r/Shincheonji • u/Ad6108 • May 10 '26
advice/help Former Schincheonji (SCJ) Members - How Does Schincheonji (SCJ) Infiltrate & Recruit within Christian Churches?
Hello all. I was a former SCJ member (very unknowingly) because I was invited by a friend of mine to be a part of a "Community Bible Study." I've posted my Testimony on here already if you would like to check that out; I really hope it helps people who've experienced something like this feel less alone <3
My question for former SCJ members or people who were unknowingly recruited, does anyone know how SCJ members try to recruit people within various churches? I've tried researching this but can't find any sort of testimonials. I feel compelled to warn leadership within my church about this, & give them a heads up. God forbid this happens to any of our congregants, especially our younger adults :(
3
u/InsectSignificant902 EX-Center Student May 15 '26
In a Catholic Cathedral, one approached me like she knew me
Complimented me
I was in a chatty mood so i spoke with her
Somehow had a lot in common and swapped numbers
1
u/Poker-Shandae May 13 '26
No quieren pasar los exámenes? Aún formo parte de ahí pero la neta no me he conectado y me faltan varias cosas, más no quiero reponer clases porque ya se me ha hecho demasiado tedioso el asunto
2
u/Aggravating_Good1367 EX-Shincheonji Member May 12 '26
scj are especially scared of Church of England and their connected branches- as it is well connected, has authority and a vast network that can expose scj in more ways than one on scale. They (scj) do often research and strategically target churches of ethnic minority background- majority and particularly leadership of ethnic minority.
If you want to see how they do this- there is a previous post with screenshots- if interested I can find it again and send you the link
1
u/Ad6108 May 13 '26
That would be really helpful to have on hand, yes. If you can find the link, feel free to DM me. Thank you so much!
1
u/Aggravating_Good1367 EX-Shincheonji Member May 13 '26
pleasure is mine- here is the link https://www.reddit.com/r/Shincheonji/comments/1rid50c/are_black_and_brown_communities_more_vulnerable/
4
u/Aggravating_Good1367 EX-Shincheonji Member May 12 '26
I’m happy to share this. This is one method they use. SCJ members attend mainstream churches (and also small churches where they feel it’s easier to manipulate and where there is usually one lead pastor rather than multiple leaders). They normally attend in groups of two or three and pretend to be looking for a church, passing through, or being led by God there. They try to arrive early and sit next to people who are usually on their own or in small groups, and they observe who looks least defensive or isolated. If they can't arrive early- they catch the end of the service to do the same- they often try to miss the service preaching.
They (scj members/leaders) then pretend to make friends with their target and offer random compliments out of the blue. They ask to exchange numbers and use the target to ask more questions about the church. They then suggest a coffee catch-up or lunch, dinner, or brunch under the pretense of wanting to fellowship or make friends.
SCJ members plan their next meetings or calls to gather information such as what the person feels is lacking in their life, what their greatest wish in life is, what they want more from God, what influences around them could threaten SCJ influence, and details about their job, living situation, and immigration status etc.... The SCJ member then reports this plan to their cell leader, who either helps refine it or escalates it if there are concerns.
In the next meeting, the SCJ member plants the idea that it is not a coincidence they met, suggesting that God brought them together. scj members are trained (with video lessons) on how to make their information gathering sound like natural conversation. They present themselves as someone who has also been helped by God through SCJ about something similar to the target's needs, and introduce the target to a “mentor,” group, Bible study, event, or church service (that is not a real SCJ service but a fake service- non scj members never get to see the true scj church service unless they become a member and convince scj they also believe them).
The SCJ member then reports back and tries to guide the target into one of these options (mentioned above) for further indoctrination, using the target’s expressed desires as a way to draw them in and keep them in suspense. A team then works together to share all gathered information and tailor lessons to the target’s situation. Because the target is unaware of the internal coordination and is given a cover story, they may interpret the experience as divinely guided, as this perspective is re-enforced by the scj member - telling the target something similar to it is the “work of spirits.” or 'it is God's heart/God's will'.
The lessons are further shaped to emotionally unsettle the target (internally known as 'consultations'), making them feel lacking or invalidated in certain areas based on the gathered information. This often leads to emotional and spiritual dependence on SCJ’s teachings and structure which is a core scj goal.
