Cheonbugyo

Overview

Cheonbugyo (天父敎, "Religion of the Heavenly Father") is a religious organization founded in 1955 by Park Tae-seon (1917–1990), formerly an elder of Changdong Church of the Presbyterian Church in Korea. It first operated under the name Korean Jesus Church Revival Association and later changed its name to the Korean Jesus Church Evangelical Hall Revival Association. Because its meeting places throughout the country were called jeondogwan (evangelical halls), the movement was commonly known as Jeondogwan. In 1980, when Park declared that he was breaking with Christianity, the word "Jesus" was dropped from the name, which became the Korean Cheonbugyo Evangelical Hall Revival Association (Cheonbugyo for short). Its worship buildings are topped not by a cross but by a statue of a dove holding an olive leaf in its beak.

Park gained prominence in 1955 by leading large-scale revival meetings on Namsan in Seoul and elsewhere. He later established "Faith Villages" (Sinangchon), where followers lived together and operated factories, at Sosa (1957) and Deokso (1962) in Gyeonggi Province, and in the early 1970s at Gijang near Busan. The Gijang Faith Village is the present center of the movement. Its affiliated companies manufacture and sell clothing, bedding, food products, and other goods. In the 1950s Jeondogwan, along with the Unification Church, drew attention as one of the leading new religious movements. Some observers hold that the group's membership declined after Park's death in 1990. Since then, his third son, Park Yun-myeong, has reportedly led both the church and the Zion group of companies.

Principal Claims and Doctrines

• The Olive Tree: From around 1956, Park claimed to be the "olive tree" foretold in Scripture. Citing Hosea 14 and other passages, Cheonbugyo teaches that the olive tree is the one who first bestows the "Dew Holy Spirit" (the grace of the Holy Spirit said to descend like dew).
• Titles: Park referred to himself as "the one man from the East," "the one who overcomes," and by similar titles.
• Water of Life: The group teaches that "water of life" (living water), said to contain the Dew Holy Spirit, possesses special efficacy.
• Post-1980 Doctrine: Park declared himself to be "God the Creator come in the flesh." He also rejected Christian doctrine entirely, claiming, among other things, that most of the New Testament is false.
• Doctrine of Salvation: The group teaches that salvation requires keeping the "Law of Liberty," refraining from sin, and being cleansed of sin by the Dew Holy Spirit. In its early years it emphasized that the end was near and that one had to enter a Faith Village to be saved.

Assessments by Major Korean Denominations and Ecumenical Bodies

• July 1955: The Korean Christian Federation (predecessor of the present National Council of Churches in Korea) issued a statement declaring the Jeondogwan movement a "pseudo-religious movement."
• February 15, 1956: The Gyeonggi Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in Korea, to which Park belonged, declared him a heretic. He is reported to have been expelled that same year.
• 1956: The 41st General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Korea declared Park an unbiblical heretic whose teachings were contrary to Presbyterian doctrine and creeds. This resolution predates the Presbyterian schism. It is now included in the list of heresy resolutions of the Presbyterian Church of Korea (Tonghap).
• The Tonghap denomination later renewed its criticism of the doctrines and activities of Park and Jeondogwan in a report submitted to its 73rd General Assembly (1988).
• Critics point to several problems: the claim to have received direct revelation from God, distortion of the doctrine of the Trinity, and the substitution of a different savior through the figures of the olive tree and the one who overcomes.

The Organization's Position and Response

Cheonbugyo regards Park Tae-seon as the savior who came to save humanity and as God the Creator. Since declaring its break with Christianity in 1980, it has presented itself not as a Christian denomination but as a separate religion. It also openly acknowledges that the object of its faith differs from that of the established churches. It describes the Faith Villages as communities intended to achieve economic self-sufficiency through business enterprises and to enable a proper life of faith.

Social Controversies

• From the late 1950s, incidents involving Park and Jeondogwan were frequently reported in the press.
• Critics contend that the Faith Village enterprises grew by relying on the labor and assets of members. The Tonghap report stated that the living water was used to promote sales of Faith Village products.
• After the transition to Cheonbugyo in 1980, the membership split. Followers who stayed with Park and members who sought to keep their faith in Jesus engaged in protracted disputes and lawsuits over church property, including the Sosa Faith Village.
• In 2016, the discovery of a large number of graves on a mountain owned by Cheonbugyo in Gijang, Busan, raised suspicions. However, it was reported that the graves had been relocated from a Faith Village.
• Several splinter groups emerged from Jeondogwan. Yu Jae-yeol's Tabernacle Temple, Gu In-hoe's Heavenly Gospel Evangelistic Association, and Jo Hui-seong's Yeongsaenggyo (Eternal Life Church) are classified as offshoots of Jeondogwan. Lee Man-hee, founder of Shincheonji, is also reported to have once been involved with Jeondogwan.