[Feature] Why Crowds Are Gathering at Shincheonji Word Grand Seminars Amid the Crisis of Religion in the AI Era

 

┃ On the 11th, pastors and believers gather at the Shincheonji Incheon Grand Seminar… an “unusual phenomenon” amid the decline of Korean Christianity

┃ Without notes, the 96-year-old Chairman Lee Man-hee delivers a fluent lecture… pastors remark, “The answer to revival is ultimately the Bible”

┃ The unparalleled “testimony of Revelation’s reality” leads to over 15,000 global MOUs and more than 1,800 signboard changes

 

At the Shincheonji Incheon Word Grand Seminar on the 11th, more than 600 pastors and believers gathered at the venue.

In an era where AI (artificial intelligence) can generate sermon scripts in a minute and even online and VR (virtual reality) worship services are being discussed, the convenience of religious life has been maximized. However, the overall size of Korean Christianity has been on a steady decline for the past decade.

 

According to statistics released by major denominations, Korea’s two largest Presbyterian groups—the Hapdong and Tonghap branches—lost approximately 25,000 members in just one year. In the case of Tonghap, membership has decreased by about 600,000 over the past decade. Additionally, 72.4% of churches now have fewer than 100 members, making it difficult to sustain worship communities.

 

Amid this entrenched crisis, a noteworthy phenomenon that directly defies this trend has drawn attention. Despite the downturn during the COVID-19 pandemic, Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (Chairman Lee Man-hee, hereafter Shincheonji Church of Jesus), has produced over 100,000 new members annually and recorded growth of 60,000 in just the past year alone.

 

At the “2026 Shincheonji Word Grand Seminar: Testimony on the Fulfillment Reality of Revelation” held on the 11th, the area around Shincheonji Incheon Yeonsu Church was crowded from early morning with pastors and believers from established churches who had gathered from across the country. In an age where sermons from famous pastors worldwide are just a click away, why did they choose to attend an offline Bible seminar?

 

■ In an Age of Information Overload, Seeking the “Absolute Truth” That AI Cannot Provide.

Shincheonji Church explains that behind this concentration of attention lies a “spiritual thirst” among modern people. Rather than predictable moral lessons or sermons reflecting personal philosophy, people are seeking clear answers about the essence of the Bible and faith. Even if AI can produce eloquent messages of comfort, it cannot reveal the “reality” of when and how the prophecies of Revelation—the core of the Bible—have been fulfilled.

Chairman Lee Man-hee delivering the message at the Incheon seminar on the 11th.

Chairman Lee’s lecture that day exemplified this point. He stated, “We all have the same Bible, believe in the same God, and share the same hope of heaven and eternal life. God said we must follow His will to enter heaven, and Revelation 22:18–19 says that if we add to or subtract from Revelation, we cannot enter heaven and will be cursed. Without knowing the meaning of Revelation, can we avoid altering it?” explaining why Revelation is essential for believers.

 

He continued, “Many people do not understand the meaning of Revelation. If Revelation has been fulfilled today, then its realities must have appeared. If we use the recorded Word as evidence and verify the fulfilled realities, we can believe.” He strongly asserted that he is the one who has seen and heard these realities and has been instructed by Jesus to testify them to the churches.

 

He then asked the audience, “I want to ask you—have you truly not added to or subtracted from Revelation? If you say you have not, I would like to ask whether you understand its meaning.” Referring to Revelation chapters 6 and 7, he said, “After the sun, moon, and stars darken and fall in chapter 6, chapter 7 records the work of re-creation through sealing. What do the pastors here think about this? Shouldn’t we understand what it means to truly believe?” urging them to set aside their status and honestly reflect on their faith before the Bible.

At 96 years old, Chairman Lee delivered a lecture spanning the entire Bible and Revelation without any audiovisual aids or prepared manuscript, fluently explaining the prophecies and their fulfilled realities. His confident teaching left a strong impression on pastors and believers, reminding them of what a Bible-centered faith truly means.

 

■ Numbers That Prove Change… What 15,000 MOUs Indicate  

The enthusiasm at this seminar is not a one-time phenomenon. In contrast to the decline of established denominations, Shincheonji Church of Jesus has already demonstrated explosive growth by achieving the unprecedented milestone of “100,000 graduation ceremonies” three times.

 

What draws even greater attention is the participation of pastors from established churches. According to Shincheonji statistics, more than 960 churches in Korea and over 14,300 churches across 89 countries have signed Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) for “Word exchange.” Furthermore, over 1,800 churches in 48 countries worldwide have gone as far as changing their signboards (MOA) to Shincheonji Church of Jesus.

 

At the event, Pastor A—formerly from an established denomination and now a member of Shincheonji—shared his testimony. He said, “After attending a Shincheonji Word Grand Seminar in Incheon a few years ago and hearing Chairman Lee’s lecture, I clearly came to understand the Book of Revelation.” He added, “As pastors, shouldn’t we first understand the Word and guide our congregations correctly? Before labeling Shincheonji as heretical, I hope people will judge based on the Bible. As the global Christian community experiences a wave of change through Shincheonji’s teachings, I encourage Korean pastors to join this movement.”

Ultimately, following Gwangju, Seoul, and Busan, the continued large-scale success of the Shincheonji Word Grand Seminar—now in its fourth major event this year in Incheon—raises a significant question for the modern religious world. The path to church revival in this era lies not in sophisticated tools, but in the essence of the “true meaning of the Bible.

 

Since its founding in 1984, Chairman Lee Man-hee of Shincheonji Church of Jesus has consistently presented the central theme of “the prophecies and fulfillment of Revelation that believers must understand.” In an era of rapid and unpredictable change, Shincheonji continues to chart a new course guided by the uncompromising value of the Word of the Bible. Attention is focused on what kind of transformation this steadfast pursuit of truth will bring to the broader Christian community.At the event, Pastor A—formerly from an established denomination and now a member of Shincheonji—shared his testimony. 

 

He said, “After attending a Shincheonji Word Grand Seminar in Incheon a few years ago and hearing Chairman Lee’s lecture, I clearly came to understand the Book of Revelation.” He added, “As pastors, shouldn’t we first understand the Word and guide our congregations correctly? Before labeling Shincheonji as heretical, I hope people will judge based on the Bible. As the global Christian community experiences a wave of change through Shincheonji’s teachings, I encourage Korean pastors to join this movement.”

 

Ultimately, following Gwangju, Seoul, and Busan, the continued large-scale success of the Shincheonji Word Grand Seminar—now in its fourth major event this year in Incheon—raises a significant question for the modern religious world. The path to church revival in this era lies not in sophisticated tools, but in the essence of the “true meaning of the Bible.”

 

Since its founding in 1984, Chairman Lee Man-hee of Shincheonji Church of Jesus has consistently presented the central theme of “the prophecies and fulfillment of Revelation that believers must understand.” In an era of rapid and unpredictable change, Shincheonji continues to chart a new course guided by the uncompromising value of the Word of the Bible. Attention is focused on what kind of transformation this steadfast pursuit of truth will bring to the broader Christian community.