I met many of his followers, his family members, and his friend You Qi Wu. Over the past year, I have had the privilege of researching the life and ministry of Watchman Nee. In it, Nee wrote that through all that he suffered, “I maintain my joy.” Today, he is considered a martyr of the Christian faith.įigure 3: One of Nee’s final letters was written to his sister-in-law, just 38 days before his death. He remained in prison and labor camps for the next 20 years, dying in 1972. Pressure to renounce their beliefs and practices increased, leading to the suffering and arrests of many in the Little Flock, including Nee, who was arrested in 1952. After the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, Communist officials labeled Nee and many of his followers “reactionaries” who posed a threat to the new regime. This political shift made it difficult for Nee and his followers to continue their ministry. In 1949, the Chinese Communist Party, led by Mao Zedong, won the civil war against the Nationalists and established the People’s Republic of China. This movement of local churches became known as the “Local Church” or “Little Flock” in the West and went on to spread around the globe.įigure 2: Studio portrait of Watchman Nee at the Keswick Convention by George D. Along the way, word of his teaching spread in China, creating pockets of local assemblies who gathered to study the Bible together. He produced publications of his discoveries and opinions on matters of faith throughout his 30-year ministry. He was an avid reader, studying theology, language, and of course, the Bible. Watchman Nee’s ministry began in earnest in 1922 when he decided to break with the Methodist Church and pursue Christian fellowship without denominational barriers. You Qi discovered his cellmate, a fellow reactionary, was not only a true confidant and friend but a Christian minister and the founder of what would become the largest indigenous Christian church in China. At 24, he found himself in a cell with Watchman Nee. For this he was arrested as a reactionary, or counterrevolutionary, and sent to Tilanqiao prison in Shanghai. You Qi was a young teacher who expressed disapproval of the economic and political policies of the Chinese Communist Party. Two days later, You Qi heard his friend Watchman Nee had died.įigure 1: Watchman Nee, ca. In this moment of goodbye, Nee told You Qi, “When you get out of here, find Witness Lee. Then, holding Nee’s hand, You Qi helped him climb up to the platform and into the chair.
He then took Nee’s blanket, folded it, and placed it on the chair to try to cushion the shock of the bumpy road. Noticing this, You Qi quickly grabbed a small bamboo chair and placed it on the platform of the vehicle. The vehicle had no enclosure for protection against the elements, nor did it have any seats.
It was large, built like a tractor with big wheels, able to traverse the rough, mountainous road between Baimaoling and Shan Xiao Po, where Nee was being transferred.
The transport vehicle rumbled up to the edge of the camp. You Qi tried to fight the decision, to keep Nee with him at Baimaoling where he could be protected, but he was ignored. Nee had a heart condition and was not well suited to this long and difficult journey. He didn’t understand why the guards were transferring his friend to a distant and remote labor camp. He stayed outside to help his friend Watchman Nee walk to the transport vehicle arriving to take him away. The prisoners were inside avoiding the bitter weather. It was cold and windy that day in May 1972.
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