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| On 26th June 2022, Cheonji Ilbo (Cheonji Daily) published an article in Korean, entitled, “'The standard of the Word taught at Shincheonji has gained recognition from my family and brought greater value to my life.' [Shincheonji Diary of Faith - 9]”. This is a translation of that report. |
📰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.
✦ Testimony by Ho-young Yoon of Shincheonji Church of Jesus (John tribe)
I was born into a Christian family and practised a life of faith for over 20 years. Then, I came across the Word of Shincheonji through a friend from secondary school. I found the word taught by Shincheonji interesting and logical. In particular, when I realised that 'I myself' am someone who is promised in the Bible, I felt the great grace I was receiving.
I was pleased to study and come to a clear understanding of the Word, which I also shared with family. However, there was a lot of persecution simply because the word came from 'Shincheonji'. Through my mother, I even met a 'coercive conversion specialist evangelist' at a heresy counselling centre, run by an established denomination, where I underwent 'conversion counselling.' However, the Shincheonji that this 'evangelist' spoke of and the Shincheonji that I personally experienced was very different. In the end, I felt strongly that I had to check it out for myself, and decided that it was not worth listening to this 'evangelist' anymore, so I stopped meeting him.
I talked sincerely to my family about why I wanted to continue to live a life of faith in Shincheonji. My parents respected my choice of faith when they realised that their son, whom they thought had lost touch with reality after joining Shincheonji, was actually succeeding at work, getting along well with family, and practising a sincere life of faith.
My mother even admitted that I had learned the Bible well in Shincheonji. She once came to me with a Bible study book she had brought from the church she attends, and wanted to think over a particular verse. She meditated on that one verse and then closed the book. So I explained the overall flow of the Bible to her, including the meaning of that one verse she was meditating on, and she replied pleasantly surprised, saying I was the first person she had met who could teach the Bible in a fun way, and that I seemed to teach it better than her pastor.
Since coming to believe in the Word from Shincheonji, my knowledge of the Bible has grown significantly. But more than that, what I'm most grateful for is that I now understand who 'I' am according to the Bible. Before then, I didn't know what I wanted to do, or who I really was. However, as I came to Shincheonji, studied the Bible and lived a life of faith, I came to know myself, what makes me happy, and what I really want and desire.
The word from Shincheonji has also helped me to establish the right values. I had previously been encouraged to 'live only for today', and I thought to myself, 'Because I don't know what tomorrow will bring, I'll just aim to be happy today, and tomorrow is not guaranteed.' However, since living a life of faith in Shincheonji, my hope is for the blessings of heaven and eternal life, and I am committed to living a life with purpose and not in vain.
Knowing 'myself' in this way has given me confidence, and as my values have become clearer, the people around me have also begun to become more optimistic. In that sense, the word from Shincheonji has raised the meaning and value of my life.
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Shincheonji Diary of Faith Series
“Shincheonji has become life for the whole family” [Shincheonji Diary of Faith - 8]
“I’m sorry I didn’t trust my daughter and tried to forcibly convert her” [Shincheonji Diary of Faith - 7]
“Shincheonji’s words, like water for the soul, have washed away the hardships of life” [Shincheonji Diary of Faith - 6]
“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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