42nd Anniversary of Shincheonji Church of Jesus… 42 Years Walked Through the Word and Practice

Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (Chairman Lee Man-hee, hereafter Shincheonji Church of Jesus), held a commemorative service on the 15th at Shincheonji Matthias Tribe Cheongju Church to mark its 42nd anniversary. This service was prepared as an occasion to express gratitude for the sacrifices of Jesus, martyrs, and predecessors in faith, and to reaffirm a faith centered on the Word. About 2,000 members attended in person, and many more joined in real time from Korea and abroad through an online livestream.

Chairman Lee Man-hee stated, “As we mark the 42nd anniversary today, let us once again compose our hearts and strive to become believers recognized before God and the angels.” He emphasized, “As recorded in John 1:1, which says the Word itself is God, there can be no faith apart from the Word. We must know the Word and also share it with those who desire it.”

He further highlighted the importance of the present era in which Revelation is being fulfilled, saying, “Revelation chapter 22 states that if this book (Revelation) is added to or taken away from, one cannot enter heaven and will receive curses (plagues). Therefore, if one truly believes in God’s Word, one must reflect on whether they have altered Revelation.”

He also addressed the established Christian community, stating, “God has clearly spoken through the Bible about where, when, what He is doing, and with whom He is. Yet people do not believe.” He stressed that rather than relying on the justification of being ‘orthodox,’ one must confirm the ‘reality’ revealed according to Revelation and belong to the twelve tribes.

Growth Led by Word-Centered Faith… The Gospel of Revelation Spreading Worldwide

Although Shincheonji Church of Jesus has grown into a global denomination today, its beginnings were humble. In the early days, when there was not even a proper place of worship, Chairman Lee and followers gathered in mountains and fields to worship according to the Word, and on March 14, 1984, the founding of Shincheonji Church of Jesus was proclaimed.

Since its establishment, the church has focused on spreading the fulfilled reality of the Book of Revelation worldwide and has provided free Bible education to anyone who wishes to learn through the Zion Christian Mission Center. The results of this Word-based education are evident in the scale of its graduation ceremonies.

Starting with its first graduation in 1991, the Zion Christian Mission Center has shown rapid growth. At the 110th graduation ceremony in 2019, 103,764 graduates were produced, opening the era of over 100,000 graduates. At last year’s 116th graduation ceremony, 59,192 people gathered at the Matthias Tribe Cheongju Church. With a notable proportion of pastor graduates and many international participants, it demonstrated that the gospel of Revelation is spreading globally.

The dedication of early members who began in a small apartment basement 42 years ago has become the foundation for today’s growth, where tens of thousands of believers gather worldwide. Park Bok-young (70, female), a member who has been with the church since before its founding, recalled, “It was such great joy to quench my thirst for the Word. I practiced faith with gratitude and joy every day with fellow members.” She added, “The fulfillment given by the revealed Word made the poor conditions of the basement sanctuary irrelevant.”

She continued, “It’s hard to compare whose effort was greater, but ultimately, it was the power of the Word that moved people’s hearts. Seeing tens of thousands of believers gathering each year thanks to the dedication of younger members, I feel the sacrifices of the seniors were not in vain. All of this is the power of the Word and God’s grace.”

External Exchange and Social Contribution… 42 Years of Practice

Marking its 42nd anniversary, Shincheonji Church of Jesus continues to expand its external exchanges. Since beginning overseas Word seminars in 2012, they have been held in 38 countries, and cooperation with overseas churches has been strengthened through online seminars.

As of last year, Word exchange MOUs have been established with 969 churches domestically and 14,347 churches in 89 countries overseas. Through MOA agreements involving signboard changes, 129 churches in Korea and 1,729 churches in 48 countries abroad have changed their affiliation to Shincheonji Church of Jesus.

Beyond spreading the gospel of Revelation, the church has emphasized practicing the Word based on the Bible. These practices have continued even during national crises. During the COVID-19 pandemic, 3,741 members participated in plasma donations for treatment development. In 2022, during a national blood shortage crisis, about 70,000 members donated blood within two weeks.

Volunteer groups were dispatched to major disaster sites such as the Taean oil spill, the 2017 Pohang earthquake, and wildfires in Andong and Uiseong, contributing to recovery efforts. The church has also continued community care activities, including medical services for foreign workers and meal-sharing programs for elderly people living alone.