“Above All Things, We Will Exert Our Utmost Effort to Bring an End to COVID-19”: Shincheonji Church of Jesus’ Fight Against COVID-19
After the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, it quickly spread to neighbouring South Korea. In mid-February 2020, the number of confirmed cases in South Korea peaked at 30. However, following confirmation of “Patient 31” on the evening of February 18th, there was a rapid increase in confirmed cases. As soon as it was announced that “Patient 31” is a congregation member of Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Daegu, global media outlets and the general public became quick to blame Shincheonji Church of Jesus for the rapid spread of the coronavirus within South Korea which, as of March 9th, has infected 7300 people and caused 50 deaths. Moreover, media outlets have asserted that Shincheonji Church of Jesus reported untruthfully and intentionally withheld information. Is this true?
From early January until the present, in an attempt to protect its congregation, the Geeneral Assembly Headquarters of Shincheonji Church of Jesus has delivered a total of four separate instructions to all 74 branch churches throughout South Korea forbidding entry into its church buildings for any recent visitor to or from China, anyone with contact with visitors from China or anyone displaying cold or fever-like symptoms. After a congregation member tested positive for COVID-19 on January 18th, Shincheonji Church of Jesus continued to deliver notices to all congregation members regarding worship services and meetings, and repeatedly stressed the importance of obeying guidelines issued by the government and local authorities. By the end of January, any congregation member who had travelled abroad or exhibited mild cold-like symptoms was prohibited from attending church services.
Then, following confirmation of ‘Patient 31’ on February 18th, Shincheonji Church of Jesus provided Daegu Metropolitan Council with a list of all congregation members who had joined the same church service as ‘Patient 31’ in Daegu. At 6am the following day (19th), the final list was sent to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). Epidemiological investigations and strong preventive measures were then implemented; the church in Daegu was closed down and all its congregation members instructed to self-quarantine and promptly contact public health facilities for testing, and all 74 branch churches nationwide and 1000 affiliated buildings were disinfected up until February 21st. On its website, Shincheonji Church of Jesus then published a report on the status of disinfection, having provided all the addresses to the KCDC.
Shincheonji Church of Jesus then provided a detailed list of all 212,324 domestic congregation members and 33,582 overseas congregation members to the KCDC on February 25th and February 26th, respectively, which the KCDC forwarded on to local governments under an agreement of confidentiality.
From February 26th, numerous cities and provinces began conducting telephone surveys with Shincheonji Church of Jesus’ congregation members and arrangements were made for those exhibiting symptoms to be tested first. In order to prevent the spread of disease within the community, Shincheonji Church of Jesus encouraged current students on their Bible study programme to also receive testing and, on February 27th, sent health authorities the names of all its Bible study students on the condition that they assume legal responsibility in case any information is leaked. This figure totalled 65,127 - 54,176 domestically and 10,951 overseas.
On the evening of February 29th, Man Hee Lee, the Chairman of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, underwent screening for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the HJM International Medical Center (government-designated medical facility for screening of COVID-19) in Gapyeong County, Gyeonggi Province. Test results released on the morning of March 2nd came out negative. In response to a request for retesting made by Gyeonggi’s Governor Jae-myung Lee, Chairman Lee underwent re-screening at Gwacheon Public Health Center that same evening.
In spite of everything that Shincheonji Church of Jesus has done to contain the spread of the virus, several local governments are currently considering filing lawsuits against Shincheonji Church on grounds of discrepancies among the lists. Such allegations include omission of information of children and youth church members from the list sent to the KCDC, unclear addresses, and discrepancies between lists received by the KCDC and local governments. Some local governments even mistook one person who had tested positive for COVID-19 for being a member of Shincheonji Church of Jesus. These allegations have now formed the foundation of a lawsuit against Shincheonji Church of Jesus.
In spite of such allegations, the leaders of Shincheonji Church of Jesus - notably chairman Lee - feel an overwhelming responsibility for the spread of this virus within South Korea and continue to do everything possible to comply with local health and government authorities. On March 2nd, Shincheonji Church of Jesus held a “Press Conference of Shincheonji Church of Jesus Regarding COVID-19” to international media where Chairman Lee reconfirmed the church’s resolve to cooperate with authorities to bring a swift end to this national crisis. Chairman Lee bowed twice to the public and offered a sincere apology to all Korean citizens on behalf of Shincheonji Church of Jesus. Then, the head of Internal Affairs, Administration, and Foreign Missions, respectively, explained the church's actions to curb and eliminate COVID-19 alongside health and governmental authorities, as well as the data provided and current allegations made against the church.
http://bit.ly/2vuDLMk
Leading politicians and media outlets continue to voice severe critical yet groundless opinions of Shincheonji Church of Jesus day after day, attributing it as being the epicentre of the virus. This is causing widespread anxiety and is preventing the COVID-19 issue from being resolved.
The reality is that Shincheonji Church members are one of the biggest victims of COVID-19. Yet as the saying goes, ‘the darkest hour is just before the dawn’, and Shincheonji Church of Jesus continues to exert its utmost effort in cooperating with public health authorities and local governments to bring the COVID-19 epidemic to an end as quickly as possible. My prayer is that all South Koreans will work together to overcome this crisis.
