World Mission Society Church of God

World Mission Society Church of God
Formation 1964
Type Religious
Headquarters Bundang, South Korea
General Pastor
 Joo-Cheol Kim
Website english.watv.org

World Mission Society Church of God, also known as the Church of God, is a new religious movement that began in South Korea in 1964 and is now active in 150 different nations.

Designation

World Mission Society Church of God, or the Church of God, is the name used identically in affiliated churches distributed in Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania, North America and South America. The church's name “Church of God” is a verbatim designation of 1 Corinthians, chapter 1, verses 1–2.

Identity and appearance

This church believes in God the Father and God the Mother,[1] expressing their identity that they are restoring the truth of the early church.[2] Its headquarters are located in Bundang, Sungnam City, Kyunggi Province.

The church was established by Ahn Sahng-hong in 1964 when he established the Church of God in Busan, South Korea. Currently there are 450 churches in South Korea, and 2,200 churches abroad. It is still expanding.[3]

History

Beliefs and practices

The World Mission Society Church of God believes that all of their teachings are based on the Bible, as explained in the numerous books written by Ahn Sahng-hong.

Second coming of Christ

The Church believes that Jesus was to come a second time in the flesh. They believe that Ahn Sahng-hong is the Second Coming Jesus who came with a new name (Revelation 3:11–12; Revelation 2:17) and state that he fulfilled biblical prophecies that only Jesus could have fulfilled.[8]

God the Mother

As the Bible testifies in Revelation 22:17, "The Spirit and the bride," so the WMSCOG believes that according to the Bible the bride is God the Mother. According to Genesis 1:26–27, "US, OUR," there are two Gods, a male image of God and a female image of God. They call the female image of God, “God the Mother”. They teach that in the last days God the Mother has to appear on earth in the flesh. The WMSCOG believes that God the Mother is the source of salvation.[9]

Feasts days

The church celebrates the seven feasts laid in Leviticus 23: Passover; Unleavened Bread; First Fruits; Feast of Weeks; Feast of Trumpets; Day of Atonement; and Feast of Tabernacles.[10] The church observes these feasts according to the new covenant, established by Jesus, distinguishing from the feasts kept in the Old Testament.

Sabbath

The Church believes in the Saturday Sabbath day according to (Genesis 2:1) and do not believe in the Sabbath from sunset to sunset but from sunrise to sunset. Their members are encouraged to keep the three services on the Sabbath day. They consider the Sabbath to be a sign between God and God's people according to (Ezekiel 20:12), and must be kept as a service according to (Luke 4:16), different from the old testament regulations. In between services, members participate in various church-related activities such as Bible studies, watching church produced videos, or preaching in the local community.[11]

Idolatry

According to the church's interpretation of Exodus 20:4 - "You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below" - items such as the cross, statues and stained glass are considered a form of idolatry and are not erected on or in their churches.[12][13]

Human origin and redemption

The Church believes that all human beings were originally created as angels in Heaven. When in Heaven they sinned against God and were sent to the earth as a second chance to return to God. They believe that the only way for humans to return to heaven is by keeping the Passover with bread and wine (Jesus' flesh and blood) and following the teachings of the Bible, as taught by Ahn Sahng-hong, which include believing in God the Mother, who is the Bride to give them life in the last days.[14]

Baptism

The World Mission Society Church of God holds that baptism is the first step towards salvation and must be done in the name of the Father, Jehovah, of the Son, Jesus, and the name of the Holy Spirit.

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
—Jesus, Mathew, 28:18–20

Prayer

The Church believes that prayer must be done in the name of the Holy Spirit Ahn Sahng-hong in the last days and that women must wear veils according to (1 Corinthians 11:1–16) while praying.[11]

Evangelism

World Mission Society Church of God members travel from house to house, shopping malls and college campuses to share their beliefs.

Beliefs compared to Traditional Christianity

The World Mission Society Church of God holds many views contrary to mainstream Christianity, and its critics have detailed their own biblical interpretations. Mainstream sources also report that the World Mission Society Church of God predicted the end of the world and other controversies, while its members claim that such critics have fabricated or misinterpreted those stories.[15]

Jesus

The World Mission Society Church of God teaches that the following verses indicate the second coming of Christ from "the east" and that "Jerusalem" is God the Mother who must come down from heaven to finish the salvation work with God the Father.

12 The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. 13 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
—Jesus, Revelation, 3:12–13
2 Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: 3 “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”
—Jesus, Revelation, 7:2–3
7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
—Jesus, Luke, 18:7–8

Affiliated Institutions

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Joongang Monthly Magazine". Joongang Il Bo. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
  2. ↑ "WATV". WATV. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
  3. ↑ "WATV – Worldwide". Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 4.18 4.19 4.20 4.21 4.22 "WATV – History". WATV.org. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  5. ↑ "[異色 종교단체 탐구] 하나님의교회 세계복음선교협회 월간조선 – 영향력 있는 사람들에게 영향력 있는 잡지". Monthly.chosun.com. 2009-02-21. Retrieved 2014-01-08.
  6. ↑ "Monthly Chosun". Monthly Chosun. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
  7. ↑ "Joongang monthly". Joongang monthly. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
  8. ↑ "WATV – Second Coming Christ". WATV. World Mission Society Church of God. Retrieved 2013-03-18.
  9. ↑ "WATV – Heavenly Mother". World Mission Society Church of God. Retrieved 2013-03-18.
  10. ↑ "WATV – Feasts of God". World Mission Society Church of God. Retrieved 2013-03-18.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "WATV – Fundamentals". World Mission Society Church of God. Retrieved 2013-03-18.
  12. ↑ "WMSCOG Bible Q&A". World Mission Society Church of God. Retrieved 2013-05-24.
  13. ↑ "Washington City Newspaper". Washington City Newspaper. Retrieved 2013-05-24.
  14. ↑ "WATV – About Soul". World Mission Society Church of God. Retrieved 2013-03-18.
  15. ↑ "Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry". Archived from the original on 2013-10-22. recruit 144,000 members.
  16. ↑ "affiliated institutions". WATV.org. Retrieved 3 June 2013.

External links