The Cult Targeting SU Students
Graphics by Anika Dua
This is not clickbait, and this is not metaphorical. There is seriously a cult frequenting Syracuse University and ESF’s campus trying to recruit you to join them.
The cult’s name is the World Mission Society Church of God. None of them, from what we know, are current students at either SUNY ESF or Syracuse University, but since SU is an open campus, they simply walk on in.
The World Mission Society Church of God (WMSCG) started in Korea in 1964, and has spread around the world since then. They believe in God the Father, as well as God the Mother, and believe that they are restoring original beliefs of earlier churches. The WMSCG is not a part of Christianity at all, as they believed their founder– Sahng-Hong Ahn (who founded the “church” in 1964) is the second coming of Christ. They also believe in “god the mother,” who is reportedly a woman by the name Jang Gil-ja.
The WMSCG, also known as The Church of God via their website, have “reestablished the values of Christianity in the Church of God where everyone is in great harmony, regardless of national, ethnic, and cultural boundaries…”
Ex-members claim that The WMSCG was a “doomsday cult,” as they were told the end of the world was near. Ex-members also say communal living was encouraged, and followers were not allowed to enter other churches. Members were encouraged to stay into the late hours of the night. Many were sleep deprived and pulled away from their friends and family. The WMSCG also demanded hours in service or studying the Bible, and even controlled the music that one ex-member, Colon, listened to. Colon also said that the cult doesn’t tell you about Mother God until after you’ve joined, among other things.
Colon, and other former members, also have said that leaders would direct members to get abortions, as one shouldn’t have a child so close to the end of the world. On top of all of this brainwashing and control, they drained members of any money they had.
Last semester, a member of the WMSCG approached a member of my pagan group (SPIRAL) on campus and invited her to an event being held in the Hall of Languages– which is how I know about this in the first place. It was framed to be an informational meeting on the pagan practices in Christianity, but it was worded strangely: “how paganism evolved from Christianity,” – which is the opposite of what actually happened. Otherwise, though, the information was more or less correct.
In this meeting, however, members of the WMSCG mocked polytheistic beliefs, and made odd comments throughout the meeting. They wouldn’t give our member– who I’ll call Hannah for the purposes of this article– any contact information on the “higher-ups” or founders of the group.
After this meeting, Hannah reported this experience to DPS. We were all informed to avoid these people at all costs, as they are quite literally a cult.
Hannah was told that the group is targeting women and people of color, though we don’t know why.
This is not the first time they’ve become friendly with university campuses– a similar situation arose at Yale, and we believe they were at SU years ago before being kicked off.
The university has neglected to inform its students of this situation– so I will.
If you or someone you know suspects you have recently been approached by one of the WMSCG’s members, contact DPS and report it immediately. They are not allowed on campus.
They may also approach you elsewhere, as one student (years ago) claimed to have been approached in Destiny Mall, so please be careful, and please don’t join a cult by accident (or on purpose, for that matter).