The Church of Almighty God (CAG), also known as Eastern Lightning, was founded in China in 1991. Its central belief is that Jesus Christ has returned to Earth and now lives as a Chinese woman who is worshipped as the “Almighty God.” The name “Eastern Lightning” references Matthew 24:27: “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Chinese government sources estimate the group’s membership at between three and four million people.
The CAG emerged from the Christian house church movement in China. Its administrative leader is Zhao Weishan, born on December 12, 1951, in Harbin. A former physics teacher, Zhao was active in several Christian new religious movements before founding CAG. In 1987, he was baptized into a branch of The Shouters, a group the Chinese government had already labeled a “xie jiao” (“evil cult”). Zhao rose to a leadership position and, according to official accounts, claimed the title “Lord of Ability.” When The Shouters were banned in 1989, Zhao continued his independent religious work.
In 1991, Zhao met Yang Xiangbin, born in 1973, who distributed mimeographed texts she said contained revelations from the Holy Spirit. Although her name does not appear in official CAG literature, she is sometimes referred to as “Deng.” Chinese authorities have alleged that Yang had a history of mental illness. Zhao soon became the group’s main organizer and was known as “the Man used by the Holy Spirit.” By that year, the group reportedly had around a thousand followers.
In 1992, Yang’s revelations, promoted by Zhao, declared that she was not only a prophet but the second coming of Jesus Christ, incarnated as the Almighty God. From then on, followers referred to Almighty God using the pronoun “he,” signifying the belief that the divine essence was that of Christ. Chinese media began describing Yang as “the female Christ.”
The Church of Almighty God teaches a millennialist theology that divides human history into “God’s six-thousand-year management plan,” encompassing three stages: the Age of Law, when God as Jehovah guided Israel; the Age of Grace, when Jesus Christ redeemed humanity but did not eliminate sin; and the Age of Kingdom, which began in 1991 with the appearance of Almighty God. This current age is viewed as the final stage, during which divine truth is fully revealed to free humanity from sin. A future Age of Millennial Kingdom is expected after the death of the present incarnation, when the earth will become a realm of peace and joy.
The Church publishes revelations attributed to Almighty God, collected in “The Word Appears in the Flesh.” Members regard these texts as continuing divine revelation, teaching that the Bible is not the exclusive or flawless word of God. The group is openly critical of the Chinese Communist Party, identifying it with the “Great Red Dragon” described in the Book of Revelation.
Its organization is hierarchical, with inspectors supervising regional and subregional leaders who oversee local congregations. These leaders are elected by members. Worship meetings are held weekly in private homes in China and in community houses abroad. Services typically include prayer, readings from the revelations, hymn singing, and artistic performances.
In 1995, China’s Ministry of Public Security formally designated the Church of Almighty God a xie jiao and banned it nationwide. On September 6, 2000, Zhao Weishan and Yang Xiangbin entered the United States and were granted political asylum in 2001. They have since lived in New York, directing the movement from abroad. Much of CAG’s ministry now operates online through websites, social media, and group chats.
The ban forced the Church underground in China, where participation or proselytizing is prosecuted under Article 300 of the Chinese Criminal Code. Reports describe widespread repression of members. The U.S. Department of State’s 2019 Report on International Religious Freedom cited claims that at least 32,815 Church members were persecuted that year, including 19 who reportedly died from abuse in custody. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom also noted cases of torture, deaths, and disappearances among followers.
Because of the movement’s secrecy, independent study of CAG in China has been limited. Scholars have described available information as incomplete, and some Western researchers have questioned the reliability of Chinese media accounts. However, growing numbers of refugees have sought asylum abroad, leading authorities such as the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada and Italy’s Ministry of the Interior to compile reports based on interviews with members. Some Western scholars have argued that the Chinese government has misrepresented the movement.
Chinese media have described CAG as the country’s “most dangerous xie jiao” and linked it to violent acts. The group has been accused of coercive recruitment, particularly targeting women and members of other Christian house churches, as well as incidents of kidnapping and financial exploitation.
One of the earliest reported cases occurred in Nanyang, Henan, in 1998, when two alleged members, Liu Shunting and Zhao Fating, were convicted of assaults and robberies against people who refused to join or donate. Two victims had their ears cut off. In 2002, the group was accused of organizing simultaneous kidnappings of 34 leaders of the China Gospel Fellowship (CGF). While the Church denied involvement, some scholars suggested rogue adherents may have been responsible, while others said CGF members had misunderstood voluntary training sessions as “kidnappings.”
In 2012, amid widespread popular interest in the so-called Mayan prophecy, some CAG members predicted the end of the world. Authorities accused them of spreading rumors and provoking unrest. Before the predicted date of December 21, police arrested more than 1,000 members across several provinces and linked a separate school stabbing case to the prophecy. Scholars later reported that CAG leadership did not sanction these end-time claims and had expelled those promoting them, since the group’s theology envisions transformation rather than destruction of the world.
In 2014, the movement drew global attention after the murder of Wu Shuoyan, a 37-year-old woman, in a McDonald’s restaurant in Shandong. Six individuals, including a 12-year-old, assaulted Wu after she refused to give them her phone number, calling her an “evil spirit.” The attack was recorded and widely circulated online. Chinese authorities identified the attackers as Eastern Lightning members. Five adults were convicted, and two — Zhang Lidong and his daughter Zhang Fan — were executed in 2015.
CAG publicly condemned the murder, calling the perpetrators “psychopaths” unrelated to their organization. Chinese journalists covering the trial reported that the assailants recognized two different women, not Yang Xiangbin, as incarnations of God. Several Western scholars later concluded the killers belonged to a separate religious group, though Chinese authorities maintained that they had been influenced by CAG teachings in their youth. Following the incident, authorities launched mass arrests of Church members across China.
Despite continued repression, the Church of Almighty God has expanded internationally, establishing communities in countries including South Korea and Taiwan. In 2019, Twitter suspended dozens of Hebrew-language accounts linked to the group that were promoting right-wing political messages before an Israeli election. One academic studying the movement suggested these accounts may have been created by Chinese agencies to discredit CAG, noting that the content did not match the group’s usual activity.
Members who have fled China continue to seek asylum abroad, asserting that they risk imprisonment or death if returned.
Key Sources:
The Daily Star. (2021, November 14). Mysterious sect dubbed “most dangerous cult” whose members claim Jesus is a living woman.
Dunn, E. (2015). Lightning from the East: Heterodoxy and Christianity in Contemporary China.
Introvigne, M. (2020). Inside the Church of Almighty God: The Most Persecuted Religious Movement in China.
Levin, D. (2015, February 2). 2 members of Sect executed in China for deadly beating at McDonald’s. The New York Times.
Shea, M. (2013, July 31). The Cult Who Kidnaps Christians and Is at War with the Chinese Government. Vice.
Vincent, D. (2014, December 22). Inside China’s Jesus cult. Channel 4.
Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects, and New Religious Movements 