The Church of God where members coming from the birthplace of Christianity visit to study the Bible

One of the most outstanding characteristic of the World Mission Society Church of God (WMSCOG) is that they have many overseas churches in the world. For the year ending of 2014, the Church says they have 2,700 churches in 175 countries throughout the world.

Another characteristic of the Church of God is that its members are mostly young and academic. One of the Church members says, “Inside or outside Korea, the majority of the members are in their 20’s, 30’s and 40’s. Most of them became our members when they visited our Church to solve the questions of the Bible that came to their mind while studying the Bible alone.” And they add, “Unlike the response in Korea, if we preach about God the Mother in overseas countries, they show a sincere response, saying, ‘Is that really in the Bible?’”

The Church of God even entered European and American continents, so-called the birthplace of Christianity, as well as non-Christian countries in the Middle East and Africa. While most Korean churches do their overseas mission work, centering on Korean society, the Church of God has been preached mainly to local people. As a result, even in Muslim countries like Pakistan as well as Hindu countries like Nepal and India, many Churches are run, centering on the local members.

One of the Church members says, “We do not do our mission work through detestable ways or choir performances in the street as many other churches did. In the Middle East, where the national religions are Islam, and in South America where Catholicism is deeply rooted, we do our missionary work in the same way as we do in Korea by delivering the words of God calmly.”

In the United States and Europe, the number of Christians has been rapidly decreasing due to the younger generation’s disregard since the 1990’s. Despite that, the number of the members of the Church of God is steadily increasing with most of the members being in their 20’s, 30’s and 40’s. In the case of the New York Church in the United States, the number of members is over 1,000. Since the church building is small, compared with the number of members, there are dozens of house churches and office churches serving as small-scale churches.

Overseas members are not satisfied with their having worship services in their local Churches, and journey to Korea, the birthplace of the Church of God. They visit the main temple of the Church of God [New Jerusalem Temple] located in Bun-dang in South Korea and travel around symbolic Churches in the capital area and have a worship service there. One member of the Church says, “Overseas members save their wages for several months or years to visit Korea, which is their lifelong desire, and use their summer vacation for the visit. A short trip is for five days and four nights, and a long trip is for fifteen days and fourteen nights. Every year, over 1,000 members visit Korea.” He adds, “The number of visitors was limited to 350 due to the lack of accommodations.”

Why do so many young people of the United States and Europe reject the religions which their ancestors have believed for hundreds of years, and are attracted to the Church that started in Korea, a small land in the east? The answer is in the Bible.

Micah 4:1 “In the last days the mountain of the LORD’S temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and peoples will stream to it. Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.”

Isaiah 33:20-24 “Look upon Zion, the city of our festivals; your eyes will see Jerusalem, a peaceful abode, a tent that will not be moved; its stakes will never be pulled up, nor any of its ropes broken… For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; it is he who will save us… No one living in Zion will say, “I am ill”; and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven.”

The Zion, where people stream to in the last days, is the Church where we can keep the feasts of God. Then what church keeps the feasts of God according to the teachings of the Bible? It is only the World Mission Society Church of God. This is the reason why many people in America,  Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania stream to the Church of God these days.