Shincheonji Church's Paris Bible Conference Sparks Revival Hope for European Christianity
The conference struck a chord with pastors in Africa too, including Malawi. Global gatherings are planned later this year in Korea to unite pastors worldwide.
PARIS - More than 7,000 people, including 1,000 pastors from across Europe, gathered in Paris last week for a World Conference organized by the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, seeking spiritual rejuvenation amid declining church attendance and secularization trends on the continent, writes Winston Mwale.
The June 15 event was part of the "2024 Continental Bible Conference" series responding to pastors' calls for a revival through deeper study of the Bible's Book of Revelation.
It followed an earlier conference in the Philippines.
Keynote speaker Man-Hee Lee, chairman of Shincheonji, emphasized understanding Revelation without deviation.
"God's work is accomplished as described in Revelation," Lee said.
"And it is crucial for pastors to teach this to their congregations without alteration."
European pastors voiced eagerness to learn more about Shincheonji's Revelation teachings.
"If I had been invited to Korea, I would have started preparing for the ticket right away," said Pastor Delly Delphin Matondo of the Full Gospel denomination.
Seung Joo Lee, a Shincheonji branch leader, encouraged embracing biblical prophecies' modern relevance to catalyze revival as Europe sees stagnant Christian populations and growing secularism.
The conference struck a chord with pastors in Africa too, including Malawi. Global gatherings are planned later this year in Korea to unite pastors worldwide.
As of June 5, Shincheonji said it had signed agreements with 12,538 churches across 83 countries, while 1,341 churches in 41 nations had joined and 5,614 pastors enrolled in its Bible education.