Editing Shincheonji Church of Jesus (section)

===Evangelism through infiltration and deception===
The members of Shincheonji have been accused of actively infiltrating other churches to convert other churches' members.

*South Korea – Its members have been reportedly sighted in [[Myeongdong Cathedral]], allegedly pretending to be pious believers seeking to lure other Koreans or foreigners into their own religious meetings.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-02-27/south-korea-coronavirus-cases-surveillance |title= Were you on this bus with a coronavirus patient? South Korea is on the hunt for infections |last= Kim |first= Victoria |date= 27 February 2020 |website= [[Los Angeles Times]] |publisher= |access-date= 28 February 2020 |quote= A religious sect with 12 branches around the country, the church has been described as a 'cult' for its messianic leader. It has been criticized for reportedly infiltrating other churches and its domineering hold on its members.}}</ref> In 2024, Mr. Jang, a current PR director at Shincheonji's Gwacheon headquarters, was caught posing as a former member of Shincheonji to infiltrate an anti-Shincheonji organization as a spy, causing widespread shock.<ref>{{cite news|last=Park|first=In Jae|title=신천지 과천본부 섭외과장, 안티 신천지 단체 스파이로 잠입해 충격|trans-title=Shincheonji Gwacheon Headquarters PR Director Shockingly Discovered as Spy in Anti-Shincheonji Organization|language=ko|url=https://www.amennews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=30074|access-date=21 November 2024|newspaper=Amen News|date=20 November 2024}}</ref>
*Australia – Members of the church have targeted public areas and universities frequented by international students in [[Sydney]]<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-09-07|title=Alex came to Australia to study abroad. Instead, he says he 'accidentally joined a cult'|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-08/accidentally-joining-south-korean-doomsday-group/100298774|access-date=2021-09-11|website=www.abc.net.au|language=en-AU}}</ref> and [[Melbourne]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-09-04 |title=WTF: Melburnians Have Taken To TikTok After Being Approached By Cult Recruiters In The CBD |url=https://www.pedestrian.tv/news/cult-melbourne-central-shincheonji/ |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=PEDESTRIAN.TV |language=en-US}}</ref> They have started operating in Perth, Western Australia, in 2022 and perhaps earlier. 
*Colombia – Its members have been reportedly sighted in Basílica Menor Nuestra Señora de Lourdes, in Bogotá, claiming to know the truth from biblical studies and the apocalypse prophecy.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.christianitytoday.com/assets/22747.pdf |title= Korean biblical mission around the world |last= Kim |first= Victoria |date= 15 July 2021 |website= [[Christianity Today]] |publisher= |access-date= 15 July 2021 }}</ref>
*India – In August 2019, the Baptist Convention in [[Manipur, India]], warned worshippers to be wary of Shincheonji. "Their leader Lee Man-Hee claims to have access to secret knowledge of scriptures that other church pastors do not know. Moreover, he claims that one can truly know God only by following and listening to the teachings of Shincheonji. Once they are into this group, they spend most of their time inviting people to join Shincheonji group and spend less time with their families, friends and churches and neglect and quit their studies or work."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2019/aug/13/dangerous-korean-cult-shincheonji-sends-christians-in-northeast-in-a-tizzy-2018346.html|title='Dangerous Korean cult' Shincheonji sends Christians in Northeast into a tizzy|website=The New Indian Express|date=13 August 2019 }}</ref>
*New Zealand – In April 2017, several local Korean churches in [[Auckland]] including the New Zealand Korean Churches Association and the Immanuel Korean Church warned their congregations that the Shincheonji was seeking to recruit members through their Bible classes, encourage members to cut family ties, and sending "harvesters" to infiltrate and take over other churches.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11817352|title=Churches on alert of "dangerous cult" Shincheonji on takeover mission|first=Lincoln |last=Tan|date=April 4, 2017|work=New Zealand Herald|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807060755/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11817352|archive-date=7 August 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> In April 2019, several churches in [[Wellington]] including The Street Church and Blueprint Church raised concerns about the Shincheonji's methods in recruiting members from their congregations. The historian [[Peter Lineham]] also described the group's recruitment techniques as "dangerous" and "deceptive."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Livingston |first1=Tommy |title=Wellington man who left 'manipulative' Shincheonji cult issues warning to others |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/116078477/wellington-man-who-left-manipulative-shincheonji-cult-issues-warning-to-others |access-date=16 August 2020 |work=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |date=27 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191002170704/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/116078477/wellington-man-who-left-manipulative-shincheonji-cult-issues-warning-to-others |archive-date=2 October 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> In September 2022, Shincheonji's Auckland church hosted a visit by ''[[The New Zealand Herald]]'' journalist Lincoln Tan and historian Lineham in an effort to improve the church's public image.