THE BEGINNING AND EXPERIENCE OF THE MEETING
IN WENCHOW, CHEKIANG PROVINCE
One
To the brothers and sisters in the Lord:
Thank the Lord because in these last days He has personally cared for us small ones. In 1931 the Lord sent His servants to Wenchow to preach about the truth of the church. This enlightened us in regard to the unscriptural nature of the forms and system of the denominations. Although there are quite a few believers in Wenchow, very few understand the truth. At that time, a few brothers began a worship meeting in the South Gate China Inland Mission after they gained the light. They broke bread to remember the Lord every Lord’s Day. After a few months, some who were not in one accord in the China Inland Mission rose up to oppose! So we gathered a few of the brothers and sisters who were in one accord and met upstairs in a brother’s house in Nan T’ang to worship and break bread in remembrance of the Lord. Thank the Lord; although there were only seven people, the savor among us was very sweet, because the Lord was with us. After a few months of meeting like this, those in the denomination outside the South Gate were afraid that an outward division would hinder the future development of their church. They had a meeting and exhorted us to meet together with them to worship the Lord. We saw that they had a heart for the Lord and thought that perhaps the Lord would raise up His work among them to revive His children. So we began to meet with them. In the spring of 1932, a sister who lived on Chu Kuan Lane of Hsin Ho Street was raised up. She was willing to let us use one of her apartments on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for Bible study meetings. The Lord also sent a worker to bear the responsibility for this Bible study. Although the location was more than ten miles from our place in Nan T’ang, we felt satisfied every time we went to the meetings there. On the Lord’s Day we continued to go to the place outside the South Gate. In August or September, another small number of people in the denomination arose to oppose again. They said that the worship service was too long and that it was too much to break bread every Lord’s Day! At the time, we saw that they did not obey the truth, so we separated from them and established the Lord’s table in Chu Kuan Lane. In this way we completely separated from the denominations. The enemy did not want us to meet peacefully, and by the spring of 1933, he began a great work among us. A big problem occurred, and we could not continue meeting there lest we offend the Body of the Lord. At that time, the Lord sent His servant, Brother Lai, to help us. He knelt before the Lord with a few of us who were in one accord and asked the Lord to prepare a meeting place for us. Thank the Lord, in April we received what we asked for. We rented three two-story houses at 12 Sha Mao Ho Ta T’ing. Brother Lai and one of the brothers in one accord lived there. Our attendance at that time was low. Brother Lai took charge among us for a few months. At that time, we set the meeting times for Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday evenings. Around November the Lord also sent His servant, Brother Wang Yu T’ing, to come with Brother Lai to meet with us for four days. We were greatly edified. We really thank the Lord.
In April of this year, the Lord sent two other workers, Brothers Chen Chin Fa and Ts’ai Ch’i, to come meet with us for seven days. They gave us much help. During this time two brothers and one sister were baptized into the Lord’s name. Now the Lord has gradually added a number of saved ones to us. At this time there are thirteen brothers and fourteen sisters who break bread together. There are over thirty people who meet together. Recently, the meetings are as follows: Every Tuesday, there is a Bible study; every Thursday, there is a perfecting meeting; every Saturday, there is a prayer meeting; on the Lord’s Day morning we worship and break bread in remembrance of the Lord; on the Lord’s Day afternoon, we preach the gospel, and in the evening, we learn to sing hymns.
Thank the Lord, through all the ups and downs, He has kept us until today so that we could faithfully follow Him. We have just mentioned something of the condition and the work that the Lord has raised up in our Wenchow. We ask the brothers and sisters in every place to thank the Lord for this and to pray for the work to come, that His will be done among us. May glory, honor, blessing and thanks all be given to Him forever. Amen.
Your brothers,
Chang Ting Hsiang
Chang Tsai Kuang
(Collected Works of Watchman Nee, The (Set 2) Vol. 25: Collection of Newsletters (1), Chapter 9, by Watchman Nee)
