Members in Taiwan, who were not accused of any crime, were harassed after the sensational coverage of the sexual abuse trial of the church’s president in Korea.
by Yowting Shueng*
*A paper presented at the conference “Nation Building and Cultural Diversity in East Asia: Challenges, Narratives, Perspectives,” October 18–19, 2024, Vytautas Magnus University (Kaunas, Lithuania).
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In today’s interconnected world, media plays a pivotal role in shaping public perception and cultural narratives. While it has the power to promote understanding and inclusivity, it can also perpetuate stereotypes and foster division. The influence of media, particularly in the form of documentaries and sensationalized reporting, can lead to significant misunderstandings about various cultural and religious groups.
A poignant example of this phenomenon is the case of the Christian Gospel Mission (CGM, or Providence Church) in Taiwan. Following the release of a Netflix documentary in March 2023, CGM has faced a barrage of misinformation that has painted the organization as a “cult” and a criminal entity.
This portrayal has not only misrepresented the church’s values and activities but has also incited discrimination and harassment against its members, particularly women. The backlash has manifested in online bullying, workplace discrimination, and a broader societal stigma that undermines the church’s efforts to promote gender equality and religious freedom.
This situation underscores the detrimental impact that biased media narratives can have on cultural inclusivity and the rights of marginalized groups. As we delve deeper into the experiences of CGM members, it becomes evident that the consequences of such media portrayals extend far beyond mere reputation, affecting the very fabric of community and individual lives.
The Christian Gospel Mission (CGM, or Providence Church) is a legally recognized non-profit organization in Taiwan with approximately 4,500 members. It operates churches and gospel centers across various cities and counties, engaging in social welfare activities such as youth career planning, sports promotion, and cultural events.
All activities are grounded in Christian faith, adhering to societal norms, laws, and ethics. Although CGM’s founder, Pastor Jung Myung-Seok, and its theological roots are from Korea, the church’s governance and operations have been localized in Taiwan for over 30 years, maintaining only event-based cooperation with the Korean mother church and other international branches.
Pastor Jung Myung-Seok served a jail term of ten years from 2008 to 2018 on charges of sexual abuse of female church members. He was arrested again in 2022 on new charges of sexual abuse, of which he has been declared guilty in first degree in 2023 and on appeal (although with a reduced sentence) in 2024. The case has been appealed before the Supreme Court.
Unnecessary to say, sexual abuse is not protected by religious liberty, is a serious crime, and should not be condoned. Most members of CGM believe that Pastor Jung did not receive a fair trial in a climate poisoned by strong-worded media campaigns. The Korean Supreme Court will render its final verdict on the issue.
This paper, however, is not about Pastor Jung and his court case. It is about the CGM members in Taiwan. None of them has been prosecuted or sentenced for any crime. Yet, they suffered discrimination and abuse because of the sensational media coverage of the Jung case in Korea.
Taiwan’s CGM has also pointed out in a statement that “Although Pastor Jung Myung-Seok has been highly respected within the church, especially among members outside Korea, he is regarded primarily as a theological and spiritual leader due to his advanced age, having stepped back from practical leadership, focusing mainly on biblical interpretation and sermons.”
Since March 2023, CGM in Taiwan has been severely impacted by a biased and sensational Netflix documentary filled with misinformation, targeting the Korean mother church and misrepresenting CGM as a “cult” and “Providence Cult.” This has led to widespread attacks on CGM members on social media and the internet, particularly resulting in severe discrimination and bullying against female members. The church has faced numerous attacks and threats, including:
- Scheduled cultural events were cancelled due to violent defamation threats. CGM Peace Symphony Orchestra and Chorus was originally scheduled to perform its “2023 Spring Performance HELLO WORLD Concert” at Zhongshan Hall on March 12, 2023. However, on March 7, without confirmation, a certain congressman alleged that this event was “related to a cult,” distorting the purpose of this performance. The organizers were repeatedly threatened by anonymous people, claiming that they would attack the venue with violence on the day of the performance. The person in charge reported this to the police station.
2. Defamation of female church leaders and members, falsely accusing them of engaging in sexual activities with the so-called Korean “cult” leader to gain status, and maliciously portraying female members as virgins offered to the leader. Anonymously on platforms like Dcard, perpetrators have used primitive, patriarchal language to bully and stigmatize female members.
3. Defamation of the entire Taiwanese congregation as accomplices in the Korean church’s controversies, leading to individual members being witch-hunted online, with personal data and privacy exposed, affecting even minors who have faced bullying and humiliation at school. This has caused significant mental trauma and fear in members’ daily lives.
4. Many members have had their professional and social engagements, unrelated to church activities, threatened and canceled. Young scholars have faced discrimination, including sudden non-renewal of contracts or dismissal from university positions due to unwarranted associations with the church. As reported in international media, “One young adjunct assistant professor in a top-tier university (and one that claims to uphold academic freedom and inclusiveness) had his contract not renewed without any prior warning, solely because his religious affiliation had been exposed online by individuals posting under pseudonyms.” In other cases, personal photos obtained illegally of female members, some in swimming suits, were posted online and the full names of address and members were also publicized.
Parenthetically, prosecutors in South Korea announced in August 2024 that they were investigating the producer of the Netflix series as it features images of female Providence devotees, some of them scantily dressed or naked, obtained and reproduced without their consent.
Yowting Shueng is a Ph.D student at Taipei’s National Chengchi University, Graduate Institute of Religion.
