} background-color: #efefef; The SOLA Network exists to influence the emerging generation with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. CFC would not be given much specific information prior to the release of the final executive summary, CFC reported in September. She bangs on his door all hours of the night until he finally comes and gives her justice, LeCroy explained. There are 300+ professionals named "Min Chung", who use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas, and opportunities. WebPastor Min Chung (@pminchung) Instagram photos and videos pminchung 119 posts 1,287 followers 21 following Pastor Min Chung This Account is Private Already follow He added that the Book of Church Order wasnt designed to protect victims of abuse, and that the PCA should consider amendments to the book to help make the judicial process less cumbersome for lay members. I would guess the numbers will continue to collapse keep up the good work PCA. WebLearning to Groan in the Holy Spirit | Romans 8:13-16, 26-27 (Pastor Min Chung) The church also hired The Center Consulting Group (CCG) to assess problems at CFC and offer solutions. In 2019, Chung told two associate pastors in a vague and minimized confession that he had sexually touched a woman from his congregation, the whistleblower report states. They also ruled that the period when Chung wasnt preaching at CFC was enough discipline for his sin. Anne Stych is a writer in Charlotte, North Carolina. We know this may cause pain for many people, and we deeply regret that CFC has chosen this path.. Web[130609] On the knowledge of God. But after receiving the findings and recommendations from its investigation team, the KCP decided to restore Chung to his post. For us, Pastor Min is more than just a gifted pastor and teacher. height: 90px; WBEZ first reported the allegations against Chung and the crisis unfolding at CFC as the victims of sexual and spiritual abuse shared their stories online. } As the leaders of CFC, we repent and acknowledge our failings and the many ways that we need to change.. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-loaded, WebTHE RADIO SHOW WILL BE LIVE! Other whistleblowers said in the report that that isnt true. AsAmNews is a community of users interested in reading, learning and commenting on news, events, people & issues in the Asian Americans and Pacific Islander communities. /* Player background */ } Esther Yoon-Ji Kang is a reporter for WBEZs Race, Class and Communities desk. Hence, the SOLA Network writes the following statement so that the emerging generation of Asian American pastors, leaders, and Christ-followers can be gospel-centric in processing and dealing with the stated incident. As reported by The Roys Report (TRR) last year, Min Joshua Chungarguably the nations most prominent Korean-American pastorwas accused by multiple witnesses of sexual misconduct and decades of cover-up and intimidation. Access to MinistryWatch content is free. Chung is also accused of covering up accusations of sexual abuse against a fellow pastor as well as admitting to inappropriately touching a female congregant for a brief moment. Commissioners for the Presbyterian Church in America approved a motion to leave the National Association of Evangelicals on Wednesday at the PCAs, The Presbyterian Church in Americas (PCA) highest ecclesiastical court is taking over a case allegedly mishandled by an Indiana presbytery, a letter, The Rev. Some people are just too far gone and need a wake-up call.. In this case, Id say this is the logical result of Korean Cultures Confucian-infused hierarchy: father-son, king-subject, husband-wife, elder-younger, friend-friend (where one is above the other in rank). We, as a collective voice of Asian American leaders, implore Min Chung to cease all public ministry at least until a new investigation is conducted and proper Pastor KJ shows no signs of remorse, shows no sign of pastoral care, only concerned with keeping us quiet.. To Thyatira: Hold Fast What You Have Until I Come | Revelation 2:18-29 (Pastor Min Chung) joe 2019.02.19 43. Biblical discipline, especially of a pastor or elder in ordained office, cannot be conducted in solitude by the offender. Yet whistleblowers, who knew about the alleged assault, pressured Chung for a decade to confess to the church. Covenant Fellowship Church is nondenominational, has no elders, and is not a PCA member. Email:[emailprotected] WILL and the Illinois Newsroom are committed to bringing you in-depth, relevant coverage that keeps you informed and engages you with our community and state. } */ Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive Escaping the Maze of Spiritual Abuse by Dr. Lisa Oakley and Justin Humphreys. There are Walmart runs. Sexual misconduct and/or harassment in any form is a grievous sin that should never be tolerated. He also spoke at youth and college-aged events, counseled university students, and preached in several countries. One was a claim from many years ago of inappropriate touch with an adult woman. He added: Theyre banging on the door, looking for justice, and I dont think leaders of the church should look down upon that because that is exactly what they should be doing if they havent found it where they should find it.. CFC has begun posting Leadership Updates on its website. Last August, shortly after the WBEZ report was published, the same group of pastors from the KCP appealed the case, which went to the PCAs Standing Judicial Commission (SJC), a quasi-judicial body of sorts, according to several sources. It affects your identity, making you want to hide parts or even all of yourself. He is the