926. [Jean Kinnear, letter to the author, November 22, 1994].

After withdrawing from her organization, [Brynmor Pierce Jones, The Trials and Triumphs of Jessie Penn-Lewis (North Bruns-wick, NJ: Bridge-Logos Publishers, 1997), 241, 298-299] he initiated his own competing ministry, arranging similar conferences within the same geographical area that Penn-Lewis had ministered (London and the Midlands), and many of the latter’s followers flocked to the new competitor. “It has affected us tremendously in attendance, - and in finance!” Penn-Lewis admitted, while nonetheless claiming not to be flabbergasted the least regarding Austin-Sparks’ new course of direction: “The Honor Oak matter I can understand, because I have seen Mr. Sparks’ character in many ways, and am not surprised.” [this is a very negative truth about T. Austin Sparks, very negative!]

"The dear brethren there [at the Honor Oak fellowship] are duplicating everything they found in the 'Overcomer'. Free paper, motto card, booklets, Conferences, and even the titles for the Conferences! This week it is to be 'The Cruciality of the Cross'! [Jessie Penn-Lewis, letter to J.C. Williams, June 26, 1927].

Sparks was a bastard to Lewis and Nee stood up for Lewis! While Nee has been the object of a certain academic interest, the same can hardly be said of his friend and (partly) mentor Theodore Austin-Sparks (1888-1971) from the UK [A.J. Pollock’s The Teaching of Mr. Austin Spark’s Book “The Centrality and Universality of the Cross” Examined in the Light of Scripture and An Examination of the teaching of the Honor Oak Fellowship in the Light of Scriptures, as well as E.J. Poole-Connor’s The Teaching and Influence of ‘Honor Oak’. A Resumé of Notes originally prepared for presentation in the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches, 1956]. In fact, it was Nee’s spontaneous attendance and participation in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper in Austin-Sparks’ Honor Oak church fellowship in 1933 which a few years later resulted in a formal schism between Nee and the Raven-Taylor fraction of the Exclusive Brethren. Nee had originally been made aware of Austin-Sparks’ literature via China missionary Margaret E. Barber.