Dear Reader,

First, let me thank you in advance for reading my long winded story. My name is Travis I’m 27, college educated and I live in Los Angeles, I am a public servant in the technical field and although I am not a Christian nor am I affiliated with any organized religion I have a profound faith that God exists and works in all of our lives.

My story begins last year around this time when I rekindled a friendship with a beautiful and intelligent girl, let’s call her Tammy. Tammy and I worked together a year earlier and lost touch for many months she had since moved to a different project as a consultant. We met for dinner last year almost exactly a year ago today, we immediately had chemistry. Not much time passed before we were meeting each other three to four times a week. By Valentine’s Day we were a committed couple. Everything was going great during the winter and spring. I had never been happier.

We began talking about long term plans, she suggested that she move to LA, at the time she was working as a consultant during the week in LA and going back home to the Bay Area for the weekends. Time passed and our love grew. But little did we know in our blinded state that all good things come to an end.

At the end of summer her father died the same day her sister gave birth to her first son. I never understood why she felt so bad for him, he beat her mother and abandoned the family while they lived in South America when she was only 5. But like I said her heart was big. Weeks later in September her sister was diagnosed with a brain tumor and Tammy returned home to take care of her sister’s infant and was staffed locally in the Bay Area. Her sister began to recover but still to this day is far from 100%. The day she left LA I took her to Venice Beach and pointed to a ocean front mansion and asked her if I bought you that house (a house we both admired since the beginning of our relationship) would you marry me? She answered, “I would marry you even if you lived on the street.”

When she moved home she began to attend church three times a week and I felt that we grew apart. The distance was destroying our relationship. Over the next three months we faced many difficulties. I prayed and meditated on the relationship. I decided to leave my well paying job, my friends and family to move to be in the same city as her.

I told her early last month in December that I would drop everything to be with her. I thought that she was going to be happy, but rather she answered, does this mean you want to marry me? I said yes eventually we will be married and I will get a job and buy a house and we will be happy. She said that if I were to marry her I must have Salvation, I must be born again. I asked where this came from, why all of a sudden was this an issue?

I explained to her my secular beliefs that all religion is about man seeking God, that each man chooses his own path to have that relationship. Muslims, Christians, Buddhist each believe they have the truth, and it is possible that each is right in their own heart and God may love each of then for they are seeking love and Truth.

She insisted that I seek a Christian Salvation. I told her ok, I love you so much that I will try. She gave me a book called Born Again the Secret of Forgiveness and Salvation written by Pastor Ock Soo Park. I put the book down and began reading the Bible instead. I told her I will read the bible so I can have fresh eyes and not have it be an interpretation of another man.

I read the New Testament and also Genesis and Exodus. Last week over the Holidays we discussed the possibility of converting. I explained to her that Christianity sounds like a good religion and I might be for me, but I wanted to choose a path for myself, I wanted to choose the church I attend. She insisted that I attend her church and began to cry, and rambled on about the blood of Christ washing away our sins and that we need never ask for forgiveness if we have truly reached salvation. This all sounded very odd coming out of Tammy’s mouth, she is generally a clear person. All of this sounded both jumbled and oddly rehearsed. She further explained to me that many churches teach the wrong things about repentance and that it is an insult to Christ if we ask forgiveness of our sins.

I said let’s act rational, let’s compromise. I will attend church but a church of my choice that is already asking a lot of a guy who watches football on Sunday morning. She insisted that I attend the her Church the Good News Mission. I had already gone to one of their sermons two weeks earlier and I had a gut feeling that things were a little weird but I attributed that to it being a Korean church and me being unfamiliar with their cultural idiosyncrasies. She pleaded with me that all I had to do was go and listen to the Word, so I said fine I will go and listen at the LA chapter but I don’t want to go to church with your mother and sisters in the Bay Area because they put too much pressure on me and I feel that I do not have an open heart under such circumstances.

When I returned to LA last week Wednesday I went to the Good News Mission (GNM) located in Korea Town off of Vermont Ave to speak to the Pastor and introduce myself and my situation. After explaining all that I explained here I asked him two questions. First what would you advise for a man in my shoes and second is this church the only path to salvation?

