World Mission Society Church of God

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World Mission Society Church of God
하나님의교회 세계복음선교협회
World Mission Society Church of God DC 01(cropped).jpg
A 2011 acquired church building in the USA at Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. [1]
AbbreviationWMSCOG
Classification Christian new religious movement
Orientation Restorationist
Theology New Covenant
General PastorKim Joo-Cheol
God the Mother Zahng Gil-jah
RegionWorldwide
Headquarters"WMC Building" ( 37°22′49″N127°07′03″E / 37.3804°N 127.1175°E / 37.3804; 127.1175 ) [2] in Sunae, Bundang, 25 km southeast of Seoul center, Korea
Founder Ahn Sahng-hong
OriginApril 28, 1964;60 years ago (1964-04-28)
South Korea
Separated from "Church of God" on June 2, 1985 [3]
Other name(s)"Church of God", "Witnesses of Ahn Sahng-hong Church of God"
Official website watv.org
SloganWe Love You [4]
Main church is the 2014 acquired "New Jerusalem Pangyo Temple" ( 37°23′02″N127°06′31″E / 37.3839°N 127.1087°E / 37.3839; 127.1087 ), [2] also in Bundang, 25 km southeast of Seoul center

The World Mission Society Church of God is a new religious movement established by Ahn Sahng-hong in South Korea in 1964. [5] Ex-members and several experts have called it a cult. [11] The church believes that founder Ahn Sahng-hong is the Second Coming of Jesus, and that Zahng Gil-jah is God, in the form of "God the Mother". [12] Its headquarters as well as its main church are located Sungnam City, Kyunggi Province, near Seoul. [5]

Contents

History

Founding

Ahn Sahng-hong founded the Church of God in South Korea on 28 April 1964. [13] [14] During his lifetime, there were 13 branches, and the headquarters were located in Busan. [3] After Ahn Sahng-hong died on 25 February 1985, a general assembly of all the church leaders was held in Busan on 4 March 1985. In this meeting, they recognized Kim Joo-cheol as Ahn Sahng-hong's successor and Zahng Gil-jah as Ahn Sahng-hong's spiritual bride. [3] The headquarters were moved from Busan to Seoul on 22 March. [3] However, in April, leaders of 2 out of 13 churches opposed the doctrine of the spiritual bride and split. They formed the minority group NCPCOG. [3] The majority group of 11 churches, led by Kim Joo-cheol, held a meeting in Seoul on 2 June 1985. During this meeting, they affirmed two major doctrines: that Ahn Sahng-hong should be regarded as the Second Coming of Christ and Zahng Gil-jah should be regarded as God the Mother. They also changed the church's name to Witnesses of Ahn Sahng-hong Church of God. [15] [16] [17] [3] [18] [12] [19] Around 1997, the Witnesses of Ahn Sahng-hong Church of God established a non-profit organization titled the World Mission Society Church of God for the purpose of registering and managing the organization's assets. [20] [21] [22]

1988 doomsday prophecy

In his 1980 book The Mystery of God and the Spring of the Water of Life, Ahn Sahng-hong predicted that the world would end in 1988, 40 years after the independence of Israel in 1948, citing Matthew 24:32–34. [23] [24] [25] [ full citation needed ]

In 1985, a reporter from a Christian magazine interviewed the church about the year 1988. When he asked if the end would come after the 1988 Olympics, they replied that they did not know the specific date. When asked if there was any need to continue working and earning money, given the prediction of the world ending in 1988, the church members responded that people should keep working while waiting. [26] [27] : 342  [28] : 494 

According to Korean Christian heresy researchers, members of the church gathered on a mountain in Sojeong-myeon, Yeongi County, South Chungcheong Province, to prepare for the coming of Christ Ahn Sahng-hong and the salvation of 144,000 souls. [16] : 77  [29] In 1988, during the Seoul Olympics, church members preached that the world would end by the end of that year. [30] [16] : 77  [31] [32] [27] : 342  [28] : 494  [33]