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tan |first1=Lincoln |title=Secretive Shincheonji religious sect 'forced by circumstances in Korea' to open up, expert says |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/secretive-shincheonji-religious-sect-forced-by-circumstances-in-korea-to-open-up-expert-says/BMU3746XPTGVWPW7GBB46YEFNI/ |access-date=7 August 2023 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=4 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230213054211/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/secretive-shincheonji-religious-sect-forced-by-circumstances-in-korea-to-open-up-expert-says/BMU3746XPTGVWPW7GBB46YEFNI/ |archive-date=13 February 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> In November 2022, several former members alleged that the church isolated members from their families and friends, and pressured its members to proselytise. A Shincheonji spokesperson denied the group was a cult and claimed the church was misunderstood.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Earley |first1=Melanie |title='Brainwashed': How Shincheonji 'cult' aggressively recruits new members |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/130282909/brainwashed-how-shincheonji-cult-aggressively-recruits-new-members |access-date=7 August 2023 |work=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |date=6 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230516005110/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/130282909/brainwashed-how-shincheonji-cult-aggressively-recruits-new-members |archive-date=16 May 2023|url-status=live}}</ref>
*Pacific Islands – In 2013, Shincheongji established an outreach in [[Fiji]] under the name {{Anchor|Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light}}"Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light." By late April 2023, the Shincheonji church's New Zealand branch had launched outreach programmes in the [[Cook Islands]] and [[Samoa]]. These included appearing as guests on radio station [[PMN Cook Islands]]' "Godly Hour" programme and establishing a church in Samoa called "Zion Christian Mission Centre."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Earley |first1=Melanie |title=Controversial doomsday cult, Shincheonji, expands into the Pacific Islands |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/131796087/controversial-doomsday-cult-shincheonji-expands-into-the-pacific-islands |access-date=7 August 2023 |work=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |date=30 April 2023}}</ref>
*Singapore – In late February 2020, [[Minister for Home Affairs (Singapore)|Home Affairs Minister]] [[K. Shanmugam]] announced that the [[Ministry of Home Affairs (Singapore)|Ministry of Home Affairs]] would be investigating the local Shincheonji chapter for fraudulent activities including creating front companies and using deceptive methods to recruit young people into their sect.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ang |first1=Hwee Min |last2=Yong |first2=Michael |title=MHA investigating unregistered Singapore chapter of South Korean religious group Shincheonji |url=https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/shincheonji-south-korea-singapore-covid19-investigate-mha-12480918 |access-date=20 March 2020 |work=[[Channel News Asia]] |date=28 February 2020 |archive-date=20 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200320063033/https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/shincheonji-south-korea-singapore-covid19-investigate-mha-12480918 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Coronavirus: Singapore authorities investigate 'deceptive recruitment' at secretive Shincheonji church at centre of South Korea's outbreak |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3052925/coronavirus-singapore-authorities-investigate-deceptive |access-date=20 March 2020 |work=[[South China Morning Post]] |date=28 February 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Ultra-secret South Korean cult's tactics in Singapore mirror those used elsewhere |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/ultra-secret-cults-tactics-here-mirror-those-used-elsewhere |access-date=20 March 2020 |work=[[The Straits Times]] |date=28 February 2020}}</ref>
*United Kingdom – In November 2016, the [[Church of England]] issued a formal alert to around 500 parishes in London about the activities of a Shincheonji affiliate known as Parachristo. Parachristo, a registered charity in the UK, runs Bible study courses in London Docklands and was using these courses to recruit members of the Church of England.<ref name="nW9vE">{{cite news|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|date= 10 December 2016 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/12/10/exclusive-churches-warned-deceptive-cult-linked-south-korea/|title= Exclusive: Churches warned of 'deceptive cult' linked to South Korea infiltrating congregations|last1= Farley |first1= Harry |last2= Bingham |first2= John }}</ref> "Those who become involved [in Shincheonji] gradually withdraw from friends and family and actively lie about their real lives."{{r|nW9vE}} Further warnings were issued by [[Nicky Gumbel]], vicar of [[Holy Trinity Brompton]], and John Peters, rector of [[St Mary's Church, London]].