Chen Tao, also known as the “True Way” or the God’s Salvation Church, was a UFO religion that originated in Taiwan. The movement combined elements of Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, and extraterrestrial belief. It was founded by Hon-Ming Chen, a former associate professor of sociology.
Hon-Ming Chen was born on April 22, 1955, in Chiayi, Taiwan. Raised in a Buddhist and folk religious household, he considered himself an atheist for much of his early life. After earning a degree in political science, he taught at Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science until 1993.
In 1992, Chen claimed to have received a divine revelation. He immersed himself in the study of multiple religious texts, including the Bible, Buddhist sutras, and the Tao Te Ching. Chen first joined another UFO-based religious group, but he became disillusioned with its leader, accusing him of corruption. Taking several followers with him, Chen established the Soul Light Resurgence Association (SLRA). The group expanded with four teachers in Taiwan, and Chen quickly rose as its central figure.
In 1996, he published a book outlining his worldview, warning of an impending apocalypse. He proclaimed North America to be a “Pureland of God” and urged followers to migrate there for safety. While many stayed behind, a small core group followed him. This became the foundation of Chen Tao. The movement first settled in San Dimas, California, where they registered under the name God’s Salvation Church.
In 1997, the group relocated to Garland, Texas. Chen argued that “Garland” sounded like “God Land,” a divine sign. He also denounced Asia as being dominated by “devils and devil religions.” The group, numbering between 140 and 160 members, purchased over 20 homes in an upper-middle-class neighborhood. Members — many white-collar professionals — often wore white robes and cowboy hats.
Chen claimed to communicate with God through a diamond-studded ring and even declared himself the father of Jesus Christ. He also searched for the “Jesus of the West,” whom he claimed lived in Vancouver, Canada, and resembled Abraham Lincoln. Ads were placed in Canadian newspapers to find this figure.
In late 1997, Chen delivered bold prophecies. He announced that on March 31, 1998, God would appear in human form on his lawn in Garland. Six days earlier, on March 25, God was expected to appear on Channel 18 on televisions across North America looking exactly like Chen and warn humanity of a coming nuclear apocalypse in 1999.
These predictions, coming shortly after the Heaven’s Gate mass suicide, attracted intense scrutiny from law enforcement and international media. Garland police worked with scholars of religion to prepare for potential unrest. Followers shaved their heads and performed baptism-like rituals in anticipation. When the prophecies failed, confusion and disappointment followed. Chen offered to be stoned or crucified for his mistake, later claiming he had misinterpreted God’s message. Roughly two-thirds of the members left, many returning to Taiwan as their visas expired.
About 150 members remained loyal. They moved to Lockport, New York, and later to the small town of Olcott, near Lake Ontario. Chen claimed divine guidance had led them to a crossroads of highways 17 and 78, numbers he had seen in a vision. In New York, the group revised its predictions. They now claimed that a nuclear holocaust would erupt from a war between China and Taiwan, and that a “God plane” would arrive to rescue them. A small branch also formed in Brooklyn, where members preached in Central Park.
After the repeated failures of prophecy, Chen Tao steadily collapsed. Membership dwindled, and by the end of the 1990s the group was effectively dissolved. The later whereabouts of Chen and his remaining disciples remain largely unknown.
Key Sources:
Reuters (1998, March 31). Taiwanese sect says that God landed after all.
Tumminia, D., & Swatos, W. H. (2011). How Prophecy lives. Brill.
Wright, S. A., & Greil, A. L. (2011). Failed Prophecy and Group Demise: The Case of Chen Tao.
Zewe, C. (1998, March 19). Cult claims God will appear in a flying saucer, and on TV. CNN.
Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects, and New Religious Movements 