The church later claimed that the year 1988 as a symbolic fulfillment of Jonah's prophecy, suggesting a delay in Christ's return. In Ahn Sahng-hong's final book, The Bridegroom Was a Long Time in Coming, and They All Became Drowsy and Fell Asleep (published in 1985), [34] Ahn Sahng-hong emphasized that the prophecy about the bridegroom coming late cannot be fulfilled without fixed time for his coming. He referred to 1988 as a prophetic moment where the bridegroom's coming might be delayed [34] : 35  and compared this to Jonah's prophecy that Nineveh would be overthrown in forty days, which did not occur. [34] : 28–30  In the book's preface, Ahn sahnghong emphasized that salvation depends not on knowing the date, but on knowing and following the truth of the new covenant. [35]

Allegations of Eschatological Fraud and Prosecutorial Dismissal

In 2017, at least two members of the South Korean group Hapimo accused the church of falsely predicting the end of the world in 1988, 1999, and 2012 to defraud members and accumulate wealth. [36] After a police investigation, the case lacked sufficient evidence and concrete testimonies of harm, resulting in no charges. [36] [37] The case was forwarded to prosecutors, who ultimately dismissed it, determining that there were no clear elements to establish fraud. [36] [37] [38]

Beliefs

The Second Coming of Christ

The church believes Ahn Sahng-hong is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. They believe that the truths established by Jesus have been disappeared, and therefore, before the last judgment, Christ must appear a second time to restore the truth of the early Church. They believe that Ahn Sahng-hong restored the truth of the early Church and fulfilled the biblical prophecies about the Second Coming of Christ including the time and place. [39] [40] [41] Regarding the Trinity, they believe that God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Spirit are one and the same God. Therefore, Ahn Sahng-hong is God the Father, God the Son, and consequently also God the Holy Spirit. [39] [40] [41] They conduct prayers in the name of Ahn Sahng-hong instead of the name of Jesus Christ. They believe that just as Christians prayed in the name of Jesus after He came as the Christ, they now pray in the name of the Second Coming Christ. [42] [41]

God the Mother

The church believes Zahng Gil-jah, an elderly woman from South Korea, to be God, in the form of "God the Mother," a female image of God. [43] [7] They believe that there are two images of God: God the Father and God the Mother. They base this doctrine on the Hebrew plural word Elohim which refers to God, and on Genesis 1:26, where God created humans in God's image, both male and female. They also cite New Testament passages, such as 'our Mother' in Galatians 4:26 and 'the Spirit and the Bride' in Revelation 22:17, as evidence of God the Mother's existence. [44] [43] [39] [40]

Passover

The church teaches that keeping the Lord's Supper on Passover is a biblically supported Christian tradition, primarily citing John 6:53, where Jesus says, "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life," and Matthew 26:26, where, during the Passover, He gives the bread and wine as His body and blood. They argue that the Passover ceremony represents the new covenant, which grants forgiveness of sins and eternal life. [45] [39] The church celebrates the resurrection on the Sunday after celebrating Passover. [46] [40] They also cite Polycrates and Polycarp, known as the Quartodecimans, as the basis for the early church's practice of keeping the Lord's Supper on Passover. [47] [48] The Quartodecimans were likely considered 'orthodox' among Christians in Palestine and Asia Minor during the early church history. However, after the Paschal Controversy and the First Council of Nicaea, they were classified as heretical. [49] [50] Most Christian churches do not observe Passover, considering it part of the Old Testament law. [51]

Saturday Sabbath

The church observes Saturday worship as the Sabbath, based on Genesis 2:1, which states that the Sabbath is the seventh day. [43] [39] The reason for keeping the Sabbath is that it is the fourth commandment of the Ten Commandments, with both Jesus and the apostles observing it, as noted in Luke 4, Acts 17 and 18. [39]

The church observes the Sabbath from sunrise on Saturday, following the teaching of its founder, Ahn Sang-hong. [52] [53] This practice differs from that of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which observes the Sabbath from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. [54]

Non-observance of Christmas

The church does not observe Christmas on December 25th. They claim December 25th did not originate from the Bible, but rather from the Roman festival of Sol Invictus (the Unconquered Sun), coinciding with the winter solstice. [55] [56] [57] [58] They also claim that traditions associated with December 25th, such as decorating trees and Santa Claus, lack any basis in Scripture. The church views the celebration of Christmas as a human tradition, referencing the warning in Matthew 15. [57] [58]

Idolatry

The church states that according to its interpretation of Exodus 20:4, items such as crosses and statues are considered a form of idolatry and are not erected on or in their churches. [59]

Stained glass windows

The Church installed storm windows over the stained glass windows. World Mission Society Church of God DC 01(cropped).jpg
The Church installed storm windows over the stained glass windows.