ultimate judge who will make right all wrongs and the one who will both save and destroy. Sometimes weve lost purpose and direction. They were also concerned that other victims may exist, she said. It was very much like, Why do you think you got into this relationship? She says he then began to force himself on her and pull his pants down until she pushed him off and ran into the bathroom, locking the door until he left. Its time to move on.. A couple of other organizations have also severed their associations with the CFC founder. .jet-smart-listing__post-title:after { Another woman reported to Chung that she had been raped repeatedly. Weve lost our reputations. To make a donation,click here. Victims of abuse who express their grievances on social media, who protest, who take their stories to the media theyre like that woman in that parable, LeCroy said. /* Track progress bar background (amount of track fully loaded) It also alleges that Chung urged a woman not to go to police when she sought his counsel after being sexually assaulted by another church member. /* Progress and audio bar background */ On July 13, the KCP met to discuss a complaint about the ruling filed by a group of pastors who wanted the group to remove Chung from the ministry. WBEZ uncovered multiple other allegations against CFC, including pastors at the church making sexual comments to teen girls, church officials brushing off women who were sexually assaulted who went to them for help, and an overall culture that diminished women. .grecaptcha-badge { Chung is also accused of covering up accusations of sexual abuse against a fellow pastor as well as admitting to inappropriately touching a female congregant for a Illinois Newsroom gets stories from public radio stations from across the state, including WBEZ-Chicago, WCBU-Peoria, WGLT-Normal, WVIK-Rock Island, WIUM-Macomb, WNIJ-DeKalb, WSIU-Carbondale, WUIS-Springfield, and St. Louis Public Radio. The Council believes sexual sin against a member of the congregation and failure to properly confess or be held accountable are reasons to disqualify a pastor/elder from office. It Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. The city of Detroit is suing a pastor and his church over the stalled development of a new mega-church at 7 Mile and Woodward Avenue, saying blight has emerged as a result, according to court documents. In much of Asian culture, you never want to look bad in front of the community and you never want to be the cause of someone else being shamed, said Frank Mesina, a former CFC member. Follow her on Twitter @estheryjkang. background-color: rgba(219, 78, 136, 0.075); The audit report isnt linked to any of the online church leadership updates. The political influence of the Senior Pastor in most independent churches is always a problem but in a denomination the hope is that people with oversight can minimize the political influence I guess not. Dr. Min J. Chung is the founding and lead pastor of Covenant Fellowship Church, an Creating space for women to be actively involved and included has been so important and it gives me hope for the institution of the church in general, she said. 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But TRR said that the ruling may still be appealed to the Standing Judicial Commission of the PCA's General Assembly. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Find more resources and videos here. The KCP which consists of several pastors who were close with Chung had determined that he had been restored to God, as well as the woman. The regional presbytery also determined no additional disciplinary steps were needed for Chung other than what the church had already instituted. Whistleblowers say theyre disappointed, but not surprised, with the ruling. Nine teaching elders protested the KCPs ruling, saying they didnt think Chung was truly repentant, and called for indefinite suspension. Another promised change was to bring the church under a regional body within the Presbyterian Church of America (PCA), to seek more oversight and accountability for its leaders and members. We acknowledge that this was wrong., Kim said the woman had forgiven Chung long ago.. To Pergamum: Do Not Compromise | Revelation 2:12-17 (Pastor Min Chung) 2nd Peter 1 : 2 ~ 3, by pastor Minho Chung Almost every day of the week, they try to recruit people, Ma said. I have really chosen to not respond to many of these issues but when I was a young man right before I went to college to study for the ministry one of the men who was a brother to a popular board member of the church attempted to molest me at my parents home while I was recovering from a severe pneumonia. And women are taught to protect men, even when the men are doing something wrong or hurting the women, said former member June Pinyo. Pastor Min Chung admitted some guilt but faced few consequences. Whistleblowers are making their accusations public after several years of attempts to confront the influential pastor within a reportedly tight-knit, shame-based community. We remind him to abide by the BCO (Book of Church Order), and we believe that he should return to ministry.. Nothing was put in place, to my knowledge, to keep me safe from him. (Illinois defines criminal sexual assault as using force or threat or force, and the defendant knows the victim is unable to give knowing consent.). Opinion: What is Revivaland is it Happening at Asbury? And he bullied . .