Leaving the case to be resolved by a higher jurisdiction. CFC would not be given much specific information prior to the release of the final executive summary, CFC reported in September. At that meeting, however, the KCP instead considered a motion to rescind the April 2021 judgment and to hold a retrial, according to a July 15, 2021, statement from the presbytery. Powered by Church Plant Media Other whistleblowers said in the report that that isnt true. Brea, CA 92821 | 562.694.2100 2022 Living Hope Community Church. We are accountable to our congregation and the denomination that has charge over its leaders and we believe that this is best for our church and its future. Marco Morante was eliminated in episode 8, Military, since the judges werent impressed by his outfit with a military motif. Although banned from preaching at CFC by the Korean Central Presbytery in which he was They gave a couple of examples [of bias], which were tenuous at best, Singer said. 6 min read. And I say that as someone who believes the Bible clearly uses language from both spectra, not just one or the other. In a situation like this, we believe real accountability, discipline, and repentance are required. As a whistleblower, its traumatic as well, because there are so many places of pain and injustice along the way, Park said. Esther Yoon-Ji Kang is a reporter for WBEZs Race, Class and Communities desk. However, a senior consultant at Center Consulting has ties with Chung. 6 min read. fostered a misogynistic environment that included sexual mistreatment and 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. 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. He also spoke at youth and college-aged events, counseled university students, and preached in several countries. For us, Pastor Min is more than just a gifted pastor and teacher. The sermon was maligned by many Protestants and praised by many Catholics, She bangs on his door all hours of the night until he finally comes and gives her justice, LeCroy explained. font-size: 10px Per a New York Times opinion piece from June 13, 2016 called South Koreas Misogyny, Women made up 86 percent of all violent crime victims in 2013, according to police data (most violent crime is sexual in nature, and women suffer disproportionately from sexual crimes)., Per a June 23, 2021 article from foreignpolicy.com, sexism has been a long-standing issue in South Korea. For almost 20 years, Chung kept the alleged sexual assault from church leaders and his wife, Park said. Pete Singer, GRACEs executive director, called the cancellation very rare, adding he is aware of just one other organization that has done the same. } Women in many Korean churches are told to be submissive, former CFC members said. Pastor Kim also promised that church leadership would add more layers of accountability and would humbly listen, learn, and grow so we can be a healthier church moving forward.. A few months later, a group of pastors dissatisfied with the presbyterys April 2021 determination filed a complaint in an effort to indefinitely suspend Chung from ministry. Websigns of too much calcium in tomato plants. How Tragic. 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Though disappointed, the whistleblowers said that they were not surprised with KCP's ruling, citing the environment at CFC where Chung leads and the congregation's high regard for the minister. 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. 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. To Thyatira: Hold Fast What You Have Until I Come | Revelation 2:18-29 (Pastor Min Chung) joe 2019.02.19 43. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-handle-content { The SOLA Network exists to influence the emerging generation with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Especially in the Korean community, to call out a pastor, youre going against God-given authority.. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-embed body { The report, published in June, is intended to provide resources to handle abuse cases and to offer best practices and guidelines for elders, churches, presbyteries and other entities. 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 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. 500K PCA and other conservative denominations. Ive been very hesitant for some while about getting really committed and really involved and back to serving with a church, but I feel like my appetite is coming back, he said. To donate, click here. Keep in touch with Julie and get updates in your inbox! Whistleblowers say theyre disappointed, but not surprised, with the ruling. Attorney Laura Dunn, a contracted institutional response specialist with GRACE, said many of the people with whom she spoke struggled to get through their interviews, some of which took three to four hours. 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. In addition to the alleged sexual assault, the report lists several other allegations against Chung. Chung had no interest in moving back to the weekend and attempted to get CBS to buy her out of the rest of her contract, valued around $2 million with less than a In October, the church board released a nine-page report from the CCG. Yet this generations aggrieved version of sexism has taken on a different character from their fathers more traditional version of sexism featuring machoism and strict gender roles., https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/13/opinion/south-koreas-misogyny.html, https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/06/23/young-south-korean-men-hate-liberals-feminists/. Editors note: This story has been updated to clarify when the KCP received the whistleblowers allegations and to more accurately state certain charges. 