I recently heard updates about the current state of the World Mission Society Church of God from Deacon Yoo Si-hyun. It seems a lot has changed.

Worship Services and Sermons

Apparently, during worship services, most members just sit with their eyes closed, dozing off. Members already predict the entire story and conclusion of the sermon just from the title, making it uninteresting to listen to. There’s nothing new—it's the same content being repeated endlessly, just as it was ten years ago.

In the mornings, churches nationwide play video sermons sent by the General Assembly. In the afternoons, the senior pastor preaches, followed by other staff members in the evenings. The problem is that the sermons are not inspired by the Holy Spirit but strictly follow the materials issued by the General Assembly. Pastors rarely deviate from these materials, fearing repercussions from the General Assembly.

A Culture of Surveillance

All activities are conducted under a strict surveillance system. Senior pastors monitor evangelists, evangelists monitor senior pastors, and even when visiting members, pairs are always assigned to monitor each other. As a result, it’s difficult for members to have genuine conversations or share their thoughts openly.

Awareness of Jang Gil-ja’s Authenticity

Many members are already aware that Jang Gil-ja is not who she claims to be. However, they see no alternatives, so they continue attending. This includes members who realize the truth but remain due to family members who are deeply involved. This is reportedly a common issue.

For pastors, the situation is even worse—they have no other means of livelihood. As for the members, even if they recognize the falsehood, they often feel trapped if their families are still heavily invested.

Senior Pastors' Beliefs

According to Deacon Yoo, nearly all senior pastors likely no longer believe in Jang Gil-ja as God. While they can’t openly express their doubts, they silently resign themselves to maintaining their positions. To placate these pastors, the General Assembly has reportedly improved their treatment compared to before. This is likened to how North Korea’s Kim Jong-un pampers the elite while using them to deceive the masses through propaganda.

New Evangelism Strategies

The church continues to target only the most naive members. Evangelism efforts are dwindling, and enthusiasm among pastors and members is at an all-time low. To revitalize the atmosphere, the church has implemented new campaigns. Whereas in the past, baptisms were required to count as successful evangelism, now even handing out flyers is considered evangelistic success and contributes to statistics.

For example, while walking near Dongdaegu Station, I saw youth members approaching people in the plaza, asking them to take evangelistic pamphlets. This seems to be part of the church’s efforts to boost numbers artificially.

It’s clear that the church is struggling internally while maintaining a facade of growth and unity. The surveillance, lack of genuine belief among leaders, and new methods of inflating numbers highlight significant issues within the organization.