Meetings, however, are already occurring on Yale’s campus - the News confirmed instances of meetings at William L. Lindo is currently in the process of establishing ASEZ as an official student organization at Yale, which requires at least five members. Lindo explained that ASEZ is “not the same” as the Church of God because ASEZ is “primarily volunteer service.” She said those who are interested can participate in Bible studies, but it is not required for members of ASEZ, as volunteering is the group’s predominant goal. She is also described as ‘Heavenly Mother’ and ‘The Bride.’ God the Mother reportedly refers to Ahn Sahng-Hong’s spiritual wife, a South Korean woman in her mid-70s named Jang Gil-ja. According to their website, the Church of God teaches its members that Passover is a Christian tradition, that the symbol of the cross is a form of idolatry and to believe in God Elohim - God the Father and God the Mother. Tytiana Washington, ASEZ Coordinator for the Connecticut chapter of the Church of God, told the News that the church follows a literal reading of the Bible. When asked by the News about ASEZ’s beliefs, Lindo read directly from its brochure, saying that “we cherish God’s love in the basis of the Bible-centric faith, communicate with the world citizens to resolve problems that the world is faced with and realize the well being of mankind.” But students who attended some of ASEZ’s meetings said they found the lines more blurred. While ASEZ was established by the Church of God, Lindo told the News that members can be part of ASEZ - which is volunteer-oriented - without being a part of the church. The church refers to him as Christ Ahnsahnghong, believing that he restored the Passover and fulfilled the prophecy of King David, which was only partially fulfilled by Jesus Christ. The Church of God believes that Sahng-Hong Ahn, who founded the church in 1964, is the second coming of Christ. The main tenets of the church include the belief in “god the mother” as well as the sabbath on Saturday. The Church of God was founded in South Korea in 1964. Over 10 students have described to the News instances of being approached by a group known as ASEZ, which stands for Save the World from A to Z, with one student having characterized the group as “cult-like” and describing it as a “cult” that “masquerade as just a religious group and a way to do Bible study.” Davornne Lindo ’22, the main student leader working to recruit students to the group, told the News that ASEZ’s mission is “to save the Earth from A to Z” and is an international volunteer group established by the Church of God, composed of university students from across the world.ĪSEZ’s central beliefs stray from traditional Christianity ASEZ, the university volunteer branch of the World Mission Society Church of God - a Christian group that has faced criticism for functioning like a cult and is known to recruit on other college campuses - has been active on campus, looking to recruit members to form an official student group.
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