Outraged Perth parents demand action on controversial Korean religious ‘cult’ Shincheonji Church they claim has ‘stolen’ their children

Furious parents have demanded that the local council refuse office space to a popular religious sect they say has “stolen” their children.

There is growing opposition to the Shincheonji Church, which occupies a building at 114 Cambridge Street in West Leederville, in Perth’s northwest.

The group, which claims to genuinely embrace Christianity, has been accused by parents of suppressing their children’s beliefs.

The explosive claims were made by Cambridge residents at a heated city council meeting on Wednesday.

Locals want the group thrown out and the office closed, Perth now reported.

Jim Spencer, who lives in the southwestern Perth suburb of Roleystone, says his daughter is one of dozens of others who spend excessive amounts of time at the site, which masquerades as an educational institution.

“We as parents work hard to get our children out of here… our children have been taken from us,” he told the rally.

‘My daughter is here six days a week, sixteen hours a day, as a volunteer.’

According to Spencer, the group targets young people and international students, who are more vulnerable to their lessons.

He claims the group attracts students through “non-denominational Bible studies.”

A former church teacher provided written comments, saying that the staff’s main goal was to organize a program for university students on Shincheonji’s teachings.

“The church does not have recognized qualifications to be an educational organization,” the filing said.

“There are no certifications that would justify their teachings as publicly recognized. The teachers are not certified, nor was I when I was inside.”

The group that rented the office space on Cambridge Street is listed as the International Education Organisation.

The organisation is a registered charity that offers ‘structured Bible study classes’ to people who want to learn more about Christianity.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted the International Education Organisation for comment.

Reegan Cake, a consultant hired by the organization, told the meeting that all church employees have a registered teaching qualification.

“The students there have worked hard to gain internationally recognised qualifications that can be used to teach others,” Mr Cake said.

It is believed that the Shincheonji Church has also been present on university campuses in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth for several years.

The council, which has been investigating the group for more than a year, forced them to submit a development application to change the building’s designation to an ‘educational institution’.

The council approved the application despite 14 objections being lodged against the proposal.

The council will decide during a meeting next Tuesday whether the building is suitable for use as an educational institution.

The proposal also contained several recommendations.

For example, opening hours are limited to 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week, a maximum of 40 students and two staff members may be on the premises at any one time, and fewer tinted windows are needed.

The Daily Mail has contacted the council for further comment.

Shincheonji Church was founded in South Korea in the 1980s by Lee Man-hee.

The group, which reportedly has some 215,000 members worldwide, claims to be the only church of Jesus Christ.

The church also promotes a view of biblical texts, such as the book of Revelation, that goes beyond their literal meaning.

Mr. Man-hee claims he was sent by the Holy Spirit to create “God’s kingdom of heaven on earth.” Mainstream religions consider the organization a cult.

Monash University student Caleb described news.com.au Last year, he was recruited by the church after being approached by two students on campus and asked to complete a survey.

He described a journey that became “more intense” and time-consuming after he attended a few Bible classes. He was soon asked to recruit other students and said he soon had “no privacy” from church leaders.

Others said they were approached and questioned about their religious beliefs and nationality by church members at train stations.

“I am a Christian so I ended up going to a few of their ‘bible studies’ but stopped going because I saw so much confusion about what they were preaching,” wrote one woman who was approached at Melbourne’s Southern Cross Station.

“They blamed the devil for exhaustion and basically tried to separate you from your family… they are extremely manipulative and often target young women under the guise of friendship.”