Recently, a group infection with COVID-19 occurred at the BTJ Community Center in Sangju, Gyeongbuk, the headquarters of Intercorp, a Protestant missionary organization. It is the third time last year following Shincheonji and Sarangjeil Church. In particular, Intercorp’s CEO Paul Choi mentioned the conspiracy theory related to Corona 19 and is making it difficult for quarantine.
To hear what kind of group Intercorp is and why CEO Paul Choi is spreading conspiracy theories, on the 18th, I listened to the news center head Kwon Ji-yeon of the Peace Tree, who monitors fake news. The following is a summary of the questions and answers shared with Kwon.
-The BTJ Center for the Nations, known as the headquarters of the Protestant missionary organization Intercorp, is attracting attention due to the outbreak of COVID-19 outbreak. How do you view the current situation?
“It’s really worrisome, because it’s not one church, it’s a missions organization. People from many places come together, and those people are scattered back to their local area and church. Intercorp was not resolved to be a heresy, but , Many denominations have made resolutions such as’no participation’ and’no exchange’.
However, there are cases where members of the church go secretly. Then, those who have been secretly may want to hide the fact that they went to Intercorp, so I think that a similar pattern to the case of Corona 19 from Shincheonji may occur. It is said that Intercorp issued a message asking for an apology and an inspection, but in fact, in order to prepare for the investigation by the authorities, the cell phone was turned off and the traffic line was hidden, and Intercorp also does not cooperate with the epidemiological investigation.”
-Why did I even tell you to turn off your phone?
“Intercorp was a theologically problematic group that was discussed at the denomination’s general meeting. Theologically, it has a dualistic view of extreme dispensationalism or Baektu Jerusalem. Also, when interpreting the Bible literally, if you consider it to be extreme, the Second Coming of Jesus. It can be very dangerous because it is only buried in such a place as the end.
In Intercorp’s’BTJ World Center’,’BTJ’ stands for’Back To Jerusalem’. I think that Jesus will come again when the Gospel advances and conquers the Middle East Islamic world and reaches Jerusalem. That is why I show passion for unreached people groups and Muslim schools.
However, because we view the world itself in a dichotomous way, there is a side that has come to see Corona from a conspiracy perspective. What was controversial when Paul Choi remarked was the claim that’if you get a vaccine, your DNA is manipulated and you become a slave.’ Looking at and talking about the world from this conspiracy perspective is the result of theological problems, and of course, I think’if you get a vaccine, you become a slave’, it seems that there is a phenomenon that is bound to be non-cooperative even in quarantine.”
“Anywhere problems can arise”
-Does CEO Paul Choi really believe in that or does it have a different purpose?
“I don’t know if there is any other purpose, but it seems clear that we haven’t abandoned this idea for quite a long time. There is a missions organization called the Korea World Missions Council (KWMA). Here I coach Intercorp and continue to give me opportunities. Mr. Paul Choi also said,’Theology I’ll get guidance and fix what’s wrong.’ But as a result, I didn’t fix it.
3 months after receiving guidance from KWMA from 2011 to 2014 <하나님의 나라>I published a comic book titled “Backto Jerusalem and extreme eschatology thoughts that were pointed out as a problem, so I received further criticism from heretic experts.” Some heretical experts complained that Intercorp sued heresy researchers who pointed out the problem, and said that it has consistently sent proofs of threatening content.
When you see that kind of thing, it seems that you didn’t really intend to fix it. Besides, there were some pastors who kept defending and defending Paul Choi. It is not an exaggeration to say that Korean churches and large churches have grown up amid the onlooker or sympathy.”
-You said that the large church has raised Paul Choi. Isn’t Pastor Kwang-Hoon Jeon also?
“That’s right. It doesn’t seem that the Korean churches and pastors are responsible. In the case of the late Pastor Yongjo Ha of Onnuri Church, Paul Choi <세계영적도해>He wrote recommendations for me, and other famous pastors, professors, and former chief of the National Intelligence Service, Kim Seung-gyu, an elder of Hallelujah Church, went to Intercorp to give lectures.”
-Intercorp is a missions organization. There are missions agencies in Korea other than Intercorp. But why is Intercorp a problem?
“Intercorp Choi Paul and the core members may be due to past theological thoughts. Since there is a tendency in Korea to teach in a way that faith is not something that can be judged by common sense, I think that problems can arise anywhere.
However, while Korea is becoming a missionary power, what many missionaries emphasize is’indigenization’. So, as they permeate into the area and live together, they meet their needs, deliver love, and naturally preach the Gospel. However, Intercorp thinks that because of the theological problems mentioned earlier, he must fight and win quickly from Satan. Therefore, the way of mission is bound to become very radical.
That’s why these things happen, like singing praise and praying while stepping on the ground in front of an Indian temple. Representatively, in the 2007 incident in Afghanistan of Sammul Church in Bundang, the leader of the mission team was an Intercorp missionary.”
-How big is Intercorp?
“The scale of Intercorp is actually what they claim, and as of 2020, it is said that about 1,400 missionaries were dispatched. It is difficult to grasp the scale as there will be cases of short-term training and absence. But recently, out of 214 or more nationwide, it is difficult · It is also revealed that the high school has formed a UBTJ (U=Youth, BTJ=Back To Jerusalem) meeting and has penetrated into youth.”
-Is it big compared to other missions agencies?
