Shincheonji Church of Jesus

Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (SCJ), commonly known as Shincheonji Church of Jesus or simply Shincheonji (Korean: 신천지; Hanja: 新天地; lit. New Heaven and New Earth), is a new religious movement established in South Korea by Lee Man-hee.

• One is not baptized into Shincheonji, and members proudly proclaim that theirs is the only religion one joins by graduating after an exam. The exam, which many fail and is by no means a mere formality, comes after a demanding course, and includes [three hundred (300)] questions candidates should answer in writing. They include all the most typical and peculiar doctrines of Shincheonji. This means that it is impossible to become a member of Shincheonji without understanding what the movement is all about.
  • Massimo Introvigne, "Shincheonji: Why the Korean Supreme Court Dismissed a Lawsuit Based on Deceptive Evangelism", Bitter Winter (January 13, 2023)

• The idea that Shincheonji “spread the plague” was still mentioned in some Western media in 2022, despite the fact that Chairman Lee had been found not guilty of any COVID-related offenses in first degree by the Suwon District Court on January 13, 2021, and on appeal by the Suwon High Court on November 30, 2021.
  • Massimo Introvigne, "Shincheonji: Korean Supreme Court Confirms Leader’s Acquittal from COVID Charges", Bitter Winter (August 15, 2022)

• Media related to Shincheonji on Wikimedia Commons
• Encyclopedic article on Shincheonji Church of Jesus on Wikipedia