Record Breaking Number of Graduates at Shincheonji Church of Jesus
On October 30th, the Zion Christian Mission Centre (Director Tan Young-jin) of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus (Chairman Lee Man-hee) held its “115th Zion Christian Mission Centre 110,000 Union Graduation Ceremony” at the Shincheonji Cheongju Church. A total of 111,628 people graduated, setting a new record for the largest single denomination event in history.
Originally planned to take place at Paju Peace Nuri, the Gyeonggi Tourism Organisation cancelled the event unilaterally the day before. This last-minute venue change did not stop international graduates and religious figures from home and abroad from attending the completion ceremony.
During the graduation ceremony, Chairman Lee of the General Assembly emphasized the importance of unity and working together to make the country shine. He stated, “Shincheonji Church of Jesus masters the entire Bible, including the Book of Revelation. How proud and good this is,” and urged attendees to not condemn or persecute each other.
Despite the change in venue at short notice, the event recorded the highest number of graduates in the history of a single denomination. This marks the fourth occasion since 2019 that more than 100,000 people have graduated. The event was organized with a focus on safety and order and concluded smoothly without any safety incidents.
Over 10,000 international graduates and 1,000 religious leaders from various countries attended the ceremony at the Shincheonji Cheongju Church, with an additional 3,377 pastors graduating. A special performance took place in the square in front of the church, promoting peace and unity.
Chairman Lee congratulated the students and encouraged them to share their knowledge freely. He also emphasized the importance of gratitude towards the church and the opportunity to learn, grow, and share.
One pastor, Kang, shared his experience of becoming a pastor at the Presbyterian Church of Korea for 25 years and his love for the truth he found at the Zion Christian Mission Centre. He said, “After signing an MOU with Shincheonji Church of Jesus, participation in worship, evangelism, and volunteer work became more joyful and active, breathing new life into the church.”
The Shincheonji Church of Jesus conducted a preliminary survey of 1,485 youth graduates (aged 19-39) from the 115th class, demonstrating the quality of the teachings. An impressive 99.59% of respondents reported being “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the “content and structure of the missionary centre’s lectures,” while 92.66% cited “Bible teaching” as the reason for their satisfaction.
The average score on the final exams for domestic and international graduates of the 115th class was 96.5, highlighting the excellence of the education system. An official from the Shincheonji Church of Jesus stated, “Thanks to this unique educational system, Shincheonji Church of Jesus has been able to grow rapidly, with some domestic and international churches seeking cooperation.”
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