He answered the first question with a vague story about a pastor in the GNM who had a stomach ulcer who had faith in God and God healed it. And he answered the second question with, some churches do have the Word but we know for sure that we have the Word here. I was unsatisfied with my answers but thought I was possibly asking the wrong questions so I asked if he had any reading material that could clear things up. He gave me the Born Again book, I already had that one so I just left and told him that I would see him on Sunday.

I left feeling a bit uneasy. I met a Korean friend of mine later that evening and told him about the church. I asked him to please find out what he could about the church for there is little reading material in English online. He got back to me last Thursday and to my absolute shock and sadness he said that the Good News Mission was a cult that has been deemed a cult in Korea since 1985.

I was completely alarmed by this. I began to research Pastor Ock Soo Park and the Good News Mission. I could find just a few things including a short thread on this forum.

[forum.culteducation.com]

This past weekend I spoke to an African Episcopalian pastor, a Korean Presbyterian pastor and a American Baptist pastor for their advice. This is what they said:

African Episcopalian Pastor: Take a step back, forget about the label cult, is this the way you want to live? Is this something you want your kids to be subjected to?

Korean Presbyterian Pastor: Run away leave the girl, this is dangerous, you are caught in the middle of a spiritual war that you are unprepared to fight. God does not want to loose another one of his flock.

American Baptist Pastor: Do not be alarmed by the fact the Good News Mission does not ask for forgiveness. Be alarmed if they believe that theirs is the only path to salvation. I will pray for you, I’m sorry I could not be of more help.

I spoke to Tammy last night. My guess is that she knows that I know something because I told her I was consulting with may different pastors about converting. She said she was speaking to her Pastor about this relationship. She said that her church does not encourage dating but rather they partner members up together in arranged marriages. She explained that the pastor introduces you to a man of similar age within the church and they meet for 5 minutes. After if you feel okay with it, their parents meet and the union is made within the church shortly there after. Her mother does not approve of this relationship her church does not approve of this relationship. She was sobbing to me last night saying how difficult a situation she is in, how confused she was, she said she loves me but if we are going to be together she must forsake the blessing of her church and her mother who are trying to make her do an arranged marriage.

I’m loosing control of the situation, maybe I never did have control. I pray that this relationship was not an illusion. I feel embarrassed for myself, sad for her most of all, and heartbroken over this relationship that was once so beautiful. I love Tammy and want dearly for this relationship to workout but hope is fading.

My questions to you out there:

Is this church really a cult? There is much debate over this and still no definitive answers. It might just be a very conservative group of misunderstood Christians.

Do you know anyone who left this church? I would like to contact that individual for more information.

Does this church think that it is the only path to salvation?

Does this church think that most non-Good News Christians are going to hell?

Do people in this church regard Pastor Ock Soo Park as a Prophet?

Is there any governing body or is this church a dictatorship?

Is there any thing that you can suggest in coping with a person who is in a cult?

I need more information about this group, please help anything would help at this point. Thank you again for reading this testimony.

Travis

Travis, I am sure you will get many people here to help you. I know nothing about this church, but would suggest some further reading from Rick Ross like how to cope, how to get help, legal help, etc. until you get a solid answer.

[www.culteducation.com]

Regards and best wishes

Sparky

Thanks this reading will help

Travis, I just conducted a minor google search for this pastor. It seems there are many links prasing him. I needed to get to about page 7 to find anything you could use or could possibly be of help to you. Here is the link.

[www.jungmyungseok.com]

If I find anything else, I will send it your way. It should be noted that this clown is "macking it hard" with $$$. He sells out events, has books for sale on Amazon.com and sounds like your typical control-freak cult leader...in that salvation is only through GNM and not other churches...which flies in the face of the New Testament....which warns of false prophets...and this guy seems to fit that bill, with miracle healings and all.

Sparky

I found information on ock soo park on this forum :

[www.jmscult.com]
scroll down and look under corean cults.

