Shincheonji's Zion Christian Mission Center Graduates Nearly 60,000 Students Including Over 2,200 Pastors

The Zion Christian Mission Center conducted its 116th graduation ceremony on November 2 at the Shincheonji Cheongju Church in South Korea, celebrating the achievement of 59,192 graduates this year. Among these graduates were 2,248 pastors, continuing a trend of increasing pastoral participation in the program. Over the past four years, the mission center has seen more than 13,500 pastors complete its rigorous theological curriculum.

The mission center, operated by Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony, offers a comprehensive Bible education program that systematically covers prophecy and fulfillment, God's will, and the complete narrative flow from Genesis to Revelation. Students must complete all three levels of the year-long course—introductory, intermediate, and advanced—and achieve scores of 90 points or higher on comprehensive examinations to graduate. The program is offered free of charge, making theological education accessible to a broad audience.

During the ceremony, Shincheonji Church Chairman Lee Man-hee emphasized the importance of genuine faith grounded in Scripture. He stated that many who claim belief in Jesus do not fully follow the Bible and encouraged believers to verify their faith through personal study of Scripture rather than relying solely on church authority. This message underscores the mission center's focus on biblical literacy and independent spiritual verification.

A significant moment came from graduate Oh Sun-kyung, a former pastor who shared her personal journey of struggling to understand the Book of Revelation despite reading the Bible over 30 times. She described how this inability to comprehend key prophecies led her to abandon her ministry out of shame. Oh urged fellow pastors to enroll at the Zion Christian Mission Center to master Revelation and properly guide their congregations, emphasizing that understanding these biblical secrets is essential for leading believers to heaven.

The graduation ceremony, themed "Love and Blessing, Light to the World," attracted approximately 20,000 graduates in person at the Shincheonji Cheongju Church, with the remaining participants joining online from Shincheonji Churches worldwide due to space limitations. This hybrid approach demonstrates the organization's adaptability and global reach. The event follows several years of substantial graduations, with 108,084 students graduating in 2023 and 111,628 in 2024, indicating consistent growth in theological education participation.

The continued expansion of the Zion Christian Mission Center's graduation numbers, particularly among pastors, suggests a growing interest in systematic biblical education that addresses complex theological concepts like prophecy and Revelation. This trend could influence how religious institutions approach theological training and congregational leadership development globally. The center's free, comprehensive curriculum provides an alternative model for religious education that prioritizes accessibility and deep scriptural understanding over traditional seminary structures.