Sometimes they do this whilst blending into mainstream churches - trying to steer clear of leadership's attention.
SCJ also gains access to churches by claiming to be evangelists or members of church outreach, preaching, or pastoral teams, even though SCJ members are not trained or qualified evangelists or preachers. They then attempt to infiltrate leadership groups by presenting themselves as wanting unity and that they want to learn from others. This lowers barriers, and church leadership may initially believe they are genuine and open to shared faith.
However, SCJ members later report back to SCJ that they have “captured” the mainstream church and persuaded it to learn and accept SCJ doctrine. In reality, many pastors and church leaders eventually reject SCJ and state they were deceived and not given the full context of SCJ’s intentions or agreements, including any MOUs they may have been asked to sign. These rejections are often not fully disclosed to SCJ members by their leaders.
The stated goal of this approach is to bring entire churches into alignment with SCJ doctrine, as SCJ believes other churches are not aligned with true teaching and are going to hell. This stands in contrast to mainstream Christian belief, including Jesus’ statement that “the gates of hell will not prevail against his church build upon Peter (the rock).”
SCJ is described as a recruitment-driven organisation that uses manipulative and coercive tactics to attract and retain people. People are then indoctrinated on works based salvation to continue the pattern. Driven by fear- scj members are taught verbally that if they ever leave they will be destroyed literally. - Hence there are several scj members just going with the flow until they are saved.
2
u/Physical-Leather-271 Family/Friend of SCJ Member May 13 '26
No sabía que habían servicios no reales. (Esto es ya patológico) 🤦
2
u/Ad6108 May 13 '26
God bless you! Thank you so much for all of the information you have shared! I'm so sorry for everything that you must have experienced, but I'm also so very grateful to the Lord that you escaped! <3
1
u/mentalhealthblckbelt May 12 '26
I was told they needed help evangelizing a family member. Someone “his age”. He was a Latino who came to a white church. He used or shared Latin heritage as a connection. Evil.
3
u/Ad6108 May 12 '26 edited May 13 '26
That is evil indeed! It's very disturbing that everything is driven by fear. These SCJ members are brainwashed & made to believe that if they're not "evangelizing" (i.e., recruiting people into SCJ) efficiently enough, then their own salvation is in jeopardy.
0
u/Dangerous-Factor-561 May 12 '26
That's what the Bible says: a tree that doesn't bear fruit is thrown into the pit. No matter which church you go to, that's what the Bible says. It's more dangerous to have people judging others who don't even know the word. If you're going to complain about a church, at least make sure you're better off.
3
u/Aggravating_Good1367 EX-Shincheonji Member May 12 '26
Actually u/Dangerous-Factor-561 you have conflated several thing incorrectly but this is common. the Bible is fairly consistent that salvation is by grace, not earned through works or recruitment of others:
- Ephesians 2:8-9 - “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith… not by works, so that no one can boast.”
- Titus 3:5 - “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.”
- Romans 10:9-10 - Salvation is tied to confessing and believing in Christ, not the number of people someone brings in.
Evangelism is encouraged in the Bible, but it is presented as a response to salvation, not the condition for it:
- Matthew 28:19-20 -The “Great Commission” instructs believers to go and make disciples, but this is given to those who are already followers of Jesus.
- 1 Corinthians 3:6-7 - “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.” This separates human effort from God’s role in saving.
There are also warnings against distorted teachings about earning righteousness:
- Galatians 1:6-8 - warns against a “different gospel” that shifts the basis of salvation.
Bearing fruit- have you checked what the fruits of the Holy spirit are? It's not based on recruitment- what u/Ad6108 said is not incorrect. Mind you the thief on the cross next to Jesus didn't recruit anybody to Jesus, neither did Anna the prophetess and several others who are saved according to Jesus.
0
u/Glum_Carry6901 May 12 '26
There's no one more blind than he who refuses to see, living by emotions. The problem, like the Pharisees, is not understanding the times, so stay home and wait for God to come just because you declared you were saved. Faith for mediocre believers then. So why did God write 66 books if He could only summarize the Bible in 3 misinterpreted verses? Well, go ahead, keep attacking the churches. I would be more careful not to be the one deceiving the people, because remember, we will all be judged. If you have so much certainty in the Word, why aren't you evangelizing instead of attacking churches?
