The “Shouters” or the “Yellers” refers to the ministry initiated by Watchman Nee (Ni Tuosheng, 1903–1972) and Witness Lee (Li Changshou, 1905–1997), which is also called “the Assembly Hall,” “the Little Flock,” or “Local Church” in different contexts. It also became a label for the “house churches” in China, during the political campaign of the 1980s.

The ministry started from Fuzhou in 1922, with a symbolic ritual of breaking bread. Nee personally was influenced by some evangelists such as Margaret E. Barber (1866–1930) and Dora Yu (Yu Cidu, 1873–1931). Later…