According to the Washington City Newspaper in 2012, the church removes all stained glass windows from churches it uses, claiming that images made of light, like those cast from stained glass windows, are rooted in sun worship. [61] This caused a lawsuit in Washington D.C. after the church purchased a historically preserved building and attempted to remove the historically preserved stained glass windows. [62]

After purchasing the Capitol Hill church, the church removed the windows [63] in an attempt to replace them with clear glass.[ citation needed ] Concerned residents contacted the Historic Preservation Office (HPO), which contacted the church and was informed that the windows had not been removed. [63] After residents provided evidence that the windows had in fact been removed, the church responded by filing an application with the HPO to replace the stained glass windows, [63] citing their religious beliefs, as well as concerns about lead safety and energy efficiency.[ citation needed ] The D.C. government ruled that the church had created a conflict between preservation laws and its religious freedom by failing to conduct due diligence before purchasing the building. [63] They ordered the restoration of the stained glass windows. [63] [1]

After the restoration, the church applied for a permit to install storm window over the stained glass and the HPO found that regulations did not prohibit the installation of storm windows and that a permit was not required. The church then installed storm windows. [60] [64]

Evangelism and recruitment

Members travel from house to house, in shopping malls, and in college campuses to proselytize for the church. [6] A church member noted they sometimes approach students on their way to their cars, stating they attempted to approach students in open, visibly safe areas. [65] Some ex-members have described the group's recruiting efforts as very aggressive, saying that it target vulnerable people, especially those going through a major life transition or with a void in their lives. They have also said the group targets those with greater access to money, including particularly college students and returning veterans. [7] [8] [66] Recruiters have been known to ask students, especially women, if they would like to join Bible study groups, sometimes preceded by asking them if they believe in a female god ("God the Mother"). [67] They have also been criticized as targeting women and ethnic minorities. [68]

Campus evangelism

Some college campuses in the U.S. banned the church's recruiters for trespassing or proselytizing without permission. The University of Memphis and Ole Miss barred the church's evangelism activities from their campuses. A church member at the University of Memphis mentioned that there had been no issues about spreading messages for years and believed the actions were a result of false allegations on social media. [69] [70] [71] [72] University of Rochester stated that, because the church is not affiliated with the Interfaith Chapel, its members are not authorized to be on campus. Students should not feel in danger from this group but are advised to exercise caution. [73] The Otago University Students' Association in Dunedin disaffiliated from the Elohim World Academy following complaints from students about deceptive and coercive recruitment methods. The University of Otago's Proctor had considered trespassing members of the group but ruled it out since that would have violated the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990's provisions on religious freedom and freedom of expression. [74] [75]

Rowan University’s spokesperson stated that they follow the same rules as other visiting groups and have done nothing wrong. [76] Fresno City College’s spokesperson said that they are not doing anything wrong and no malicious activity has ever been reported [77] Wichita State University police stated that while the member of the church approach people to talk about the Bible, they were not aggressive. People were making their own decisions to go with them, and there was no evidence of kidnapping or illegal activities. [78] A Deputy of the University of South Carolina Police Department said that they're very cognizant of the First Amendment and people's freedom of religion and they don't want to curtail that haven't heard of anything criminal. [79]

Craccum reporting

In September 2021, Craccum reported that the Elohim Academy was also conducting door-knocking evangelism campaigns in Wellington and Auckland, with an emphasis on recruiting young women. Members were expected to follow strict rules separating themselves from social media and non-church friends, attend masses and recruitment sessions, tithing ten percent of their income, avoid wearing jeans, reject music and masturbation, and lose weight to fit Korean beauty standards. Former members alleged that members including minors were shamed for not meeting the church's rules and standards and that members were ranked based on their recruitment rates. Church members were also reportedly shown graphic videos of Hell. In addition, pastors also arranged marriages between congregants. [80]

ASEZ

The World Mission Society Church of God has a university volunteer division called the ASEZ ("Save the World from A to Z"). [81] The organization, which recruits on university campuses, claims that students can be members of ASEZ without being members of the church, but this has been contested. [81] According to the Yale Daily News, Yale students who were approached and attended meetings of the group stated that the organization was not framed as being separate from the church, and that representatives mainly focused on religious aspects rather than volunteerism. [81] One student was told that the group's slogan was for "saving the people on earth from the end of the world." [81] According to Steven Hassan, an author and counselor specializing in cults, many destructive cults use small "fringe groups" to deceptively recruit members, of which the ASEZ is an example. [81]