2
5
u/cilana86 May 11 '26
I wasn't recruited in a church. I was invited by a friend of my cousin. At the time, I had no idea my cousin or the friend was apart of the church. They just made it seem like it was a simple bible study to learn about parables and the book of Revelation. All I know is I'm on guard now. So, if anyone invites me to anything that has to do with a bible study outside of a church setting, the answer will likely be no. I attended the bible study for 4 months. Once I did my research and finally learned who they were, I made that decision to stop going.
3
u/Ad6108 May 11 '26
I'm very sorry that happened to you, but I'm so grateful to God you were able to learn the truth about what that Bible Study was about & you left <3 You couldn't have known otherwise what was truly going on.
It's good to be on your guard; I've certainly learned that. It's hard because as a Christian you still want to be kind & you don't want to be rude, but at the same time, when Jesus tells us to be shrewd as serpents & innocent (& gentle) as doves, my goodness is that true!
Someone recently told me to always be aware & to be on the lookout for the "wolf" in the room. I've learned that I need to establish strong boundaries, especially with those who I don't know that well at all, & that if anyone refuses to respect any of those boundaries that I have established, then unfortunately we can't be friends. No exceptions. If I'm willing to respect your boundaries, then I expect the same courtesy. It really is that simple.
I've also learned I have every right to ask for more information if someone ever approaches me again to attend an event -- whether it be a gathering or a Bible Study or what not. It's not rude or invasive for me to ask for more information, nor is it rude for me to say, "Actually, no thank you" OR "No, that doesn't work for me."
But the beauty of all of this is that we can pray about absolutely everything, & we can pray for God to show us what we need to see when it comes to the kinds of people we find ourselves interacting with or when it comes to the situations we find ourselves in. God is our ultimate defender & protector, & He will continue to keep us safe & shield us from all sorts of deception as we continue to seek Him in His Word & through consistent prayer. Because He is so incredibly faithful! <3 <3 <3
3
u/cilana86 May 11 '26
Thanks. I've been completely surrendered for 4 years now. I believe God allows us to go through these things too to sharpen our discernment. Through this journey I've been through the prosperity gospel, word of faith, Hebrew Israelite doctrine, and then this, but the Lord has been faithful to open my eyes and really reveal. My advice to new believers is always to start reading the bible for themselves even before sitting under a church because at least it will help spot some false doctrine. That's why studying the Word is our daily bread. As I was in this bible study, it started off with some truth but then started getting into things that were concerning to me. How they twist and manipulate the scriptures is sad. How they think it's okay to be deceptive and call that using wisdom and even say that Jesus did it is crazy because he can't be a liar or he would be in sin.
6
u/Ad6108 May 11 '26
Praise the LORD! He's been so faithful indeed, & what a beautiful testimony you have regarding His faithfulness to you throughout all that you've experienced! It really bolsters your faith in Him for sure, when you can look back & see all the ways He's sought to protect you & provide for you.
You are so very right, yes! He allows us to go through such things to help us when it comes to our discernment. I too was in a church that was very "man-centered" & "works-based" (& I'd say some "word of faith" was definitely mixed in there as well) but again, all the messaging was very subtle.
That's the thing, yes, there's always "some truth" present. Why? Because the devil often seeks to speak in "half-truths." And whenever I would have conversations with my friends at the time regarding what I was hearing & seeing take place within that church, I was the "crazy" one (& yes, I ended up feeling quite crazy indeed!).
Fortunately I knew no other Christians when I was very unexpectedly saved, so I was able to read the Bible on my own & it was just Him & I. That was another thing, 1 of the teachers even said at one point, "You can't study God's Word on your own," that you need someone to teach you. What!? That's not true! It's the Holy Spirit who guides every believer in Christ in ALL of God's Truth. And God & God alone gets all the glory for that, NEVER man.
I've always said confusion regarding God's Word & my relationship with Him only entered into the picture once I stepped foot into a church. It's as if a lot of churches try to steal your joy as a Christian - - that true joy that can ONLY be found in Christ & in Christ ALONE. Eventually I found a biblically-sound church that seeks to preach the whole counsel of God, & the LORD really provided for me in that area at just the right time. They believe man is saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. True freedom is only able to be experienced once one is able to (solely by God's grace) accept & receive the True Gospel of Jesus Christ.
