Gene Edwards was a well-known figure in the theological communities in which he worked, widely acclaimed for his inspirational writing and speaking abilities, though his ministry legacy has not always been an uncontroversial one. After a brief tenure as a pastor in two traditional churches, Edwards began a ministry as an itinerant evangelist and conference speaker. He was influenced by the work of Watchman Nee, an early-20th-century Chinese theologian, the author of The Normal Christian Life and one of the founding figures of the “local churches” movement. Edwards promoted the perspective of Nee and his followers, deriving significant insights from Nee’s most prominent popularizer, Witness Lee, and applying them in his own ministry. These theological influences underscored both the importance of a Christ-centered, contemplative spirituality and an ecclesiology stripped of institutionalism. As such, Edwards’s ministry developed in two directions: first, the promotion of “deeper life” Christian spirituality, in service of which he spoke at conferences and published reprints of great Christian mystics like Madame Guyon, Francois Fenelon, and Brother Lawrence; and second, an earnest involvement in the growing “house church” movement in the United States, which promoted a de-institutionalized vision of church life.

Edwards was active not only as a promoter of these ideas but also as a church planner, involved in the founding and oversight of several new churches in the “house church” model.