False rumors of human trafficking

Since 2018, there have been rumors spread through social media that the evangelism about 'God the Mother' of the WMSCOG is linked to human trafficking. Local police investigations have confirmed that these rumors are false. [82] [83] [84] A supervisor in the Vice-Criminal Intelligence Unit of the Fresno Police stated that there is no evidence of human trafficking activity and that research using government and non-government sources didn’t show any criminal activity associated with the individuals or the church elsewhere. [77] The rumor is estimated to have started on social media in early 2018 [77] and spread to various regions, particularly through campus student associations. [76] Investigations into the rumor were conducted at the University of Mississippi, the University of Louisville, Vanderbilt University, the University of Georgia, [83] the University of South Carolina, [79] the University of Utah, [67] Oberlin College, [85] Texas State University, [86] among others.

The church stated that due to false rumors, the church and its members experienced religious discrimination and harm. [76] They reported that members had been threatened, faced murder threats, pepper spray attacks, and harassing phone calls. There was even an incident where someone almost ran over members with a vehicle. In response to the church's reports of these incidents, the police stationed patrol cars at the church. [87] [88] [89] [77] The church issued a statement requesting an end to the false rumors and unfair harassment against its members. [87] [76]

Police verdict on incriminating activities

After investigating the church's evangelism activities, Oxford Police said that nothing incriminating has been reported. They announced via social media that the World Mission Society Church of God is a "legitimate church expanding into our area", and that sharing information door to door is allowed according to the Freedom of Religion Act. [83] [90] [91] Fresno Police stated they could not find any reports of criminal behavior associated with them. [77]

Criticism and controversy

Former members and cult researchers have criticized the group, describing it as a cult that exercises excessive control over its members, enforces separation from family and friends, exploits its members excessively, violates laws, and avoids transparency and accountability. [7] [8] [9] [10]

Lawsuit and accusations by Michele Colon

Michele Colon, a former member who attended WMSCOG in New Jersey for two years, claimed in her 2013 civil lawsuit against the church that the group is a profit-driven cult that uses psychological control tactics to prevent members from exposing its criminal and illegal behavior. [92] In December 2015, In an interview with People magazine, Colon, whose claims were generally denied by the church but generally supported in interviews with six other former WMSCOG members, described WMSCOG as a "doomsday cult" and "opportunistic." She claimed that the group recruits people undergoing life transitions or feeling a void, exploiting this vulnerability to draw them in. She said that the church manipulates members with "fear and guilt" and constant repetition, and that it "micromanaged" her life, including controlling her music choices and forbidding internet use. She claimed that church leaders do not disclose until members are fully committed that their "God the Mother" is actually a living South Korean woman in her 70s, known by multiple names and various spiritual titles, who is reportedly the spiritual wife of the deceased founder, Ahn Sahng-hong. At least one former member has sued them for urging her to have an abortion, and others have accused the church of discouraging pregnancy in anticipation of the world ending in 2012. [7] [8]

Court document on a lawsuit filed by a former member. MICHELE RAMIREZ, a New Jersey resident; Plaintiff, - against - WORLD MISSION SOCIETY, CHURCH OF GOD, a NJ Nonprofit Corporation.pdf
Court document on a lawsuit filed by a former member.

Colon's lawsuit seeking damages for the tortious conduct of the church was almost entirely rejected by the district and appellate state courts. [93] [94] The district courts dismissed her claims, citing the "religious freedom" element of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. [93] The appellate courts ruled that: [94] [ original research ]

Each claim springs from Colón's contention that WMSCOG is a cult, not a church, and that she was essentially defrauded by this cult. The conflict arises from her disagreement about the manner in which the church implemented its doctrinal beliefs, managed its clergy and parishioners, and invested donations. Therefore, Colón's complaint necessarily required the court to examine the interior workings and structure of the church, a constitutionally unacceptable process. Although a church may clearly be held liable for tortious conduct and obligated on contractual undertakings, neither existed in this case.

