God the Mother
Exposing the Heresy of the World Mission Society Church of God
Introduction:
In recent years, a new idea has appeared within a church group from South Korea. This teaching says there is a real, female God alongside the Father and the Son. The group is called the World Mission Society Church of God. It started in the 1960s under Pastor Ahn Sahng-hong. When Ahn died in 1985, followers claimed Zahng Gil-jah was a living ‘God the Mother’. In the 1980s and 1990s this message spread to other countries.
Historical Background:
For over 1,700 years, Christians have followed the belief that there is one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This belief comes from important councils of church leaders, such as:
The Council of Nicaea (325 AD)
The Council of Chalcedon (451 AD)
The Nicene Creed (381 AD)
Key Differences from Traditional Christianity
The doctrine of “God the Mother” represents a fundamental shift away from the core teachings of historic Christianity. Consider these four major areas of divergence:
Source of Revelation
Traditional Christianity: Believes divine revelation was completed with the apostles and recorded in the New Testament. Any personal visions or dreams are tested against scripture and church consensus.
WMSCOG: Grants equal or greater weight to the private visions of Ahn Sahng-hong, often placing them alongside or above the Bible.
Approach to Scripture
Traditional Christianity: Uses careful exegesis that respects the genre, the context, and the consensus of church fathers. Poetic and allegorical passages are read symbolically.
WMSCOG: Engages in selective proof-texting and literal reading of allegories. For example:
Galations 4:26: Interpreted as a statement about a female deity rather than seeing Jerusalem above” as an image of the heavenly community.
Song of Solomon: Understood by historic theologians as a love poem depicting Christ and the church, not hidden proof of a Mother God.
Role of Church Authority
Traditional Christianity: Relies on ecumenical councils and creeds like Nicaea, Constantinople, Chalcedon to maintain doctrinal unity and guard against error.
WMSCOG: Introduces a new, fourth person of the Godhead without any backing from historical councils, directly contradicting 1,700 years of unified teaching.
Timing of New Doctrine
Traditional Christianity: Sees doctrinal development as arising gradually through scriptural study and communal discernment, not straight out brand-new revelations.
WMSCOG: Claims a central truth about God’s nature remained hidden until the 20th century and was only revealed through private prophecy.
This radical departure from traditional Christianity where they place their private visions on par with Scripture, to reinterpreting allegory as literal doctrine, to bypassing historic safeguards, and unveiling core revelations late places “God the Mother” well outside the bounds of our faith.
Conversations
So this part is for Christians, to know the gist of our to talk to these people without getting your own theology mixed up.
When you talk to a member of this group, they will often:
Quote a few Bible verses out of context.
Mention ‘new light’ from Ahn Sahng-hong’s dreams.
Say that the wider church missed this truth until the 20th century.
Six Steps to Respond
Ask for a Clear Bible Verse
Say: “Can you show me the verse where the Bible names a literal Mother God?”
They: “The bible hints, you had to read between the lines.”
You: “If hints count as doctrine, every symbol would become a new teaching. I’d like a straightforward example.”
Why: There is no verse that does this.
Ask about Church History
Say: “Which church council or early leader ever taught a female God?”
They: “They didn’t know; God reveals things when we’re ready.”
You: “If it was that important, first-century Christians would have written about it.”
Why: They will see that no one in history held this view.
Point Out the Meaning of Galations 4:26
Say: “Isn’t Paul talking about the joy of heaven when he says ‘Jerusalem above is our mother'?”
They: “All symbols point to real truths behind them.”
You: “Symbols often teach spiritual lessons without creating new divine persons. Can you show me another place Paul adds a new person?”
Why: This verse is a metaphor, not proof of a goddess.
Ask Why It Came So Late
Say: “Why would God wait for almost 2,000 years to tell us about a Mother God?”
They: “God reveals things in His timing.”
You: “Foundational doctrines spread fast in early church writings. A major truth like this would have appeared there.”
Why: New, core teachings usually appear in early church history, not modern times.
Question Vision Authority
Say: “How can we be sure dreams and visions are free from mistakes?”
They: “Prophecy proves them true, just like Joseph’s dreams in Genesis predicted years of famine and came to pass.”
You: “Joseph’s case is different because his dreams were followed by clear, verifiable events within the unfolding narrative of Scripture. In fact, his dreams were recorded before the famine happened and fulfilled exactly as described. Modern visions, however, lack independent confirmation, often conflicting with established biblical teaching, and rely solely on one individuals experience.”
Why: Personal visions can be wrong or misleading.
Refer to the Nicene Creed
Say: “Would you compare your belief with the Nicene Creed’s summary of the Trinity?”
They: “Creeds are incomplete; we have new light.”
You: “Creeds guard against errors. Why trust modern ‘light’ over centuries of scholarship?”
Why: This creed has guided Christians for centuries.
Conclusion
People in the WMSCOG really want to connect with God, and that’s a good thing. But their idea of a literal Mother God doesn’t match the Bible or 1,700 years of Christian teaching. Using these questions, you can keep the tone friendly, ask clear questions, and point back to what Christians have believed since the start.