A South Korean religious movement embroiled in global controversies and legal issues.
Religion: Christianity
Denomination: Methodist
Founder : Jung Myung-seok
Founded: 1980 in Seoul, South Korea
Location: International: South Korea; Australia; Hong Kong; Japan; New Zealand; Taiwan; United States
Size: Hundreds of thousands (rough estimate)
Offshoot of: Unification Church (Moonies)
Also called: Providence; Jesus Morning Star (JMS); Setsuri (“Providence” in Japanese); International Christian Association (ICA), the Morning Star Church (MS Church); the Bright Moon Church; Ae-chun Church (애천교회); Providence Church; Jesus Morning Star (JMS); Nak-seong-dae Church; Seoul Church
Christian Gospel Mission, commonly known as Providence or Jesus Morning Star (JMS), is a new religious movement that has garnered international attention and controversy since its inception. Founded in 1980 by Jung Myung-seok in South Korea, the group operates under various names across different regions, including Providence or Providence Church in Europe and the US, Setsuri in Japan, and Bright Moon Church or Morning Star Church.
The movement’s teachings emphasize Christianity’s conformity to reason and science, with a unique interpretation of biblical events and principles. The core tenet revolves around the idea that human beings consist of body, soul, and spirit, with the ultimate goal of becoming brides of God, irrespective of gender. Providence also distinguishes between various spiritual and afterlife realms, with one’s actions in life determining their spiritual destination. In addition, the group holds a controversial interpretation of the original sin, viewing it as having a sexual component, in contrast to the traditional Christian narrative.
Throughout it’s history, Providence faced faced legal challenges and public scrutiny for various practices, such as pressuring members to live together, make regular donations, and marry within the organization under strict guidance from its founder. The recruitment process for new members often begins through seemingly benign “activity circles,” such as sports or music clubs, which later introduce religion as part of the activities. This method has been criticized and ruled as “fraudulent” under law by the Japanese Supreme Court due to the deceptive nature of not initially revealing the group’s religious motives.
The group’s international presence extends to Australia, where its activities have been investigated by the media, revealing efforts to recruit young, attractive women and the involvement of members in editing Wikipedia to remove negative press. Similarly, in New Zealand, universities and churches have issued warnings regarding Providence’s recruitment practices, targeting young women for activities purportedly linked to the movement’s religious teachings.
Allegations of sexual abuse emerged in the late 1980s, with rumors of “sexual initiations” of young women by Jung circulating within and outside of South Korea. Despite these allegations, the movement continued to grow internationally, claiming tens of thousands of members across about seventy countries. Jung was arrested in 2007 and subsequently sentenced to a ten-year jail term, only to be released in 2018 and then arrested again in 2022, receiving a twenty-three-year sentence in December 2023.
Despite the controversies and legal issues surrounding its leader, Providence continues to maintain a presence and recruit members globally, adapting its strategies and teachings to align with local contexts and regulations. The group’s activities have sparked debates on religious freedom, the boundary between faith and manipulation, and the responsibilities of religious leaders towards their followers.
image via Jung Myung Seok