New Zealand member

An exclusive article reported claims from a former member in New Zealand. She alleged that members were expected to follow strict rules, such as separating from social media and non-church friends, attending masses and recruitment sessions, tithing ten percent of their income, avoiding jeans, rejecting music and masturbation, and losing weight to meet Korean beauty standards. She also claimed that members, including minors, were shamed for failing to meet the church’s standards and were ranked based on their recruitment rates. Additionally, she stated that church members were shown graphic videos of Hell and that pastors arranged marriages between congregants. [95]

Hapimo press conference

In 2015, a former member held a press conference to present notarized confessions and declarations from members of the group Hapimo, which accused the Church. [96] [97] He claimed that the group members were not harmed by the Church. Instead, most members expected to gain personally by portraying the Church as a harmful cult and filing collective damage lawsuits. [97] He also claimed that members were paid for solo protests in front of the Church and that protest workers were hired who were not actual victims. [96] Additionally, he alleged that the group pressured members to stage fake divorces to depict the Church as a family-destroying cult. [97] He also said that Kang, who seeks to overthrow the Church and become its leader, supported the group. [96] [97] Kang's website claims that the root of David is not Ahn Sahng-hong but the two witnesses, who, according to him, were born in 1974 and baptized in 1999. This interpretation aligns with Kang’s own biography. [98] After the former member’s declarations, Hapimo sued him for defamation, but the court ruled that his claims about the group’s activities were not proven false. [99]

Cult specialists

Rick Alan Ross, cult researcher and deprogrammer [66] [10] describes the WMSCOG as "a very intense group ... similar to the Unification Church [of] Sun Myung Moon—the Moonies", comparing WMSCOG indoctrination methods to those of the Unification Church. [66] He states that the WMSCOG has driven members into bankruptcies due to excessive donations, and claims that some have lost their jobs to excessive demands by the group and associated sleep deprivation. Ross says that members often are sent to group housing and shared apartments, becoming isolated and alienated from family and friends, even spouses and adult children. Ross notes the group, which recruits members on university campuses, at malls and other shopping sites, has no meaningful accountability for leadership—a "dictatorship in Korea"—nor for the millions in revenue it receives. [66]

Steven Hassan, an author and mental health counselor who specializes in cults, described the experiences of Yale students exposed to the group as matching those of what he calls "authoritarian" or "destructive" cults. [100]

South Korea

The World Mission Society Church of God is one of many controversial and globalized grassroots Christian new religious movements that emerged in South Korea and has experienced rapid growth over the past 20 years since the 2000s. [101] [a]

The Korean Christian community, including the National Council of Churches in Korea and the Christian Council of Korea, has "harshly criticized" the deification of Ahn Sahng-hong and Zahng Gil-jah. They have officially condemned the church as a blasphemous and heretical cult, opposed by various denominations. [102] [103] [5] [72]

Forced conversions

A heresy expert of the Christian Council of Korea was found guilty by the courts of attempting to forcibly convert members of the World Mission Society Church of God, thereby violating their human rights and religious freedom. [104] Pastor Jin, vice chairman of the Christian Council of Korea's Countermeasure Committee against Heresy and an editor at 'Modern Religion', confined members of the church in attics or prayer rooms and conducted forced conversion sessions. Members who did not convert were forcibly admitted to psychiatric hospitals. The victims filed lawsuits against Pastor Jin and others involved in the confinement. In 2008, the court sentenced Pastor Jin to a suspended prison term for night-time group coercion and aiding confinement, acknowledging the serious violation of personal freedom and religious freedom under the guise of conversion persuasion. [105] The accomplices and psychiatrists involved were also found guilty. Shin Hye-sook, director of the Women's Cultural Center, criticized the actions, stating that using violence against people of different religions indicates a lack of basic religious qualities. Religious groups also criticized the intolerance and judgment of different denominations as reminiscent of the medieval religious dark ages. [104]

Opposition to construction

In the past, the World Mission Society Church of God rented parts of collective buildings, but after 2007, church construction increased. [106] As the number of buildings of the Church increased, Korean Christian organizations held protests and filed complaints to interfere with the church's construction. They stated, "The reason we must oppose the construction of this church on its own land with its own money is that this church is a cult." [107] Most local governments approved the church's construction, and approximately 150 church buildings were constructed over the 10 years following 2007. [106] However, a few local governments, including Yeosu City and Ulsan City, rejected the construction approvals, citing complaints and traffic congestion. The World Mission Society Church of God filed administrative lawsuits. The Korean courts ruled that "the collective petitions from religious organizations and nearby residents are merely personal and subjective evaluations of this church and cannot be seen as objective evidence that this religion causes harm. [108] It is difficult to view this church as an anti-social religious group or to see its activities as anti-social. The church meets the legal parking requirements and there are no legal violations. [109] " Consequently, the courts declared the local governments' refusals to approve the church's construction to be illegal. [110] [111]

