Noah Brown: Thousands of Pastors Flock to Shincheonji's Online Seminar in Korea

•Churches pushed to the brink after COVID-19

•Declining number of students...'Disillusionment' with livelihoods
•Unable to find solutions to 'keeping the church alive'
•Shincheonji delivers breakthrough with the word of revelation
•Participants' reactions shock the religious community
•Pastors also participate in 'non-face-to-face' means of communication
•“Covid-19 Tribulation leads us back to the essence of religion”

[Chunji Ilbo = Reporter Kang Su-kyung] The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) infection, which has grown in earnest since last year, has developed into various mutations and is completely changing the pattern of life as we have known it thus far. Religious groups in particular are being directly impacted by the 'restrictions on in-person worship' with calls for total reforms being made. A sense of despondency about permanently leaving behind life pre-Covid is now prevalent among pastors. However, crises within the Church have existed since long before the outbreak of COVID-19. While the number of Christians within Korea continues to fall, the number of church buildings is, bizarrely, increasing to the extent that there are now more churches than there are convenience stores.

◆ Even pre-Covid19, small and medium-sized churches were 'on the cusp of dying out'
Moreover, large churches experiencing stagnation and reduction in membership have been accelerating a 'horizontal trend' as they draw in small and medium-sized church members through various events and services. These struggling small and medium-sized churches have been driven to the brink of closure.

Churches that have been pushed into financial crisis due to a fall in the number of their faithful are shedding blood, sweat and tears as they market their church buildings on the real estate market. Some religious media outlets have denounced this move as an opportunity for church buildings to be transferred into the hands of 'emerging cults (new religions)', there is consensus that this is an unavoidable move.

Under these circumstances, some pastors are barely earning a living as unskilled drivers or construction workers. The trend of a 'double-sided life' of pastors is now growing and cannot be denied, and there is growing belief that it should be tolerated even if it is not stipulated within the dogma of their respective denomination.

Neither has the COVID-19 outbreak, which started in full force last year, spared the megachurches. In a climate of increased restrictions imposed by health authorities on in-person worship (such as social distancing), churches that have experienced in-person worship during the pandemic continue to experience a drop in the number of their congregation.

Churches are uploading various absorbing content onto social media platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Instagram as a means to dissuade members from leaving, while also growing their membership.

These efforts alone may appeal for a while, but signs are pointing to it being insufficient in helping church members grow their faith.

◆ Religious community failing to lead as numbers fall

After the Korean War, and before the beginnings of democratisation, churches in Korea were evaluated as exemplary in promoting a spirit of giving and volunteerism, acting as a driving force for social change that positively impacted the lives of many people.

However, the reality since then is that churches no longer lead by example. On the contrary, churches have sought to promote their own agenda by colluding with the government and sowing seeds of division, which is far from the national sentiment.

Various recent acts of embezzlement and sexual crimes committed by some pastors have signalled the end of an era when the church once cared for the frailty of the world, and has been replaced by the world's concern towards the church. Although a movement of repentance and rejuvenation is being carried out on a local church level, it is insufficient in purifying the corrupt religious system.

More importantly, the reality is that the standard of religious knowledge among churchgoers is rising. There are very few people who are convicted by the message ,'Unbelief in Jesus Leads to Hell; Belief in Jesus Leads to Heaven', that defines 666 (previously understood to be a barcode) as a VeriChip and that, upon receiving it, you will be punished. Such beliefs are mocked and looked down on with pity.

The same goes for inside the church. Pastors who took steps to spread sweet messages of comfort out of fear that their church members would leave, are worried that this will no longer work.

Compared to the older generation, the younger generation, who have enjoyed an affluent life and education, receive the latest news through various media outlets and do not blindly accept pastors' words. Questions are now being raised by young church members.

◆ Key towards the shift to online religious culture is the 'sermon'

With the beginnings of 'non-face-to-face culture' due to COVID-19, the practise of one's religious life is also shifting to the online platform. As religious activity shifted from offline to online, the Church, which has maintained success on the foundation of 'community', has encountered difficulties. On the online platform, only the 'sermon (word)' can be evaluated and examined, so COVID-19 has made us look back on the foundations of religious life.

In fact, many church members are currently listening to sermons from other churches - and not the church they currently attend - through YouTube in order to listen to 'good word'.

On the 14th of last month, more than 1,000 pastors participated in an online Bible Seminar directly led by Chairman Man-hee Lee of Shincheonji Church of Jesus. What if it was an offline seminar? There is a high possibility that he would have refused because of the attention it would have received. This is because news about participating in a seminar hosted by Shincheonji Church of Jesus would cause stigmatisation and isolation within the religious world.

In a virtual seminar, it is not possible to engage directly with other participants, and so only the message of the one delivering the sermon can be heard. It is similar to watching YouTube. Such conditions have become a factor that enables pastors to comfortably attend a seminar.

