Witness Lee’s Last Contact
with Watchman Nee

Watchman Nee Calls for Witness Lee to Come to Hong Kong in 1950

Early in 1950 Watchman Nee visited Hong Kong from the China mainland. Because a revival was brought there through his ministry, he cabled Witness Lee in Taiwan, asking him to meet him there before Watchman Nee returned to China. Witness Lee replied that he was in the midst of an important conference in Taipei and would not be able to arrive in Hong Kong before he left. Watchman Nee’s response was that as soon as Witness Lee was free he should go to Hong Kong, regardless of whether he was still there or not, to arrange the service of the church there. Eventually, on February 16, Witness Lee went to Hong Kong and stayed there for one and a half months.

The following is a testimony of Brother Hsu Jin-chin, an elder in the church in Hong Kong during that period of time:

On the evening of February 15, 1950, Brother Nee told us, “This afternoon I received a cable from Brother Lee. He will be here tomorrow to fellowship with the elders and the responsible brothers. I have also asked him to take the lead here. Tomorrow he will arrive. At that time 1 hope that you will receive him at the airport.” By then, I was an elder already, and I arranged to have the brothers and sisters receive him at the Kai-Tak airport the next day.

Training Regarding Practical Church Responsibilities

On the morning of the day after Witness Lee arrived, Brother Nee took him to the meeting of co-workers and leading ones. In the presence of all, he said, “Brother Witness, according to the authority the Lord has given you, please make arrangements for all the service of the co-workers, the elders, and the deacons in the church here.” This was an assignment of tremendous responsibility, to lay a good foundation for the church service in Hong Kong.

Training Regarding Speaking

In the evening Watchman Nee took Witness Lee to the special meeting of the revival and asked him to speak. Witness Lee said, “As long as you are present, I have no burden to speak.” Watchman Nee then continued to minister in those special meetings.

Training Regarding the Distribution of Literature

Before Witness Lee went to meet Watchman Nee in Hong Kong, while still in Taiwan, he finished the compiling and composing work on the second Chinese hymnal. Witness Lee presented him with the manuscript, and he polished the hymn on the life of the grapevine, adding a few stanzas to it. It now appears as Hymn #635 in the English hymnal.

At that time Witness Lee related to Watchman Nee that he had also composed sixty lessons on the basic truths of the Scriptures and that there was the need to reprint the first Chinese hymnal and some others of Watchman Nee’s publications. At this time Watchman Nee made the following arrangements regarding the bookroom and literature work:

1) The Gospel Bookroom should be set up in three places: Shanghai, Taipei, and Hong Kong. Watchman Nee would personally manage the one in Shanghai, Witness Lee would be responsible for the one in Taipei, and Brother Weigh would be responsible for the one in Hong Kong. Further, Witness Lee was asked to assist the bookroom in Hong Kong regarding literary and editorial responsibility.

2) All three bookrooms would share the same copyrights. (In 1975, Brother K. H. Weigh and Witness Lee with other related brothers rearranged, due to the situation at that time, the matter of copyright as follows: All the Chinese books would be published by the Gospel Bookroom in Taipei; all the English books would be published by the Living Stream in the U.S.A.; the Hong Kong Church Bookroom would be used only for the distribution of the publications in Hong Kong.)

Watchman Nee Returns to Mainland China and Witness Lee Returns to Taiwan

While in Hong Kong Witness Lee shared with Watchman Nee how the Lord had blessed the work in Taiwan. He therefore encouraged Witness Lee to return and remain there for the Lord’s work.

Since Witness Lee was much concerned for Watchman Nee’s return to the mainland, he had long fellowship with him one day regarding this matter. Witness Lee said to him, “What the Lord’s will is I dare not say. The matter is too great and serious.” Watchman Nee said to him, “What shall we do with so many churches on the mainland? I must return to take care of them and stand with them for the Lord’s testimony.” Concerning this matter, Brother Hsu Jin-chin testified to the following:

Before Brother Nee left Hong Kong, Brother Lee advised him many times not to return to the mainland. But Brother Nee said, “If a mother discovered that her house was on fire, and she herself was outside the house doing the laundry, what would she do? Although she realized the danger, would she not rush into the house? Although I know that my return is fraught with dangers, I know that many brothers and sisters are still inside. How can I not return?” Brother Lee escorted him three times back from the bus stop to his home in Diamond Hill….

In spite of others’ advice, one day in the middle of March, Brother Nee asked his brother-in-law, Samuel Chang, to send him to the railway station to depart for the mainland. He did this without letting any others know. Soon afterwards, on April 1, Witness Lee returned to Taipei.