Wonju city government

In 2016, the Wonju city government denied the construction approval for the Church of God in Wonju City, citing complaints and concerns regarding traffic congestion. [112] [113] However, there was controversy over the unfairness of the Wonju city government's refusal. The building applied for had about twice the number of legally required parking spaces, but the Wonju city government demanded parking spaces for 1,000 cars, assuming 1,000 church members. This calculation included children as drivers. Major South Korean media outlets reported suspicions of religious bias by the mayor of Wonju City regarding the rejection. [114] [115] [112] Church members protested against the Wonju city government's administrative action by phone. There were more than 30,000 complaint calls made between May 30 and June 1, 2016. These complaints disrupted the city hall's complaint processing work. [116] The church filed an administrative appeal against the Wonju city government's action, but the Administrative Appeals Commission dismissed it. [117] [118] The World Mission Society Church of God considered filing an administrative lawsuit against the Wonju city government. [117]

Subsequently, in administrative lawsuits between the World Mission Society Church of God and other local governments, such as Yeosu City Hall and Ulsan City Hall, which had rejected construction approvals, the courts ruled that the local governments' refusals to approve the church's construction were illegal [111] Although there was no administrative lawsuit against the Wonju city government, it changed its stance and in 2019 approved the use of the building for church purposes. [119] They approved the previously rejected church construction, and the church held a dedication ceremony for the newly constructed church in 2023. [120] When the World Mission Society Church of God applied to build an additional church in Taejang-dong, Wonju City, there were complaints filed again. However, the Wonju city government approved the construction application, stating there were no legal issues. [121]

Vietnamese religious associations

In 2018, the Vietnamese Committee for Religious Affairs warned against the World Mission Society Church of God, describing it as cult-like. The government accused the group of deceptive recruitment, manipulative indoctrination, doomsday predictions, urging cash donations, and encouraging members to abandon their families. [122] Authorities seized the Church’s assets in Hanoi, Saigon, and other provinces, interrogated hundreds of members, and accused Church leaders of brainwashing and micromanaging members' lives. [123]

Asia News reported that many consider these allegations to be false, used by Vietnamese security forces to discredit certain groups. Fr. Le Ngoc Thanh, a Redemptorist priest in Saigon, said he was afraid that the propaganda campaign against the World Mission Society Church of God was designed to create tensions between religious and non-religious people. [123] Vietnam's independent media outlet, IJAVN reported that "the Ministry of Home Affairs recently requested local authorities to disband and revoke licenses for religious groups associated with the 'Church of God' and 'Heavenly Mother' focus, preventing these organizations from regrouping and forming new centers of activity. This is difficult to understand because, even without any discovered violations of the law, licenses are still being revoked". [124]

Change in Ahn Sahng-hong's book

The Mystery of God and the Spring of the Water of Life (1980) has 38 chapters in total. The WMSCOG removed three chapters from "The Mystery of God and the Spring of the Water of Life", namely Chapter 1: Restoration of Jerusalem and the Prophecy of 40 Years, Chapter 11: Let Us Reveal the Truth from the History Books About the Church, and Chapter 36: Elijah Will Be Sent. [125] [126]

The "New Covenant Passover Church of God" (NCPCOG) which is the group that has split with the WMSCOG, [127] claimed that the WMSCOG had changed the first edition dates of "The Mystery of God and the Spring of the Water of Life", [126] [128] The NCPCOG also refuted the claim by the WMSCOG that Ahn Sahng-hong had the book "The Law of Moses and the Law of Christ", [129] and said that Ahn Sahng-hong has never published this book, but it seems to have been compiled with reference to Ahn Sahng-hong's book "The New Testament and the Old Testament". [130]

