DALLAS, TX – In an unprecedented show of international solidarity, 3,000 pastors from across the globe convened on August 13 for the 1st Joint Assembly of World Pastors, sharply criticizing what they describe as the erosion of religious freedom and the undermining of the separation of church and state in South Korea. Co-hosted by seven Christian organizations, including the Council for Christian Mutual Growth, the Russian Evangelical Alliance, and the Thai Evangelical Alliance Association, the assembly brought together religious leaders from Russia, Zambia, and other nations to address the ongoing detention of Shincheonji Chairman Lee Man-hee and broader threats to religious liberty.
Rev. Im Young-woong, senior pastor of Saehimang Church of the Presbyterian Church of Korea, opened the proceedings by warning against the dissolution of religious corporations, a debate that has gained traction in South Korea. Citing the Japanese government’s dissolution of the Unification Church in 2025 and 2026, he cautioned that such actions set a dangerous precedent. “If the state can dissolve a single religious organization, exactly how far should that standard reach—and who can guarantee that the standard created today will not be applied to another church tomorrow?” he asked. He pointed to Article 38 of Korea’s Civil Act, which permits revocation of permits for “acts that harm the public interest,” as a core problem, noting that “social unpopularity” could become grounds for dissolution, a logic that threatens all minority religions.
Rev. Vitaly Kirillovich Vlasenko, General Secretary of the Russian Evangelical Alliance, echoed these concerns, emphasizing that “public opinion cannot be a verdict.” He referenced the 2020 case when Shincheonji was linked to a COVID-19 outbreak, leading to a national petition with over 500,000 signatures demanding the group’s dissolution. “An atmosphere formed as if society had already handed down its verdict before the court had even held a trial,” he said, adding that despite the Supreme Court’s acquittal of Chairman Lee on infectious disease charges, the stigma persists. He urged that legal standards be applied equally, regardless of a religion’s popularity.
Bishop Elias Elijah Changa, founder of the Missionary Ambassadors for Global Evangelism in Zambia, raised humanitarian concerns about the detention of a 95-year-old leader. Drawing from his prison ministry experience, he stressed that “detention causes especially serious and harsh hardship for the elderly” and appealed for lawful alternatives such as bail or medical accommodation. “We are not demanding that Chairman Lee Man-hee receive special treatment because he is a religious leader; we are asking that the fairness, dignity, and universal rights owed to everyone be extended equally to him,” he stated.
The assembly concluded with the adoption of a Joint Statement, signed by Christian leaders worldwide, demanding that the South Korean government cease using specific religions as tools of political strife, that the judiciary uphold the presumption of innocence for the elderly leader, and that Chairman Lee be released on bail. The organizers emphasized that these issues transcend one denomination or nation, warning that the erosion of religious freedom in South Korea is a “grave warning signal” for the international community. As Rev. Im Young-woong noted, “If we tolerate this logic today because it targets a religion we dislike, there is no guarantee the same logic will not be applied to our own church tomorrow.”
