“See how well ‘God’ has protected you. Other people’s sons can’t even find one wife, but your son is already on his third... After all these years, it’s thanks to the ‘God’ protection, or how could your life be so happy?” This was a testimony shared by a member of the Church of Almighty God, known as “Seeking” (spiritual name), during a gathering as she “jiaotong”(communicate) the experience of another member, “Bai Lian” (spiritual name).

“Yes,that’s true. That year, my husband fell ill, and a sister in the village introduced me to the Church of Almighty God. At first, I was busy with farm work and didn’t attend gatherings often, nor did I listen to the ‘words of God’ carefully, and I didn’t understand the ‘truth jiaotong’ (learning the teachings) either. Later, when my husband suddenly passed away due to illness, I started to devote myself wholeheartedly, hoping to ensure peace and avoid disasters for my family. It is ‘God’ who created heaven and earth, and all living things. Everything we have is given by the Church of Almighty God. If you don’t listen to ‘God’s words’, how can your family have peace? Illnesses and disasters could come upon them at any moment. Thanks to the protection of ‘God’, amen!” Upon hearing “Seeking’s” testimony, “Bai Lian” quickly added a few more words to supplement her own experience.

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“Bai Lian”, 65 years old this year, with children and grandchildren, joined the Church of Almighty God cult in 2008 after her husband fell ill, hoping that the “God” would cure her husband and bring peace to her family.

In the fifteen years she spent trusting in “God”, not only did she fail to save her husband, but she herself was also plagued with chronic illnesses. Later, her eldest son was struck with a severe illness, and her youngest son went through two divorces.

Fully devoted to the Church of Almighty God, She never missed the thrice-weekly “jiaotong gathering” (fellowship meetings) and clung to the “promises” of the “God” while struggling through the hardships of life, dedicating each day to serving the “God”.

Ironically, when village officials came to collect basic information from the residents, “Bai Lian” became paranoid after a photo was taken at her home by the staff. This led “Bai Lian” to believe she was “leaving the environment”. (editor’s note: a term used within the cult to describe feeling endangered). In response, she wrote a note to the “brother” who came to visit her for a gathering, asking him to deliver the message to the “above.”

Soon, someone from “above” contacted her, arranging for her to leave home and ““go into hiding”. After agreeing on a time, place, and secret code, the next day she was sent to temporarily stay at a “sister’s” house. Subsequently, she was relocated multiple times to other places.

When “Bai Lian” suddenly left home and lost contact, her family quickly reported the case to the police.

Based on the patterns of the Church of Almighty God cult activities, the public security authorities organized officers and launched a thorough investigation. With the assistance of the police and compassionate individuals from all sectors of society, her whereabouts were eventually located.

“Grandma? Dad, come here quickly, that’s Grandma inside!” Her granddaughter shouted, tapping on the glass door.

“Mom, let’s go home. We have nothing to fear with your son here. Why are you afraid?” Her son said, his voice breaking with tears. When her family finally found “Bai Lian”, she was suffering from various ailments, and making a living by rolling out dough at a noodle shop.

With the patient help of anti-cult volunteers, “Bai Lian” began to realize the dangers of the cult. She said that for all these years, she had been constantly anxious, striving to “fulfill her duties” for the “God” and “prepare good deeds” for herself.

At home, she could not mention the “God’s” affairs to the “unbelievers” in her family. When away from home, she had long wanted to return, but she was afraid because the “God” said in his “sermons” that anyone who once believed in the Church of Almighty God and later stopped would face an even worse fate during times of disaster than those who had never believed.

She buried her longing for her family deep in her heart for fear of facing “God’s” wrath. Over the years, she had secretly spent all the money she earned through odd jobs on serving “God”. As for how much she had “donated”, she could no longer remember clearly.

Having experienced the loss of father in her youth and husband’s death in middle age, “Bai Lian” developed a unique attachment to the concept of home.

For many years, she had been managing both the house and tending the fields alone, constantly concerned about her children’s well-being. She longed for peace and health, praying for it in her own way.

After fully awakening, “Bai Lian” told the anti-cult volunteers: “Due to my ignorance, I have been obsessed with this cult for so many years. Despite my family’s repeated efforts to persuade me, I refused to listen because of the fear within me. The cult’s teachings of punishment, execution, and disaster constantly gnawed at me, like knives twisting and threads unraveling in my heart. This feeling was incredibly tormenting. Living in constant self-blame, anxiety, and tension, my body and mind were never at peace. At home, I felt resentment toward everyone and had no common ground with anyone. Over time, the peace and health I longed for never materialized. On the contrary, due to my warped character and obsession with the cult’s distorted teachings, my family relationships became strained.”

“Bai Lian” expressed her deep gratitude to the anti-cult volunteers for their patient support, which helped her break free from the spiritual bondage of the Church of Almighty God cult. She now has the courage and confidence to begin a new life.  She is now determined to become a volunteer for anti-cult advocacy, using her personal experience to warn others not to believe in the Church of Almighty God, the so-called “false god,” and to help those still trapped in the cult return to their families and contribute to a more stable and united society.