“The field of mission is very vast. It will be able to be connected to mission in all fields where we live. But I think it belongs to a large scale as an overseas missionary organization.”
“Extreme dispensationalism… Makes the world look conspiracy theories”
-Intercorp was known to the world for its refusal to quarantine coronavirus this time, but there were voices saying that it has been inducing extraordinary and anti-social behaviors. Do you know anything?
“It can be said that the problem in missionary activities was based on theological thought. In fact, even looking at the Afghan case alone, this could be a socially controversial problem, and at that time many churches and pastors said,’The world understands. I’ve heard quite a lot of things like,’I can’t do it’ and’I don’t know how evangelized the area is now at the expense of them.’
I thought it was a faith that I would endure at any cost. However, in the recent coronavirus situation, conspiracy theories are spreading, so I think this situation, which is also an obstacle to quarantine, is an antisocial case.”
-So you think there’s something to come out?
“Yes, there was something Choi Paul wrote to the media in 2016, which was “The Causes and Prospects of the UK’s Withdrawal from the EU.” Here again, “The integrationist global elite struggled to calm the reaction, but it was not enough. Will they give up integration? No. They will never give up.’
At the end of the time, he said that the evil imperative order for the launch of the anti-Christ system would be constantly being executed.
-There is an argument that Intercorp’s extreme dispensationalism is linked to rejection of quarantine. How do you see this?
“As I said earlier, the extreme dispensationalist eschatologists have said that there is a detriment to seeing the world in a dichotomy and obsessing only at the time of Jesus’ Second Coming. These theological thoughts made us look at the world in a conspiracy theory.
Coronado actually thinks that it was created by forces that want to conquer and control the world, and if they get vaccinated, they think that they become slaves, but they cannot be cooperative with quarantine. For example, even in the case of Jeon Kwang-hoon, you sent out a keynote message that you must continue to confront the government. As a result, some of the followers of Jeon Kwang-hoon appeared, hiding and running away, and this is the same thing.”
-How do you think we should solve Intercorp’s group infection problem?
“Once Intercorp is a missions organization. I think there will be a list of participants because they would not have participated in the training or just entered the training, but of course, they would have submitted all their personal information and participated. I wonder if the quarantine authorities should quickly get a list.
And considering that this problem is not an accidental problem this time, it is due to Intercorp’s wrong theological thoughts, this problem is not only Intercorp’s problem. I wonder if the Korean church should take this opportunity to properly look back.”
“It should be an opportunity to check the Korean church as a whole”
-Is the Korean church unable to organize Intercorp?
“It seems that it was a missionary organization. The Korean churches have a lot of pride in missions. So, even if there is a problem with the mission method, the problem itself is unfortunate, but there is a tendency to think that the act is’faith’. I didn’t figure out the problem properly, and I think I didn’t even try to get it right.
Also, I think Intercorp is still quite large among missions agencies, and there are pastors who have joined there. Anyway, as Choi Paul said on the outside that he would continue to receive guidance, I wonder if the kind of compassionism prevalent in Korean churches flowed.
Another thing is that there are quite a few members of the Korean Orthodox Church who interpret the Bible literally and view the world in a dualistic way. How easy it would be to gather people if we taught that we must form external enemies and fight spiritual battles, and teach that we are soldiers living in these last days. That’s why there are many cases where the pastors of pioneer churches who wish for revival are deeply immersed in Intercorp’s theology.
-Protestant group infection is the third after Shincheonji and Sarangjeil Church, excluding face-to-face worship. Are there any other organizations that could cause this problem?
“It’s not easy to talk quickly. But there are prayer centers run by Korean churches. Personally, I have the idea that I should cover those places once. Also, among those who are already affiliated with the Orthodox Church, they are very dissatisfied with quarantine and refused. There are pastors who make a statement.
But the important thing is that if you look at these people’s careers, they are familiar with Jeon Kwang-hoon or who gave a similar message to Jeon Kwang-hoon. That is to say, churches that are against the current government, and pastors like that, are complaining about the quarantine and trying to unite. In the end, I hate the current government, so it seems like I’m putting up a net for quarantine.”
-Do you think you are interfering with quarantine to shake the government?
“I don’t know if it’s really the purpose of shaking, but that’s the result that comes out. Even though Korea has received international acclaim that actually calls quarantine very K quarantine, the Korean government continues to say that the Korean government has not responded too much, and the government has succeeded in quarantine. You are acting to the point that you think you don’t like what you do with it.”
-Please tell me the last word.
“When I recently asked a pastor who argues for’religious oppression’ in quarantine,’what do you think the role of the church in the Corona era is?’, he said,’Do not ask, because I’m not an expert in that.’ It was surprising and regretful that I didn’t even think about it, and I wondered who would do it if the pastor didn’t worry about what role the Korean church should play in the times.
Also, many pastors preach to think and act every minute of’what will Jesus do?’ So, when I asked the pastor,’What would Jesus do in the coronavirus situation?’, I said,’I didn’t even have Jesus inside, and ask the pastor who is preaching such a question.’
I wonder if those who make any literalist interpretations or make extreme arguments and act with a voice that disturbs society even in the case of coronavirus are really interested in the spirit of Jesus, or if they read the Bible properly, I wonder. I hope this opportunity will serve as an opportunity to review the Korean church as a whole while thinking,’What would Jesus do?’