So, how should we interpret the attendance of about 1,000 pastors at this seminar by Shincheonji Church of Jesus? Regarding this, a Shincheonji Church of Jesus official said, “The non-face-to-face culture caused by COVID-19 has made us look back on the essence of religion that the religious community has been missing. I believe that my own convictions about Christianity are being confirmed through this environment." He continued, “We are living in an era when one can no longer definitively say, ‘Do not listen to the word from Shincheonji.' We are creating an environment for people to decide for themselves.”

Source: bit.ly/3yplUks

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Blogs on "8.14 Online Bible Seminar" & "12 Tribes' Online Bible Seminars"

Candid Introduction by Chairman Man-Hee Lee Opens the Hearts of Over 30,000 Believers

https://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2021/09/candid-introduction-by-chairman-man-hee.html

"100,000 People" Registered for Shincheonji Church Online Bible Teaching Over Last 1.5 Years

https://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2021/09/100000-people-registered-for.html

Pastors Testify to "Curious" and "Ground-breaking" Seminar by Chairman Man-hee Lee

https://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2021/09/pastors-testify-to-curious-and-ground.html

Shincheonji Church of Jesus Holds Seminars for 1000s of People - Pastors Included - Throughout Korea (August 2021)

http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2021/08/shincheonji-church-of-jesus-holds.html

Korean Press Sounds the Trumpet for Shincheonji Church's "Online Seminar for 1000 Pastors" (8.14)

http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2021/08/korean-press-sounds-trumpet-for.html

Korean Press Reports on "814 Online Bible Seminar"

[신천지 온라인 말씀세미나] 이만희 총회장 진솔한 자기소개… 3만여 신앙인 마음 열다
[Shincheonji Online Word Seminar] Chairman Man-Hee Lee candid self-introduction… Open the hearts of over 30,000 believers

https://bit.ly/2WBNj5s

[신천지 온라인 말씀세미나] 신천지, 비대면전환 1년반… “10만명 온라인 수강 중”
[Shincheonji Online Word Seminar] Shincheonji, 1 and a half year of non-face-to-face conversion… “100,000 people are taking online courses”
bit.ly/2WDBPii

[신천지 온라인 말씀세미나] 이만희 총회장 세미나에 참여한 목회자들 “궁금했다… 획기적인 교리”
[Shincheonji Online Word Seminar] Pastors who participated in the seminar by President Man-hee Lee “I was curious… groundbreaking doctrine.”
http://www.newscj.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=895925

환경방송-[people] 신천지 이만희 총회장, 목회자 대상 온라인 말씀 세미나 성료
Man-Hee Lee, President of Shincheonji Church, successfully completed the online seminar for pastors

https://bit.ly/3sqew7a

브레이크뉴스-신천지 이만희 총회장 14일 목회자 대상 온라인 말씀 세미나
The Chairman of Shincheonji Church, Man-hee Lee Online Word Seminar for Pastors on the 14th
https://bit.ly/3CMIiYv

경인종합일보-신천지 이만희 총회장, 목회자 대상 '온라인 말씀 세미나' 성료
The Chairman of Shincheonji Church, Man-hee Lee successfully completed the 'Online Word Seminar' for pastors
https://bit.ly/37KheuE

세계타임즈-신천지 이만희 총회장, 14일 목회자 대상 온라인 말씀 세미나서 '간곡히 호소'
The Chairman of Shincheonji Church, Man-hee Lee, 'Certainly appeal' at the online seminar for pastors on the 14th
https://bit.ly/3yQscui

뉴스쉐어-신천지 이만희 총회장 14일 목회자 대상 온라인 말씀 세미나 성료
On the 14th, The Chairman of Shincheonji Church, Lee Man-hee completed the online sermon seminar for pastors
https://bit.ly/3m2Xpa6

일간대한뉴스-신천지 이만희 총회장 목회자 대상 온라인 세미나 강사로 나서 성료
The Chairman of Shincheonji Church, Man-hee Lee, Succeeded as a lecturer at an online seminar for pastors
https://bit.ly/3yN5bZu

일간경기-신천지 이만희 총회장 온라인 세미나 성료

Completed online seminar of Shincheonji Chairman Lee Man-hee

https://bit.ly/3smMysR

경기북부시민신문-신천지 이만희 총회장, 14일 목회자 대상 온라인 말씀 세미나 성료

Shincheonji Church Chairman Man-hee Lee, 14th online sermon seminar for pastors successfully completed

https://bit.ly/37OnIZn

경기도민일보-신천지 이만희 총회장, 목회자 대상 말씀 세미나 성료

Shincheonji Church Chairman Man-hee Lee successfully completed the seminar for pastors

https://bit.ly/3m6CrqV

중부일보-신천지 온라인 말씀세미나 지난 14일 개최

Shincheonji Online Word Seminar held on the 14th

https://bit.ly/3AOhcyu