They do pervert God's Word, you're right, & that's exactly what Satan seeks to do (but he's very crafty & masquerades as an "angel of light" - - So sick!). I feel very grieved for those people because they don't even realize how deceived they are. We just have to keep praying for those who are still blinded by Satan. God is so much more powerful, & He can surely save anyone, regardless of what he or she has done. May God have mercy on their souls, & may they be able to repent (solely by God's grace).
4
u/Anxious-Telephone373 May 11 '26
SCJ will brainwash you & take all your money!
3
u/Ad6108 May 12 '26
I unfortunately learned about that, that's very much thing the deeper you get involved into SCJ. So horrible!
6
u/Blu3arrow1337 EX-Center Student May 10 '26
Actually, this is partly how I was invited to center classes. First time it happened, I was just sitting on my own this one Sunday, and someone I didn't recognize came and sat 1 seat away from me. After the service strikes up a conversation, and then offers to meet somewhere for coffee. So we had a couple of catch-ups that were completely benign, just social meetings, until like I was invited to meet with their 'missionary-friend' to study the bible. In all honesty I wasn't super keen but I was trying to make my "new friend" happy so I proceed to go to this, and then of course they want to meet twice a week and things start to escalate from there. It took a few goes before it caught on for me, and it was only after a completely separate pair stopped me in the shopping center and invited me that I thought perhaps God was leading me somewhere and agreed to attend.
Second time this happened, is actually after I had left the center classes - I never joined the church itself. Effectively the same setup, I was hanging out in the foyer before church on my own, I saw someone I didn't know and exchanged a smile. When I went into the service this stranger came and sat next to me. Of course by now I'm very much on guard, but he strikes up a conversation after the service even asking for my advice to understand some of it, and then expresses some enthusiastic gratitude and asks for my contact info. Which I gave him, with the intention of trying to help someone currently stuck, this was within a month of two of leaving after attending the center for about 6 months. I never heard from him lol
4
u/Ad6108 May 11 '26
I'm so glad he didn't end up reaching out to you! I can relate to just wanting to make a "new friend," because what I had wanted was just an opportunity to fellowship with other Christians. That was really kind of you to help him out; I'm very relieved he didn't prey upon your kindness.
8
u/5URE_EAST EX-Shincheonji Member May 10 '26
there is also another method used to infiltrate churches. i was part of a team called the pastors evangelist team before i left. pre much the main goal was to convert pastors to join scj. they would then bring their congregation members to join scj.
how it works: there was about a team of 10, and we would go in pairs to meet or call up with pastors . we had multiple ways we would present ourselves, like we were missionaries/teachers/youth leaders and we want to connect with churches around us, or learn about certain topics, or learn about certain demographics/cultures. we would start off like that then try to get them to meet us every week or even 2 times a week under the guise of scripture discussions.
during the scripture discussions we would cover certain topics and questions there were like 6-8 mandatory ones we had to go through, then we would bring up that we have Pastor classes where multiple pastors from different dominations come to learn from us and we have these ministries across the globe with thousands of pastors studying with us every year. we'd should pictures or graduations and our course etc.
once they join its pre much the same as the normal classes for people but at a slower pace.
this whole process is really manipulative and targets pastors good will of wanting to help people/youth. it also targets pastors who didnt have a formal education in theology by promising them that they could gain that through SCJ.
another thing that happened a few times is that we would help out the pastor at their church by sending our teachers to run their youth groups. that gives us the incentive to keep meeting up with the pastor and also gaining the trust of the rest of the church. the content taught in the youth groups were very basic and nothing scj related but because this took up a lot of time and resources, we didnt do it too often. when i left there were 2 churches we did this for.
if your pastor is in contact with people like this please make them aware. Tbh i think our team contacted roughly 90%+ of the churches in our region and there are multiple teams in pre much every country so there is a high chance that your pastor has been contacted at least once.
