A Local Church Having No Hidden Connections with Other Organizations

The church as Christ’s own Body is Christ’s expression, and Christ is her unique Head. For Christ to be the Head of the church means that Christ is not only her guide, but her mind, even her very person, (Phil. 2:5; Gal. 2:20). A local church, representing Christ’s universal Body in its locality, must hold solely to her the Head, Christ (Col. 2:19). A local church, practically speaking, must be free to follow Christ and not be subject to the political directives of any human organization. The shining light of the local church’s testimony (Matt. 5:14; Rev. 1:20) as the practical expression of Christ’s living Body must not be clouded by the manipulation or control of any human organization. In this sense, Witness Lee teaches concerning a genuine local church not having any hidden connections with other organizations:

One other factor is a test of a genuine local church. There may be a Christian group that has no particular name, no particular fellowship, and no particular teaching. Their fellowship is universal, not isolated, and they do not have a separate administration. Although they pass all these tests, do not be quick to say that they are a true local church. It is still possible that this group has a hidden connection with another organization. They are like a kite in the air: someone on the ground is holding the string. How high the kite flies does not depend upon the kite; it depends upon the one holding the string... One group said, “We are exactly the same as you. We have no particular name, particular teaching, or particular fellowship. Our fellowship is universal, and we do not insist upon having a separate administration.” When we heard this, we thought it was wonderful. However, we eventually learned that this group was connected to an organization in England. The kite was flying in China, but the one who held the string was in England.

The church is a pure golden lampstand, but any group that has a hidden connection with another organization is not pure. Rather, it is cloudy, opaque. The church, on the contrary, must be transparent and crystal clear. The New Jerusalem is a transparent city. Even the gold in the New Jerusalem is clear as glass (Rev. 21:18). In this city there is nothing opaque.

Whenever you meet a Christian group, you must check whether it has a particular name, a particular fellowship, a particular teaching, a fellowship that is not universal, a separate administration, or a hidden connection with another organization. If any group can pass all six tests, then the group must be all right.

(Witness Lee, Young People's Training, 194-195)

As the Bible reveals, and as Witness Lee indicates above, the primary function and responsibility of the local church is to bear the light of Christ’s testimony. The local church must be a city set on a hill, shining to express Christ as a light to the world (Matt. 5:14).