“Shincheonji’s words, like water for the soul, have washed away the hardships of life” [Shincheonji Diary of Faith - 6]
📰Two years ago, heresy counsellors belonging to the Korean Church predicted that Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (Shincheonji) would be dismantled in the wake of Covid-19. They insisted that believers would leave Shincheonji and go to their churches instead. Yet the reality has been the opposite. The established Church in Korea is facing its greatest crisis as it experiences a sharp decline in membership, while Shincheonji has grown rapidly over the past two years, producing a whopping 40,000 graduates. The stories of faithful believers, who have overcome discrimination and hatred amid an unprecedented era of 'fake news' during the Covid-19 pandemic, are recounted here. |
[Cheonji Ilbo = Correspondent Su-kyung Kang] Mrs. A, who is now in her mid-70s, attended Sunday school in a rural church from a very young age. She was committed to her faith, but that commitment soon faded as she married into a Buddhist family. “I forgot God,” she says.
In her early 40s, Mrs. A's home relations was far from harmonious, and day to day life was marred by financial difficulty. She used to wake up at 4am, prepare her three children's lunches, take them to school, and then rush to the construction site.
“I was a plasterer, and I didn’t earn much.” She recalls, “I did everything I could as a woman. Construction jobs were few and far between and I couldn't find a fixed job, so I took what I could and made a living lifting crates.”
The following year, she went to Onsan to look for a job, which she secured at a machine manufacturers cleaning boats, and did everything she could, including welding, over three years. She recalls the time she walked across the underpass after work; “I met an angel”, she says. She engaged in conversation with a Shincheonji Church member, whom she had met by chance, and she was reminded of the faith she had let go of. Through that experience, she came to study the Word of the Bible from Shincheonji Church of Jesus, without cost. It completely changed her life.
Mrs. A vividly recalls specifics, saying, “my first class was on November 3, 2001,” and recalls receiving an attendance award because she was taking care of work and family commitments at the same time. Her story is testament to the incalculable value of the Word, that falls likes water to nourish the heart of one's soul, and to her ability to overcome her physical limitations, even though her body was fatigued.
Mrs. A, who was convinced that this Word is true and God is real and alive according to Bible teaching, insisted to her class lecturer, “Please let me go to your church”, even after hearing the Word only a few times. Typically, it is only possible to attend the church upon completing the entire curriculum, but due to Mrs. A's persistence, she was able to join the church on December 25th, on Christmas Day. Since then, she has been worshipping and studying the Word together, and has been living a life of faith for 20 years.
“When I reflect on the fact that I was called as the ripened firstfruit in the 6,000 years of God’s work, joy and gratitude flow out like an undying spring. Ever since I came to Shincheonji Church of Jesus, I have always lived with joy at being able to meditate on the Word. I believe that God has helped me along every step of the way.”
Mrs. A says, “I am happy I can be one with this Word, especially at this time through online seminars and when MOUs are being signed.”
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Shincheonji Diary of Faith Series
“My 20-year life of faith was meaningless: understanding the Word gave me hope” [Shincheonji Diary of Faith - 5]
“The word of Shincheonji Church of Jesus saved me from a life without purpose or hope” [Shincheonji Diary of Faith - 4]
“Her faith, filled with grace, led to a healthier relationship”: Shincheonji fosters solid mother-child relationship [Shincheonji Diary of Faith - 3]
''My parents, who tried to force me to undergo coercive conversion for years, acknowledged my life of faith in Shincheonji after seeing 'unity' between my husband, children and I [Shincheonji Diary of Faith - 2]''
“This Word is True”: The Word of Shincheonji and My Family [Shincheonji Diary of Faith - 1]
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