Membership and size

Baptism is a requirement for becoming a member of the church. [131] In 2024, according to major media outlets in South Korea, the church announced that it has 3.7 million members in 175 countries worldwide. [57] [132] Regarding worship attendance, in 2001, when the church had about 400,000 members, it reported that approximately 120,000 of them participated in worship services. [133] [b] In South Korea, opposing Christian denominations estimated the number of believers in the church to be around 100,000 in 2013 [12] and between 200,000 and 300,000 in 2017. [137] They identify this church as the largest organization among the Christian new religious movements in Korea. [137]

Awards

UK ZION, a World Mission Society Church of God chapter, was awarded The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service in 2016. [138] [139] [140] [141]

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Ahn Sahng-hong was a South Korean religious leader and founder of the Church of God. In 1948, after receiving baptism from a Seventh-day Adventist minister, he began to call for the restoration of the truth of the New Covenant and the last religious reformation. In 1964, he established the Church of God in Busan. During his lifetime, Ahn had 13 churches in Korea. After Ahn Sahng-hong's passing, the World Mission Society Church of God declared him as the Second Coming Christ.

The University Bible Fellowship is an international evangelical non-denominational Christian entity that originated in South Korea in 1961. It was founded through a partnership between a Korean, Samuel Chang-Woo Lee, and Sarah Barry, an American Presbyterian missionary who was sent to South Korea. The international headquarters of UBF is in Chicago. The group members are concentrated in South Korea, but has chapters in 91 countries including American universities and community colleges. The organization's stated goal is student evangelism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee Man-hee</span> South Korean cult leader (born 1931)

Lee Man-hee is a South Korean cult leader. Lee is the founder of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a South Korean religious group with teachings derived from Christianity that is considered a pseudoreligion or cult by mainstream Christian churches. Lee is a self-proclaimed messiah, whose followers believe he is immortal and infallible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shincheonji Church of Jesus</span> Korean new religious movement

Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (SCJ), commonly known as Shincheonji Church of Jesus or simply Shincheonji, is a new religious movement established in South Korea by Lee Man-hee. It is considered a pseudoreligion or cult by mainstream churches.

Zahng Gil-jah is the religious leader, as God the Mother, of the World Mission Society Church of God, and the honorary chairperson of the International WeLoveU Foundation, a social welfare organization.

Good News Mission is a South Korean Christian-based new religious movement founded in 1971 by pastor Ock Soo Park. It is one of several new religious movements in Korea referred to as Guwonpa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jung Myung-seok</span> South Korean religious leader (born 1945)

Jung Myung-seok is a South Korean religious leader and convicted rapist. He is the founder and leader of Providence, also known as Christian Gospel Mission (CGM) or Jesus Morning Star (JMS), a Christian new religious movement that is commonly referred to as a Christian sect or cult.

Heterodox teaching is a concept in the law of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and its administration regarding new religious movements and their suppression. Also translated as 'cults' or 'evil religions', "heterodox teachings" are defined in Chinese law as organizations and religious movements that either fraudulently use religion to carry out other illegal activities, deify their leaders, spread "superstition" to confuse or deceive the public, or "disturb the social order" by harming people's lives or property. What exactly these definitions mean has been interpreted in various ways since their establishment in 1999/2000. Organizations that are found by local police forces in the PRC to be distributing heterodox teachings are targeted for disruption, and its leaders and organizers are severely prosecuted.

P'ikareum is a controversial religious practice in some new religious movements of Korea. As defined by British religious scholar George Chryssides, the practice consists "of a female neophyte engaging in ritual sexual intercourse with the messianic leader [of the movement], in order to restore – either literally or symbolically – the sexual purity of the woman". Chryssides also notes that there were cases where the messianic leader was female and the neophyte male. The person so initiated will then have intercourse with his or her spouse, and the purity acquired from the messianic leader will be transmitted to both the spouse and the progeny. The spelling p'ikareum was used in McCune–Reischauer transliteration until 2000; however, it is also spelled p'ikareun, as well as pigareum in modern-day Revised Romanization.

Olive Tree is the most common English name of a Christian new religious movement founded in South Korea by Park Tae Son. The movement was originally known in Korea as Jesus Christ Congregation Revival Association of Korea and later as The Church of Heavenly Father. In a revised 2009 version of his 1996 doctoral dissertation on the history of Korean Pentecostalism, pastor Young Hoon Lee called the Olive Tree “the fastest growing and largest of the Korean syncretistic religions during the 1950s and 1960s,” although he noted it had become “largely insignificant” by the end of the 20th century.

