Born into history
Both entered the world through ordinary human birth and are placed in twentieth-century Korean history.
The historical record describes two human religious figures, not two gods
Zahng Gil-jah is a human woman with a birth history, marriage history, children, a former husband, organizational positions, and a public religious career. Ahn Sahng-hong was a human man with a legal wife, children, a religious career, and a recorded death in 1985. These facts do not by themselves settle every theological question, but they directly contradict attempts to treat ordinary biography, titles, photographs, or church ceremonies as proof that either person is God.
Marriage and family
Both had human family relationships. Zahng is reported to have married Kim Jae-hoon and had two children. Ahn had a legal wife and children.
Religious organizations
They became influential through human institutions, leadership structures, publications, ceremonies, and followers.
Human limitation and death
Ahn became ill and died in 1985. No biblical text identifies Zahng by name or identifies Ahn as the returned Jesus Christ.
The burden of proof is on the claim of divinity. A church cannot turn a human being into God by assigning titles such as “Heavenly Mother,” “Jerusalem Mother,” “God the Mother,” “Christ Ahnsahnghong,” or “God the Father.” Scripture must establish such a claim. It does not identify either person.
Documented facts are separated from allegations
This page is openly critical of WMSCOG theology, but it does not present every internet claim as established fact. Official statements, academic descriptions, secondary reports, and the letter attributed to Kim Jae-hoon are labeled separately. A certified marriage record, divorce judgment, independently authenticated original of the 1987 letter, and reliable public records identifying the children were not located for this update.
DocumentedSecondary reportingAttributed allegationDisputed chronology
Who is Zahng Gil-jah?
Zahng Gil-jah is a South Korean religious and humanitarian figure. Her Korean name is 장길자, with the Hanja form 張吉子. English spellings include Zahng Gil-jah, Jang Gil-ja, Jang Gil-jah, Chang Gil-jah, Zhang Gil-jah, and Gil Jah Chang.
Public reference sources commonly list her birth date as October 29, 1943. Her official public profile emphasizes humanitarian work and her position as honorary chairwoman of the International WeLoveU Foundation. The World Mission Society Church of God venerates her as “God the Mother,” “Heavenly Mother,” and “Jerusalem Mother.” Those are religious titles and claims, not independently demonstrated facts.
A chronology of ordinary human events
Reported birth
Public reference sources place Zahng’s birth in South Korea on October 29, 1943.
Public sourcesReported marriage to Kim Jae-hoon
The letter attributed to Kim states that they married in 1966 and had two children.
Attributed letterReligious involvement
Critical secondary sources report that Zahng entered Ahn Sahng-hong’s church while married and raising a family.
Secondary sourcesAhn Sahng-hong dies
Ahn died in 1985. The movement divided after his death. A later faction elevated Zahng into the theological role of “God the Mother.”
Academic historyLetter attributed to Kim
A text circulated as Kim’s 1987 letter describes marital conflict, loss of family assets, divorce, separation from his children, illness, and a warning about a 1988 end-time message.
Original not authenticatedReligious and humanitarian leadership
Zahng became a central symbol in WMSCOG theology and a public leader associated with humanitarian organizations.
Public rolesWhat is reported about Kim Jae-hoon and the children
The English text attributed to Kim Jae-hoon says he married Zahng in 1966 and that the couple had two children. It portrays both spouses as active Christians and missionaries before their marriage deteriorated. Kim alleged that while he worked overseas, Zahng changed, sold the family home, donated family assets to Ahn Sahng-hong’s church, neglected family responsibilities, traveled on missions, requested a divorce, and later prevented him from maintaining a normal relationship with the children.
These are serious claims from one side of a failed marriage. They should be described as Kim’s allegations, not as proven findings. No public court decision or independently authenticated response from Zahng was located. The children’s names, dates of birth, occupations, present locations, and current religious affiliations are not published here because they have not been reliably verified and because they may be private persons.
Important terminology
Kim Jae-hoon is described here as Zahng’s former husband. His death has not been independently confirmed, so this page does not call him her “late husband.”
Letter attributed to former husband Kim Jae-hoon
The following text was supplied to this site and closely follows the English version circulated by critical WMSCOG websites. The original signed Korean document and an independent forensic or archival authentication were not located. It is reproduced as an attributed historical claim, not as a judicial finding.
“I was married to Zhang Gil-Jah in 1966. We had two children by our marriage. We became very active, devoted Christians, missionaries and evangelists for this church after becoming members. While I spent much time overseas working, my wife underwent many changes and became a different person than the one I married.”
“My wife, Zhang, claimed that as a part of our devotedness to Jesus, she sold our house and donated all our family’s assets to Ahn Sahng-hong and his church. I also saw that my wife did not properly care for my family while I was away.”
“Therefore I, the husband, requested that my wife be responsible for family matters while she was working for the church. However, my wife refused to listen to me and asked me for a divorce. When she made this request I begged her to think carefully before making the commitment to divorce.”
“During this time my wife continued to go on missions without me, even to remote regional locations. She would be in a group of people from the church, which included both men and women. If the group was made up of all women I could understand. But these groups also included men. What kind of husband could put up with this behavior from his wife? Think about it.”
“So I finally agreed to let her be free and we divorced. I lost my wife, money, and kids to this church. I also became ill with a liver disease. Gradually I decided it was wrong to end my life. I realized eventually I needed to look after myself. Slowly my health returned. Once I regained my health I went to find my children.”
