Shincheonji Church Draws 80,000 Attendees for Sunday Service in Cheongju, Causing a Sensation

LONDON, UK. September 9th, 2024 - Cheongju, the capital of North Chungcheong Province in the Republic of Korea, was in a tumult on Tuesday morning – eighty thousand people, one-tenth of Cheongju City (850,000), gathered in one place to offer Sunday service.  

The crowds gathered at the Matthias Tribe Cheongju Church (Cheongju Church), the Shincheonji Church of Jesus. A welcome procession over four kilometres long, including 100 pastors from established churches, gathered to welcome Lee Man-hee, Chairman of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, who has travelled more than half the world and visited over 40 churches this year as part of a Nationwide tour. In particular, this year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Cheongju Church. 

Not only Matthias tribe members in charge of the Chungcheong area, but also members of John tribe in charge of Seoul and southern Gyeonggi Province, and other church workers from across the country gathered to worship together. From the early hours of the day, many members of Shincheonji Church of Jesus gathered to welcome Chairman Lee. 

Chairman Lee can clearly teach the book of Revelation, which even pastors and theological professors find difficult to understand, as well as the secrets of 6,000 years of Bible history. More than 100 Protestant pastors from all over the country attended the ceremony to listen to Chairman Lee's sermon.

A congregation member who left early the day before and visited the venue said: "I can't tell you how I had faith all my life, but I couldn't hear it anywhere else. I really wanted to see him in person and express my gratitude for letting me know about Revelation."

In the sermon, Chairman Lee emphasised the importance of Word-based faith, saying: "How grateful is God for telling us the words of the Book of Revelation that no one has known for 6,000 years, as the saints wished". He also shared, "this word is life. You have to have a faith that is 100% based on this word, which is to become one with God."

"This is the biggest difference because we can testify the reality (of the prophecy)," Chairman Lee said. "However, we were in the same position as people we did not know in the past. So now we have to be humble in front of everyone and explain what is right and help them understand."

Since the foundation of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, Chairman Lee has consistently emphasised the importance of the word of Revelation and the need for a Bible-based faith. This year alone, he has visited more than 40 domestic and overseas churches, including this visit to Cheongju Church, and is focusing on delivering the word of Revelation based on the 5W1H (who, what, where, when, why, and how).

As a result, many domestic and foreign church members who could not quench their thirst for the word, are moving to the Shincheonji Church of Jesus. 

Another congregation member, who had been part of the Presbyterian Church for more than 30 years, said: "I've been following many churches, preaching and going to early morning service, and even participating cell meetings, but I couldn't get the clear teaching that I wanted. I was shocked by Chairman Lee's lecture, which clearly delivered all of Revelation for nearly two hours at the conference.

"When I put down my prejudice and listened to the word itself, I felt that the frustrating questions were solved one by one. Perhaps more than 100,000 people were able to complete it every year because there are quite a lot of people who have experienced the same as me nationwide and around the world."

Data proves that such confession is not limited to just one person. According to a survey conducted by the Korea Research Institute of Pastoral Data on 1,000 Protestants aged 19 or older in September last year, 65 percent of the participants in Korean Protestant churches said they felt spiritually thirsty. 

In addition, 55 percent, or more than half of the total respondents, said they want to receive organised Bible education from pastors. Analysts say that this is a result of revealing the current state of Bible education among Protestants in Korea. 

In addition, the decline of faith of young people in their 20s and 30s is steadily intensifying, which is the biggest concern for Protestant circles both domestically and abroad. On the other hand, Shincheonji Church of Jesus not only increases the number of young believers in their 20s and 30s, but also more than 100,000 church members complete regular courses for about eight months every year. Shincheonji Church of Jesus explains that this, too, is due to the "Bible-based faith" and the "excellence of the revealed word." 

An official of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus said: "The core of the Revelation is that the prophecy of the Book of Revelation, which was only thought to be a story in an old book, is actually being fulfilled and there is even reality. In this regard, Shincheonji Church of Jesus has an undisputed basis and a systematic curriculum, so it is recognised by many people regardless of gender, age and belief. This is due to the pastor who saw and heard the reality of the prophecy, so I hope that any believer will check and judge this with their own eyes and with an open heart.”

ENDS