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Other groups include the Good News Mission(also known as Guwonpa) and the Shincheonji Church. These three groups each have distinct roots and doctrines and are not connected with one another. [101]
  2. ↑ Many Christian denominations also require baptism as a condition for membership, [134] In America, statistics suggest that approximately 20-40% of church members attend worship services monthly. [135] [136]

Citations

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  115. ↑ 원주시의 수상한 건축허가 반려 교통핑계로 종교의 자유 침해? [Wonju City's Suspicious Rejection of Construction Permit, Using Traffic as an Excuse to Violate Religious Freedom?] (in Korean), WeeklyDonga, 9 December 2016
  116. ↑ "건축 불허 불만? 하나님의교회 신도들 원주시청에 항의 전화 3만여 통". Naver News (in Korean). Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  117. 1 2 "강원행정심판위, 하나님의교회 건축허가 청구 기각". 7 November 2017.
  118. ↑ ""원주 하나님의교회 건축허가 반려 정당"". Kukmin Ilbo (in Korean). 15 November 2016. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  119. ↑ "하나님의 교회 옛 LH 사옥 교회시설로 사용" [Former LH Office Building Used as a Church Facility by the World Mission Society Church of God], iwjnews.com (in Korean), 21 July 2019
  120. ↑ 강원 원주, 홍전서 하나님의교회 새성전 헌당식 [New Temple Dedication Ceremony for World Mission Society Church of God in Hongjeon, Wonju, Gangwon Province] (in Korean), ShindongA, 30 August 2023
  121. ↑ 태장1동에 하나님의교회 건축허가 [Construction Permit Granted for World Mission Society Church of God in Taejang 1-dong] (in Korean), WonJuToday, 9 August 2021
  122. ↑ "Government urges caution against controversial 'World Mission Society Church of God'". Vietnam News. 26 April 2018.
  123. 1 2 "Authorities seize cult assets and detain cult members". www.asianews.it. 9 May 2018. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  124. ↑ "Nhân quyền Việt Nam bao giờ tường minh tin tức?" [When will Vietnam's human rights news be transparent?] (in Vietnamese). Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam. 20 September 2023.
  125. ↑ "The WMSCOG Removed 3 Chapters From Ahn Sahng Hong's Book". Examining the World Mission Society Church of God. 9 April 2020. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  126. 1 2 "對安相洪真理小冊子的破壞（上帝的秘密和生命之源）". www.ncpcog.co.kr (in Korean). Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  127. ↑ Introvigne, Massimo; Folk, Holly (13 October 2017). "World Mission Society Church of God". wrldrels.org (Profile of a religious group). World Religions and Spirituality Project. Quote at one fifth of page. Archived from the original on 28 January 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022. His followers divided between a majority that recognized Zahng Gil-jah as God the Mother, [...] and a minority that followed Ahn's widow and three children. [...] The minority group later came to be known as New Covenant Passover Church of God (NCPCOG).
  128. ↑ "中國安證會的謊言". www.ncpcog.co.kr (in Korean). Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  129. ↑ "모세의 율법과 그리스도의 율법 – 하나님의교회 말씀과진리". bible.watv.org. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
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  131. ↑ Kim, Seong-dong (October 2022). "175개국 세계인이 믿는 하나님의교회 세계복음선교협회" [World Mission Society Church of God, Believed by People in 175 Countries]. Monthly Chosun (in Korean). Retrieved 1 September 2024.
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  135. ↑ Blanco, Adrián; Lenny Bronner; Andrew Van Dam (28 June 2024). "The most religious, and religiously diverse, places in America". The Washington Post. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  136. ↑ "Fewer Americans Regularly Attend Church". Lifeway Research. 28 March 2024. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  137. 1 2 Shin, Sang-jun (3 February 2017). "이단 하나님의 교회 부울경 지역 현황" [Status of the Heretical Church of God in the Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam Region]. The Korea Christian Newspaper (in Korean). Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  138. ↑ Cunningham, Cara, "Old Trafford's World Mission Society Church of God bestowed with prestigious Queen's voluntary award". Messenger Newspapers. 8 July 2016. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  139. ↑ Skinner, Nigel (14 July 2016). "Queen's award for church group". Glossop Chronicle . Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  140. ↑ "No. 61599". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 June 2016. p. J4.
  141. ↑ "Queen's Award for Voluntary Service recipients 2016". GOV.UK. 2 June 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
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