When Shincheonji approaches pastors

Former members have described organized efforts to approach pastors, sometimes using names such as Zion Christian Mission Center, and to reach a congregation through its pastor. In an ABC News investigation, a former member, given the changed name “Matthew,” said he worked on a Pastor Evangelism Team operating under the name Zion Christian Mission Center. He described its goal: “Our goal was to evangelise pastors and through them bring the whole church to Shincheonji.”

Source: ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) (2 February 2026).

A pastor can speak calmly and respectfully without leaving the church’s position ambiguous:

“I’m willing to speak with you honestly and respectfully. But I’m not interested in allowing Shincheonji to recruit members of this church or use our congregation as a harvest field. Please be transparent about your affiliation and your purpose.”

Shincheonji outreach may involve people attending a church, building relationships, inviting members to Bible studies, or approaching the pastor about unity and cooperation. The ABC investigation reported that a former team member described years of gradual contact with pastors through emails, cold calls and meetings, where the team tried to discuss the Bible and teach Shincheonji’s interpretation.

Source: ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) (2 February 2026).

A clear boundary protects the congregation and makes room for an honest conversation. A pastor does not need to accept a concealed recruitment effort to treat the people involved with respect.

Tell the congregation plainly that Shincheonji may invite people to Bible studies without initially disclosing its name or connection to the group. Encourage members to pause before joining an outside study, ask who is organizing it, and tell a pastor or ministry leader about the invitation. A request to keep the study secret or avoid discussing it with church leadership is a reason to slow down and ask more questions.

Teach members a few basic ways to check an invitation:

• Search the exact name of the Bible study, ministry, or organization, along with “Shincheonji” and “New Heaven New Earth.”
• Look for the group’s statement of faith, leadership, and history. If those details are hard to find, or the group will not answer direct questions about its affiliation, do not proceed until they do.
• Compare what the study teaches with Scripture and with the church’s own statement of faith. Encourage members to bring questions to church leadership rather than relying only on the study’s teachers.

A search result alone does not settle every question, and a group may use different names. The point is to help members check who is inviting them, what the study teaches, and whether the organization is being transparent.

Shincheonji means “new heaven and new earth.” Recruiters in New Zealand said they were part of “Zion Mission Center, New Heaven New Earth, or Mount Zion.” Sources: Christianity Today (13 December 2023); Charisma (8 February 2023).

Make your church’s own statement of faith easy to find and explain it regularly. Members who understand what their church teaches about Jesus, salvation, Scripture, and the gospel are better prepared to recognize when a Bible study is leading them toward different claims. A warning should equip people to ask questions and seek help, not make them feel embarrassed if they have already attended.

Pay attention to the combination of topics and claims in a Bible study. Shincheonji commonly places strong emphasis on the parables, the “secrets of the kingdom of heaven,” and the Book of Revelation. Participants may first hear familiar Christian teaching, then be told that the parables contain hidden meanings and that Revelation can be correctly understood only through the group’s interpretation and its promised pastor. Christianity Today describes Shincheonji’s intensive Bible studies and reports that members are taught that Lee Man-hee is the promised pastor who alone understands Revelation.

Source: Christianity Today (13 December 2023).

Studying parables or Revelation by itself does not establish that a group is Shincheonji. But if a study heavily centers on decoding parables and Revelation, promotes access to secret biblical knowledge, and discourages students from checking the teacher’s identity or discussing the lessons with their pastor, treat that pattern as a serious warning sign.

Ask directly:

“Who is running this study? What church or organization do you represent? What do you teach about Shincheonji and Lee Man-hee?”

Do not continue until you receive clear answers.

If the pastor has credible reason to believe the people approaching the church are Shincheonji recruiters, address the issue plainly. Ask who they represent, what organization they belong to, and whether they are seeking to recruit church members. If they are not candid, end the conversation.

