tica:

You really are not addressing the points.

Does the church have the specific safeguards previously cited?

that i dont really kno because i never contribute to the church. i'm just a junior in my church.. and above me there are elders and co pastors. i think they re in place of safeguards.

There should be a constitution and bylaws that specifically provide for elections, boards, elders, officers, etc.

Did you vote for board members, elders or officers at your church?

Do you know if the church has elections?

Have you seen a detailed budget that reports all salaries and compensation paid to pastors and staff?

Seems like you don't know very much about how your church is run.

yea, i dont know much. may be the older pp do kno. To me, i havent seen those things listed above at all. All i kno is the Gospel.

tica:

So are you saying that you attend a church regularly and tithe to that church, but have no idea regarding how accountability is enforced regarding its leaders or where the money goes that you tithe?

i never tithe to that church!!! i said above that i dont contribute to my church, thats y i dont kno about this kind of stuff.

I asked my Korean friend who has a priest as his grandfather. According to him, Good News Baptist is just another name for a denomination called "gu-won pa" which directly translates to "salvation sect". He pointed out that it may have a different official english name...

Anway, they are considered a cult by prominant denominations and Christian leaders in Korea. IYF is also a part.

Especially for Pastor Ock Soo Park, his belif on salvation is different than the mainstream one. It seems like some of you are Koreans. Try searching for "gu-won pa". You guys would probably have better luck in reading Korean than I do. :)

Anyway, hope this helps.

oh, and btw, I don't think they are Moonies. Just another Korean cult.

Those still interested may want to take a look at an interview:

[www.goodnews.or.kr]
--> From (POS's homepage, ocksoopark.com)

I know someone whose family is a devoted "guwonpa"-goer and IYF-er. This person is the most kind, friendly, bright and good-hearted person I have possibly met. But some of the comments here have made me see more things about this one person. At first I just thought they were really devoted, because they didnt come to school just to attend important church/mission events. And they may be taking out more time off school for personal reasons.

But anyway I don't know much about the congregation or have never been to their services. I only know that there is something fundamentally problematic with Park Ock Soo or gu-won-pa (salvation sect)'s teaching on [b:eb00371728]salvation[/b:eb00371728], according to Korean Christian websites.

The lack of more available information on Korean cults in English is a huge shame. I'll try and translate literally/as closely as possible.

It says on a Korean website (Here), the same content of which can be seen on many other Korean Christian websites (example), says that:

1. Through "comprehension" you are saved. "Understanding redemption," "understanding the gospel," experiencing being born again," "experiencing salvation" all are supposedly used cross-referentially to mean the same things.
2. Park Ock Soo "divides sin and crime, and divides repentance and confession."
3. Park denies "repetitive repentance," teaching that "there is no need to repent for every single individual sin one may commit." All that is required is a "self-acknowledgement" of "sin itself." The very moment you realise that, you are saved. Therefore all sins are forgiven and there is no more need for further forgiveness.
4. If you confess you are a sinner, you won't be going to heaven. Although to confess one is a sinner is an expression of faith, like Apostle Paul in Tim 1:13. (They teach that in verse 15 Paul speaks in the 'past tense' but in the original Bible, Paul confesses using the present tense) Only the righteous go to heaven. Thus they claim righteousness, and (based also on # 1) thereby assume you can claim your own righteousness.
5. Continued repentance is a sign that you are not saved. Forgiveness is guaranteed for past, present and future 'sins.' But they do not know that true contrition and repentance comes through faith.
6. They do not cite The Lord's Prayer nor pray in churches. (Is this really true?)