JULY 14TH, 1937
JULY 14TH, 1937
Beloved Brother, — The very kind letter signed by yourself and nine other brothers, handed to me by you and Mr. N——— at Leicester, has been the occasion of much thanksgiving. I can see that the Lord is helping you all at Birmingham in view of further important service to His people, and I am assured you will have His support throughout and the hearty fellowship of the saints.
I thank you all for the brotherly spirit of your letter and for the confidence you place in me. I assure you that my mind and heart shall be with you as in the fulfilment of your heavy undertaking, and I shall be much before Him as to my own part in it according to His will.
Mr. N——— spoke to me at Southport as to the exercise amongst you as to invitations. It seems to me to be particularly important that the responsibility of the assembly, so to speak, in Birmingham, should be kept fully in view. The Lord is concerned that the local setting of assembly administration should not be weakened, and this enters into your present undertaking. There is no universal or district administrative [p. 88] responsibility in regard to it. Thus the invitation must be by the brethren at Birmingham. That you undertake and provide external accommodation, etc., for a certain number, and let each of the other meetings nominate who should attend, does not comport with the truth governing the matter. It will weaken the local position. 1 Samuel 9:13; 1 Samuel 9:22; 1 Samuel 9:24 somewhat helps as to the principle of invitations, “... afterwards they eat that are invited ... them that were invited ... about thirty persons ... I will invite the people”. Of course, there are other scriptures which confirm the idea of invitation, such as Matthew 22 and Luke 14.
Another consideration enters into this, that is, the need of the utmost spirituality possible in those who attend the general meetings — so that the Holy Spirit should have conditions most calculated for the opening up of the truth. If the selection is left with the several meetings, the most spiritual may not attend, for they would most likely give voluntary place to others, whereas if these receive personal invitations they would regard themselves as responsible to accept, and be exercised accordingly. Nehemiah 8: 13 - 18 certainly enters into this feature of the position. Thus it seems that the method which, as I understand, has been followed is the right one — to take counsel with brothers in each district — known to be reliable, not one only but two or more as a matter of witness, and then the Birmingham brethren to make the selection and invite. God will respect and support the pursuit of right principles.
Affectionately yours in Christ,
James Taylor.