# How I Became a Cult Recruiter

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/what-it-was-like-5287591/how-i-became-a-cult-recruiter
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/what-it-was-like-5287591/how-i-became-a-cult-recruiter.md
Podcast: [What It Was Like](https://stenobird.com/podcast/what-it-was-like-5287591)
Published: 2026-05-15T11:45:00+00:00
Episode link: https://shows.acast.com/what-it-was-like/episodes/6a070691efd1f558b08f79b6
Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/6200ee776bcd50001215d4e7/e/6a070691efd1f558b08f79b6/media.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/what-it-was-like-5287591/episodes/how-i-became-a-cult-recruiter
Duration seconds: 3618

## Resource

In 2019, Mattew Thomas thought he was joining a Bible study group. Instead, he was sucked into Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a secretive Korean cult known for coercive control and bankrupting its members. Over the next four years, Matt lost himself and eventually became a recruiter tasked with drawing others in. Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcast Find us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcast Follow us on Instagram: whatitwaslikepodcast This is a Superreal production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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## Transcript

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