The 2nd Coming Christ Controversy: David Jang's Company Buys 'Newsweek'

Based on reports by Ted Olsen, Christianity Today, Aug. 4, 2013

Last year Christianity Today [CT] stirred controversy by denouncing Korean Pastor, David Jang, claiming that some of his followers hailed him as the “Second Coming Christ.” CT also warned its readers about Jang’s growing influence in North America through a plethora of Internet media outlets & websites, such as the Christian Post. Now there’s news that an organization linked with Jang has purchased Newsweek, the venerable US news magazine.

Who is Korean Pastor David Jang?

A year ago, CT reported that David “Jang is a controversial figure who, according to credible reports, has been hailed by some of his followers as the ‘Second Coming Christ’." [CT, Vol. 56, No. 8, Aug., 2012, p. 36] It went on to say that “Critics in Korea, Japan, and China say Jang was involved in Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church. They point to his appearance in a 1989 student handbook for Moon's Sung Hwa Theological Seminary as an assistant professor of theology, teaching systematic theology and Unification theology.” [CT, Vol. 56, No. 8, Aug., 2012, p. 36] Moon, founder of the Unification Church, best known for its mass wedding ceremonies, involving thousands of couples matched by the Rev. Sun Myung Moon and his wife. Rev. Moon also built a multi-national business conglomerate with religious, educational, media & manufacturing facets. Korean Pastor David Jang appears to be replicating Moon’s strategy of empire-building, updated to the 21^st century with a greater emphasis on the Internet & electronic media.

"I...thought of him as God & prayed in his name”—Edmond Chua

In a follow-up article, CT supported its allegations by quoting, Edmond Chua, the SE Asia representative for David Jang's organizations—pastor of his churches, proprietor of his businesses, and editor of his Christian news website. Edmond Chua testified that he had previously believed that Jang was a new Christ, a messianic figure establishing the kingdom of God on earth. Chua told Christianity Today, "I actually thought of him as God and prayed in his name instead of Jesus'. And whenever I typed something about him, I would use the upper case on pronouns." [CT., Sept., 2012] In Sept. 2012, the Korean Evangelical Fellowship announced that Jang has heretical views. [KoreanChurch.com Oct. 28. 2012]

Newsweek sold to Jang’s IBT

Journalism websites are abuzz today with news that ...the once-iconic Newsweek title had been sold to IBT Media, publisher of the website International Business Times [IBTimes]. Most media coverage focused on ...Barry Diller's comment that his buying Newsweek had been a "mistake."

But few sites are noting that IBT has significant ties to David Jang, the Korean pastor hailed by some of his followers as a messianic figure, a "Second Coming Christ."

Christianity Today published 2 major articles on Jang last year, quoting multiple sources who described an international network with Jang as its spiritual—and sometimes even operational—leader.

Jang has been a controversial figure in Asia since 2008, when a committee of Hong Kong theologians and church leaders "unanimously expressed its serious apprehensions and concerns." His views and influence continue to be debated in South Korea and in the U.S....

IBTimes has no public or formal ties to Jang. According to CT sources, IBTimes CEO Etienne Uzac owns 55 percent of the company and chief content officer Johnathan Davis owns 45 percent. David Jang does not appear on the company's "leadership" page— nor on any of its other pages. Yet the IBT Media group that bought Newsweek had regular Internet chats with David Jang to discuss business, Ted Olsen reports in CT, Aug. 4, 2013

In CT's reporting, several sources said that IBTimes was very much a part of Jang's network. IBTimes leaders took part in internet chats with Jang (usually weekly) where the pastor [David Jang] laid out his plans for various business units, like Olivet University and the Christian Post....

Body, Soul, & Spirit—3 Types of Organization

David Jang has a novel application of the three-part division of humans into body, soul & spirit (1 Thess. 5:23). He also appeals to the three levels in Noah’s floating Ark! Multiple sources told CT that Jang’s organizations were divided into three categories: Body, Soul,

and Spirit. (These were to be a model community for the new Kingdom of God, and were alternatively described as representing three levels of a new "Noah's Ark.") The spirit level was populated by churches and spiritual ministries like the Evangelical Assembly of Presbyterian Churches, Apostolos Campus Ministry, and the Youth Evangelical Fellowship. The soul level was the domain of groups like Olivet University and Jubilee Missions. Moneymaking businesses were part of the body level. Multiple sources told CT that IBT is a major part of the "Body" level...

The sources emphasized that movement between the levels and organizations could be very fluid—a person might be commissioned to a soul ministry, then shortly thereafter move to a body ministry.

Is Newsweek about to be Controlled by the Second Coming of Jesus Christ?

Matthew Yglesias of the Slate, asked “Is Newsweek about to be Controlled by the 2nd Coming of Jesus Christ?” [Slate, Monday, Aug. 5, 2013] He reports that the Newsweek brand has been sold to IBT, “But reports in the New York Observer and in Christianity Today suggest that it's actually controlled by David Jang, a Korean pastor whose followers believe he's the second coming of Christ.” Plus Mr. Yglesias points out that a similar strategy was employed by Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church when it bought the Washington Times. “Operating as a subsidiary of a fringe religious movement is, famously, a media business strategy that's been pioneered...by the Washington Times and the Unification Church.” So the Newsweek brand is now another facet of the rapidly-expanding media portfolio in David Jang’s religious, educational, social & business empire.

Edited based on reports from Christianity Today, The Slate, Forbes, etc.