True Jesus Church facts for kids
The True Jesus Church Olive Garden Training Centre, Port Dickson, Malaysia
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| Abbreviation | TJC |
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| Established | 1917 |
| Founder | Holy Spirit (according to the True Jesus Church) Paul Wei, Ling-Sheng Zhang, and Barnabas Zhang (mortal founders) |
| Founded at | Beijing, China |
| Type | Christian Church |
| Headquarters | Lakewood, CA |
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Area served
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70+ countries |
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Membership
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1,500,000–3,000,000 |
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Official language
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English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Malay, German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Russian, Vietnamese |
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Main organ
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International Assembly |
| Affiliations | Nondenominational Christianity |
| True Jesus Church | |||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 真耶穌教會 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 真耶稣教会 | ||||||
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The True Jesus Church (TJC) is a Christian church that started in Beijing, China, in the early 1900s. It is a 'non-denominational' church, meaning it's not part of a larger group like Catholics or Protestants. Today, the TJC is one of the biggest Christian groups in China and Taiwan. It's also one of the largest independent churches worldwide.
Contents
History of the True Jesus Church
The TJC began on its own, like other Christian groups in China at that time. It was founded in 1917. Early members in areas like Hebei and Shandong were influenced by other Christian groups. They adopted practices such as faith healing, receiving the Holy Spirit, footwashing, and keeping the Sabbath (Saturday) as a holy day.
Early Leaders and Growth
Paul Wei (1877–1919) was one of the first leaders in 1917. He had been part of another church group before joining the TJC. He felt called by the Holy Spirit to start this new church. Paul Wei passed away in 1919, but the church continued to grow.
Other important early leaders included Zhang Lingsheng (born 1863). He helped convince Paul Wei that the church should keep the Sabbath on Saturday. Another leader, Barnabas Zhang (1882–1961), later left the group in 1929. He then started a different church movement in Hong Kong.
In mainland China, Paul Wei's son, Wei Wenxiang (also known as Isaac Wei), became a key leader. He helped the TJC grow internationally. He also helped set up a good organization for the church.
Challenges and Expansion
By 1949, the TJC had about 120,000 members in 700 churches. However, due to changes in China, the True Jesus Church lost touch with its churches there. Isaac Wei was no longer able to lead the church. Li Zhengcheng (around 1920–1990) took over as the main leader. He led the church to join a government-approved Christian group.
Despite this, the church faced difficulties. Li Zhengcheng spent many years in prison. Because of these events in China, the TJC outside of China decided to become independent. Their main office moved to Taiwan, and then to the U.S. in 1985. The Chinese branch of the church later reformed and still has many followers in China today.
Now, the TJC has members in over 70 countries across six continents. Experts believe there are up to 3 million members worldwide.
How the Church is Organized Today
The True Jesus Church has different ways it is organized around the world.
True Jesus Church in Mainland China
In mainland China, most True Jesus Church groups are part of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement. This is a government-approved Christian organization. They usually meet on Saturdays in the TSPM church buildings. However, some TJC practices, like healing and speaking in tongues, are not common in the TSPM. So, other TJC groups in China meet as independent Chinese house churches.
True Jesus Church in Taiwan and the United States
Outside of China, TJC churches look to a central group in California, USA. In 1967, church leaders from outside mainland China met in Taiwan. They set up an international headquarters in Taichung, Taiwan, and opened a school there. This headquarters later moved to California in 1985.
True Jesus Church in the United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, True Jesus Church groups started because people moved there in the 1960s and 1970s. Many members came from Malaysia and Hong Kong. This led to new churches being set up across the UK. You can find them in places like Leicester, Newcastle, Sunderland, Elgin, Edinburgh, and Cardiff.
What the True Jesus Church Believes
The True Jesus Church has ten main beliefs that guide its members.
- Jesus Christ: They believe Jesus is God's Word who became human. He died on the cross to save people from their sins. He came back to life on the third day and went to heaven. They believe He is the only Savior and the Creator of everything.
- The Holy Bible: They believe the Bible, which includes the Old and New Testaments, is inspired by God. It is the only true guide for how Christians should live.
- The True Jesus Church: They believe their church was started by Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. They see it as the true church, like the first churches in the Bible.
- Water Baptism: This is a special ceremony to wash away sins and start a new life. It must be done in natural water, like a river or sea. The person performing the baptism must have already been baptized themselves. The person being baptized is fully put under the water, with their head bowed down. This is done in the name of Jesus Christ.
- Receiving the Holy Spirit: They believe that receiving the Holy Spirit is shown by speaking in tongues. This is seen as a promise that they will go to heaven.
- Footwashing: This ceremony helps people connect with Jesus. It also reminds them to be loving, holy, humble, forgiving, and helpful. Everyone who has been water baptized should have their feet washed in Jesus' name. People can also wash each other's feet when it feels right.
- Holy Communion: This is a special meal to remember Jesus' death. It helps members share in Jesus' body and blood. This gives them eternal life and helps them rise again on the last day. This meal should be held often. Only unleavened bread (bread without yeast) and grape juice are used.
- The Sabbath Day: The seventh day of the week (Saturday) is considered a holy day. God blessed and made it special. It is observed to remember God's creation and salvation. It also gives hope for eternal rest in the future.
- Salvation: They believe that being saved is a gift from God, received through faith. Believers must rely on the Holy Spirit to live a holy life, honor God, and love others.
- The Last Day: They believe Jesus will return from heaven on the last day to judge the world. Good people will receive eternal life, while bad people will face eternal punishment.
Church Practices
The church performs baptism by fully immersing both adults and babies in water. They also have holy communion. Speaking in tongues is a common practice, usually happening during prayer.
The church believes that special ceremonies, called sacraments, must meet three rules from the Bible. First, Jesus Christ must have performed them as an example. Second, these ceremonies must be directly connected to a person's salvation, eternal life, entering heaven, and being part of Jesus. Third, Jesus Christ must have told his followers to perform these ceremonies too.
According to the TJC, speaking in tongues is proof that someone has received the Holy Spirit. The way baptism is done also matters for salvation. They believe the correct way is to be baptized with the head facing down (like Jesus' death) and only in natural, "living" water.
