City Harvest Church is a Pentecostal megachurch based in Singapore that was founded in 1989 by Kong Hee and his wife Sun Ho, beginning with a group of 20 youths meeting at the Peace Centre. Initially known as “Ekklesia Ministry,” the group operated under the legal oversight of Bethany Christian Centre. It became an independent Continue reading

The Church of Wells, originally known as the Church of Arlington or You Must Be Born Again (YMBBA) Ministries, is a religious community based in Wells, Texas. The group was founded in 2011 by Sean Morris and Ryan Ringnald, who met as roommates at Baylor University in 2004. A third leader, Jacob Gardner, also joined Continue reading

The General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn, often shortened to the Church of the First Born, is a fundamentalist Christian sect with historical ties to the Latter-Day Saint (LDS) movement, though it maintains no present-day affiliation with Mormon fundamentalist groups that use similar “Firstborn” names. The group has also been referred to by older Continue reading

The Church of the First Born of the Lamb of God, often shortened to the Church of the Lamb of God, was a Mormon offshoot founded by Ervil LeBaron in the late 1960s. Its origins trace to the broader Mormon fundamentalist movement, which sought to continue the practice of polygamy after the Church of Jesus Continue reading

The Church of Israel is a Christian Identity-linked sect founded in 1972 by Dan Gayman. Originally called The Church of Our Christian Heritage, it arose from a schism within the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) and is now linked to white supremacist interpretations of theology, though Gayman has attempted to distance his church from Christian Continue reading

The Church of God with Signs Following is a Christian snake-handling sect primarily located in the Appalachian region of the southeastern United States. The group is known for its literal interpretation of Mark 16:17-18, which it understands to command acts such as handling venomous snakes, drinking poison, and enduring fire as demonstrations of faith and Continue reading

The Church of God International (CGI) was founded in 1978 as an offshoot of the Worldwide Church of God (WCG), founded by Herbert W. Armstrong, and emerged after internal disagreements over doctrine and governance. The CGI’s creation followed the excommunication of Garner Ted Armstrong (1930-2003), Herbert Armstrong’s son, from the WCG. After his dismissal, Garner Continue reading

Daniel Wilburn Layne, who usually went by “Danny,” was raised in the Church of God in California, where his father was a minister. In early adulthood, Layne developed a heroin addiction and became a petty criminal and drug dealer to support his habit. His autobiography recounts a period of significant psychological distress, including a stay Continue reading

The Church of Bible Understanding, originally known as the “Forever Family,” is a Christian new religious movement founded in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in 1971 by Stewart Traill. The organization developed into a large communal network during the 1970s, reaching an estimated 10,000 members and operating about 110 communes, mainly in New York. Over time, its communal Continue reading

The Christian World Liberation Front (CWLF) was an evangelical Christian campus ministry at the University of California, Berkeley, active from its founding in April 1969 until its dissolution in June 1975. It emerged during the peak of the 1960s counterculture and became one of the most visible ministries associated with the wider Jesus People movement, Continue reading

“Christian Identity” is an umbrella term for organizations and beliefs falling under a racial interpretation of Christianity which asserts that only Celtic and Germanic peoples, such as Anglo-Saxons and the Nordic nations, are the genuine descendants of the ancient Israelites and are therefore God’s “chosen people.” It is not an organized religion, nor is it Continue reading

Christian Gospel Mission, officially known as Providence and commonly referred to by the acronym JMS (Jesus Morning Star), is an offshoot of the Unification Church (“Moonies”) founded by Jung Myung-seok in South Korea in 1980. The organization has been widely designated as a cult by international media. Before establishing his own group, Jung was a Continue reading

John Alexander Dowie, a Scottish-Australian minister, was a charismatic faith healer and evangelist best known for founding the Christian Catholic Apostolic Church and the theocratic community of Zion, Illinois. Born in Edinburgh in 1847, he emigrated with his family to Adelaide, South Australia, at the age of 13. After working in various jobs, he returned Continue reading

Scott Williams, a former high school teacher from Ballarat East, Australia, founded the group that would later become Christian Assemblies International (CAI) in Feldafing, Germany, in the 1970s. Williams had faced allegations back home that he was indoctrinating students, and he faced the same accusations in Germany. After moving the organization to Stirling, Scotland, he Continue reading

John Thomas was born on April 12, 1805, in London. Raised in a religious household by his pastor father, he later pursued studies in medicine and anatomy. In 1832, Thomas emigrated to the United States. During the voyage, his ship encountered a violent storm, and he vowed to devote his life to seeking God’s truth Continue reading

Former painting contractor Charles Franklin McHugh founded the Christ Family in the early 1960s. After two failed marriages and the collapse of a small business, he went to the Arizona desert for a spiritual retreat. He claimed that after 40 days, he experienced what he said was the revelation that he was the second coming Continue reading

Glen Taylor Helzer was born on July 26, 1970, in Lansing, Michigan, and raised in a devout Mormon family alongside his younger brother, Justin, and sister, Heather. He graduated from Ygnacio Valley High School, served in the National Guard in Texas, and completed a missionary assignment in Brazil. In April 1993, he married Ann, with Continue reading

Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) is an international interdenominational Christian nonprofit organization. Founded in 1937 by Jesse Irvin Overholtzer, it aims to teach the Christian Gospel to children and encourage their involvement in local churches. The organization is a charter member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. Overholtzer was inspired by his belief that children Continue reading