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. And in August, CFC hired GRACE. Many other ministries have removed Chung from their boards and speaking schedules. For many years, Chung had been a council member and a writer for their site. 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. . As of May 27, 2021, Covenant Fellowship Church (CFC) has terminated its formal relationship with Min Chung. It requires public forms of accountability and repentance. Rhee told WBEZ she reported the incident to Pastor Chung. Ultimately my hope is to discover who God truly is, beyond the God that CFC represented.. } A vote by the Presbyterian oversight group on July 13 to remove Chung as a minister failed to get the necessary 2/3 vote. Get Your Domain Names Here! However, the gospel also demonstrates that mercy is not given at the expense of justice and vice versa. Sources at GRACE told WBEZ that the group had conducted interviews with more than 40 former and present CFC members, many of whom spent hours talking about their experiences. Anne Stych is a writer in Charlotte, North Carolina. In May, CFC severed ties with Chung and hired Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment (G.R.A.C.E.) After troubling times during the Depression, he was able to open a grocery store in an African-American neighborhood. Min committed sexual misconduct against a female young adult whom he was pastoring. But that system broke down: Oversight entities had limited power and the denominations governing rules proved to be inadequate for addressing the issue of abuse in the church. In addition, hundreds of accounts surfaced online criticizing the church for mishandling alleged incidents of sexual abuse committed by church members, highlighting how Chung and other church leaders downplayed that abuse. Min Chung is the founding and senior pastor of Covenant Fellowship Church Rev. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-embed, That same year, the actress retired from acting to start a family with her new husband. They called for the rescission of the ruling in July but fell short of votes when only 22 individuals sided with the move, out of 35, with 12 who went against it and one abstention. Not every religious leader is trained in handling the needs of sexual assault victims They should assist with reporting to the appropriate authorities and seek referrals to the victim services and professional counseling services!!! We see this is the third article this month youve found worth reading. Frank Barker, whose 4,000-member Briarwood Presbyterian Church grew from a Birmingham, Alabama, storefront before he helped found the conservative Presbyterian. Another woman reported to Chung that she had been raped repeatedly. 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. WebAs of July 2021, CFC came under the leadership of Reverend KJ Kim and a lay oversight board. In light of this information, on August 15, 2020, the SOLA Council asked Min to resign his position and removed all of Mins content from the SOLA website. Some people are just too far gone and need a wake-up call.. CFCs current senior pastor, KJ Kim, was also accused of aiding in the cover-up of Min Chungs misconduct in a report compiled by a team of whistleblowers. 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 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, Rev. Check out our new Instagram account. /*Custom svg icon height fix*/ In one instance, Chung assaulted a woman in the back seat of a car in 2001, the report alleges. Singer said any organizations that back out do so because they dont understand the nature of an independent assessment or investigation. The motion failed to pass, allowing Chung to remain an ordained minister in good standing with the PCA. All videos and transcripts are available on our website. "MC (Min Chung) is anointed by God, God only exists at CFC and there is no other place like CFC. .grecaptcha-badge { text-align: left; } } .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time { While this was happening, the report states, Chung was exercising nearly Godlike authority to pressure his victim and various others whod learned about the incident to stay silent. She is convinced she would have been raped if he could. While we do not want to minimize the importance of seeking justice on earth, we want to encourage you with the reminder that it is God who has the final say. After that, he was A couple of other organizations have also severed their associations with the CFC founder. Pastor Min is the founding and lead pastor of Covenant Fellowship Church, a large church in Champaign. They also ruled that the period when Chung wasnt preaching at CFC was enough discipline for his sin. } Last weekend a sermon by Evangelical pastor Francis Chan went viral, as in the sermon Chan shared about Communion and his discovery of the scriptural and historical basis for transubstantiation - that the bread and the wine become the literal Body and Blood of Christ. 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. 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 This is so disheartening. 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. They may get along with that for a long time but somewhere along the way, the rot will show, and it will end up destroying them.. Also, any comments with profanity, name-calling, and/or a nasty tone will be deleted. 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. Pastoral leadership is an immense privilege, not a right. He was in his own words his neighborhood's "all-purpose Asian" and did not feel he had a culture of his own. /* Reduce height of the progress and audio bars */ We extend an invitation to worship with us if you are ever in the Champaign area.. 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