One of the most controversial areas of Witness Lee’s teaching is his understanding of Trinity. This article shows the complexity and inconsistency of Lee’s theology through careful analysis of Lee’s works. Russian-language publications by the Local Сhurch are the main source of this material. Dmitry Rozet is the senior researcher of the Center for Apologetics Research in St. Petersburg.

Although “Brother Lee” died in 1997, the movement seems to have taken his demise in stride. The proliferation of Witness Lee's materials continues unabated. In addition to this, the Living Stream Ministry uses the Internet and nearly three dozen radio stations in the United States and Central America to disseminate the “unique teachings” of the “Local Church” movement. This article provides a helpful overview of the group's recent history (and controversies).

The search for a “living” spiritual community brought Arthur Casci to the Local Church of Witness Lee. What attracted him to the movement — and what forced him to leave after 10 years of earnest service? This testimony offers a unique opportunity to view Lee’s movement from within.

This article was first published in The Lutheran Witness magazine in August of 1982. The author holds to the opinion that the Local Church movement should not be considered a cult.

The “Recovery Version" of the New Testament was released by the Living Stream Ministry’s editorial committee in Anaheim, California in the mid-1980s. Witness Lee, the controversial founder of the Local Church movement, took the most active part in this project. In 1998 the “Recovery Version” was translated into Russian and became available to Russian Christians. Unfortunately, many of them are unaware of the aberrant theology behind its publishers’ teachings.

Alexander, a former member of the Local Church movement of Witness Lee, tells of his experience of life within the group and what prompted him to leave.