More than half a million followers of the La Luz del Mundo (The Light of the World) church are gathered in the Mexican city of Guadalajara, where the Christian group has its international headquarters.
AFP
The fundamentalist Christian church was founded in 1926 by Mexican Eusebio Joaquín González. It claims to have 1.8 million followers in Mexico and many more worldwide, although many religious experts question the numbers given by the church.
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The church has been expanding rapidly in areas of the United States with large Latino populations. Its female followers wear full-length skirts and let their hair grow long.
AFP
The church describes itself as a “resurgence of the early Christian church”. Women cover their heads during services and sit separately from the men.
AFP
The church’s followers refer to each other as “brother” or “sister” and emotions often run high during their mass events.
AFP
During its annual gathering in Guadalajara, which it calls “holy convocation”, church leaders holds mass baptisms and a “holy supper”.
AFP
During their baptism, members are fully submerged in a large pool. The group says during the gathering its followers consumed 600,000 loaves of bread and 20,000 litres of wine during the “holy supper”.
AFP
La Luz del Mundo is led by Naáson Joaquín García, 49. His followers believe he is an apostle of Jesus.
AFP
Critics of the church have accused its spiritual director, Naáson Joaquín García, of fostering a cult of personality around himself and say the group resembles a sect rather than a church. Its huge main temple stands outside Guadalajara.
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