Typical American—

Caucasian by Race, Caucasian in Principle

After the time of the apostles the church became abnormal. This is the reason that we must move to form the vital groups. The church today is below the normal level. Brother Nee gave a series of messages which he published in a book entitled The Normal Christian Life. He gave those messages in order to uplift the situation among Christians back to the normal level. If a Christian is uplifted and lives a life at the level portrayed in Brother Nee’s messages, he is no longer abnormal but is a normal Christian. We must admit honestly and with repentance that our church’s situation is below the normal level. Therefore, we must do something to uplift the level of the church life.

The matter of increase has become a bothersome problem among us. For a long period of time the rate of increase among us has been low, especially among the typical American people. The United States was established mainly by Caucasians from northern Europe. These Caucasians may be considered as the typical Americans. When I first came to America, I had no intention of doing a work among the Chinese people. I had been given a commission from the Lord to bring His recovery to this country, and I made a determination not to do a particular work among the Chinese.

( Fellowship on the Urgent Need of the Vital Group Chap 7)

In the practice of the group meetings, as much as possible the Caucasian saints should not be grouped together with the Chinese saints. Even someone who is not Caucasian by race may be Caucasian in principle because either he was born in America, he speaks typical American English, or his spouse is Caucasian. This is only a principle; it is not absolute. Whatever way allows us to have a success, we will take that way. In principle, all the Caucasian brothers and sisters should group with Caucasians. They should go to visit Caucasians, not Chinese or Spanish. The rate of increase among the Chinese may be higher than among the Caucasians. For example, we may be able to gain ten new ones among the Chinese within two weeks, but it may take three months to gain two Caucasians. Still, this labor is worthwhile. Let the Chinese saints group with the Chinese and go to visit the Chinese. Let the Spanish saints visit the Spanish, and let the Korean saints visit the Koreans. ( Fellowship on the Urgent Need of the Vital Group Chap 3)