Q&A on Shincheonji Church of Jesus Regarding the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)-4

Q&A on Shincheonji Church of Jesus

Regarding the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)-4

□ On Cheongdo Daenam Hospital

Among visitors at the funeral held at Cheongdo Daenam Hospital, no church members were visiting from China, and a survey on the entire congregation showed that no church member works at Cheongdo Daenam Hospital. Also, the patient referred to as confirmed case no. 31, or the Shincheonji Volunteer Group has never visited Cheongdo Daenam Hospital.

□ On Wuhan Church in China

It was 2010 when a member of the church, a Chinese national who had studied the Bible in Germany, started the work of mission in Wuhan, China.

In China, the new Religious Affairs Regulations went into effect in early 2018, applying stringent rules to regulate religious practices. As a result of such regulations, all Shincheonji churches in China were closed in 2018. Equally, Wuhan Church closed down all church spaces on 15 June 2018 and has since taken all meetings and services online and operates them autonomously.

Shincheonji Church of Jesus acknowledges a group as a 'church' when the number congregation exceeds 120. Church members in Wuhan reached 120 in 2018, and the church recognized the area as Wuhan Church on 1 January 2019, however, without any physical church building. Church records show that there are 357 members in Wuhan. Wuhan Church is a branch of the Tribe of James in Busan and is not related to Daegu Church, which is under the Tribe of Thaddaeus, and according to records, none have been to service there during January and February.

※ Updates will keep coming. The flood of inquiry calls is hampering church administrative work at this time. We ask journalists to kindly send their inquiries via text message. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.