Essence

All the local churches are one Body essentially. Concerning the one essence of the Body of Christ, as expressed in each local church, Witness Lee says:

We also need to know the Body in practice. Locality as the church ground of a local church separates the church in existence but does not divide the church in essence. The existence of the churches is separated, but their essence is inseparable. The saints who live in Atlanta and those who live in Anaheim cannot come together always as one church. This is impossible. For the sake of existence, the local churches are separate. The saints who live in Atlanta have to be the church there, and the brothers and sisters in Anaheim have to be the church here. This is a separation for the purpose of existence, but this has nothing to do with the essence. The church in Atlanta, the church in Anaheim, and all the local churches are one Body in essence. Essentially, we are still just one Body on the entire globe.

(Witness Lee, Further Consideration, 15)

In another place, Witness Lee reiterates the fact that the Body of Christ and the local churches share the same essence:

The organic Body is undivided and it is also indivisible (1 Cor. 1:13a). It is not autonomous. This unique Body of Christ is expressed in many local churches (Rev. 1:11) in the divine oneness as it is with the Triune God (John 17:11, 21, 23) and in the divine nature, element, essence, expression, function, and testimony. There are many churches, yet they have one divine nature, one divine element, one divine essence, one divine expression, one divine function, and one divine testimony because they are one Body.

(Witness Lee, Organic Union, 93-94)

We also need to know the Body in practice. Locality as the church ground of a local church separates the church in existence but does not divide the church in essence. The existence of the churches is separated, but their essence is inseparable. The saints who live in Atlanta and those who live in Anaheim cannot come together always as one church. This is impossible. For the sake of existence, the local churches are separate. The saints who live in Atlanta have to be the church there, and the brothers and sisters in Anaheim have to be the church here. This is a separation for the purpose of existence, but this has nothing to do with the essence. The church in Atlanta, the church in Anaheim, and all the local churches are one Body in essence. Essentially, we are still just one Body on the entire globe.

In conclusion, the local churches can be separated only for the sake of their practical existence, but never in essence. Witness Lee has made it clear that the organic Body of Christ expressed in many local churches possesses one indivisible divine essence, the oneness of the Triune God.

(Witness Lee, Eldership (3), 115)

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