Shincheonji Tanzania Church Holds Revelation Bible Exam Showing Significant Score Gap Between Members and Protestant Pastors

Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony, held a Bible exam on the Book of Revelation in major Tanzanian cities including Dar es Salaam, with 138 participants comprising 40 church members and 98 local Protestant pastors. The exam featured 10 main questions and 33 sub-questions focused solely on Revelation, resulting in a stark contrast in performance: Shincheonji members averaged 95 points, while pastors averaged 7 points. This significant discrepancy underscores deeper theological and interpretive divides, emphasizing the church's mission to promote exact adherence to biblical texts without addition or subtraction, as highlighted in Revelation 22:18–19.

The event's purpose, according to organizers, was not to assert superiority but to encourage self-examination of faith and closer alignment with God's word. One participating pastor reflected, "Watching Shincheonji members confidently write down the correct answers today made me reflect on my own faith and my calling as a pastor." This sentiment led to commitments for further study through the Shincheonji Zion Christian Mission Center, aiming to guide congregations toward what they perceive as biblically sound teachings for salvation.

Chairman Lee Man-hee's teachings, which stress that truth discernment must rely solely on Scripture rather than human tradition or doctrine, form the ideological backbone of such initiatives. The exam in Tanzania follows a similar 2024 event in Korea, where only one pastor participated out of 313 attendees, indicating a pattern of limited mainstream clergy engagement. A church representative noted, "This Bible exam is not just about testing knowledge, but about confirming whether one's faith is truly based on the word of God," expressing gratitude for growing pastoral participation internationally.

Shincheonji Tanzania Church, established in 2018, has expanded to 2,440 members as of August 2025 and actively promotes Bible-centered faith through local pastoral fellowship. The exam results and subsequent reflections highlight ongoing efforts to foster unity and scriptural literacy, potentially influencing broader religious education and interdenominational dialogue in the region.