ADDENDUM::God the Mother posts to Facebook, Twitter not true, church says | The Fresno Bee

Worshipers at the World Mission Society Church of God say the church is defending itself from a social media hoax that’s proving to be a challenge to its outreach practice.

That’s left members in Fresno concerned for their safety and weighing how to respond.

The unproven claim is that the church is involved in human trafficking — and the rumor has spread on social media since the start of the year. It first surfaced in Fresno in the spring and hasn’t stopped.

Read more here: https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article216084735.html#storylink=cpy

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Peter Uchil, a church missionary, said the rumors are not new. He’s aware that incidents in different parts of the U.S. dating back as early as January have allowed the false accusations to grow among those not familiar with the church, which is said to have more than 2.8 million members worldwide.

The church has challenged the reports, but Uchil sees little that can be done to completely quash the claims.

Read more here: https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article216084735.html#storylink=cpy

God the Mother posts to Facebook, Twitter not true, church says | The Fresno Bee

Church Accused of ‘Terror’ Recruits on College Campuses

“My stomach kind of dropped,” Quinn said. After that, the women tried to get her contact information and invite her to a Bible study, but Quinn gave them a fake phone number. Quinn later learned she was not the only student approached on campus that weekend by members of the World Mission Society Church of God.

Quinn was just one of dozens of students at colleges across the country who was asked about “God the Mother” in January and February. WMS members, often young women, asked students about God the Mother and quickly invited them to a church or Bible study at Vanderbilt University, Boston College, Rider University, the University of Mississippi, Boston University, the University of North Florida and more.

The universities or their police departments typically investigate a rumor alleging that WMS is involved in sex trafficking and sometimes have notified students of the group’s presence but do little else to inhibit the group’s activities, according to articles in those schools’ newspapers.

Church Accused of ‘Terror’ Recruits on College Campuses

“God the Mother” Followers Aim to Proselytize Students – The Oberlin Review

In recent weeks, dozens of Oberlin students have been stopped on campus by religious proselytizers claiming to be theology students in order to engage them in conversation about “God the Mother.” These missionaries are affiliated with a group called the World Mission Society Church of God, a fringe sect of Christianity that has been falsely rumored to have ties with human trafficking — often referred to as a cult by former members.

Safety and Security is aware of the visitors and has encouraged all students to notify officers if they encounter the missionaries, as they are unauthorized to be on campus.

“Anybody who wants to talk to students needs to be sponsored,” Campus Security Officer Tyrone Wicks said. “If they’re not sponsored by a student organization or a college-authorized organization, then they’re asked to leave campus.”

Wicks added that due to the repeated nature of the unauthorized visits, the visitors are considered trespassers.

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The WMS Church of God was founded in 1964 by Ahn Sahng-Hong. Ahn, now deceased, was believed to be the Second Coming of Christ by followers. WMSCOG followers believe in a Mother God in addition to the traditional Holy Trinity of Christian doctrine, and they claim that God the Mother and God the Father have a spousal relationship. The church is currently led by Zahng Gil-jah, a woman in her 70s deified by her followers as “God the Mother” or “Heavenly Mother.” WMS has approximately 2.7 million members in 150 countries worldwide and has received multiple accolades for its community service initiatives. WMS has obtained a religious tax exemption from the Internal Revenue Service through supposedly fraudulent means and subsists through donations from its members.

“God the Mother” Followers Aim to Proselytize Students – The Oberlin Review