A pastor might say:

“I understand that you are connected with Shincheonji. I am not interested in having this church used as a harvest field. Do not recruit our members, arrange undisclosed Bible studies with them, or present Shincheonji activities as unaffiliated. If you want a conversation with me, identify your organization and your purpose openly.”

This is not a rejection of every person who attends or asks questions. It is a refusal to permit undisclosed recruitment within the congregation.

Critics in South Korea describe two strategies. Shin Hyun-wook, who runs the Guri Cult Counseling Center, describes a “harvest field” strategy, carried out by members called “harvesters,” who covertly join other churches to draw members away. He also describes a “mountain moving” strategy (san omgigi, 산 옮기기), in which members take key church posts such as elder or finance chair, first obey the pastor completely, and then turn on the pastor.

Source: Kidok Shinmun (6 March 2023), reporting Shin Hyun-wook’s lecture.

If the pastor chooses to meet with representatives, the meeting should be transparent. Ask them to state their affiliation and beliefs in writing. Include another church leader, keep notes, and do not agree to private teaching arrangements with congregants. If the group claims to want theological dialogue, the discussion should address its teachings and claims, not become a pathway to recruit the pastor or congregation.

Pastor Alexander Pagani is one example of a pastor who spoke publicly. Newcomers attended his services and afterward invited him to a Bible study. Separately, 18 members of his church had been contacted by the group. He refused in writing, saying he would not tolerate his church being their mission field, and started speaking out.

Source: Charisma (8 February 2023).

Pastor Tony’s experience, described in the interview below, offers another example. After his church was approached, he met with the recruiters and a Shincheonji leader they brought, and challenged their teachings directly (video, about 38:20–41:00).

Some congregants may already be attending a Shincheonji Bible study or may have joined without understanding the group’s identity and teachings. Meet with them privately and listen before pressing them to leave. Ask what they have been taught, what concerns they have, and whether they feel able to examine the claims independently.

Avoid making them feel foolish or unwelcome. The goal is to preserve trust so they can talk openly. In Christianity Today’s reporting, Pastor Ezra Kim, who counsels former members, advises families to restore a trusted relationship with a loved one in Shincheonji first and to approach them patiently.

Source: Christianity Today (13 December 2023).

Pastors do not need to choose between kindness and protecting their congregation. They can treat Shincheonji members with dignity, warn their church accurately, teach members how to check outside Bible studies, and directly refuse to let the congregation become a recruitment field.

Show love to people. Be firm about the boundary. Tell the congregation what to watch for. And when representatives approach, say plainly that your church is not available for harvesting.

• 1. ABC News, Coco Veldkamp (2 February 2026): Ex-Shincheonji member says he was part of special team focused on recruiting pastors (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-02/ex-shincheonji-member-says-religion-cult-recruiting-pastors/106257352). A former member, “Matthew” (a changed name), on the Pastor Evangelism Team and its outreach to pastors under the name Zion Christian Mission Center.
• 2. Christianity Today (13 December 2023): A Korean Sect Targeted New Zealand Christians. Did Churches Respond Effectively? (https://www.christianitytoday.com/2023/12/shincheonji-new-zealand-korea-christian-church/). Shincheonji’s teaching about Lee Man-hee and Revelation, its intensive Bible studies, the names recruiters used, and Pastor Ezra Kim’s advice to families.
• 3. Kidok Shinmun (6 March 2023): report on Shin Hyun-wook’s lecture (https://www.kidok.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=218889). Shin Hyun-wook, Guri Cult Counseling Center, on the “harvest field” and “mountain moving” strategies. In Korean.
• 4. Charisma (8 February 2023): New cult infiltrates American churches (https://mycharisma.com/spiritled-living/new-cult-infiltrates-american-churches/). Pastor Alexander Pagani’s account of the Bible study invitation, the 18 contacted members, and his written refusal.
• 5. Exposing the Cults (YouTube): Confronting a Shincheonji Cult Recruiter at Chick-fil-A (Pastor Interview) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxEUZT9FK20). Interview with Pastor Tony.