Introduction
We in the local churches and at Living Stream Ministry welcome you to this site. Here we present our testimony in response to dialogues we have had, questions we have been asked, and requests we have received. Our simple intention in providing this site is to clear up some of the misunderstandings about us, and our sincere hope is that through this open presentation we will foster greater fellowship and dialogue with others regarding our beliefs and practices.
The topics that follow present the major arenas of dialogue that we have had and are having with other Christian entities. For each topic there is a link that leads to details of the dialogue, including our response and testimony to issues raised. As the Lord leads, we will provide additional topics, responses, and testimonies, which we hope will help clarify our standing on matters related to Christian truth, experience, and practice. We invite all our visitors to bookmark this site and visit it regularly.
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Cor. 13:14).
Various believers representing the local churches
The editorial section of Living Stream Ministry
Topics
In Response to
“An Open Letter to the Leadership of
Living Stream Ministry and the ‘Local Churches’”
NEW MATERIAL!
"On January 9, 2007, a group of evangelicals published an open letter on the Internet calling on Living Stream Ministry (LSM) and the local churches to disavow certain teachings of Witness Lee.... Here we wish to offer [a detailed response], giving what we feel is a very necessary elaboration and defense of our understanding of the truths at issue and of Witness Lee’s teachings thereon...[and demonstrating] that there is a balance to be found in the statements of Witness Lee..., a balance which was not presented and, we believe, was not even sought [in the open letter].”
[Read more on this topic here]
Dialogue with Fuller Theological Seminary
“During the last two years, representatives of the local churches (sometimes called by others ‘The Local Church’) and of our publishing service, Living Stream Ministry, have been privileged to meet and have dialogue with some of the leading members of Fuller Theological Seminary’s academic community....We hope that we can help alleviate the concern over Fuller’s proper Christian act of receiving us by offering to this larger audience an explanation of our views on Christian truth and practice, which in many ways will be similar to what we offered our brothers at Fuller during the last two years.”
[Read more on this topic here]
Dialogue with Answers in Action (AIA)
“More than 3 years ago, Gretchen Passantino (who has directed AIA since her husband�s death in 2003), Hank Hanegraaff (who has directed CRI since Martin�s death in 1989), & Elliot Miller (who has edited the Journal since its inception), responded positively to a request by Living Stream Ministry, the publishing support for the movement, to begin a dialog & re-evaluation of its teachings & theology.”
[Read more on this topic here]
About Us
Who Are the Local Churches?
“As is true of all believers in Christ, we are members of His one Body, the church. In order to practice the oneness of the Body of Christ with all Christians, we meet as the church in the city (locality) in which we live. There are over 2,000 local churches worldwide which are in fellowship with one another to express the one Body of Christ.”
from “The Local Churches” Web site
What is Living Stream Ministry?
“Living Stream Ministry publishes the works of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee, providing the authoritative and definitive collections of treasures from these two servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. The writings of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee focus on the enjoyment of the divine life, which all the believers possess, and on the building up of the church, the goal of God's work with man in this age.”
from “Living Stream Ministry” Web site
