Predicted Tv Showing By God Draws A Crowd

Century-End Madness

Ft. Worth Star Telegram/March 25, 1998
By Justin Bachman

Chen Hon-Ming, the leader of the God's Salvation Church, predicts that God will appear on television Channel 18 in Dallas, Texas at 12:01 Wednesday morning in preparation for his return to Earth, via Garland, next Tuesday. The FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM's Justin Bachman offers full coverage.

At least 30 news organizations have signed up to camp out tonight at Chen's home, the headquarters of the Taiwanese UFO cult. Up to 100 city employees are working security for the event.

[The group said it chose the Dallas suburb because it sounds to them like "God land."]

As hordes of reporters descended to cover the broadcast, city officials unveiled a plan they hope will minimize the commotion. Traffic to the residential area is being tightly restricted; bright orange media credentials have been issued allowing access.

The church is composed of 110 adults and 50 children, many of whom have left their homes in Taiwan to follow Chen. About 20 men have shaved their heads in preparation for God's arrival, reports Wednesday's DALLAS MORNING NEWS. "If God is not on the television tonight, then Master Chen said it is over, we can go home," a church member tells the paper.

Chen says God is returning on a "salvation operation" to redeem people before nuclear holocaust in 1999 claims most of the Earth's population.

At a news conference at Garland's City Hall Tuesday afternoon, police Lt. Don Martin said: "We don't know what's going to happen... We're working on assumptions."

Chen has said that he would come out of his house after midnight Tuesday to reveal what happened on TV. But if Chen does not emerge, police plan to knock on the door, telephone the house. If they hear sounds of distress or violence or get no response, police will break the door down and enter, Lt. Martin warned.

The biggest assumption is that members of the creep group, which says it values all life, will not harm themselves or engage in any other negative behavior even if they do not perceive anything to have occurred tonight.

STAR-TELEGRAM Bachman reports: "The group's beliefs incorporate aspects of Christianity and Buddhism, with several unique features, including reverence of technology and the notion that God has engineered 'super aircraft' that will transport 1,800 passengers through several dimensions of space and time."

Now boarding on Channel 18.