•0301 Letter of Appeal to Political Leaders
•0222 Over 1000 Shincheonji Church of Jesus Locations Disinfected and Closed Down in Korea
•0218 Notice on the Worship Service of Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Regards to COVID-19
The leaders and congregation
members of Shincheonji Church of Jesus have suffered tremendous injustice as they
work with local health and government authorities to contain the spread of
COVID-19. After Shincheonji Church of Jesus handed over its list of Daegu
church members to public health authorities on February 19th, congregation
members’ personal information was leaked. As a result, roughly 4000 church members
have received severe persecution that includes forced leave of absence from
work, domestic violence, discrimination and insult. Because of their religious affiliation,
three members of Shincheonji Church of Jesus have died; Sunhwa Kim received a
hammer blow to the head from her ex-husband in Ulsan in 2008, Ji-In Gu was
suffocated to death by her father in January 2018, and only one week ago on
February 26th, one congregation member in Ulsan who had been suffering domestic abuse from her husband because
of her affiliation to the church (which she had reported to the police), took her own life.
Moreover, so-called 'pastors' who belong to the Protestant church in Korea - notably the Christian Council of
Korea (CCK) - carry out ‘coercive conversion’ programmes on Shincheonji Church
of Jesus (and other minority) congregation members who are dragged away from their homes to remote
locations where they are forced to renounce their religious beliefs and accept
Presbyterian doctrine. Shockingly, pastors affiliated to the CCK have been convicted of
12,000 crimes including burglary, sexual assault and murder from 2008-2018. This is the disturbing reality of Christianity in South Korea today. It is, therefore, understandable why many congregation members of Shincheonji Church of Jesus who have become victims of severe persecution because of their faith are reluctant to make their religious affiliation known.
Leading politicians and media outlets continue to voice severe critical yet groundless opinions of Shincheonji Church of Jesus day after day, attributing it as being the epicentre of the virus. This is causing widespread anxiety and is preventing the COVID-19 issue from being resolved.
The reality is that Shincheonji Church members are one of the biggest victims of COVID-19. Yet as the saying goes, ‘the darkest hour is just before the dawn’, and Shincheonji Church of Jesus continues to exert its utmost effort in cooperating with public health authorities and local governments to bring the COVID-19 epidemic to an end as quickly as possible. My prayer is that all South Koreans will work together to overcome this crisis.
COVID-19 Response of
Shincheonji Church of Jesus
Official Announcements from
Shincheonji Church of Jesus
•0307 Chairman Man Hee Lee asks "all congregants to fully cooperate for disease control" in a special announcement
•0302 Statement at Press Conference of Shincheonji Church of Jesus Regarding COVID-19
•0302 Statement at Press Conference of Shincheonji Church of Jesus Regarding COVID-19
•0302
Regarding COVID-19 Testing of Chairman Lee, Man-hee of Shincheonji Church of
Jesus
•0301 Letter of Appeal to Political Leaders
•0228
Letter of Appeal from Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Regards to COVID-19
•0226
Shincheonji Church of Jesus Provided a List of All Members to Public Health
Authorities
▶http://enblog.shincheonji.kr/2020/03/0226-shincheonji-church-of-jesus.html
•0223 Statement of Shincheonji Church of Jesus Regarding COVID-19
•0223 Statement of Shincheonji Church of Jesus Regarding COVID-19
•0222 Over 1000 Shincheonji Church of Jesus Locations Disinfected and Closed Down in Korea
•0221
Shincheonji Church of Jesus Closed Down Its Churches and Affiliated Buildings
from 18 Feb
▶http://enblog.shincheonji.kr/2020/03/0221-shincheonji-church-of-jesus-closed.html
•0220 Statement of Shincheonji Church of Jesus Regarding COVID-19 Countermeasures and Fake News
•0220 Statement of Shincheonji Church of Jesus Regarding COVID-19 Countermeasures and Fake News
•0219
Statement of Shincheonji Church of Jesus Regarding the Novel Coronavirus
Disease (COVID-19)
•0218 Notice on the Worship Service of Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Regards to COVID-19
COVID-19/Fact Checker: Q&A on
7 comments
This too shall pass.
ReplyDeleteSuper informative! Thank you for this and shedding light on the issue and the truth
ReplyDeleteI've had a few friends who are Shincheonji members overseas. It is so sad to see all of the hatred and incorrect information from media. I am doing my best to support my friends and appreciate your content.
ReplyDelete"As a result, roughly 4000 church members have received severe persecution that includes forced leave of absence from work, domestic violence, discrimination and insult. "
ReplyDeleteTHIS SCARES ME. We are in a civilized society. The fact that people are being treated this way is an act against religious freedom and human rights. Thank you for bringing these things to light. I support Shincheonji and their work. Allow people to practice their faith in peace, especially if they've only helped their communities.
Wow, it's honestly quite sad to see how much people can say without really knowing what's going on. I've been looking into this situation for awhile, and honestly, it's amazing to see. Shincheonji seems to be doing all they can to stop the spread of Covid-19, yet people, without really knowing continue to act on their emotions and rumours, rather than what's really going on. From what I can see, this religious organisation haven't done anything wrong, rather, people are just using it as an excuse to vent their anger at something they haven't understood.
ReplyDeleteThey haven't understood the Covid-19 situation properly, but the public have had beef with Shincheonji for a long time, so this could also be pent up anger spilling out.
DeleteThe more I read these articles, the more I feel that people seem to be not interested in the truth. Only find provocative things. Truth is not interested in them. Thank you for writing a good article, noah.
ReplyDelete