The Projector: Student’s JournalDate September 25, 1989CULT ON CAMPUSCult Recruits on CampusPart One: In the Beginning…By Kim Van BruggenAdministration is warning stu-dents to stay away from a religious cult attempting to infiltratethe college.Known members of the University Bible Fellowship are attending classes at the college,according to Brian Hanson, V.P.Student Affairs.“They are primarily here to recruit,” Hanson said.The group has been active onthe U of W campus for the lastfour years, before being bannedfrom the property.They moved on to the U of Mcampus in February 1988, butwere forced off the campus afterwidespread publicity made re-cruiting difficult.“They call themselves missionaries, and the core of the group isKorean,” Gordon Gillespie ofManitoba Cult Awareness said. “It all starts very simply.They’ll try to zero in on the lonelyones. They’ll invite them out inthe evening to read the bible, ortake them out for lunch,” Gillespiesaid.“They use an orthodox bible,but they put their own meaningsto it.”The UBF started in Korea inthe early sixties. The headquarters of the group are now based inChicago under the direction offounding members Samuel Leeand Sarah Barry. There are UBFchapters in the U.S., Canada andeight other nations.“Ultimately, they want you towork full-time for them, recruiting students. They want you tolive with them.” he said.“It starts out very slowly, butonce they get to work on you it’svery hard to break away,” he said.After a long struggle, TheresaChaisson, 23, has managed toseparate herself from the group.“I had nightmares the first yearafter I left. I’d wake up in themiddle of the night in a coldsweat,” the second year RRCCnursing student said.Chaisson first came into contact with UBF while nursing atthe Health Sciences Center.“A friend invited me to biblestudy.” “That’s how they approach the students. They ask, ‘Have you ever studied bible?’ or ‘Do you believe in God?‘”The UBF “church” is a house located in Fort Garry.“Once you’re there, they shower you with praise and kindness, making you the center of their attention—they call it “lovebombing,” Chaisson said.“They’ll get settled into the college and then send a certain number of missionaries to ‘pioneer the college” (a term used throughout UBF when they are recruiting.)“There are three Korean women—UBF members–enrolled at the college.”“I’ve seen them hanging around a cute little student and I could’ve just died. They’re surrounding her—she’s in the center of the three of them.”Next issue: The second part of Cult on Campus will detail what happens to a new recruit once inside the UBF, as described by former members.
Source: http://rrcsa.ca/archives/September25_89.pdf