Alem Derege reflects on two unsettling encounters with the secretive religious group Shincheonji, which both The Church of England and Alpha’s Nicky Gumbel have named a ‘cult’. She shares a personal warning about spiritual manipulation, online recruitment tactics and the importance of discernment.
In 2022 I received a message from a stranger on LinkedIn. She informed me that she was working on a project close to her heart that explores the experiences of those who are part of diaspora communities and said that she would love to hear my thoughts on the topic. I had just completed an MA in Migration and Diaspora studies, we had one mutual connection on LinkedIn (someone that I knew from church) and I saw that she, like myself, had also done her Bachelor’s degree in Architecture.
After some back and forth, I agreed to help out by being interviewed for the said ‘project’. She was so warm and charming. During our interview she asked me about being brought up in the UK by immigrant parents etc..and towards the end of our conversation she brought up the topic of faith. A few days later she sent me an Eventbrite link to an online talk her church was hosting. I had a quick look and said that I would join but a couple of hours before the event I felt the urge to Google the host listed on the Eventbrite page..I was horrified by what I saw. It turned out that this event was being hosted by a cult called Shincheonji (also known as New Heaven, New Earth).
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I had listened to countless episodes of ‘Cultish’ on Spotify and watched all the documentaries you can imagine yet I had never heard of this group before. I felt so silly and naive. I learned that this South Korean cult was founded in 1984 by a man named Lee Man-hee. The group teaches that he is the second coming of Christ and the only one able to interpret the bible correctly.
They place a huge emphasis on the end times and teach that only members of their “church” will enter into heaven.
They place a huge emphasis on the end times and teach that only members of their “church” will enter into heaven. I listened to terrifying stories of people’s isolation from their family and friends, as well as struggles to leave the group which involved them being stalked and harassed by other members.
I messaged the girl from LinkedIn and told her exactly what I had discovered. I waited a few days to see if she would respond, which she did not, before blocking her number.
A year and a half later I had a second run-in with the group while I was sitting on the DLR train. I was reading a Christian book which piqued the interest of a girl sitting across from me.
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We began chatting and she shared that she had been brought up as a Seventh Day Adventist but had only truly found God for herself a few years ago when she started attending her current church. Eventually I asked her for the name of it to which she replied, ‘it is called New Heaven New Earth church’. It was like a gut punch. ‘Again?!’ I thought to myself.
She must have noticed my face drop and asked what was wrong and I awkwardly told her what I had read online about the group being a dangerous cult.
She must have noticed my face drop and asked what was wrong and I awkwardly told her what I had read online about the group being a dangerous cult. She didn’t try to argue with me or refute these claims but her demeanour shifted immediately from warm and friendly to being visibly agitated. I asked her how she had got involved with the group and she told me that a group of people had approached her outside Westfield Stratford five years ago. She then abruptly ended our conversation and got off the train.
The group recruits people from a variety of different backgrounds but they appear to disproportionately prey on young Black people and are highly active on university campuses. That being said, it is important for us all to remain vigilant. In 1 Peter 5:8 (NIV) it says, ‘Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour’.
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Additionally, remember that the truth doesn’t fear investigation. Shincheonji allegedly discourages both newcomers and existing members from Googling them which is just one of the many major red flags. Also, I know it sounds so obvious but please be wary of strangers online - even if you have one or two mutual friends or connections.
This group has a history of targeting people through platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram, and often uses the guise of networking events or Bible studies as a ploy to lure people in and indoctrinate them. Lastly, pray for discernment. In 1 John 4:1 (NIV) it says, ‘do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.’
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