story by Coco Veldkamp – ABC News.
A former follower of a fringe Christian organisation says “special force teams” are recruiting members in Ballarat, Bendigo, Darwin, Geelong and Melbourne to expand its church’s reach.
The Shincheonji Church of Jesus has been described as an “apocalyptic Christian cult”, with the ABC previously uncovering members being brainwashed, spending as much time as possible recruiting others out of fear and the belief that they are doing God’s work.
Followers believe Jesus’s return is imminent and that only true believers who have heard God’s word through the group’s founder, 94-year-old Lee Man-hee, will be saved from the apocalypse.
Shincheonji is growing, with its website claiming to have churches in more than 100 countries and a congregation of more than 300,000 members.
Cassie, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, left Shincheonji four months ago after being a member for almost three years.
She said Shincheonji was trying to establish more churches across Australia by sending its most dedicated believers to regional towns to enlist new members.
Documents obtained by the ABC reveal the intensity and organisation of Shincheonji’s recruitment process, targeting people — particularly Christians — in public spaces like universities and shopping centres.
While the church already has a foothold in Melbourne, one file shows recruitment efforts in Ballarat, Bendigo, Darwin, and Geelong, with extensive details of potential targets.
Cassie said the details included hobbies, life goals, their relationship with their own spirituality, aspects of their personality, their awareness of cults and future travel plans, all of which were used to tailor a plan that would draw the target into the church.
There is also a column titled “potential serpent”, which lists people who may prevent the candidate from joining.
In one recruit’s case file seen by the ABC, the girl’s boyfriend is listed in this section.
The ABC has made numerous attempts to contact Shincheonji but has not received a response.
In the FAQ section of Schincheonji New Zealand’s website, the organisation vehemently rejects being called “a cult”.
“When new, many organisations are labelled as a cult because the other churches and organisations feel threatened by them,” it reads.
‘Spiritual suicide’
When Cassie was starting her first year of university, two Shincheonji members invited her to Bible studies.
“They find different ways to justify why looking or searching on the internet about criticism of Schincheonji is bad for your spirit,” Cassie said.
“It’s like spiritual suicide. That’s the kind of fear they plant in students … to prevent them from understanding the reality of the organisation.”
Cassie said she was pushed to start recruiting others about eight months in.
“[We would be] recruiting from early morning until late at night,” she said.
“From the moment I would get on a train, I would fall asleep straight away … because I was so tired all the time.”
Eventually, Cassie progressed through the ranks. She began living with other members and teaching at the centre.
Her allegiance with the group shifted when, after previously denying her involvement, she confided in her family about her devotion to Shincheonji.
“I engaged in more biblical discussion with my dad because he is very well-versed in the Bible and what Christianity stands for,” Cassie said.
“I was able to see the flaws in the Shincheonji doctrine, and that gave me enough resolve to leave.”
Like many ex-members, Cassie said breaking free caused her great “emotional turmoil” as she had to leave her community while her relationships outside the church had heavily eroded.
“They push the narrative that doing God’s work or building the church is much more important than building relationships with your friends and family,” she said.
‘Special force teams’
Federation University posted a warning to students in March last year about the presence of Shincheonji at its Ballarat campus.
The notice warned of “disingenuous, manipulative and harmful recruitment practices” and advised that while recruiters “may seem friendly at first, their behaviours can become manipulative”.
Australia Catholic University and RMIT University have also reported issues with Shincheonji recruiting on campus.
Cassie said two of her close friends, still inside Shincheonji, joined “special force teams” to bring in recruits in regional Victoria.
She said eager members signed up for the teams in the belief that taking on additional duties made them more righteous and did more work for God.
She said they lived in a share house-like accommodation, often in poor conditions, as entire days were spent evangelising and recruiting.
Cassie said she was aware that Shincheonji followers were dropping out of university courses to focus on their responsibilities in special force teams in regional areas such as Geelong.
“They think they are doing more for God,” she said.
“A lot of these people have given up a lot for this church, so it is tough for them to let it go because their whole life is centred around the work.”
She said the goal of the “special force teams” was to expand Shincheonji’s reach.
“Ideally, after they recruit enough members [in regional areas], they can form a branch church in that area so they can have services there,” Cassie said.
