World Mission Society Church of God
Encyclopedia
The World Mission Society Church of God (Korean: 하나님의교회 세계복음선교협회) was founded by Ahn Sahng-hong (안상홍) in 1964. The church believes that he is the second coming of Christ
because of his fulfillment of prophecies. Ahn Sahng-Hong, died in 1985 leaving the leadership of the church to his spiritual wife, Zahng Gil-Jah(장길자), known in the church as "the Heavenly Mother", and the General Pastor is Kim Joo-Cheol. Its headquarters are located in Bundang
, Sungnam City, Kyunggi Province, roughly an hour away from Seoul
. Zahng is also chairperson of the New Life Welfare Foundation (새생명복지회) and of the International We Love You Foundation (국제위러브유운동).
The church believes that Zahng Gil-Jah is "God the Mother," who they believe is referred to in the Bible
as the New Jerusalem Mother (Gal 4:26), and that Ahn Sahng-Hong is God the Father
. The church regards the earthly family system as a copy and shadow of the heavenly family system (Heb 8:5), consisting of a Heavenly Father, Heavenly Mother, and the spiritual brothers and sisters (humans).
(Eph 1:7, Heb 9:22, 1 Cor 11:23–26, Heb 10:29* John 6:53–58) and obey His commands will be saved. The church cites James 2:26, "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." Other core beliefs include:
is the first step toward salvation, which cannot be obtained without baptism. They believe that baptism is a law of the new covenant and that it cleanses the soul and atones for the believer's sin. Followers are baptized in the name of the Father (Jehovah) the Son (Jesus) and of the Holy Spirit (who the church believes to be Ahn Sahng-hong (Rev 3:11-13)). According to the church, wisdom to recognize God cannot be given without the forgiveness of sin preceding it.
s") during services, in accord with First Epistle to the Corinthians
11:4–5 "Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head-it is just as though her head were shaved."
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
because of his fulfillment of prophecies. Ahn Sahng-Hong, died in 1985 leaving the leadership of the church to his spiritual wife, Zahng Gil-Jah(장길자), known in the church as "the Heavenly Mother", and the General Pastor is Kim Joo-Cheol. Its headquarters are located in Bundang
Bundang
Bundang is the southernmost district of Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. In addition to being the most populous part of the city, it also has the status of being one of the wealthiest regions in Gyeonggi Province...
, Sungnam City, Kyunggi Province, roughly an hour away from Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
. Zahng is also chairperson of the New Life Welfare Foundation (새생명복지회) and of the International We Love You Foundation (국제위러브유운동).
The church believes that Zahng Gil-Jah is "God the Mother," who they believe is referred to in the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
as the New Jerusalem Mother (Gal 4:26), and that Ahn Sahng-Hong is God the Father
God the Father
God the Father is a gendered title given to God in many monotheistic religions, particularly patriarchal, Abrahamic ones. In Judaism, God is called Father because he is the creator, life-giver, law-giver, and protector...
. The church regards the earthly family system as a copy and shadow of the heavenly family system (Heb 8:5), consisting of a Heavenly Father, Heavenly Mother, and the spiritual brothers and sisters (humans).
Core beliefs
The two fundamental beliefs held by the church are their claim that Ahn Sahng-Hong was the second coming of Jesus, and that only those who keep the PassoverPassover
Passover is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt...
(Eph 1:7, Heb 9:22, 1 Cor 11:23–26, Heb 10:29* John 6:53–58) and obey His commands will be saved. The church cites James 2:26, "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." Other core beliefs include:
Sabbath
The World Mission Society Church of God believes in the (Saturday) Sabbath day which was established by God and fulfilled by Jesus and the apostles. Jesus kept the Sabbath and established the New covenant "Sabbath of Jesus" (Matt. 12:8; Luke 6:5) as the completion of the Old Covenant "Sabbath of Jehovah" (Ezek. 20:12 and Hebrews 4:2,6). On 7 March 321, Constantine I decreed that Sunday (dies Solis) would be observed as the Roman day of rest.Soul
The church believes that "all human beings are angels who have come to the earth after sinning in heaven," a belief forwarded by Ahn Sahng-hong. The Church believes that the Spirit was revealed through the creation of human beings. They draw these beliefs from God's word on Genesis 2:7, and Ecclesiastes 12:7. Through the Bible, the body is the temporal prison of the Spirit, or the soul (Ecclesiastes 12:7).Baptism
The World Mission Society Church of God holds that baptismBaptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
is the first step toward salvation, which cannot be obtained without baptism. They believe that baptism is a law of the new covenant and that it cleanses the soul and atones for the believer's sin. Followers are baptized in the name of the Father (Jehovah) the Son (Jesus) and of the Holy Spirit (who the church believes to be Ahn Sahng-hong (Rev 3:11-13)). According to the church, wisdom to recognize God cannot be given without the forgiveness of sin preceding it.
Trinity
The World Mission Society Church of God also teaches that the Trinity consists of the three male personas of God the Father. They teach that there is only one male God who appears as either Father, Son or Holy Spirit as needed. Each is only a role of God the Father, much like any person takes on multiple roles in life. One specific text used is Isaiah 9:6 where the prophesied child of God (Jesus) is also called "Everlasting Father" that means "God the Father" and "Wonderful Counselor" since the Counselor is the Holy Spirit (John 14:26).Veil
The church requires all women to wear veils (or "Christian headcoveringChristian Headcovering
The Christian headcovering is a veiling worn by various Christian women from a variety of traditions. Some cover only in church or while praying; most never cover their heads all the time. They refer to 1 Corinthians 11, or to custom, as the basis for their practice...
s") during services, in accord with First Epistle to the Corinthians
First Epistle to the Corinthians
The first epistle of Paul the apostle to the Corinthians, often referred to as First Corinthians , is the seventh book of the New Testament of the Bible...
11:4–5 "Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head-it is just as though her head were shaved."
Seven Feasts in Three Times
The church celebrates the seven appointed feasts of God, laid out in Leviticus 23: Passover, Unleavened Bread, First fruits, Feast of Weeks, Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Feast of Tabernacles according to New Covenant regulations.Other beliefs
The church holds "the three 'R' movements": “Restore the Faith of the Early Church”, “Restore the Truth of the Early Church”, and “Redeem the Whole World”, as stated by the Chief Pastor Joo-Cheol Kim. The members pray in the name of Ahn Sahng-Hong, whom they believe the scriptures testify is the Second Coming of Christ.Activities
The Church claims to have established approximately 400 branch churches in Korea and 1.900 churches in 150 countries totaling over 1.45 million members as of April 2011. The Church is also active in many volunteer services and welfare activities throughout the world.External links
- World Mission Society Church of God – Official website (English)
- World Mission Society Church of God – Church's USA website
- Apologetics Index listing