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The heretical group 'World Mission Society Church of God,' known as the Ahn Sahng-hong Witnesses, is rapidly expanding across generations, raising the need for vigilance.

The group originally formed around leader Ahn Sahng-hong, whom followers regarded as the second coming of Jesus. After Ahn’s death in 1985, his close associate, Zhang Gil-ja, was proclaimed as the 'Mother God,' continuing the group's lineage.

The 'Church of God' observes Saturday as the Sabbath and teaches that one cannot be saved without keeping biblical feasts like Passover, exhibiting characteristics of a typical legalistic heretical sect.

"144,000 to be Raptured... But Standards Keep Changing"

Initially, the Church of God claimed that only 144,000 who observe the Passover would be saved. However, as their numbers grew, they repeatedly revised their statements.

An insider, Pastor A, who served as a senior leader in the Church of God for eight years, revealed, “At first, they taught that the 144,000 who kept the Passover would ascend to heaven alive, but as membership increased, they changed this to those who keep the Sabbath.” He added, “To prevent internal unrest, they now teach that the rapture will occur only if 3% of the world’s population—1.8 billion people—is evangelized.”

The Church of God stirred controversy in 1988, 1992, and 2012 with rapture predictions that created public disturbances.

"Worldly Families Are Fake... Non-Evangelizers Are Cursed"

The group reportedly teaches that earthly families are “fake” and that those who fail to evangelize will be cursed, leading to cases of dropping out of school, running away from home, and divorce, effectively facilitating family breakdowns.

Pastor A remarked, “Everything the Church of God says is just excuses and lies. Once people fall into their teachings, they end up spending their entire lives as slaves to their legalistic practices.”

"Keep the Passover to Escape Disaster"—Using Fear to Proselytize

The Church of God uses tactics of “familiarity” and “fear” to recruit new members.

According to B, a member of the Victims’ Families Group of the Church of God (HaPiMo), “They first identify the interests of their targets, such as sports or reading, and build rapport by aligning with those interests.” Once familiarity is established, they show promotional videos about Passover and other materials to finalize the recruitment process.

Fear-based recruitment involves invoking examples of wars, earthquakes, and typhoons to create anxiety about impending global disasters. They then assert that the only way to be saved is by observing the New Covenant Passover.

Pastor A explained, “They exploit universal fears of disaster, gradually introducing the idea that salvation from events like wars or earthquakes lies in keeping the Passover.”

Experts Urge Caution About the Growing Influence of the Church of God

The activities of affiliated groups, such as the International WeLoveU Foundation, should be avoided.

C, another HaPiMo member, stated, “These groups attract young college students through volunteer activities and events, so extra caution is needed.”

Experts on heretical groups emphasize, “While the focus has been on another group, Shincheonji, the Church of God has grown significantly in power. With increasing reports of social harm caused by this group, raising public awareness about its dangers is more important than ever.”

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