Just before the Dragon Boat Festival in 2025, in Huoshan County, Lu’an City, Anhui Province, villager Lao Ye carefully swept the floor and wiped the mirrors in his newly opened barbershop. The sweltering heat of June in Huoshan was unrelenting, and as Lao Ye worked vigorously, sweat poured down his face. Yet, his heart was filled with an unprecedented sense of peace. He reflected deeply and said, “I must work hard and earn money to make up for the years I’ve lost. Otherwise, I’d be letting down the government and my family.”
Lao Ye is cleaning the barbershop
Straying into the Wrong Path Severs Bonds, Leaving Wife and Daughter in Despair
Lao Ye, born in 1970 and now 55 years old, sighs repeatedly when recalling his involvement in the cult Church of Almighty God. Eleven years ago, he had a happy and harmonious family. He ran a barbershop in town, his wife operated a hotel in the county seat, and their 16-year-old daughter was clever, quick-witted, and excelled in her studies. The family lived in prosperity and peace, but the cult’s claw quietly reached to their family.
In 2014, while accompanying his daughter studying nearby school , Lao Ye met a new friend named “Cheng Jian.” They hit it off and grew increasingly close. One day, Cheng Jian visited Lao Ye’s home and tentatively asked if he believed in “God.” Without any guard up, Lao Ye casually replied, “Sure, I do. I often go to the village temple to burn incense and pray for my family’s blessings.” Cheng Jian immediately turned serious and said, “You’re believing in a false god! A false god can’t protect you. The ‘Female Christ’ is the true God who can shelter your entire family!” Then he pulled out the book The Word Appears in the Flesh of cult Church of Almighty God and began expounding on “God” and “catastrophes.” He claimed that all things in the world were created by “Almighty God,” who performs work in three stages, and this incarnation was to personally save humanity. He added that with so many disasters on Earth—earthquakes, plagues, famines everywhere—the signs indicated that the “end of the world” was imminent, bringing utter destruction to humanity. Only believers in “Almighty God” could be saved... Gradually, Lao Ye shifted from curiosity and a desire to learn more to fear of leaving, even hoping that his devout prayers would help his daughter’s academic progress.
The cult Church of Almighty God requires members to “eat and drink the God’s words” daily, reading “God’s words” and singing “God’s songs” with others, and aligning all actions with these “words.” Through repetitive recitation of heretical doctrines, writing “oaths of allegiance,” and other methods, it exerts mind control, drawing many new members deeper into its trap. Lao Ye was no exception. After joining, his life suddenly became “busy” with frequently attended gatherings and turned his temporary rental into a secret meeting point for cult members. Due to his “outstanding” performance and contributions, the cult appointed him as a “church leader,” pulling him even further in.
During household visits, town and village officials discovered Lao Ye’s problem and immediately advised him to stay away from the cult. At first, he superficially agreed and brushed them off; later, he developed resistance and avoided them, playing “hide and seek” with the visiting officials.
Without her father’s care, his daughter lost interest in studying, idling away her days at school, and her grades plummeted. Yet Lao Ye remained unconcerned, not worried about her future at all. In fact, he was delighted, thinking, “It’s better if my daughter doesn’t study. The sooner she believes in ‘God,’ the sooner she can receive ‘God’s’ salvation and go abroad to ‘fulfill her duty’ for the cult organization.”
Upon learning the truth, Lao Ye’s wife found him, weeping bitterly and begging him to return to the family and abandon his belief in Church of Almighty God. Facing his concerned wife and tearful, aggrieved daughter, Lao Ye hysterically declared, “Absolutely not! I will never betray ‘God’! ‘God’ said that all my hard work and sacrifices will bring rewards in the future. I will reach the ‘pasture’ and attain salvation. I won’t be a Judas!”
In 2016, Lao Ye resolutely abandoned his wife and daughter to “fulfill his duty” elsewhere. His family lost all contact with him. His wife fell ill from anger and was hospitalized, while his daughter, then in her senior year of high school, went to the township government in despair to request severance of ties with her missing father.
Multi-Party Collaboration Ignites Efforts, Rekindling Family Warmth Like Sunshine
In January 2025, Lao Ye was arrested by public security agency while engaging in cult Church of Almighty God activities elsewhere and subjected to legal sanctions. Since Lao Ye released after serving prison sentence, helping him reintegrate into society and family, completely break free from cult activities, and return to normal life became a top priority for the police in Huoshan County.
The political and legal affairs system in Huoshan County, along with civil affairs and other departments, actively explored new approaches to educating and community-correcting released cult offenders. After multiple consultations on Lao Ye’s long-term involvement in cult activities, they finalized a support policy of “family care & employment assistance & psychological counseling.” They simultaneously addressed aspects such as living allowances, housing, vocational training, and job placement, providing humane care to help Lao Ye reintegrate into society.
Due to years of wandering, Lao Ye’s social security payments were long overdue, and his hometown house was in disrepair. The local police station reissued his ID card, relevant departments helped him apply for low-rent housing in the township, and they covered his arrears in social security.
Family care was essential to open Lao Ye’s heart. Although his wife and daughter were deeply disappointed by his past actions, the news of their long-lost husband and father brought a glimmer of hope for reconciliation and true family reunion. Addressing this conflicting psychology, the local township government, public security, civil affairs departments, and anti-cult volunteers formed a support team. They hired psychological correction experts from the county hospital to provide therapy for Lao Ye’s wife and daughter, successfully resolving their emotional issues and enabling them to open their hearts and accept Lao Ye’s return to the family.
The measures for assistance were determined through consultation
Assistance Opens Path to Livelihood, Rebuilding Confidence for a New Start
After returning home, Lao Ye experienced emotional instability and psychological panic over fears of reintegrating into society. Anti-cult volunteers used visits and condolences as opportunities for psychological counseling, persistently engaging him in heart-to-heart talks about family life, the meaning of life, his cult experiences, personal responsibilities, and more, aiming to reduce and eliminate his feelings of inferiority and opposition.
To fundamentally improve Lao Ye’s living conditions, upon learning of his barber skills, the local government coordinated to help him lease a 50-square-meter storefront in a bustling area. In the first month of operation, Lao Ye earned over 6,000 yuan. Looking at his income statement, he said with emotion, “This is the first time in my life I’ve earned so much money. It gives me hope for the future. Believing in ‘God’ was all fake; the money I earn through my own efforts is real!”
Additionally, anti-cult volunteers integrated policy and legal education into daily assistance and phone contacts with Lao Ye, ensuring the messages sank in. They continuously sent him anti-cult publicity from “China Anti-Cult Network” via mobile phone, deepening his understanding of the cult’s harms and leading him to decisively break ties with it ideologically.
“I’m reporting to you that I’ve bought a car on installment. From now on, I’ll live well and even buy a apartment. Don’t worry, I’ll never believe in Church of Almighty God again!” In mid-July 2025, Lao Ye excitedly called the anti-cult volunteers to update them on his situation.
Free from the cult and back to normal life, his happy existence has begun anew!
(To protect the privacy of the individuals involved, all names in this article are pseudonyms.)
