Ahn Sahng-hong

Did You Know?

• Ahn lived in Japan with his mother from 1937 to 1946 during the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II.
• His family migrated to Busan after he returned to Korea in 1946.
• The 6-day creation work is interpreted as a prophecy of the 6,000-year salvation work.

Establishment of his own church

Ahn began attending a Seventh-day Adventist congregation in 1947 and was baptised the following year. After growing critical of Adventist teachings, he was disfellowshipped in March 1962, with twenty-three people leaving with him. On 28 April 1964, he established the Church of God in Busan's Haeundae District, citing the First Epistle to the Corinthians and the First Epistle to Timothy for the name. The last Passover ceremony was held on 15 April 1984 in Seoul's Gangdong District, and the final Provisional General Assembly took place on 10 January 1985 in Seoul. By his death, the church had expanded to thirteen congregations in South Korea.

Beliefs

Ahn Sahng-hong produced more than two dozen books, with his key text, 'The Mystery of God and the Spring of the Water of Life,' released in 1980. He argued that the early church's original truths had been corrupted and needed to be restored through the New Covenant. According to him, the Old Covenant festivals—Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles—were changed into New Covenant observances by Christ's death. Salvation depends on following God's laws, which include these seven feasts held at three appointed times. The New Covenant Passover offers eternal life, forgiveness of sins, and safety from calamities. Worship must take place on Saturday, the Sabbath, not Sunday. Christmas is dismissed as a pagan holiday rooted in sun gods like Tammuz, Mithra, and Sol Invictus, not Jesus' birth. The cross is viewed as idolatry. Women are required to cover their heads during prayer and worship. Ahn wrote interpretations of biblical prophecies about Jesus' return, claiming that the sealed Bible would be opened by the Second Coming Christ, who would appear as a human and carry out the roles of Elijah, the fig tree parable, King David, and Melchizedek, reestablishing Zion where New Covenant feasts are celebrated. He taught that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are identical—one Holy Spirit. The six days of creation symbolize a 6,000-year period of salvation; at its end, the Holy Spirit and the Bride will offer the water of life. Human souls, he said, are angels who sinned in heaven and were expelled; the New Covenant Passover grants forgiveness through Jesus' blood and a path back to heaven.

Death

On 24 February 1985, after lunch, Ahn collapsed from a cerebral hemorrhage and died the following day at Maryknoll Hospital at age 67. He was buried at Seokgye Cemetery, about 30 km from Busan. His followers believe his death fulfilled a biblical prophecy concerning King David. Ahn had taught that King David prefigured Jesus Christ as the spiritual King David, and that David's 40-year reign after being anointed at age 30 prophesied Christ's ministry: receiving baptism (spiritual anointing) at 30 and carrying out salvation work for 40 years. Since Jesus preached only three years before ascending, he would need to appear again in the flesh to complete the remaining 37 years of the 40-year reign and then die. Ahn was baptised at age 30 in 1948 and died in 1985, exactly 37 years later. Followers point to an interview he gave to a weekly religious newspaper in 1981 as a prophecy of his own death.

Succession

Ahn's unexpected death triggered a power struggle. On 4 March 1985, an extraordinary general assembly in Busan, including Ahn's family, confirmed evidence left by Ahn recognising Kim Joo-cheol as his successor and Zahng Gil-jah (born 1943) as the spiritual bride he had established. However, in April, members of two of the thirteen churches refused to acknowledge Ahn and Zahng as God and separated, forming the New Covenant Passover Church of God. Both groups claim Ahn as founder; the World Mission Society Church of God calls him God, while the New Covenant Passover Church of God calls him a teacher. The larger group (eleven churches) recognised Kim Joo-cheol as successor and Zahng Gil-jah as spiritual bride. On 2 June 1985 in Seoul, they discussed how to address Zahng, changed the church name to Witnesses of Ahn Sahng-hong Church of God, and codified two major doctrines: Ahn should be regarded as Jesus Christ already come, titled Christ Ahn Sahng-hong, and as the Holy Spirit, God the Father, and God; Zahng should be regarded as God the Mother, a female image of God, titled Heavenly Mother. Prayers were no longer conducted in Jesus' name but in the name of Christ Ahn Sahng-hong. Around 1997, the group established a non-profit called the World Mission Society Church of God to register and manage assets.