I wonder how you picture your married life. Are you going to go to that church three times a week for the rest of your life, let the pastor dictate your every step even how to raise your children (he will do so if he arranges marriages) and are you going to argue about all this all the time or just swallow it ? What about your beliefs on equality of all religions ? You just drop it ? You are in love and it hurts but do you want to live under the pressure of your girlfriend, her church and her family all the time ? Because things will not get better when you join the church.
I wish you all the strenght you need.

My questions to you out there:

Is this church really a cult? There is much debate over this and still no definitive answers. It might just be a very conservative group of misunderstood Christians. I think your correct here. I think this is a very conservative group that has different beliefs on "religion". Having a relationship with Jesus Christ and being "born again" does not mandate how or what your "religious beliefs are". People confuse religion and relationship. We argue religion but it is impossible to argue a relationship with a third party.

We are "born again" Christians but do not believe the things you described that are going on in her church. My son is currently in a cult under the guise of it being a "Fundenmental Church". My advice to you would be to try and keep communication with her and during this time, educate yourself on Christianity she really needs to hear the right answers. There are many very well written books out there by respected authors. One is The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel. You know Travis how much do you want true love? Nothing wonderful comes easy. It sounds as though you and she had a wonderful true love. Even though I'm an advocate against trying to force things to happen my way, I still hold to the belief that we are put in situations for a reason and my relationship with God tells me to give situations my all, pray and know the outcome is served by the end. Its the process Travis that is important. May you be blessed in your endeavors and may God reveal to you the way to help your friend.

I went to the Good News Mission last night to ask some difficult questions of the pastor. This time he appeared to be prepared unlike our previous encounter. Here is the interview and the information that I gathered based on my notes and what I can remember:

Travis (T): Hi Pastor I am considering joining the Episcopal church near my house for I feel the pull of God there but I am also considering the Good News Mission (ok I lied I’m not considering this place obviously) for I love Tammy very deeply and would not want to loose her. I just need to have a few questions answered before I make any further decisions.

Pastor (P): I’m glad to see that you have come back please sit down.

T: Is the Good News Mission the only path to Salvation?

P: The Good News Mission is not the only path salvation. The path to salvation is through faith and faith alone.

T: What makes you think that your church has Faith and other do not?

P: You go to another church and they make you repent and ask for forgiveness. If you were a true Christian then your sins would be washed as white as snow. To ask forgiveness means there is guilt in your heart you have doubts that Jesus’ work is complete meaning your do not have faith in him. No man enters the gates of heaven with sin in their heart. God does not want Christians to constantly pester him with asking forgiveness.

Look at Hebrews 10:16-18
16"(A)THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM
AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD:
I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR HEART,
AND ON THEIR MIND I WILL WRITE THEM,"
He then says,
17"(B)AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS
I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE."

18Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin.

It clearly says in the bible, and that is all we go on is the Word in the bible, that God does not see Christians as sinners, he does not remember our sins, therefore why are we asking for forgiveness. It is an insult to him and it is a reflection that you have guilt in your heart and you lack faith in Jesus because you do not truly believe that your sins are washed clean.

T: You’re saying if I pray for forgiveness but I have all my faith in all other matters in Jesus, I’m not saved?

P: No you are not saved because you lack faith that his work is done. Jesus said “it is finished.” (John 19:30) Yet you still lack faith that that is so.

T: But Jesus does ask for us to pray for forgiveness, even the most popular Christian Prayer, when the disciples asked Jesus how to pray he answered:

Our father which art in heaven
Hallowed be thy name
Thy Kingdom come
Thy will be done
In earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us of our trespasses
As we forgiven those who trespass against us…

P: Two things, first the Lords Prayer was taught by Jesus before his death and resurrection. And second read Matthew 6:7

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

The Lords Prayer is just inane repetitions. (looking at his watch) listen it is late…

T: No wait don’t go I have just a few more questions to ask.

P: Okay

T: Is the Revelation of John going to happen in our life time?

P: Personally I believe it will happen in our life time. The signs of the End Times are upon us now.

T: Is this the position of the church and Pastor Ock Soo Park?

P: Nobody knows then the second coming will happen for in the Bible is says that nobody will know. But yes many here believe that the second coming is upon us.

T: Is Pastor Ock Soo Park a Prophet a Messiah, I ask because in your sermon last week you said he can see the future?

