UNITED STATES—The Zion Christian Mission Center of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (hereinafter referred to as Shincheonji Church), held the “115th Zion Christian Mission Center 110,000-strong United Graduation Ceremony” on the 30th at Shincheonji Cheongju Church. The total number of graduates was 111,628.
Due to the sudden cancellation of the venue reservation by Gyeonggi Tourism Organization on the day of the event, the ceremony was hosted at the Shincheonji Cheongju Church, inviting international graduates who had traveled from abroad and religious figures from both Korea and overseas.
Chairman Lee Man-hee delivered a sermon at the graduation ceremony, stating, “Shincheonji Church fully understands the Bible, including the Book of Revelation. This is such a proud and wonderful achievement,” emphasizing, “Let us not condemn or persecute each other. Instead, let us cooperate and assist each other so that our nation can truly become a shining beacon.”
Despite the challenges, this graduating class achieved the largest single-denomination ceremony ever and marked the fourth time surpassing 100,000 graduates, following similar milestones in 2019, 2022, and 2023. The ceremony, relocated on short notice, prioritized safety and order, ensuring smooth traffic management and volunteer efforts. Remarkably, no safety incidents occurred, and the event concluded successfully.
The ceremony at Shincheonji Cheongju Church was attended by around 10,000 international graduates and approximately 1,000 domestic and international religious leaders. Among the graduates, 3,377 were pastors, and currently, 6,203 pastors are enrolled in courses at the Zion Christian Mission Center.
A special performance was held in front of the Shincheonji Cheongju Church building, symbolizing an appeal for religious harmony and the cessation of disputes and conflicts to achieve peace. This was met with enthusiastic applause from attendees.
Graduates who could not attend the ceremony in person due to limited space participated online from various Shincheonji churches nationwide and overseas.
Chairman Lee congratulated the graduates, saying, “The Bible says the tree of life bears twelve kinds of fruit every month. You are the very embodiment of this. Therefore, this graduation is an immensely grateful and joyous occasion.”
He added, “Be grateful for the church where you grew up. Because of that church, you received the Word and grace. Attending a church is a matter of personal faith. The important thing is to share the Word with those who do not know it, so we can learn and grow together.”
Finally, he advised, “Now that you have graduated, freely share the teachings you have learned with others. This is the fundamental duty and expression of gratitude for those who have received grace. Let us never insult or curse anyone. Even if we are persecuted, let us respond with good deeds.”
During the certificate presentation, graduate Kang shared his thoughts as a representative. Kang had served as a pastor in the Presbyterian Church of Korea for 25 years and continues to operate a church. He said, “I was determined to examine this thoroughly. After just three days of attending classes at the Zion Christian Mission Center, I was deeply immersed in the truth of the teachings. I immediately began preaching sermons based on what I learned. Seeing the joyful expressions of the congregation during the sermons brought me profound grace and inspiration.”
He added, “After signing an MOU with Shincheonji Church, our congregation became more active in worship, evangelism, and volunteering, revitalizing our church. On the 11th of last month, with the congregation’s full confidence, we even changed the church sign to Shincheonji Church.”
Additionally, a pre-graduation survey conducted between October 20 and 27 among 1,485 youth graduates (ages 19–39) from the 115th class further confirmed the excellence of the teachings. Among respondents, 99.59% expressed satisfaction or high satisfaction with the content and system of the mission center’s lectures, with 92.66% citing “biblical teaching” as the primary reason for their satisfaction.
The average score for the graduation exam among the 115th domestic and international graduates was also recorded at 96.5, demonstrating the outstanding educational system.
A Shincheonji Church official stated, “The 115th graduates and all those who have completed the Zion Christian Mission Center have studied the Bible in-depth, from Genesis to Revelation, and passed rigorous exams. This unique educational system has been a driving force behind Shincheonji Church’s rapid growth. Observing this, domestic and international churches, as well as entire denominations, have sought collaboration with us.”
