Controversial church branded ‘dangerous cult’ opens new branch in Bristol

Bristol World, UK/August 29, 2024

By Charlie Watts

A controversial church that has been branded a “cult” by critics has opened a new branch in Bristol.

Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG) has taken on the former Bristol City Mission church on Great George Street in St Jude’s, following its £475,000 purchase of the property. 

The evangelical, Pentecostal church was first started in Brazil in 1977, and now has a presence across the globe - including more than 50 full- and part-time branches in the UK.  

But the church has been embroiled in several controversies, with a 1997 report by the Belgian Parliament branding the church a “dangerous cult” and claiming it is simply out to defraud believers.  

In 2022, ex-followers of the UCKG told the Guardian they felt pressure to give money and were told demons caused mental health issues.      

And last December, a BBC Panorama investigation found the church tells its congregations it can help with mental health conditions by casting out evil spirits.     

In a Facebook post, the UCKG said the opening of the church in Bristol is “a reminder to the residents that in the same way that the old abandoned post office was refurbished and now stands as a place of hope, God wants to transform and make all things new in the lives of those who come to Him.”