One of the most common sugarcoated stories that John Baik shares (and boasts about) is how god (UBF) gave him the goal to come to the U.S. from Korea in 1993 to make 50 churches in Gardena, CA and how his ministry became “prosperous”. But that is not the whole story. What truly happened is a lot more sinister. This intel was disclosed by a former Downey UBF member

Here is the actual timeline:

  • In Nov 1993 John Baik who was from Korea UBF (specifically from the Kyungsung branch/chapter) came to the U.S and became a chapter director (“missionary”) trainee in the Downey UBF chapter (At the time the Downey UBF chapter was known as the Long Beach UBF chapter but more on Downey UBF in a future article). His superior was the chapter director of Downey UBF (at the time) Isaac “Ike” Hyung Kim.
  • Baik is part of Downey UBF from 1993-2003
  • In 2004, John Baik left Downey UBF after some dispute/conflict/beef/argument with chapter director Isaac H. Kim on issues such as speaking in tongues, autonomy, money, and ownership / direction of certain disciples.
  • Baik gets kicked out of UBF following his departure from Downey UBF
  • In that same year (2004) rather than go back to Korea or join another church, he decided to start “a new ministry” (his words). He had continued his 1:1’s and spread the UBF dogma, doctrine, and false gospel (Leeism/UBFism) from his time in Downey UBF. He unfortunately found victims to establish his own plans/agenda.
  • Baik began to call his new ministry El Camino (UBF). He continued to operate his new ministry in the exact same way he operated as a UBF chapter director, just solo
  • Baik was literally out of UBf for several months. Not days, not weeks, but months out of UBF
  • At the 2004 International Conference at MSU in late 2004, James Suhr (Baik’s bible teacher from Korea UBF ) convinced John Baik to remain in UBF as a separate chapter.
  • Baik was eventually allowed back in UBF for UBF HQ and Issac Kim found him okay since Baik still believed and continued to teach UBF’s false gospel Leeism/UBFism
  • At the first years of El Camino UBF the original members thought (in other words they presumed) that Baik’s ministry was a “sister church”
  • Around 2007-2008 Baik established a front for the El Camino UBF called Shepherd’s Church hence the image at the beginning of this article
  •  Baik’s real agenda is to be his own boss with his own operation (El Camino UBF). It’s very ironic for Baik to talk about going the “extra mile” yet he would put up with Isaac Kim for only 10 years.

 

Additional notes:

John Baik and El Camino UBF members have been invited to the UBF National Staff conferences each year. In fact, John Baik has been a speaker or at least brought to stage in recognition of his high 1:1 and SWS report #’s many, many times. You can find his chapter info in the annual Work of God (National update) books that the staff members receive at their national staff conference each year. He loved to brag about his numbers and, as such, El Camino UBF became a star chapter and model, even though the actual practices conducted by him and other members (mainly the seniors) were not investigated. His numbers were often a UBF highlight. (That is until recently with their mini-crisis and the articles exposing them).

This is the story of Mike E. who left Downey UBF in 2001 and who was Baik’s student when Baik was still part of Downey UBF: http://exubf.blogspot.com/2007/05/mike-e-former-los-angeles-ubf.html