Angry parents have demanded that the local council deny office space to a popular religious cult which they say has “stolen” their children.
The backlash against the Shincheonji Church, which occupies a building at 114 Cambridge Street in West Leederville, north-west Perth, continues to grow.
The group, which claims to be true believers in Christianity, is facing accusations from angry parents who say they are controlling their children’s beliefs.
The explosive claims were made by residents at a heated Cambridge City Council information forum on Wednesday.
Locals want the group expelled and the office closed. Perth now reported.
Jim Spencer, who lives in Roleystone, a suburb southwest of Perth, said his daughter is among dozens of people spending an inordinate amount of time at the site, which is billed as an educational centre.
“We parents are working hard to get our children out… our children have been stolen from us,” she said at the meeting.
‘My daughter spends 16 hours a day in this place, six days a week, voluntarily.’
Jim Spencer (pictured) said his daughter is among dozens of other people spending an inordinate amount of time at the school.
Mr Spencer said the group targets young people and international students who are most vulnerable to its teachings.
He says the group attracts students through “non-denominational Bible studies.”
A former church professor submitted a written submission, saying the staff’s main goal was to organize a program for college students on Shincheonji’s teachings.
“The Church has no recognised qualifications to be an educational organisation,” the document reads.
‘There are no certifications to justify their teachings being publicly recognized. The teachers are not certified, as I was when I was inside.’
The group that rented the office space on Cambridge Street is listed as the International Educational Organization.
The organisation is a registered charity that offers “structured Bible study classes” to those who wish to learn about Christianity.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted the International Education Organisation for comment.
Reegan Cake, who is a consultant hired by the organization, said at the meeting that all church staff have registered educational degrees.
“Students there worked to gain internationally recognised qualifications that can be used to educate others,” Cake said.
The Shincheonji Church is also known to have operated 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 use of the building to an “educational establishment”.
Shincheonji Church occupies a building at 114 Cambridge Street in West Leederville, north-west Perth (pictured)
The council approved the application, despite 14 submissions against the proposal.
The council will decide at a meeting next Tuesday whether the building is suitable for use as an educational centre.
Several recommendations were also made as part of the proposal.
These include limited opening hours from 7am to 9pm six days a week, 40 students and two staff members allowed on site at any one time and reduced window tinting.
The Daily Mail has contacted the council for further comment.
Shincheonji Church was founded in South Korea by Lee Man-hee in the 1980s.
The group, believed to have around 215,000 members worldwide, claims to be the sole 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 to have been sent by the Holy Spirit to create “God’s kingdom of heaven on Earth.” Traditional religions consider the organization to be a cult.
Caleb, a student at Monash University, described news.com.au Last year, how he was recruited into the church after two students on campus approached him and asked him to fill out a survey.
He described a journey that became more “intense” and time-consuming after attending some Bible classes. He was soon asked to recruit other students and said he soon had “no privacy” from church leaders.
Other people reported being approached by church members at train stations and asked about their religious beliefs and nationality.
“I’m a Christian so I ended up going to some of their ‘Bible studies’, (but) I dropped out because I could see a lot of red flags in what they were preaching,” posted one woman who was accosted at Melbourne’s Southern Cross station.
‘They blamed the devil for fatigue and practically tried to separate you from your family… they are extremely manipulative and often target young women under the guise of friendship.’
The council will decide at a meeting next Tuesday whether the building is suitable for use as an educational centre.
