Christian Gospel Mission (Providence)
An international cult that has tricked hundreds of women into having sex with the leader in exchange for salvation
1980-present
Christian Gospel Mission, also called Providence, was founded in 1980 by Jung Myung-seok, a charismatic South Korean pastor who promised to deliver salvation to his followers. However, this church soon became the epicenter of one of the most shocking religious scandals in recent years.
Jung claimed to be the second coming of Jesus, and his followers believed him without question. His message was simple: the end times were upon us, and only those who were part of his church would be saved. But as the church grew, so did the rumors of misconduct and abuse.
As over one hundred members came forward to reveal Jung had sexually abused them, investigations revealed that the organization had been recruiting women based on their looks and that Juan had hand-picked up to a thousand women to be groomed for sexual exploitation.
Despite the mounting evidence against him, Jung managed to evade authorities and flee the country, becoming the subject of an international search. For eight long years, he remained on the run, continuing to lead his followers from the shadows.
But justice eventually caught up with him, and Jung was captured and sentenced to prison for his crimes. He spent years behind bars, but eventually, he was released and allowed to walk free once again. However, in 2023, he was sentenced to an additional 23 years in prison
Today, Jung continues to have a massive following, despite the horrific allegations that have been leveled against him. His church still operates in countries around the world, and many of his followers remain steadfast in their devotion to him.
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
Founder Jung Myung-seok claimed to be the second coming of Jesus
Jung sexually abused women almost daily through false "health checks" and threatened them with hell if they told anyone
As of 2012, 500-1,000 women, called "Evergreens", were allegedly groomed for sexual exploitation by Jung
In 1999, the Seoul Broadcasting System aired an exposé on the church, interviewing over 100 people who claimed to have been victims of sexual assault. After this aired, founder Jung Myung-seok fled the country until he was apprehended seven years later
In 2001, a newspaper alleged that Jung "raped" over 100 Taiwanese female college students, although others denied the report
In 2002, a male witness was convicted of perjury after he denied that there was sexual misconduct
In 2009, Jung was convicted of raping four women and sentenced to 10 years in prison
In March 2013, Jung Jo-eun, the second-in-command to Jung Myung-seok, testified that Myung-seok had sexually assaulted seven members, including two minors
In 2023, Jung Myung-seok was sentenced to 23 years in prison for sex crimes
Many women allegedly committed suicide as a result of their involvement with the church
In 2008, members stormed and vandalized the leading newspaper in Seoul, demanding the removal of critical articles about founder Jung Myung-seok
Female members testified that they had been flown to Jung Myung-seok's hideout and held against their will
Sex with founder Jung Myung-seok was believed to be necessary for salvation
Japanese members were forbidden from dating
In 2003, members were urged to have babies to increase membership
Other info:
When the Seoul Broadcasting System published an expose on them, the group retaliated with lawsuits and spamming the office with up to 60,000 calls per day
In 2006, it was revealed that a government employee in Australia had been editing Wikipedia articles in support of founder Jung Myung-seok
A police investigation revealed that the organization recruited "high class, high income" men and selected women for "style and looks"