42nd Anniversary of Shincheonji’s Founding… From a Basement Beginning to a Church Drawing Tens of Thousands Each Year.

42nd Anniversary of Shincheonji’s Founding… 

From a Basement Beginning to a Church 

Drawing Tens of Thousands Each Year.

▎Commemorative Worship Service Held on the 15th at Shincheonji Cheongju Church

▎The Baton of the Word and Faith Passed Down Through Generations.

Forty-two years ago, the devotion of the early believers who began in the basement of an apartment building became the seed of revival that today draws tens of thousands of people of faith from around the world each year. At the center of this growth lies not merely enthusiasm, but a firm principle of faith centered on the Word, which is the essence of faith.

Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (Chairman Lee Man-hee, hereinafter Shincheonji Church of Jesus) held a commemorative worship service on the 15th at Shincheonji Cheongju Church to mark its 42nd anniversary. The service was prepared as an occasion to look back on the 42-year journey since its founding, express gratitude for the sacrifices of Jesus, the martyrs, and the forebears of faith, and reaffirm a faith centered on the Word.

About 2,200 members attended the service in person, and members from both Korea and abroad also joined in real time through an online live broadcast, adding further significance to the occasion.

Chairman Man Hee Lee, who delivered the message, emphasized, “The Shincheonji Church of Jesus, which marks its 42nd anniversary today, is a place where faith is practiced based on the Bible. We do not add to or subtract from the Book of Revelation that has been fulfilled today, and we fully understand even its reality.”

He added, “Ending the sinful world and establishing the world of God’s righteousness is what God desires. Let us all become one, act according to God’s will, and strengthen our hearts together to become believers who are acknowledged before God and the angels.”

For the first-generation members who endured sacrifice and became the foundation for the church’s rapid growth, the 42nd anniversary worship service held special significance.

Park Bok-young (70, female), a member who had been with the Shincheonji Church of Jesus even before its first temple was established, recalled, “Being able to satisfy my thirst for the Word was such a great joy. Together with the members, I lived my life of faith with gratitude and happiness every day. Because of the fullness given by the revealed Word, the poor conditions of the basement room in the first temple were not a problem at all.”

She continued, “It is hard to say whose efforts were greater or smaller, but in the end it was the power of the Word that moved people’s hearts. Recently, seeing tens of thousands of believers gathering each year through the dedication of the later members, I feel even more grateful, knowing that the sacrifices of the seniors were not in vain. All of this is the power of the Word and the grace of God.”

Cho Myung-sook (73, female), who joined in 1992, also said, “While praying with the desire to gain assurance of salvation and understand the true meaning of the Bible, I came to Shincheonji Church of Jesus. After encountering a depth of teaching on a completely different level, I gained conviction and joined the church. Then as now, it seems that believers who are thirsty for the Word come to this place,” emphasizing the key to the church’s growth across generations.

In fact, since its founding on March 14, 1984, Shincheonji Church of Jesus has focused on testifying the fulfilled reality of the Book of Revelation throughout the world. The spread of this Word is clearly demonstrated through the Bible education center, Zion Christian Mission Center. Beginning with its first graduation ceremony in 1991, it recorded an unprecedented milestone in the religious world by producing more than 100,000 graduates in 2019. Last year, 59,192 graduates from the 116th class gathered at Shincheonji Cheongju Church. Among them, many were overseas graduates, demonstrating that the gospel of Revelation is spreading throughout the world.

Now entering the middle stage of its faith journey, Shincheonji Church of Jesus is also expanding communication with those outside the church. It has continued active exchanges by signing Word exchange MOUs and signboard replacement MOAs with pastors both in Korea and abroad. As of last year, the cumulative number of Word exchange MOUs reached 969 churches in Korea and 14,347 churches in 89 countries overseas. Through signboard replacement MOAs, 129 churches in Korea and 1,729 churches in 48 countries abroad have changed their signboards to Shincheonji Church of Jesus.

Shincheonji Church of Jesus has also fulfilled its social responsibility by taking the lead in practical relief efforts during times of national crisis. In particular, during the COVID-19 pandemic, 3,741 members donated plasma to support the development of treatments. In 2022, during a nationwide blood shortage, about 70,000 members completed blood donations in just two weeks, playing a pivotal role in overcoming the blood supply crisis. In addition, the church has consistently dispatched large volunteer groups to major disaster sites—such as the Taean oil spill, the 2017 Pohang earthquake, and the wildfires in Andong and Uiseong—to assist with recovery efforts. Alongside these activities, it has also carried out ongoing community service, including medical volunteer work for foreign workers and meal-sharing programs for elderly people living alone, putting into practice the value of “love,” which is the teaching of Jesus.

A representative of Shincheonji Church of Jesus stated, “The past 42 years have been a remarkable journey achieved through the devotion of the members and the unchanging essence of God’s Word. Going forward, we will continue to do our best to spread the value of the unchanging truth, grounded in the original heart of faith.”