VII. THE LOCAL CHURCH —THE CHURCH MANIFESTED IN A LOCALITY

Witness Lee concludes chapter eleven with the clear statement that for a local church to identify itself as the church is not to denominate itself with a title, but rather, a simple statement of fact. The local churches are not a denomination. The term “local church” denotes only the church’s nature, its existence within a locality. Witness Lee explains below that the designation “local church” simply describes the local nature of the church.

The church is the church. If we are not the church, then what are we? We do not call ourselves “the local church.” The words “local church” are not a title, and we should never consider them to be a title. To consider the words “local church” to be our title makes us a local church denomination. The words “local church” denote the nature of the church. They are a description of the church. The church today is local because the practicality of the church is local. To say that we are the church in Anaheim is like speaking of the moon in Anaheim. When we are in Hong Kong, we may speak of the moon in Hong Kong, and when we are in London, we may speak of the moon in London. This is both logical and practical. We are not the church in the air; we are the local church. The church manifested in Anaheim is the church at Anaheim, and the church manifested in Oklahoma City is the church in that city. This is not a title of the church. Just as the moon is simply the moon, so the church is simply the church. To say that we are the church is not to give ourselves a title; it is simply to state a fact. (155)