Watchman Nee (倪柝聲 pinyin: Ní Tuòshēng;, 1903-1972) was a citizen of the People's Republic of China who became a Christian in 1920 at the age of 17 and began writing in the same year. In 1921, he met the British missionary M. E. Barber, who was a great influence on him. Through Miss Barber, Nee was introduced to many of the Christian writings which were to have a profound influence on him and his teachings.The theological influence of Watchman Nee (English for Nee To-Sheng ), went much further than his own circle reached; not only in his native country China only but also outside in other countries. He changed his name to Watchman Nee because he saw it as someone that stayed up in the middle of in the night to awaken men of the coming of Christ. Although he believed in speaking in tongues, he laid less emphasis on it (in his book 'Gods Works', he said speaking in tongues was a gift for clergyman children - page 19, fifth paragraph). In 1928, Watchman Nee settled in Shanghai where he based his own speaking and publication work, the Shanghai Gospel Bookroom, which published books by Watchman Nee and others, as well as some Chinese translations of English-speaking authors - most notably the Christian teacher and writer T. Austin-Sparks, with whom Nee had a very close relationship fostered during his significant time at the Honor Oak Christian Fellowship Centre on Honor Oak Road in London, England.