Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (SCJ), commonly known as Shincheonji Church of Jesus or simply Shincheonji (; ), is an Abrahamic monotheistic new religious movement established in South Korea by Lee Man-hee in 1984. It has been described as a pseudoreligion or cult by mainstream churches. Its adherents dispute this characterization.
Shincheonji's teaching claims that its chairman, Lee Man-hee, is the pastor promised in the New Testament, and that the Book of Revelation was written in secret parables whose meaning was revealed to Chairman Lee by God. Shincheonji teaches that it is the one true religion, with its members receiving salvation at the Last Judgment. Its adherents believe everyone not in the group will be denied forgiveness and destroyed.
In 2020, the group became the center of intense scrutiny during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea. The outbreak of COVID-19 was initially centered in Daegu after a 61-year-old Shincheonji member known as "Patient 31" infected other church members, causing the pandemic to surge in the city. As the disease spread among Shincheonji members and thousands of others, there was a national outcry against the group, and by 22 February 2020 over 1.3 million South Korean citizens signed an online petition to the Blue House requesting the government to disband Shincheonji entirely. On 12 August 2022, the Supreme Court of Korea upheld the acquittal of Lee Man-hee on charges that he obstructed the government's response to COVID-19 outbreaks in 2020.
Doctrine The group is apocalyptic and messianic in character, and has been described as a doomsday cult.
The group's founder and leader is variously referred to by church followers as "Chairman Lee (이 총회장)"; "the Chairman (회장)"; "the Promised Pastor (약속의 목자)"; "the One who Overcomes (이긴자)"; or "the Advocate (대언자)." Adherents believe Lee is the successor to Jesus Christ, and as having the unique ability to interpret the Book of Revelation. The group also believes in the times of fulfillment of New Testament prophecies, the most pious 144,000 adherents of the church will enjoy salvation and eternal life as promised in Revelation 7.
The group is known for its aggressive and deceptive proselytizing practices. Due to its image in South Korean society, Shincheonji leaders have at times instructed their followers to lie about their membership, which the group has stated is not official policy.
In 2022, a court ruled the practice of "Shincheonji Deceptive Evangelism" illegal, defined as members of Shincheonji secretly teaching their doctrines while hiding their affiliation. The group is regarded as heretical by mainstream Christian denominations.
History
Lee Man-hee was born in 1931 and in 1967, became a member of the Tabernacle Temple Church. The church became affiliated with the Presbyterian Church due to pressure from the "religious purification policy" of President Chun Doo-hwan. This led to Man-hee leaving the Tabernacle Temple in 1971.
Lee was also previously a member of the Olive Tree, a new religious movement and a major influence on the first anti-cult movement in postwar South Korea. This fact, however, was not present in Shincheonji's biography of Lee.
On March 14, 1984, Lee founded Shincheonji and opened its first temple that June in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province. Membership grew, and in June 1990, the Zion Christian Mission Center was established in Seoul. In 1995, membership within South Korea was divided into 12 "tribes" according to geographic territories. In 1999, headquarters were moved to Gwacheon, which has a prophetic meaning within Shincheonji theology.
Organization and structure Shincheonji is organised into 24 administrative departments, centered around the chairman, who is considered the Promised Pastor in the New Testament. There are also seven educational directors responsible for education, and twelve tribe leaders, named after the twelve disciples of Jesus, who lead "tribes" consisting of smaller churches.
The church says its organization replicates the heavenly spiritual organization in Revelation 4.
Twelve Tribes The names of the twelve tribes are taken from the names of Twelve Apostles (replacing Judas with Matthias).
Seoul James: Northern Seoul and Northeastern Gyeonggi Province (Yeoncheon County, Dongducheon City, Uijeongbu City, Pocheon City, Gapyeong County, Namyangju City, Guri City, Gwacheon City) John: Southern Seoul and Southern Gyeonggi Province Bartholomew: Western Seoul and Western Gyeonggi Province Matthew: All of Incheon Simon: Northern Seoul and Northwestern Gyeonggi Province (Paju City, Goyang City) Philip: Gangwon Province and parts of North Chungcheong Province Matthias: the rest of North Chungcheong Province, South Chungcheong Province, Daejeon Metropolitan City, and Sejong Special Autonomous City Thaddaeus: North Gyeongsang Province and Daegu Metropolitan City Andrew: South Gyeongsang Province (except Miryang City, Namhae County, Goseong County, Changwon City, Geoje City), Busan Metropolitan City (except Gangseo District), Ulsan Metropolitan City, and Jeju Island Busan James: Gangseo District in Busan Metropolitan City, the rest of South Gyeongsang Province (Miryang City, Namhae County, Goseong County, Changwon City, Geoje City, and Gimhae City) Thomas: North Jeolla Province Peter: South Jeolla Province and Gwangju Metropolitan City
Seasons and festivals Shincheonji has four official seasons throughout the year. Excluding the Founding Anniversary, these seasons are related to religious observances in the Old Testament and are typically observed on dates recorded.
Founding Anniversary (March 14) This day commemorates the date when Lee Man-hee, titled chairman, founded Shincheonji.
