Editing Watchman Nee (section)

==The Plymouth Brethren connection==
Through Barber, Watchman Nee was introduced to the writings of [[David Morrieson Panton|D. M. Panton]], [[Robert Govett]], [[G. H. Pember]], [[Jessie Penn-Lewis]], [[T. Austin-Sparks]], and others. In addition, he acquired books from [[Plymouth Brethren]] teachers like [[John Nelson Darby]], [[William Kelly (Bible scholar)|William Kelly]], and [[C. H. Mackintosh]].<ref name=seed /> Eventually, his personal library encompassed over three thousand titles on church history, spiritual growth, and Bible commentary, and he became intimately familiar with the Bible through diligent study using many different methods. In the early days of his ministry, he is said to have spent one-third of his income on personal needs, one-third to assist others, and the remaining third on spiritual books. He was known for his ability to select, comprehend, discern, and memorize relevant material, and grasp and retain the main points of a book while reading.<ref>Lee, Witness. ''Watchman Nee: A Seer of the Divine Revelation in the Present Age''. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry (1991), 23–27.</ref>

Nee derived many of his ideas, including plural [[church elder|eldership]], disavowal of a clergy-laity distinction, and worship centered around the [[Eucharist|Lord's Supper]], from the [[Plymouth Brethren]]. From 1930 to 1935, his movement interacted internationally with the Raven-Taylor group of [[Exclusive Brethren]] led by [[James Taylor Jr. (Exclusive Brethren)|James Taylor Sr]]. This group "recognized" the Local Church movement as a parallel work of God, albeit one that had developed independently. Nee refused, however, to follow their practice of isolating themselves from other Christians and rejected their ban on celebrating [[Holy Communion|The Lord's Supper]] with other Christians. Matters came to a head when Exclusive Brethren leaders learned that during his 1933 visits to the United Kingdom and the United States Nee had broken bread with [[Honor Oak]] Christian Fellowship associated with the independent ministry of [[Theodore Austin-Sparks|T. Austin-Sparks]] and with non-Brethren missionaries whom Nee had known in China. After a series of communications Nee received a letter dated August 31, 1935, signed by leading Brethren, severing fellowship with him and his movement.<ref>{{cite book | last=Woodbridge | first=David | title=Missionary Primitivism and Chinese Modernity: The Brethren in Twentieth-Century China | location=Boston | publisher=Brill | date=2019 | isbn=978-9-00433-675-9 | oclc=1055568760 | pages=49–75}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last=Buntain | first=William E. | title=The Exclusive Brethren, Watchman Nee, and the Local Churches in China | journal=Brethren Historical Review | editor-last=Dickson | editor-first=Neil | volume=15 | date=2019 | issn=1755-9383 | pages=40–72}}</ref>