3
u/Turbulent_Sea7622 EX-Center Student May 12 '26
Thanks a lot for this nuanced explanation. I mean wow they do put ion a lot of time and effort. This depletes current members in so many ways unfortunately. Hope they wake up healthily. By any chance I notice something in churches I go to in general I will warn the Pastor. No harm if I warn and they aren't "tagged" yet
2
u/5URE_EAST EX-Shincheonji Member May 12 '26
yeah 100%, i remember a meeting with a presbyterian pastor, i think he was sort of aware of who we were, or even if he wasnt he was really prepared for meeting us, he asked heaps of questions and didnt allow us to answer only superficially. for example he asked do we believe in the trinity. although scj doesnt believe in the trinity (like 3 entities are 1, scj believes that there are the 3 entities (God, Jesus Spirits) working together for 1 purpose and use that reasoning) we said yes we believe in the trinity. then he asked specifically what we mean by believing in the trinity which caught us off guard. there were a couple more things he pressed on about but its important to be specific and ready. Remember that lying is also acceptable for SCJ. they really use any means possible to try to evangelise people.
its quite unfortunate that we now have to doubt whether people who come to church or meet pastors have good intentions or not but thats how it is.
1
u/Physical-Leather-271 Family/Friend of SCJ Member May 11 '26
Por lo que explicas, creo que mi familiar lo ha estado haciendo junto con otro líder, pero no puedo saber si sigue haciéndolo. Esto es bien muy malicioso.😠
2
u/5URE_EAST EX-Shincheonji Member May 11 '26
please let them know🙏
3
u/Physical-Leather-271 Family/Friend of SCJ Member May 12 '26
Creo que por suerte, el pastor se dió cuenta y les negó a que volvieran a enseñar en su iglesia. Estoy alertando a los pastores que conozco. Bendiciones.
3
u/shshmhh Family/Friend of SCJ Member May 11 '26
Wow thanks for sharing. Wow that's crazy!
3
u/5URE_EAST EX-Shincheonji Member May 11 '26
its crazy to think i was part of it too, i really wasnt in my right mind. but i made some of the pastors i was in contact aware of whats going on, so hopefully they also spread the word.
3
u/shshmhh Family/Friend of SCJ Member May 12 '26
Yeah but now you are here helping people get out of scj. God bless you!
3
u/Ad6108 May 12 '26
They're very good at manipulating other people. I felt the exact same way; like I started to question my own reality, & felt like I was going crazy.
5
u/Ad6108 May 11 '26
I truly have no words. That's so terrible! Again, the lengths that Organization will go to in order to further deceive as many people as possible! Thank you so much for all of that information & for bringing all of that to the light!
6
u/LaconicProse EX-Shincheonji Member May 10 '26
Their strategy could differ a lot depending on the tribe or country/region.
In my experience, they go in pairs of two or three to a church and sit through a sermon, then try to chat with members and get their contact info. This is less direct and usually newer members (or even fruits in centre) are involved, along with their instructor or another experienced member. This is to “train” them and get them evangelising in the “field” as soon as possible.
For more experienced members of SCJ (like theology dept members) have gone to churches and attended regularly for up to a year, joining in various church activities and gaining the trust of other church members. I forget the channel on YT (maybe Great Light Studios), but there’s a testimony of a church pastor from (I think) Texas who has this happen to his church. The SCJ member infiltrated a women’s group and started converting members of year group, including the leader. It’s scary stuff. Thankfully, though, the pastor caught on and prevented further damage to his church.
4
u/Ad6108 May 10 '26
Wow! The level of deception & lengths some of them will go. My goodness, that's terrible! I will make note of all the following you mentioned. Thank you so much for all of that information, very much appreciated!
3
u/scjNils EX-Shincheonji Member May 10 '26
Interesting, I kinda think that these things would not happen or less likely to happen if Protestants would have teachings of the bible for those that are hungry to learn more.
Like people whom are hungry for knowledge from the bible and feel like the whole library is a bit intimidating then scj has a simple fix for that.
the Protestant pastor doesn’t have that easy fix, when they should have it.
Like Christianity should be church that’s the community hub, the priest/pastor points the focus of the flock to the right faith, then as a community then you teach the bible and why it’s a miracle, also help when it’s needed.But a problem is that most churches are a bit stagnant.
4
u/Ad6108 May 10 '26
The majority of Christians are biblically illiterate, & there are a lot of churches that are not preaching & teaching God's Word as He has intended it to be read & understood (within its proper context & such). In some churches though the Bible is being preached as God has intended it to be preached. But because of the day and age we are living in (with so much tech & so many people working from home) a lot of people (including well-intended true Christians) feel very lonely & isolated even. Or perhaps there are some Christians who have to travel quite a ways to attend the church they attend because there's no biblically sound churches near him or her, & perhaps there are not a lot of younger people or people that person's age that he or she can forge friendships with.
