THE UNIQUE WORK IN GOD’S ECONOMY

Message Sixteen
The Means of Watchman Nee’s Ministry

I. Watchman Nee used eight different means to carry out the ministry wrought into him by the Lord; five were general and three were specific; the five general means were preaching the gospel, teaching the Bible, traveling, contacting people, and corresponding with people; the three specific means were holding conferences, conducting trainings, and issuing publications.

II. The general means of Watchman Nee’s ministry:

A. Preaching the gospel—he preached to both crowds and individuals; he preached in homes and on the streets; he preached in cities and in villages; he also preached at home and abroad; in addition to speaking, he used tracts and pamphlets to preach the gospel.

B. Teaching the Bible—Watchman Nee also used Bible teaching to carry out his ministry; by means of such Bible studies, many saints were enlightened and the churches established.

C. Traveling—in addition to his domestic traveling, he also visited a number of foreign countries; wherever he went, sinners were saved, believers were edified in life, and either the church was strengthened or the way was paved for a church to be established.

D. Contacting people—he used this means mostly in dealing with special cases; he was rich in life and keen in discernment, always affording timely help to those who came to him.

E. Corresponding with people—if time had allowed, he could have given his full time to this matter alone; he possessed the adequate knowledge and bountiful life supply to answer the questions of his correspondents and supply their need. (Watchman Nee—A Seer of the Divine Revelation in the Present Age, ch. 23)

III. The specific means of Watchman Nee’s ministry:

A. Holding conferences:

1. The regular meetings of the church were not sufficient for the release of the special messages he received from the Lord for the present day; a larger audience composed of those genuinely seeking the Lord and His interest and consecutive meetings held within a designated time span were needed for the release of his specific burdens.

2. “I want all the brothers to understand the nature of this type of conference; no attention will be paid to the less significant matters of the Bible. What we want to see in the Holy Spirit is Christ and Him crucified; our annual conferences of this nature are to bring us back to this center. Therefore, we are reluctant to mention any minor matters in these conferences. Rather, we would emphasize only the central point which God Himself stressed.” (Watchman Nee—A Seer of the Divine Revelation in the Present Age, ch. 24)

B. Conducting trainings:

1. “If the return of the Lord should be delayed, it will be necessary to raise up a number of young people to continue the testimony and the work for the following generations; many co-workers have already prayed concerning this matter with the hope of providing a suitable place for the purpose of training young people; my thought is not to establish a seminary or a Bible institute, but to have young people staying together to live the Body life and practice the spiritual life; in such a place they would receive training for the purpose of edification, by learning to read the Scripture, to pray, and to build up a good character.” (Watchman Nee—A Seer of the Divine Revelation in the Present Age, ch. 24)

2. During the training in Shanghai, brother Nee trained the trainees in the matter of the Body of Christ and of consecration.

3. Trainings in Kuling Mountain covered four major aspects:

a. How to be a minister of God’s Word.

b. How to help new believers.

c. Things to pay attention to and the solution to problems.

d. How to administer the church affairs. (Watchman Nee—A Seer of the Divine Revelation in the Present Age, ch. 24)

C. Issuing publications:

1. Gospel tracts.

2. The Present Testimony—Its theme was specifically the deep things of God and was composed of messages on life with the Lord Jesus as the center, especially emphasizing His life, His crucifixion, His resurrection, His intercession, His Body, His coming back, and His kingdom; these messages were especially designed for the cultivation of the spiritual life and made no attempt to engage in intellectual debate.

3. The Christian—“While I was staying in Lo-Hsing Pagoda, I felt the need to issue a regular publication which would give more emphasis to the truths of salvation and the church and deal as well with prophecies and types, I intended this magazine (called The Christian) to be temporary in nature.” (Watchman Nee—A Seer of the Divine Revelation in the Present Age, ch. 25)

4. Notes on Scriptural Messages—to fulfill the need for messages for young believers.

5. Collection of Newsletters—for fellowship between the churches and communication between the saints in different localities.

6. The Open Door—Not as an official publication, but as part of his personal ministry to serve the scattered saints.

7. The Glad Tidings—a written testimony was issued solely for the preaching of the gospel.

8. The Replacement Periodicals—The Testimony, The Way, The Ministers. (Watchman Nee—A Seer of the Divine Revelation in the Present Age, ch. 26)