 About the same time, Edwards had begun meeting with a small group of Christians in Tyler, Texas, in order to read "The Normal Christian Life" , written by Watchman Nee and newly published in English.Nee's presentation of the believer's identification with Christ in death and resurrection deeply resonated with him, and in time he grew to believe that Evangelical churches in America had fundamentally strayed from the spiritual vitality of the first-century churches.In November 1961, at the height of his popularity, he ended his evangelistic ministry, canceling all future engagements.