P: No he is not but through the Word he can see the future.

T: Can a member of the Good News Mission leave the church and still receive salvation?

P: Yes as long as that person truly believes in the Word and the has Faith in Jesus. But rarely do people leave this church.

T: Is the Good News Mission Part to the “Gu-Won-Pa”? (which believes pretty much the exact same thing according to everything I can find, the same cult that committed suicide)

P: No we are not

T: How does the Good News Mission feel about outside dating?

P: We do not encourage it. We believe that the sacred union between a man and his wife should be ordained by the church.

T: So you are saying that your church does arraigned marriages?

P: Yes that is how I met my wife. A panel of pastors get together to pray, and through their prayer they couple the believers together.

T: Don’t you think it’s wrong to make two people marry who are not in love?

P: No, it is through faith in the people making the arrangement and faith in God. People Married in our church never get divorced.

T: My girlfriend’s mother was divorced and belonged to your church (little did he know that it was because the church Tammy’s mother was divorced, it was over the amount of money and time he wanted to give the church)

P: I mean it is very rare that couples in the church get divorced. Usually couples who get divorced come here and get remarried and stay married.

T: I believe that the pastor and Tammy’s mother are trying to get her into an arranged marriage. I feel very disturbed about this thought, I mean the church is too controlling, it just doesn’t seem right to me that they would do that while I’m in the picture.

P: Are you sure that this is that case, I can find out for you.

T: Never mind that. I’m just scared that this church is too controlling. How would you feel if you were in my shoes to me this looks like madness.

P: I can see that you are upset, that you are possibly confused and depressed. Your heart is like stone, you need to open your heart up, stop thinking so much and let God enter your heart.

T: No I will not stop thinking, yes I’m depressed, yes I need God. But I fear for this relationship I fear the control of this church. Why are you so separated from the church community, Christians are the body of Christ, why are you isolated?

P: We try to preach the Gospel to other churches but they kick us out, they say get out of here.

T: Are there any churches that you know of that teach what you teach?

P: Yes there was one in Bakersfield

T: What was the name I would like to contact them.

P: Ummm. I don’t remember.

T: So you’re saying for all the two thousand years of Christianity, only in 1960 when Ock Soo Park started teaching his interpretation of the bible were people saved, if this is true heaven is a very empty place.

P: No, Pastor Ock Soo Park is not teaching anything new. When I teach people the true Gospel old men say, yes, this is how my grandparents taught me the bible. So this is true gospel has been around since the beginning. In the past the Presbyterians and other Protestants were teaching the true Gospel, it was only recently that they have all deviated from the Word to tell people what they want to hear.

T: Last Question, how is this church run? Is there a elected governing body, who is accountable for where the money is being spent?

P: There is a governing body of high clergy, at the top is Ock So Park. But us pastors never see the money we are not even allowed to touch the donation box. Travis, your heart is cold and closed, you must lighten up and let God in. You will be set free, you are a slave to you feelings and thoughts, you think you are free but you are listening to yourself not god.

T: You’re right, I do believe that I should listen to God will and through that I will be set free, I’m just unsure about your church. I will pray on this. Thank you for taking the time and sorry for interrupting your dinner. I hope you have a safe trip to Australia.

P: Thank you for coming by and I hope to see you again here.

After talking to the Good News Pastor I felt a little bit better. I began to realize that this group of Christians were probably not too crazy and too dangerous. Some of what I learned was alarming. The whole thing about not asking for forgiveness makes sense to me but at the same time I do not believe that if you do it shows a lack of faith that Jesus washed your sins clean thus not having salvation. But there are other conservative Christian groups who believe that there interpretation of the bible is the only true correct one like the Jehovahs, Mormons, Seventh Day, Quakers and any other fundamentalist group.

What is really concerning in the amount to control they have over the lives of the followers namely in the form of arranged marriages. This again might be a cultural difference that I’m unfamiliar with. The Korean Culture often does this kind of thing even among friends who do setups with the purpose of marriage. As Americans we are unfamiliar with the mentality of Koreans when it comes to love and marriage. When I asked Tammy last week if she would consider an arranged marriage if I was out of the picture she said yes, if it’s God’s will.