“By then, however, my children were totally under the control of my ex-wife, Zhang Gil-Jah. My children asked me not to visit them as it made them feel ashamed. Soon after our divorce, Zhang immediately married Ahn. Within the church, Zhang became known as God’s Bride.”
“How can Ahn, if he is an honest person, tell the church that Zhang is his Bride? Everyone knows he was married and had children. This is insane. I wanted to tell everyone in the church the truth. I nearly exploded with rage. However, I restrained myself because I did not want to shame my children who were members of this church.”
“After this incident, I suffered insomnia, neurasthenia and became ill again. In order to recover, I went into rehabilitation several times, but I could not recover because I was too angry and heartbroken.”
“This cult teaches that the end of the world is in 1988. I tell all members: do not believe what this cult is saying to you. I want you all to get out of this immediately, come back to the real Jesus, and get your life back in order.”
Sincerely,
(signed) Jae Hoon Kim
The claim that Zahng “immediately married Ahn” cannot be accepted literally
Ahn Sahng-hong died in 1985. The circulated letter is dated 1987 and is commonly associated with a divorce or separation reported around that time. Therefore, the claim that Zahng legally married Ahn immediately after a 1987 divorce cannot be literally correct if the dates are accurate.
Spiritual title may have been translated as marriage
The statement may refer to being publicly designated as Ahn’s spiritual “bride,” not a civil marriage.
One or more dates may be wrong
The divorce could have occurred earlier, or the date attached to the circulating letter may not be the date of every event described.
The circulated translation may have changed
Without the original Korean letter, wording and chronology may have been altered during copying or translation.
Responsible conclusion: the evidence supports saying Zahng reportedly had a husband and two children before she was elevated as “God the Mother.” It does not support stating as proven fact that she legally married Ahn Sahng-hong.
A religious title did not make Ahn Sahng-hong the returned Christ
Ahn Sahng-hong lived as a Korean religious teacher, was married, had children, organized a religious movement, wrote books, experienced illness, and died in 1985. His followers later assigned him titles such as “Christ Ahnsahnghong,” “Second Coming Christ,” and “God the Father.” Those titles express the belief of a later religious organization. They are not proof.
The New Testament identifies the return of Jesus as the return of the same Jesus who ascended, visible and unmistakable, not as the private emergence of a twentieth-century Korean teacher whose identity must be reconstructed through secret meanings, dates, photographs, or a newly created church hierarchy. See Acts 1:9-11, Matthew 24:23-27, Revelation 1:7, and Hebrews 9:28.
Christianity does teach that Jesus Christ truly became human. Therefore, merely saying that someone had a human body is not a complete theological argument. The decisive question is whether God revealed that person as the incarnate Son. Scripture names Jesus of Nazareth, records His resurrection, and grounds His identity in apostolic testimony. Scripture never names Ahn Sahng-hong or Zahng Gil-jah and never instructs Christians to worship a Korean couple as Father God and Mother God.
Why this site rejects the deification of Zahng and Ahn
God’s identity is not created by an organization
“Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.” Isaiah 43:10. A new religious corporation cannot appoint additional gods.
Do not follow another Christ
Jesus warned that many would come claiming, “I am Christ,” and that false christs would appear. Matthew 24:5, 23-27.
The returning Jesus is publicly revealed
Acts 1:11 and Revelation 1:7 describe the return of Jesus as visible, not as an identity known only through a group’s special interpretation.
“Jerusalem above” is not a named Korean woman
Galatians 4 uses Sarah and Hagar allegorically to contrast covenants. It does not identify Zahng Gil-jah as a goddess.
The bride imagery is corporate
Revelation identifies the bride with the holy city and with God’s redeemed people. A metaphor does not establish the deity of one modern individual.
Worship belongs to God
Christians must test every spirit and teaching. 1 John 4:1. Human leaders are not to be worshiped simply because followers assign divine titles.
Charitable work does not establish divinity
Zahng’s official profile and the International WeLoveU Foundation describe disaster relief, blood drives, environmental work, education, clean-water projects, concerts, walkathons, and international cooperation. Humanitarian service may be commendable. It does not prove that the person leading it is God. Many religious and nonreligious people perform charitable work without claiming deity.
Claims that should not be overstated
- Whether Kim Jae-hoon is deceased, and if so, when and where he died.
- Kim’s date of birth, occupation, and documented later life.
- The verified names, birth dates, occupations, and present beliefs of the two reported children.
- The exact date and legal terms of the divorce.
- Any civil marriage between Zahng and Ahn.
- The original signed Korean version of the 1987 letter and a neutral independent translation.
- The date, location, and identity of every person in the family photograph.
Sources reviewed
- World Mission Society Church of God official website, for the church’s present claims about “God the Father” and “God the Mother.”
- Official Zahng Gil-jah profile, for her public humanitarian role.
- International WeLoveU Foundation profile, for the organization’s account of her work.
- David W. Kim and Won-il Bang, Religions 10, no. 3 (2019), for academic history of WMSCOG and the post-1985 split.
- The New Journal at Yale, which cautiously describes the letter as allegedly written and summarizes the reported family history.
- Examining the WMSCOG, for the circulated English text attributed to Kim Jae-hoon. This is a critical secondary source, not an authenticated archive.
- WATV official church history, for the organization’s own institutional timeline.
Continue the study
Research review updated July 20, 2026.