111,628 Graduates… Once Again Setting a New Record for the Largest Single-Denomination Graduation
The Zion Christian Mission Center’s 115th graduation ceremony, hosted by the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, celebrated a total of 111,628 graduates—a new record for the largest single-denomination graduation in history. Among the graduates were 3,377 pastors, highlighting the wide reach and influence of the program. The ceremony took place at noon on October 30 at the Shincheonji Church in Cheongju.
The ceremony was originally scheduled to take place at Paju Imjingak Peace Nuri Park. However, the day before the event, Gyeonggi Tourism Organization unilaterally canceled the booking.
On October 30, the Zion Christian Mission Center (Director Tan Young-jin) of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (led by Chairman Lee Man-hee), held the “115th Zion Christian Mission Center Graduation Ceremony for 111,000 Graduates” at the Shincheonji Church in Cheongju. The total number of graduates was 111,628.
Due to the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization canceling the venue reservation on the day of the event, the graduation ceremony was instead held at the Cheongju location, with international graduates who had traveled from abroad and religious figures from both Korea and overseas in attendance.
In his sermon during the graduation ceremony, Chairman Lee Man-hee said, “The Shincheonji Church of Jesus has mastered the entire Bible, including the Book of Revelation. How proud and wonderful is that?” He emphasized the importance of cooperation, saying, “Let us not condemn or persecute one another, but work together and support each other so that our country can truly become a shining nation.”
Despite the challenges, this year’s graduates marked the largest single-denomination graduation in history, surpassing 100,000 graduates for the fourth time, following similar achievements in 2019, 2022, and 2023. Although the venue was changed just a day before the event, the ceremony proceeded smoothly with a strong focus on safety and order. Traffic management and volunteer services were well-coordinated, allowing the event to conclude without a single safety incident.
Approximately 10,000 international graduates and 1,000 religious figures from Korea and abroad attended the ceremony at the Shincheonji Church in Cheongju. Among the graduates were 3,377 pastors, with an additional 6,203 pastors currently enrolled in courses at the Zion Christian Mission Center.
In front of the Shincheonji Church in Cheongju, a special performance was held, emphasizing the message of religious leaders uniting to end conflict and division, striving for peace and the cessation of war. This performance was met with enthusiastic applause from the audience.
Due to limited space, graduates who could not attend in person joined the ceremony online from Shincheonji churches across Korea and international locations.
Addressing the graduates, Chairman Lee Man-hee congratulated them, saying, “In the Bible, the Tree of Life bears twelve kinds of fruit each month. You are the embodiment of that reality.” He expressed deep gratitude, adding, “This graduation is a profoundly meaningful and precious event.”
Chairman Lee Man-hee also emphasized the importance of gratitude, saying, “We should be thankful for the churches where we grew up. Because of those churches, we were able to receive the Word and grace.” He added, “It is a believer’s freedom to choose which church to attend. What matters is teaching those who do not yet know the Word, so that we can learn and grow together.”
Lastly, Chairman Lee encouraged the graduates by saying, “Now that you have graduated, I hope you will freely share the Word you have received with many others, without expecting anything in return. This is the foundation of being a believer who has received grace and a way to express gratitude.” He urged them, “Let us never resort to insults or curses. Even if we face persecution, let us continue to do good deeds.”
After the diplomas were awarded, Kang, one of the graduates who gave a speech, attracted attention for sharing that he had served as a pastor in the Presbyterian Church of Korea for 25 years and is still leading a church.
He recalled, “I felt the need to truly understand, so I began taking courses at the Zion Christian Mission Center. Within three days, I was completely captivated by the Word of Truth. I immediately started preaching with what I had learned.” He added, “Seeing how joyful the congregation was as they listened to my sermons filled me with deep grace and inspiration once again.”
He also mentioned, “After signing the MOU with the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the congregation’s participation in worship, evangelism, and volunteer activities has become more joyful and active, bringing new vitality to the church.” He added, “On the 11th, all the members confidently decided to change the church’s sign to reflect the name of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus.”
In addition, a pre-graduation survey conducted by the Shincheonji Church of Jesus from October 20 for one week, targeting 1,485 graduates aged 19-39 from the 115th graduation class, also proved the excellence of the teachings. Regarding the “content and system of the Mission Center’s lectures,” 99.59% of respondents expressed being “satisfied” or “very satisfied,” with 92.66% of them citing “biblical teachings” as the primary reason for their satisfaction.
The average score for the graduation exam taken by the 115th class of domestic and international graduates was also 96.5%, further confirming the effectiveness of the educational system.
A spokesperson for the Shincheonji Church of Jesus stated, “The 115th graduates, as well as all those who completed the Zion Christian Mission Center, have studied the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation in depth and have taken exams.” They added, “Thanks to this unparalleled educational system, the Shincheonji Church of Jesus has achieved rapid growth, and this success has led to requests for cooperation from not only domestic and international churches but also entire denominations.”