THE PRODUCING OF FULL-TIMERS
We should endeavor to have one out of twenty saints in our locality serve the Lord with all of their time. In this way nineteen saints can support one full-timer. The saints need to be helped by us to give for the sake of supporting full-timers for the Lord’s move on this earth. We need the full-timers for the spread of the Lord’s recovery. If the Lord had five thousand full-timers in His recovery today, the result would be marvelous. The United States is a strong country because it has a strong military. The full-time trainees should be trained to be such a strong army for the Lord.
We have the burden to train the full-timers in the truths. Every full-time trainee must become very knowledgeable of the truths. We want them to dive into the Recovery Version of the New Testament with the notes on the text and into the Life-study messages. They must have a proper knowledge of the divine truths. Then when they go out, they will have something to speak.
We also have the burden to help the trainees to grow absolutely in the divine life. Finally, they have to be built up in their character. They need to be trained to dress properly and to give people a good impression of their appearance. If we do not have a good appearance, who will listen to us or respect us? We must adjust ourselves. If a co-worker teaches the truth without a necktie, the people’s confidence in him will be killed. The way we dress, cut our hair, and comb our hair will give us a proper appearance which can help gain people’s regard and respect. In the past we were too loose and self-contented. Those who work for the Lord should dress in a way that is fitting in the Lord’s work.
The trainees also need to be trained in how to speak to people. They need to learn how to present the truths as they have been expounded among us in the Recovery Version and in the Life-study messages. We do not need to invent new messages. We can present the messages which we have already published. We need to present the better things. We have the groceries of the truth among us, so there is no need to try to get new groceries.
If we all would be absolute to take the God-ordained way, and if we can produce one out of twenty full-timers in all the churches, the Lord’s recovery will increase and spread in a marvelous way. The old way should be dropped. We should change our way. Our way in the past was too loose and too sloppy. We have been self-contented. We need to be desperate to take the Lord’s ordained way for the organic building up of the church as the Body of Christ.
In our preaching of the gospel, we should abandon the system of having large gospel meetings with one speaking and the rest listening. Instead, we should invest our prayer, time, and energy to go out to visit people in our community and on our campuses. The full-timers especially need to spend their time to visit people with the gospel. This should also be a priority with all of the elders.
We have the burden in the full-time training to train the young people not only to preach the gospel but also to teach the truth. We need to learn how to convince people with the higher truths. Actually, the teaching of the truths which the Lord has committed to us is included in the preaching of the gospel. Many wonderful truths have been given to us. The world is starving for these truths. This is why those who are full-timers must become very knowledgeable of the truths and must accumulate the experience in life.
(Elders' Training, Book 09: The Eldership and the God-Ordained Way (1), Chapter 1, by Witness Lee)
