Watchman Nee (1903–1972) was a noted Chinese Bible teacher and Christian leader. He began his preaching ministry while still a university student. From 1923 to 1950 Nee founded 200 churches. Starting as small groups meeting in rented houses, these self-supporting congregations became strong spiritually and grew rapidly, continuing to develop after China’s Cultural Revolution. Nee was arrested on false charges in 1952 and found guilty; he was imprisoned until his death in 1972. Nee concentrated on deepening spiritual life through intensive training in the Word of God. His rich spoken ministry influenced many lives. His literature ministry has preserved a large number of his sermons, resulting in the publication of over 50 books in English alone, and through these printed pages Nee’s impact continues to be felt.