Mentuhui

A controversial Chinese new religious movement, often labeled as a cult, with a tumultuous history and substantial following.


Mentuhui, also known as the Association of Disciples or the Three-Redemptive Christ sect, is a controversial new religious movement with Christian doomsday elements, originating from Shaanxi province, China. It was founded on February 20, 1989, by Ji Sanbao, who later changed his name to Ji Zhongjie. Coming from a peasant background, Ji claimed a transformative religious experience following the death of his son in 1976, which ultimately led him to Christianity and subsequently to establishing his own sect after affiliating with the Shouters sect.

Ji Sanbao declared himself the “Three-Redemptive Christ,” suggesting he represented the redemption of Noah, Lot, and himself. He introduced apocalyptic teachings, predicting the world’s imminent end, and created a detailed organizational structure known as the “7-7 system” to manage the group’s expanding membership. This system facilitated growth across several Chinese provinces including Guizhou, Shaanxi, Gansu, Hebei, Qinghai, Hunan, Jiangsu, Yunnan, Shandong, Sichuan, and Xinjiang. By the mid-1990s, membership estimates ranged from 250,000 to over half a million.

Mentuhui’s beliefs blend Christian doctrine with Ji’s personal revelations, drawing heavily from his time with the Shouters. The teachings reject the doctrine of the Trinity, proposing instead a “seven-step spiritual journey” towards salvation. The movement mirrored biblical structures by appointing 12 disciples, paralleling Christ’s apostles, which influenced the sect’s alternative name translating to “apostles’ assembly.”

However, the Chinese government quickly moved against Mentuhui, banning it in 1990 and labeling it a xie jiao (“heterodox teaching”) in 1995. This classification led to intense government persecution, including arrests and imprisonment of its members. Following Ji’s mysterious death shortly after his release from prison in 1997, leadership passed to a succession of his disciples, including Wei Shiqiang and Chen Shirong, who faced similar fates of legal challenges and imprisonment.

The group also faced allegations of subversive activities and was accused of illegal fundraising and causing deaths through controversial practices such as advocating minimal grain consumption for sustenance. Despite these controversies and the ongoing crackdowns, with significant arrests as recent as 2016 and 2020, remnants of the group continue to practice secretly, maintaining a presence under severe repression.