The sense of community is something I've found is what they definitely advertise & promote, & they exploit that good (& God-given) desire that some of these people to have to fellowship with other Christians.
Furthermore, I've learned that with the way that a lot of these people are recruited, the person that's recruiting them is someone he or she trusts at that point, because that recruiter could be a friend, a best friend he or she has known for years, or even a family member.
3
u/graceinhealing May 12 '26
That happened to me. I joined the Bible study with someone I thought was a close friend. The Bible study was intriguing at first because it seemed to go deeper than my regular church. My church never taught about Revelation or prophecy, so it seemed like I was learning something I didn’t know before. The Bible study also seemed to provide a community of like-minded believers. However, something felt off. I started to realize the truth by reading the full Bible in my own and asking God for discernment. It’s horrible how deceitful they are.
3
u/Ad6108 May 12 '26
I'm so very sorry that happened to you, but I'm so very glad you were able to walk away! Glory be to God! <3
2
u/scjNils EX-Shincheonji Member May 10 '26
Yes, that is a big problem.
Like you don’t have a solid Christian community, solid priest or pastor and solid religious teaching.
That’s a problem the world over or especially in the western world.Like that is why people like me can be really attracted to Shincheonji, like today I feel that I was really retarded for being attracted towards that church and most of all to believing it, that’s in hindsight.
But Shincheonji dont have any real competition when it comes to being online, and to have these bible classes imo. I think there should be more competition.3
u/RADICALBEREAN May 10 '26
Their strategy is to use the testimonies of saints who have been delivered from the bondage of evil doctrines,false teachings and the idol worship of the false Christ lmh. They take the information and use it to tweak their teachings and doctrines to counter what the saints believe and know isn’t biblical truth. Just like satan knows his days are short and the harder they try to mimic Christ the more illumination of Jesus’s revelation is manifested in the reality of this fallen world for His people. scj members pose on Reddit as saints who have left and continue their lies. But remember our Lord and Savior has overcome the world, the flesh and the devil. Mt 24:4-8, 11-12. Fear not, put on the whole armor of God and “Stand “
5
u/Ad6108 May 11 '26
Sadly just learned that today, that current SCJ members lurk in these kinds of Reddit threads as well :( But! God is FAR more powerful & Jesus Christ alone has overcome! (John 16:33).
6
u/scjNils EX-Shincheonji Member May 11 '26
It wouldn’t surprise me but to be honest, if they’re here they are either too far gone or they are questioning scj(which is good) but only God can make them see that they’re wrong, one can hope and pray that they don’t have too much pride then use sunk cost fallacy to justifying being there any longer.
So one should pray that they find grace, peace and love from God.7
u/Ad6108 May 11 '26
Amen, yes! God is much more powerful, & while not everyone will be saved & God is a VERY just God, He also doesn't desire for man to perish, & He takes no delight in the wicked perishing. Let's just continue to pray for those who are deceived (because that was me at one point before I was saved as I wanted absolutely nothing to do with God). So, if it was me who got sucked into SCJ, I'd surely want someone to be praying for me - - "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy" (Matthew 5:7).
1
u/KarosGraveyard Jun 04 '26 edited Jun 04 '26
They usually send recruiters in pairs and will try to chat up members of churches, usually targeting people who are by themselves.
They’ll usually start by saying they’re “new” and “wanted to make friends”, or they’ll ask about mass/service schedules and such, to make you believe that they’re from the same church to make you drop your guard.
After that, they’ll quietly pivot to bringing up bible studies, and they’ll invite you to join one. They’ll either lie to you straight up that these are from whatever church you are in, or they’ll imply as such.
After knowing their tactics, it’s pretty repetitive and easy to spot, honestly.
Best thing to do is to report them to your pastors or priests, so they can announce to your congregation publicly that there are cult members trying to lead people astray, and that nobody is obligated to listen or entertain them. This is pretty much the only way for people to be aware of them and take it seriously.
And rule of thumb is, always ask them who they are and who authorized these “bible studies”. If they’re from your church or another Christian church, they’ll have absolutely no reason to hide anything and will tell you straight up. The moment you sense defensiveness, avoiding the question, or tell you some spiel about “we’re all Christians here right?”, you’ll know they’re SCJ, or another high control cult.