Kingdom of Jesus Christ (church)
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The Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC), officially the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name, Inc., is a Philippine-based
non-Trinitarian Nontrinitarianism is a form of Christianity that rejects the mainstream Christian doctrine of the Trinity—the belief that God is three distinct hypostases or persons who are coeternal, coequal, and indivisibly united in one being, or essence ...
Restorationist Restorationism (or Restitutionism or Christian primitivism) is the belief that Christianity has been or should be restored along the lines of what is known about the apostolic early church, which restorationists see as the search for a purer a ...
church. It was founded by Pastor
Apollo Quiboloy Apollo Carreon Quiboloy (; born April 25, 1950) is a Filipino pastor and church leader of the Philippines-based Restorationist church called the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC). Previously a member of the United Pentecostal Church, he founded th ...
, whom KJC adherents believe to be the "Appointed Son of God". The members of the congregation refer to their community as a "''Kingdom Nation''". They claim about 2 million "Kingdom citizens" abroad and 4 million in the Philippines.


History

Before the establishment of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) religious group, its founder
Apollo Quiboloy Apollo Carreon Quiboloy (; born April 25, 1950) is a Filipino pastor and church leader of the Philippines-based Restorationist church called the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC). Previously a member of the United Pentecostal Church, he founded th ...
was said to have gone on an exile to Tamayong for five years and later at Sitio Kitbog at the foot of
Mount Matutum Mount Matutum is an active stratovolcano, is the highest point in the province of South Cotabato in the Philippines, with an elevation of 7,500 feet (2,286 metres) above sea level, approximately from Acmonan, Tupi, South Cotabato. Matutum and ...
in
South Cotabato South Cotabato ( hil, Bagatnan Cotabato; ceb, Habagatang Cotabato; Maguindanaon: ''Pagabagatan Kutawatu'', Jawi: ڤاڬابڬتن كوتاواتو; tl, Timog Cotabato), officially the Province of South Cotabato, is a province in the Philippine ...
. Quiboloy says that it was revelations from God through his dreams which led him to the foundation of the KJC. In fact, Quiboloy is a former member of the United Pentecostal Church of the Philippines, a
Oneness Pentecostal Oneness Pentecostalism (also known as Apostolic, Jesus' Name Pentecostalism, or the Jesus Only movement) is a nontrinitarian religious movement within the Protestant Christian family of churches known as Pentecostalism. It derives its distincti ...
denomination. Apollo Quiboloy's father, José, was already a Protestant (a member of the
Christian and Missionary Alliance The Alliance World Fellowship is the international governing body of the Christian and Missionary Alliance (The Alliance, also C&MA and CMA). The Alliance is an evangelical Protestant denomination within the Higher Life movement of Christianity ...
), but converted to Oneness Pentecostalism with four sons, who all became preachers and leaders in the United Pentecostal Church of the Philippines (UPCP), the largest Filipino Oneness Pentecostal church, which is affiliated to the U.S.-based
United Pentecostal Church International The United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI) is a Oneness Pentecostal denomination headquartered in Weldon Spring, Missouri, United States. The United Pentecostal Church International was formed in 1945 by a merger of the former Pentecostal C ...
. Apollo became president of the powerful UPCP youth organization in 1974, but was expelled from the UPCP in 1979 for unorthodox teachings. He repented, apologized, and was accepted back into the fold in 1980 as pastor of the Agdao Church in Davao City, one of the historical UPCP churches. In 1985, Apollo was put again under investigation by the UPCP for his arrogant attitudes towards other pastors. Rather than submitting to trial, he left the UPCP with some 15 followers on September 1, 1985, and started his own denomination. Apollo's church started on September 1, 1985, and Quiboloy's prayer house was situated along Villamor Street in Agdao, Davao City. As of October 2016, the KJC Church reportedly claims to have 4 million
tithe A tithe (; from Old English: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash or cheques or more r ...
d followers in the Philippines, and 2 million followers outside the country.


Beliefs

The KJC believes that its founder, Apollo Quiboloy, is the "''Appointed Son of God''". A self-described account of Quiboloy's birth involves God coming to his mother as a cloud to declare him as his son. Members of the church, also called "Kingdom citizens", believe that
salvation Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...
is exclusive to its members. Such belief has been made as counter to mainstream Christianity.


Linked organizations

Organizations like the Children's Joy Foundation and the Sonshine Philippines Movement are connected to the KJC. The Children's Joy Foundation focuses on providing humanitarian aid to destitute children, while the Sonshine Philippines Movement is involved in reforestation and disaster-relief efforts.


Controversies


Human trafficking raids

On January 29, 2020, the
Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, ...
(FBI) raided KJC offices in
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
,
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
, and
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, after receiving complaints by former members that the church has been committing
immigration fraud Illegal immigration is the migration of people into a country in violation of the immigration laws of that country or the continued residence without the legal right to live in that country. Illegal immigration tends to be financially upwa ...
. According to testimonies taken by the FBI, the KJC has conducted 82 sham marriages in the past 20 years in order to keep them illegally in the United States. They said that the victims were invited as guests to a fundraiser concert for the Children's Joy Foundation, one of the church's charity arms. Once they arrived, they were forced to solicit donations on the streets and sell pastries, such as
Krispy Kreme Krispy Kreme, Inc. (previously Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc.) is an American multinational doughnut company and coffeehouse chain. Krispy Kreme was founded by Vernon Rudolph (1915–1973), who bought a yeast-raised recipe from a New Orleans ch ...
doughnuts, claiming that they're raising funds for the church, receiving little to no pay and were met with steep quota requirements. One of the victims even said that young church workers were physically or psychologically abused if they did not work well during incredible hours. They allegedly received punishments, such as paddling or isolation in a walled room for three to five days while being denied food and water and listened to pre-recorded sermons of the church. One victim was even forced to shave her head and wear an orange shirt with "SOS" or "''Son of Satan''" in the back. Three people — Guia Cabactulan, Marissa Duenas, and Amanda Estopare — were arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit immigration fraud. Both Cabactulan and Duenas were arrested in
Van Nuys Van Nuys () is a neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Home to Van Nuys Airport and the Valley Municipal Building, it is the most populous neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley. History In 1909, t ...
, while Estopare was arrested in
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. Church officials, however, said that the investigation is based on testimony from disgruntled former church members who were allowed to stay in the country longer in exchange for their testimony.


Child sex trafficking indictment

In 2021, Quiboloy was indicted of child sex trafficking. Prosecutors found that he, along with other members of his church, sexually and physically abused minors as young as 12, forcing children into having sex with him through so-called "''night duties''" or else face "eternal damnation" and more physical abuses. His wealth was also noted as ill-gotten and that he abused church donations to create his own lavish lifestyle.


References

{{Christianity in the Philippines Christian denominations established in the 20th century Christian denominations founded in the Philippines Restorationism (Christianity) Christian new religious movements 1985 establishments in the Philippines