Passover (January 14) Passover is observed on January 14. The origin of Passover for Christians and Jews generally lies in events (often considered legendary) reported in Exodus 12:1-14, Leviticus 23:5, when God judged Egypt with the Ten Plagues through Moses and delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. The Passover observed by Shincheonji is more focused on the promise made by Jesus reported in Luke 22:14-20 and Matthew 26:17-29. It is a festival of thanksgiving to God for guiding them through the revealed Word (the blood and flesh of Jesus) and for leading them out of spiritual Babylon (death) to spiritual Zion (God's Kingdom and Shincheonji), which is the life path (Revelation 16:12, 17:14, 18:4).
Feast of Tabernacles (July 15) The origin of the Feast of Tabernacles is found in what Leviticus 23:33-44 reports as God's command to Moses that Israelites should dwell in booths to remember their journey out of Egypt. Rather than physical booths made of grass, in modern celebrations, people are metaphorically referred to as grass (1 Peter 1:24). The Feast of Tabernacles is observed as a journey by the members of Shincheonji from a world without the group's teachings into a world with them. These members are said to become spiritual booths (i.e., homes) where the Holy Spirit dwells, and they offer thanksgiving to God (Isaiah 40:6-7, 1 Corinthians 3:16).
Feast of Ingathering (September 24) The origin of the Feast of Ingathering is the practice reported in Exodus 23:14-17, where Israelites would offer thanks to God as they harvested their crops and stored them in barns. Today, the Feast of Ingathering is observed as a spiritual harvest, a festival of thanksgiving for being harvested and gathered into God's kingdom, the barn (Mount Zion, Shincheonji). The date was chosen as the anniversary of when the foundation of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem was laid, as extrapolated from Haggai 2.
Membership
In 2014, Shincheonji was estimated to have over 120,000 members, while a 2020 estimate put membership at around 200,000. It was once the fastest-growing religious church in South Korea.
In March 2020, health authorities of the Government of South Korea investigating the COVID-19 pandemic declared that they obtained a list of 317,320 registered Shincheonji members.
Ministries Overseas church MOUs and signboard changes As of early August 2024, Shincheonji claims to have signed 12,979 memoranda of understanding (MOUs) in 84 countries, with 705 accumulated domestically. Additionally, 1,352 churches in 41 countries have replaced their signs with those of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus and are requesting the dispatch of instructors and Bible education. A representative of the Shincheonji Busan James Tribe stated, "Not only in India but around the world, requests for educational support from the Zion Christian Mission Center of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus and for incorporation into Shincheonji are increasing." The representative further emphasized that they will continue to actively engage with pastors of established churches, aiming for cooperation. However, this has sparked controversy as it was revealed to be the result of deceiving foreign pastors who were unaware of Shincheonji's falsehoods and true nature.
Shincheonji Volunteer Group The Shincheonji Volunteer Group is a subsidiary organization established by Shincheonji, composed of its members. Their activities began in earnest during the 1988-1989 Seoul Olympics. Since then, the Shincheonji Volunteer Group has been actively involved in various initiatives, including volunteer work for underprivileged communities, environmental cleanup efforts, and support activities for people with disabilities and elderly individuals living alone. These efforts are aimed at improving the group's public image. Currently, the Shincheonji Volunteer Group operates regionally, conducting activities across different areas.
Opposition In Singapore, 21 members were arrested in 2020 for congregating and were charged with being a part of an "unlawful society." They face up to three years in jail if convicted.
In 2020, China banned Shincheonji.
Threats towards Shincheonji On April 4, 2020, a 39-year-old man threw a rock at the Ulsan branch church building, breaking a glass window at the front entrance. His stated motivation was his thinking Shincheonji members spread COVID-19. On August 26, 2020, he was found guilty of property damage and was sentenced to six months in prison, with two years suspended sentence, and 80 hours of mandated volunteer work.
On 21 September 2020, the Daejeon branch church received an anonymous threat letter containing a strange white powder, later identified by the Chemical Safety Agency and the Geumgang Basin Environment Agency to be cyanide; a USB drive containing a Bitcoin address; and a message demanding ₩14.4 billion. The anonymous message stated harm would come upon Shincheonji congregants if the requested money was not deposited. The case is still under investigation, and police have ruled the threatening letter was originally addressed to a different Shincheonji building in Gyeonggi Province.
Controversies
Political controversy The group has been accused of exerting influence on politicians and political parties. A former member accused Chairman Lee of Shincheonji of having created the name of the "Saenuri Party", the former name of the Liberty Korea Party. On November 6, 2020, the prosecutor's office ruled that there was no evidence to support this accusation and that there was no connection between Lee and the creation of the Saenuri Party. Controversy arose when Telegram chatroom conversations were leaked, revealing evidence of opposition to a specific candidate during South Korea's 2022 presidential election. This suggested an attempt to exert political influence by pressuring members to manage public opinion, sparking widespread criticism. Lee Nak-yon, former leader of the Democratic Party of Korea and current senior advisor of the New Future Democratic Party, lost a defamation lawsuit against a YouTuber who had claimed his alleged ties to Shincheonji.
Evangelism through infiltration and deception