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Travis2008
P: Two things, first the Lords Prayer was taught by Jesus before his death and resurrection. And second read Matthew 6:7

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

The Lords Prayer is just inane repetitions. (looking at his watch) listen it is late…

This is where your red flags should be billowing out of control Travis. This pastor took it upon himself to contradict a teaching of Jesus by using a scripture to contradict another. Jesus gave the 'Lord's Prayer' with the instructions to pray the prayer. It is complete and covers all a Christian should fundamentally be concerned about--forgiveness, forgiving, having what is needed for each day, and being led away from temptations. Jesus came not to do away with any of what is written in the bible but to fulfill all of it by His Life, Death, and Resurrection..this would include His teaching on sin and forgiveness. See James 5:16 and James 5:20. We would have no need of a Saviour if we didn't still sin, we could continue with life everyday without ever giving a thought to how we came to receive the forgiveness. In fact there'd be no need for churches such as the one your GF is attending, it would be redundant to keep attending after a person was given the one message, 'you are free from sin'. Why keep up a relationship with God if there is no sin to potentially separate us from Him? Does this guy need long term attendance to his church to make sure everyone gets that one message through their heads? Even a very simple person would 'get it' after a few sundays. There must be some other reason people have to keep attending and becoming so devoted to the church that they are actually willing to have their entire lives dictated by it, as in an arranged marriage.


I had someone attempt to teach the same thing to me that this pastor teaches his following. Basically, the teaching is a belief that a Christian is no longer a sinner, this belief is contradicted throughout the bible. Believers of this teaching, I have found, can never explain what it is called when a Christian commits sin after receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior. They can't call it sin because it contradicts what they believe, so they don't even give it another thought.

When you hear of well known evangelists and preachers committing sins like fraud, adultery, or even spousal abuse, they more or less prove, as do the rest of us, that no one is free of sin because they are a Christian. It just means that we can be forgiven if we sincerly repent of it. Sounds to me like this pastor is ignoring much of what is written in the bible about sin, confession, and forgiveness just to suit his own agenda and to passify his own conscience. That's just my own thought on what he told you.

The looking at his watch part doesn't seem like a very concerned man of God, in fact it was arrogant and presumptuous. Beware of how a person like this will use the Bible to present an argument. There's more than 'interpretation' happening here, there is an element of persuasion at work that falls outside the lines of fairness or even truth. He probably believes what he is teaching, and how convenient it must be that his beliefs correlate with his agenda.

Travis, from my personal experience, you have illuminated an abusive church. While it does not appear to be a "true cult" (Rick Ross definitions) it is clearly abusive and controlling. I am sorry for your loss of your girlfriend. She sounds totally indoctrinated. Your best hope is she "awakens" and escapes but with her mom firmly entrenched, I have few hopes. Perhaps Mr. Ross himself can give you some better advice but I cannot.

Travis,

The bible teaches us, to confess our sins and I agree with ON2 LF. Read James 5:16. It is finished is referred to Jesus coming as the Lamb of God to fullfill the death sentence we all had. This church's teaching is off to say the least. Please read the book The Case for Christ. Your college educated and will need this information to tell her so she too can reallize what is going on. You can go to my posts and read what others have written about my Son's ordeal. They say do not try and reason with the cult or you to will be sucked into their false beliefs. You know the bible says that Satan masquerades as the Angel of Light. Do not be decieved.

Last note, before Jesus came we had to go through the high preist to have our sins forgiven. We had to sacrifice a lamb on the alter and so forth. When Jesus died the temple curtain (where the preist went to ask forgiveness for us) was torn from top to bottom (it was 4 foot in width and was tore from top to bottom). This tells us that through Jesus we have access to the throne of grace and forgivess. It does not mean that we should think we are perfect and therefore would not need forgiveness. I can not accurately do justice to what you can read by great authors but continue to pray and ask God to show you the right path. No this that if God is for you than who can be against you. All things work together for those who Love God. Romans 8:28. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding, acknowledge him in all your ways and He will direct your paths. Prov 3: 5-6 T

Travis I will be watching your posts and praying for you and Tammy! God Speed!