Overview of the God Ordained Way

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Defining a better Liturgy

The “God-ordained way” is a central concept in the teachings of Witness Lee, a Chinese Christian preacher associated with the Local Church movement and the founder of Living Stream Ministry. It represents a framework for practicing the Christian life and building up the church, emphasizing a return to what Lee considered the biblical pattern for church life. This analysis will explore the liturgy, structure, theological underpinnings, and implications of the “God-ordained way” as articulated by Lee, drawing on available sources while critically examining the concept.

Overview of the “God-ordained Way”

Witness Lee developed the “God-ordained way” in the mid-1980s, motivated by his concern that the growth of the Local Churches was too slow. He believed that traditional church practices, such as large congregational meetings with a single speaker, contributed to stagnation and deviated from the New Testament model. The “God-ordained way” was his response, advocating a shift to small, organic, home-based group meetings to foster spiritual growth, mutual care, and active participation of all believers. Lee argued that this approach would prevent the church from “oldness and degradation” and align it with God’s economy—His plan to dispense Himself into believers to produce the church as the Body of Christ.

The “God-ordained way” is structured around four major steps, each rooted in specific biblical references and designed to facilitate the building up of the church:

Preaching the Gospel (New Testament Priesthood of the Gospel): This step involves believers actively seeking, visiting, and contacting non-believers to share the gospel, aiming to make them “organic members of the Body of Christ” (Rom. 15:16; 1 Pet. 2:5, 9). Lee emphasized a personal, relational approach to evangelism, encouraging believers to visit people in their homes and build connections.
Nourishing and Cherishing New Believers (Home Meetings): New converts are cared for in small home meetings, likened to “nursing mothers” nurturing “newborn babes in Christ” (1 Thess. 2:7). These meetings focus on feeding new believers with spiritual “baby food” tailored to their needs, fostering their growth in faith.
Perfecting the Saints (Group Meetings): In small group settings, believers mutually teach and edify one another to prepare them for the work of the ministry, contributing to the organic building up of the Body of Christ (Eph. 4:12-13). These meetings emphasize practical care, fellowship, intercession, and shepherding.
Prophesying in Church Meetings: All believers are encouraged to speak or “prophesy” in church meetings to directly build up the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 14:1–5, 23–26, 31, 39a). This step promotes universal participation, where every member contributes to the edification of the church through sharing insights or experiences, rather than relying on a single preacher.

Liturgical Elements

While the “God-ordained way” is not a liturgy in the traditional sense (e.g., a fixed set of prayers or rituals like those in Catholic or Anglican traditions), it can be considered a liturgical framework in that it prescribes a structured, communal practice for worship and spiritual life. The following elements highlight its liturgical character:

Decentralized Worship in Homes and Groups: The shift from large, clergy-led services to home and group meetings redefines the liturgical space. Homes become sacred spaces where believers gather for fellowship, prayer, and mutual edification. This aligns with Lee’s critique of “Christendom as a system,” which he viewed as overly formalized and disconnected from God’s economy.
Participatory Practices: The emphasis on “prophesying” by all saints in church meetings reflects a democratic approach to worship, where every believer is a priest (1 Pet. 2:9). This practice involves sharing personal testimonies, scriptural insights, or spiritual experiences, creating a dynamic, interactive liturgy that contrasts with traditional sermon-based services.
Relational Evangelism and Care: The “God-ordained way” integrates evangelism and pastoral care into its liturgical rhythm. Believers are encouraged to visit non-believers, pray for them, and invite them to meetings, while also shepherding new converts through intimate home gatherings. This relational approach embeds worship within everyday human interactions, drawing on examples like Jesus staying at Zacchaeus’s house (Luke 19:5).
Focus on God’s Economy: The liturgical practices are underpinned by Lee’s theological concept of “God’s economy,” which centers on God’s dispensing of His life into believers to form the church. Meetings are designed to facilitate this dispensing through prayer, Bible reading, and mutual encouragement, making the liturgy a vehicle for spiritual transformation.

Theological Underpinnings

The “God-ordained way” is deeply rooted in Lee’s broader theological framework, which emphasizes the following:

God’s Economy: Lee taught that God’s ultimate purpose is to dispense His divine life into believers, making them “God in life and nature but not in the Godhead.” This controversial idea, often misunderstood as deification, underscores the transformative goal of the “God-ordained way” to produce mature believers who express God’s life.
The Body of Christ: Lee viewed the church as the organic Body of Christ, built up through the functioning of all members, not just a select clergy. The “God-ordained way” operationalizes this by encouraging universal participation and mutual edification.
Critique of Denominationalism: Lee believed that denominationalism and traditional religious systems were unscriptural and hindered God’s economy. The “God-ordained way” seeks to restore the church to its New Testament simplicity, free from human traditions and organizational hierarchies.
Biblical Basis: Lee grounded each step in specific New Testament passages, presenting the “God-ordained way” as a recovery of biblical practices. For example, he cited 1 Corinthians 14 to support mutual prophesying and Ephesians 4 to emphasize the perfecting of the saints.

Strengths of the “God-ordained Way”

Community and Participation: By prioritizing small groups and universal participation, the “God-ordained way” fosters a sense of community and empowers lay believers, countering the passivity often associated with traditional church services.
Relational Evangelism: The focus on personal, home-based outreach aligns with cultural contexts where relationships are key to spiritual influence, potentially making evangelism more effective.
Flexibility: The decentralized structure allows for adaptability to different cultural and social settings, as seen in Lee’s reference to Hudson Taylor’s contextualized missionary work in China.
Spiritual Growth: The emphasis on nurturing new believers and perfecting saints through mutual teaching supports ongoing spiritual development, aligning with Lee’s vision of producing mature members of the Body of Christ.

ion

The “God-ordained way” reflects a sincere attempt to recover a New Testament model of church life, prioritizing community, participation, and spiritual growth. Its emphasis on small groups and relational evangelism resonates with modern movements like house churches and missional communities, suggesting a forward-thinking approach to church practice. However, Lee’s theological language, particularly around deification, and his critique of traditional Christianity created barriers to acceptance in Western evangelical circles. The reliance on specific biblical interpretations to justify each step may also limit its appeal to those who prioritize theological diversity or historical liturgical traditions.

Moreover, the “God-ordained way” assumes a high level of commitment from believers, which may not be sustainable for all. The expectation that all members preach, nurture, teach, and prophesy could overwhelm those with limited time or theological training, potentially leading to burnout or exclusivity within the community. Additionally, while Lee emphasized biblical fidelity, his rejection of denominational structures risks dismissing the historical and cultural richness of Christian traditions, which have sustained the church for centuries.

Conclusion

The “God-ordained way” of Witness Lee is a liturgical and practical framework designed to align the church with God’s economy through four steps: preaching the gospel, nurturing new believers, perfecting the saints, and prophesying in meetings. It emphasizes small, relational, and participatory gatherings to build up the Body of Christ, rooted in Lee’s interpretation of New Testament practices. While innovative and community-focused, it has sparked controversy due to theological ambiguities, perceived exclusivism, and cultural misunderstandings. For those considering engagement with the Local Church or Lee’s teachings, a thorough and prayerful investigation, as suggested by GotQuestions.org, is advisable to weigh its biblical alignment and practical implications.