The World Mission Society Church of God recruiting in Portland Maine

  • Creator
    Topic
  • #7862
    RyaninMaine
    Participant

    I was approached twice this weekend by missionaries of the World Mission Society Church of God. The first was two men at the Maine Mall on Friday evening and the second was leaving the grocery store on Sunday evening.

    On Friday it was two men, one in his late twenties or early thirties and the second was probably mid 40s. They asked if they could ask a question and I thought they were lost or something. The younger asked if I believed in God. I said yes, that I was a Christian. He asked if he could share something in the Bible with me. I agreed. I have been an involved church going Christian so I figured I would humor them. I assumed they were something like seventh day Adventists or church of Latter Day Saints. He proceded to share two verses with me, one in Genesis and the second in Revelations. In Genesis it was the creation story and it said God created mankind in “our image” and in Revelations it referred to the “Bride.” I asked what translation they were using and the app they were using said it was the NIV. I read the NIV myself so am familiar with it. They asked if I had seen these passages before. I said the Genesis was familiar but I didn’t recall exactly the one from Revelations. I went to a Christian college and took bible classes so I am familiar with the bible.

    They used these two verses to argue that God had a maternal nature as well as the paternal that most are familiar with. This didn’t seem too shocking that someone could say that, but I said okay, so what is the point. They didn’t really have a response when I asked, so what?

    Then the second, older guy, who was difficult to understand and seemed Hispanic asked me about the Sabbath. He was talking about how Saturday was the real sabbath. He asked me if I was sure that I was saved and I responded yes. He asked how I was sure. I told him that I had received Christ and been baptized. Then he continued about he Saturday sabbath. I asked if they were Seventh Day Adventist and they said no, but wouldn’t tell me what church they represented. They invited me to meet with them again but I thanked them and refused and we went our separate ways. I didn’t get who these guys were and it bugged me. I googled a bit to see if I could figure out who they were, but was unsuccessful.

    Then, just tonight leaving the grocery store, a man approaches me. He tells me that he is there for a church meeting of some kind. Again being naive I think he needs directions or something. He asks me like the first two guys if I believe in God. I told him I think I ran into his buddies the other night and they talked to me about the maternal nature of god. He talked about the Passover. He went through a bunch of scripture that mentioned the Passover. I countered with that no I don’t celebrate the Passover, but I take communion. He claimed that it wasn’t the same and that Jesus said that the Passover was the only way to everlasting life. We talked for awhile longer, standing outside in the cold as he went over scripture in the Old Testament that keeping the Passover was a commandment and that I couldn’t be saved without keeping the Passover.

    When I asked where he was getting this he mentioned the second coming of Christ in the past tense. I was surprised by this and asked him, when do you believe Christ came? He answered in 1948, but I could tell he was nervous now. I asked some more questions about this, but he stuck to his Passover story now, not wanting to talk about the second coming anymore. He went on about the mother thing a bit, but as now it had been nearly a half hour standing in the cold I was ready to leave. He didn’t want me to go and I said I would like into it. I asked if they had a website and he gave me his card, with his first name, a phone number and the website zionusa.org.

    Anyway, I googled around and figure out who these guys are. I just wanted to let people know they are active in Maine and I found it really weird I was approached twice in three days. They seemed nice enough and I am sure they believe this stuff. Reading about the group though and how they operate I can see how they prey on people’s insecurities. They worked on me in just the few minutes to try and create doubt in my beliefs. They were well prepared in their own presentation, but could not handle my questions or me presenting counter points from scripture. I certainly think that they were working to not as much convince me that they were legitimate, but more that my beliefs were incorrect. If I hadn’t of hit on the fact they believe Christ was this Korean guy I wouldn’t have ever known what church they were from.

  • #70013

    Mayor and Mike
    Participant

    Yes. That sounds right. You were being preached to by the WMSCOG. They were giving you their doctrine. They want you to attend their services. They can be persistent as well. They are pretty much everywhere. And they go out preaching every day, morning and evening.

    Also, they are more specific with their religious practices. They’ll tell you communion is wrong, passover is right, sunday service is wrong, saturday service is right.

    They also believe that Christ came a second time to Korea from 1948 to 1985. Then after that the church spread overseas in the 1990s I believe.

    #70014

    Mayor and Mike
    Participant

    Also, they are a branch, an offshoot of the Seventh Day Adventist church. The WMSCOG has their teachings mixed in their doctrine

    #70015

    MountainMom
    Participant

    I think I heard that the main church in Ridgewood has a giant push on to recruit in Maine.  This is not the first I have heard of it.  Members were saying they "had" to go up to Maine just recently.  Interesting.

    Maybe things were getting too hot for them in the Jersey area after the article in the Jersey Record.  I hope so.

    #70016

    UntouchableJ
    Participant

    @Mayor Maine was already an operative target when I was there. We had our Rhode Island house church, but the Overseer at our church closed it down and the R.I. members were driving 2hours into CT. On Sat. and Tuesdays.

    They had been trying to expand in New England, but it had been difficult.

    #70017

    Mayor and Mike
    Participant

    2 hours is a long drive. I wouldn’t do it. I would tell the pastor to give me a gas card because I’m not burning all that money. They say it’s a blessing if you travel long distances to attend zion.

    #70018

    Mayor and Mike
    Participant

    2 hour drive twice a week? Screw it. Keep the “blessings,” I don’t want it.

    #70019

    Mayor and Mike
    Participant

    Oh great, now it looks like I wrote a bad word. But I didn’t. Oh well.

    #70020

    UntouchableJ
    Participant

    Lol@ Mayor I read it and thought, “Mayor is cursing?”. But WMS members drive insane distances. There were a few Toronto Zion members at the NYC Blood drive.

    #70021

    MountainMom
    Participant

    My son, at one time, was driving at least an hour to get to church, and during the feasts he would get 4 hours of sleep a night after being at 5 AM services and then also there till 9 or 10 at night, not getting home till 11 or so.  Then he also had at least an hour, usually more commute to work each day.  He was completely exhausted, and I mean completely.  I read somewhere that tired people make bad financial decisions.  It was during that feast time that he first decided to tithe.  Coincidence?  Not.

    #70022

    MountainMom
    Participant

    And how about the girl who drove, with her Wms group, 12 hours to get to the blood drive in New York?  She was an athlete, and after the exhausting drive and giving blood, she had to go to the doctor when she returned back to her college. The doctor said she was on the verge of needing a blood transfusion herself.  Not kidding.  These people in the leadership positions do NOT care about the health and welfare of their "clients."

    #70023

    Mayor and Mike
    Participant

    That is alittle much, driving 12 hours. I know the Korean working standard is over the regular working hours for the week. They might push themselves too. Last I checked they worked 6-6.5 days a week. Is that about right?

    #70024

    UntouchableJ
    Participant

    Well, part of the traveling is the Love bombing. When we first joined we lived 35min. away. When we lived farther we got so much praise, “Oh bredder, you sacrifice sooo much for Father and Mother” then we moved, and the church loved down the street from us. What bothered me was when we moved, we offered to let members stay who had long drives. We get snow here and there was a couple who had a 2year old, that lived almost 2hours away. We were told no. There were times when the Sabbath fell on a snow storm, and members risked their health and traveled in it

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