Tricia Tillan writes in The Transforming Church that the "Little Flock established house churches throughout China." This is incorrect. They were not house churches, for Watchman Nee taught quite explicitly in The Church and the Work they were meeting places, not house churches The many meeting places in a locale constitute the local church or Biblical locality.
Tricia quotes from Dennis McCallum, "His doctrine was also denounced because his preaching on the last days tended to demoralize the workers." I understand what Watchman Nee wrote in "Come, Lord Jesus" on the last days, and it is very uplifting, so this statement by Dennis. I know that first rapture is according to readiness (Rev. 3.10, Luke 21.36) and that if you do not keep the word of His patience, keep watchful, prayerful and ready, you will not be received at the first rapture, but will enter into the Tribulation. I find this very motivating and exactly what the Word of God says. I tried to find out where Dennis came up with his idea, so I checked the reference he was using..."Kinnear provides a copy of his last letter, along with a translation. Angus I. Kinnear, Against the Tide: The Story of Watchman Nee, pp.160ff and 237-238." However, I could not figure out how Dennis came up with idea apart from making it up himself. If you would like to understand more about how Dennis McCallum's misreads Nee, read "Dennis McCallum is Perplexed".
Tricia draws a false conclusion by misreading. She writes,
This reprint of a tract by Nee about the Body of Christ [found on a revival site] contains an interesting observation that should alert those who try to use his supposed teachings to set up a shepherding or pyramid structure using the analogy of cells in the body: Christians are not just "cells" but "living members" of the Body of Christ, each having equal importance and each having an individual role or ministry:
"Learn to Be a Member: A member of a physical body is different from a body cell. Lacking a cell does not matter much, but the lack of a member in a body is unthinkable. Of course, a cell has its use, but please note that the Bible in its use of the analogy of the human body says that we are members of the body of Christ, not cells. How pitiful that the conditions of many Christians are like those of cells in the human body instead of members. Such a person seems to have no specific use in the body of Christ, neither does he fulfill his part. In any given church meeting his presence does not appear to add anything to the body of Christ, and his absence does not give the appearance to the body that it is lacking in anything. ...No one can be passive in a meeting. Each person is a member of the body, and consequently no one can come to a meeting as a passive spectator."
I think Watchman Nee was saying that the members of the body of Christ are not like cells: "we are members of the body of Christ, not cells." I am not sure how much more clear one needs to be than that. Why so blatantly misread what Nee said? If Nee is against the idea of the members of the body of Christ as cells, then why is that "revival" site misreading Nee to further their own gains? Where in Nee's writing does he teach this shepherding idea or pyramid structure? Isn't it Nee that taught there were Apostles for a region of churches, Elders of a locality and Elders of meeting places in a locality? Don't denominations have many more levels than these three main workers? Watchman Nee did not say "Christians are not just cells"; he said "a member of a physical body is different form a body cell...the Bible in its use of the analogy of the human body says that we are members of the body of Christ, not cells". His words did not say "not just cells". Do you see why I have started this Misreading Nee page? People misread Nee brutally, committing the sin of bearing false witness.
What I have come to realize is the reason people sin like this, bearing false witness, is because they know full well what Watchman Nee believes. Since they can not find in the Bible reason to disagree with Nee, they resort to sinning bearing false witness like that great accuser. There is another reason. A person would have to give up preconceived notions and their lifestyle to accept the truth, which they are not willing to do.
Tricia continues with her assumptions:
Although not all of Nee's teaching can be commended...
I have not found any writings by Nee at Christian Fellowship Publishers or Christian Literature Crusade that I could not commend, nor did Tricia produce anything in her words to suggest otherwise. Why then the self-declaration? It was based on the misreading above or other assumptions.
Tricia carries on her thought as though she read Nee properly: "Today there are hundreds of small groups meeting in homes. Many are completely unconnected to, and even opposed to, the cell-church system. Others have some links to apostolic/prophetic networks." My advice to Tricia Tillin would be don't take 3rd party commentaries as the gospel. Why not read what the person actually said himself?
Since Nee did not agree with a cell-church system, strictly home churches, or apostolic/prophetic networks, let's hop after Tricia reads this, she won't exalt herself over another person by misreading them. Watchman Nee was an Apostle for the Church. This means he was directly commissioned by God to do the Work of the Ministry (Eph. 4.11) for the Church and appoint Elders of a locality, and that is exactly what he did. Today we desire more Apostles in agreement appointing Elders of a locality.
Peace,
Troy