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-embed body { Toll free: (866) 364-9980, Florida Youth Pastor Arrested for Attempting Sex with Teen Student, Cedarvilles Plan to Save Anthony Moore Abandoned its Students and Moore, Missouri Church Leaves Presbyterian Church in America Over LGBT Issues, Archbishop Resigns from Anglican Church of Canada over Sexual Misconduct, Cedarville Reinstates President White After Misconduct Investigation. That is the message of Esther Lius book Shame: Being Known and Loved. Some members of the allegation group also said they lacked confidence the KCP would handle any future cases differently, given the ties many of the pastors had to Chung. Powered by Church Plant Media If they found out, they would be devastated and you know how people talk, and I wouldnt want them to have to go through that. . Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive Escaping the Maze of Spiritual Abuse by Dr. Lisa Oakley and Justin Humphreys. Chung began private counseling sessions with the victim, using that time to urge her to keep silent about the assault, the report states. says that as of July 2021, CFC is under the leadership of Reverend KJ Kim and a lay oversight board and is in the process of particularizing or becoming a fully organized church with the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). This story has been updated to clarify CFCs relationship with regional and national presbytery associations. Chung founded CFC in 1990, and its now home to more than a thousand members hailing from more than 20 ethno-linguistic groups, according to its website. In September 2019, a member of the new leadership team, Pastor KJ Kim, said Chung had admitted to touching a female over the clothing for a brief moment about 20 years ago but had immediately stopped when she asked him to, per a recording obtained by WBEZ. WebWorked at Associate Pastor of New People Baptist Church (Sae Kook Min Baptist Church (1978-1987) and PoDowon Baptist Church (2006-2010) Lives in Gimpo Pastor Cyrus .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-controls .mejs-time-rail .mejs-time-current { MC (Min Chung) is anointed by God, God only exists at CFC and there is no other place like CFC, Lee said, describing the church environment. As WBEZ previously reported, those restorative steps had included meeting with the CFC pastoral staff regularly for mutual encouragement and care and preventing Chung from preaching at CFC for a limited time. The Roys Report seeks to foster thoughtful and respectful dialogue. The church followed the report with a letter apologizing for several wrongs. In April 2021, Chungs denomination, the Korean Central Presbytery, an arm of the Presbyterian Church in America, ruled that Chung was guilty of sexual harassment, but allowed Chung to return to ministry. Finally, we desire and pray for justice and healing for all past and present survivors of abuse. "MC (Min Chung) is anointed by God, God only exists at CFC and there is no other place like CFC. Keep in touch with Julie and get updates in your inbox! The report accuses Chung of orchestrating a cover-up of sexual abuse allegations against another Korean-American pastor of a church with close ties to CFC. Join our weekly TGIF newsletter and receive recent articles and fresh resources from the web. Since there is no room in the culture for open candor, exchange of perspectives, and helpful permissive dissension, there is only a cycle of abuse that continues at all levels of leadership," Dan Lee, a whistleblower, revealed. Members didnt feel safe talking to leaders and sometimes felt ostracized, the report said. On December 4, 2022, CFC became a particular church within the Presbytery of For almost 20 years, Chung kept the alleged sexual assault from church leaders and his wife, Park said. However, we hope you will support our work with your prayers and financial gifts. } We judge that his relationship with God is restored as we consider the grace of God. To Thyatira: Hold Fast What You Have Until I Come | Revelation 2:18-29 (Pastor Min Chung) joe 2019.02.19 43. In May 2021, CFC cut ties with Chung. Now, more than a year after WBEZ broke the story, former members and others familiar with the church say CFC is quietly reversing course. Chung continued to speak elsewhere during this time. It was just like, Why, why did we do this all in vain? Park said. background: #db4e88; However, a senior consultant at Center Consulting has ties with Chung. Websigns of too much calcium in tomato plants. As James 3 warns us, teachers will be judged more strictly. top: 19px; One of those associate pastors was KJ Kim, the new head pastor of CFC. Were an all-volunteer effort of dedicated staff and interns. Zimmerman didnt answer calls or emails to comment on his relationship with Chung. However, theres nothing on CFCs website about CFCs recent decision to terminate GRACE. Some former CFC members told TRR they believe CFC leaders have lost their way. We also introduced two new members of the [], Editors Note: This panel discussion is from SOLA Conference 2021. LeCroy said the procedures and laws of the PCAs Book of Church Order by which churches, presbyteries and pastors abide dictates that the lower court, [the presbyterys] decision is to be respected, and that the SJC often does decide things along procedural grounds, and not the merits of the original case. Singer said any organizations that back out do so because they dont understand the nature of an independent assessment or investigation. However, a document submitted by a group of former CFC members calling themselves the allegation group, asked the Korean Central Presbytery (KCP), a denominational oversight group, to investigate the incident, called it unwanted, non-consensual touch in her private area., Chung reportedly personally counseled the woman after the incident, and said they reached reconciliation.. The church consists of predominantly a Korean American congregation. The friend urged the victim to tell Chung she hadnt consented to his touch. Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive a copy of Escaping the Maze of Spiritual Abuse by Dr. Lisa Oakley and Justin Humphreys. "Regarding recovery, the pastor reconciled with his victim, and regarding his relationship with God, he recognized his sin before God and relies on the blood of Christ. } However, CFC has made some changes. /*Custom svg icon height fix*/ Since there is no room in the culture for open candor, exchange of perspectives, and helpful permissive dissension, there is only a cycle of abuse that continues at all levels of leadership.. } Park is one of the whistleblowers who submitted the report to the KCP. Ministry Watch 2022 All rights reserved. We grieve that this incident will cause many to experience confusion and lose trust in their pastors and elders. 6 min read. The victim was suicidal and traumatized by her initial and continuous interaction with Pastor Min, the friend stated in testimony included in the report. Sources, including Singer, told WBEZ that CFC was concerned the information-gathering process was biased and that it dug too much into Chungs case, which the church deemed outside the scope of the assessment. Check out our new Instagram account. Former CFC member Janet Park said that when she confronted Chung in 2009, he told her that he kept the matter a secret because the victim had insisted on doing so. For Janet Park and other members of the group that filed the initial allegations against Chung and the CFC pastors, the GRACE termination felt like a particularly painful blow. SEOUL, South Korea A prominent church pastor whose behavior came under scrutiny when the #MeToo movement took hold in South Korea was The gospel is good news for all sinners; in the blood of Christ, all can find forgiveness and redemption. Pastor Kim did not respond to a TRR inquiry about the audit. Heartland Greenway LLC refiled its application with the Illinois. While the perfect judgment of God awaits us all, human judgments must be made to reflect His. Coverstone confirmed in a separate email to WBEZ that Kim, who had been accused by former church members of failing to respond properly to Chungs sexual misconduct, had been accepted into the Presbytery of Northern Illinois in January. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-button > button { Learn how your comment data is processed. Theres a side of me thats like, no, Im not gonna give another ounce of my energy and time to this, and then theres this other side of me thats just so upset at the injustice of it all, that people still dont have the truth., Miryung Fontijn, another member of the allegation group, said she was shocked by the GRACE termination. Our King Jesus, in his incarnation, wept at the suffering of man and in his full glory he will wipe away every tear as he welcomes us into eternity. Chung joined the church in 2005 as the minister of missions, taking over a storied tradition of deploying missionaries around the world, said Walter Kim, an .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-current, In addition to the alleged sexual assault, the report lists several other allegations against Chung. A Presbyterian oversight group has determined that the former head pastor of a Korean church near the Champaign-Urbana campus of the University of Illinois can remain an ordained minister despite allegations of sexual misconduct against him and his church. Photo: Illustration by Andjela Padejski, Photo by Manuel Martinez/WBEZ News, Move over, Bruce Willis: NASA crashed into an asteroid to test planetary defense, Students protest University of Illinois investments related to fossil fuels. All videos and transcripts are available on our website. Over the years, Chung rebuked whistleblowers who tried to confront him for causing dissension in the church. They either left or were forced to leave by the leadership they loved, the report states. We, as a collective voice of Asian American leaders, implore Min Chung to cease all public ministry at least until a new investigation is conducted and proper disciplinary measures are followed. Eventually, Ashton was removed along with Angel Chen in episode 9 because she didnt live up to the judges expectations. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-float-corner, .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-marker, In 2020, the SOLA Council was notified about a past incident involving council member Min Chung, in which he acted inappropriately with a female young adult whom he was pastoring. A total of 19 people signed on to the report or are cited as witnesses. Pete Singer, GRACEs executive director, called the cancellation very rare, adding he is aware of just one other organization that has done the same. TRR reached out to Min Chung for comment, but he did not respond. Join with thousands of others to keep this important public media-based resource available to all. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-handle-content { In addition, CFC vowed to be clear and transparent with members by providing regular updates on the probe on its website. After that, he was For the sake of the churchs purity and healing, we desire for there to be a thorough, fair, and independent investigation completed regarding the incident and the aftermath. These include the SOLA Network, a group of Asian American pastors, and the Joshua Generation, a high school ministry that the minister also founded.
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