If you think that is bad, consider this; We have a PCA pastor, Kiernan Stringer in Toronto, Canada who admits in writing a letter to us and his congregation to breaking the 7th commandment ( You shall not commit murder) and the 9th commandment ( You shall not bear witness against your neighbour), refuses to repent and everyone in the PCA hierarchy refuses to anything about it. So they think that they can have some level of control of the process some access to information before they get to the final product, Singer said. God placed Matthew 9:37-38 on Reverend Min Chung's heart: "the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few." .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-horizontal-volume-total, CFC came under fire last summer for its alleged mishandling of sexual misconduct by church founder and former head pastor Min Joshua Chung. You have entered an incorrect email address! There are Walmart runs. We prefer to style these with the main accent color of our theme */ They gave a couple of examples [of bias], which were tenuous at best, Singer said. She writes for American City Business Journals BizWomen. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Fontijn, Park and others told WBEZ they are angry the victims of sexual and spiritual abuse who came forward to be interviewed by GRACE will not be heard. Join with thousands of others to keep this important public media-based resource available to all. A sexual assault victim who wished to remain anonymous, but whose identity TRR confirmed, said that CFCs culture discouraged reporting sexual assault to police. Pastor Min Chung Resignation | Pastor Bane'S Resignation 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. . Listen to CFC - Covenant Fellowship Church, read its reviews and see all its charts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. (Image: Screengrab / YouTube) I went to my head pastor and I was emotionally distressed, she said. He also spoke at youth and college-aged events, counseled university students, and preached in several countries. cfc church scandal pastor min - brandyspianobar.com The World Economic Forum ranks the country 115th out of 145 countries in gender equality. CFC came under fire last summer for its alleged mishandling of sexual misconduct by church founder and former head pastor Min Joshua Chung. 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. A year later, the group of 14 whistleblowers submitted their report to the PCAs Korean Central Presbytery and called for the KCP to investigate Chung, arguing CFC associate pastors had failed to discipline him, said Park. 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. Kim, who is currently the churchs senior pastor, previously 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. She bangs on his door all hours of the night until he finally comes and gives her justice, LeCroy explained. Scott Sauls, an influential evangelical Christian pastor and author, has been placed on an indefinite leave of absence from the, Commissioners for the Presbyterian Church in America approved a motion to leave the National Association of Evangelicals on Wednesday at the PCAs. As outlined in WBEZs initial report, in April 2021, the KCP a regional presbytery of the PCA to which Kim, Chung and other former CFC pastors belong had found Chung guilty of his admitted sexual harassment for inappropriately touching a female congregant in 2001 (instead of a more serious form of misconduct). }. 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!!! height: auto; Serving with a denomination as a District Leader I saw leaders shuffled to different churches who were related to significant people in the denomination who continued to act our inappropiately on women and it was imply ignored or excused. NASCAR is already taking deposits for another Chicago street race in 2024. WBEZ confirmed with Justin Coverstone, the stated clerk of the Presbytery of Northern Illinois, that CFC was in the process of joining that regional body as of early September. The audit report isnt linked to any of the online church leadership updates. We see this is the third article this month youve found worth reading. In February of 2019, Park said she reported the matter to Kim and urged him to allow a third-party investigation, but Kim refused. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-hovered, .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-button > button { I am probably going to get myself in trouble making this next statement but the context was always a sense of Hyper-Complimentarianism or some hybrid form of it because the Denomination that I refereed of believed in women Pastors but the culture was steeped with this type of theological thinking. Were an all-volunteer effort of dedicated staff and interns. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-float, .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-handle-content { Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive a copy of Nervous Breakthrough: Finding Freedom from Fear and Anxiety in a World That Feeds It by Christy Boulware. Women in many Korean churches are told to be submissive, former CFC members said. 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. border: 0 none; A total of 19 people signed on to the report or are cited as witnesses. Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive a copy of Nervous Breakthrough: Finding Freedom from Fear and Anxiety in a World That Feeds It by Christy Boulware. As of July 2021, CFC is lead by Reverend KJ Kim and is in the process of becoming part of the Presbyterian Church in America. Does anyone know what the scandal with Covenant Fellowship - Reddit .wp-caption-text { 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. top: 6px; He said, Your parents are well-respected members of their church, your fathers an elder [at their church], Rhee recalled. 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. Many other ministries have removed Chung from their boards and speaking schedules. Chung began private counseling sessions with the victim, using that time to urge her to keep silent about the assault, the report states. Go to our Twitter feed and Facebook page for more content. Many times, I thought I lost my own understanding in God. (Illinois defines criminal sexual assault as using force or threat or force, and the defendant knows the victim is unable to give knowing consent.). Convo with Pastor Min Chung from CFC | Exalting Jesus Ministries document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. At the same time as former and current members of CFC were being interviewed by GRACE, the case against the figure at the center of the controversy Min Chung made its way through the PCAs judicial system. We lost our church family and community, she said. lancaster mennonite conference bishops CFC made the difficult decision to terminate its agreement with GRACE and this decision was made with much prayer and deliberation, Kim wrote in an email last week. Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive a copy of Nervous Breakthrough: Finding Freedom from Fear and Anxiety in a World That Feeds It by Christy Boulware. Great! Because of the trust that had been damaged and the pain that had been caused, he said, the church board voted unanimously May 27 to separate from Chung. Experts say the scandal and subsequent backsliding at CFC illustrates how many churches and their governing bodies are ill-equipped to address allegations of abuse. The church followed the report with a letter apologizing for several wrongs. 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. We acknowledge that this was wrong., Kim said the woman had forgiven Chung long ago.. font-size: 11px; Park said when she confronted Chung, he said had a dream in which God showed him that he was a lampstand for his generation, and that he should keep preaching as part of his healing. He also referred WBEZ to Tim LeCroy, a pastor who chaired the PCAs committee that wrote the domestic and sexual abuse report. pastor min chung resignation . [Churches and presbyteries] are not trained to look into [abuse], Langberg said. There were stories about pastors grooming teen girls and making sexual comments, church leaders minimizing mental health issues like suicidal thoughts and depression, women being sexually assaulted. Covenant Fellowship Church At University Of Illinois Reckons With They gave a couple of examples [of bias], which were tenuous at best, Singer said. background-image: url("images/mejs-controls-dark.svg"); Last summer, amid the outcry that resulted from the revelations by an Instagram account called @letters_from_rahab, CFC said it would cut financial ties to the pastor and hire a third-party group to do a full investigation. It contracted with an organization called Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment (GRACE) to assess the church and its response to allegations of abuse. Chung preached messages urging congregants to submit to leaders and forgive them and calling victims to forgive their abusers. To donate, click here. Prominent Korean-American Pastor Back In Pulpit Despite Sexual Misconduct Allegations By Ruth Aguantia August 04, 2021 09:51 EDT Share Tweet Min Joshua Chung | video screenshot / Good Fruit Co. / YouTube An Asian American pastor in Illinois was reinstated to ministry in spite of doubts on his character due to sexual abuse accusations. 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. Last summer, Kim, writing on behalf of the Oversight Board, promised that CFC would release a full report at the conclusion of GRACEs investigation. Gas Detection, Monitoring & Control Services; Industrial IoT Based Predictive Maintenance Services; Fire and Smoke Measurement Control Services Get new articles and breaking news delivered to your inbox. He also referred WBEZ to Tim LeCroy, a pastor who chaired the PCAs committee that wrote the domestic and sexual abuse report. CFC has begun posting Leadership Updates on its website. Scott Sauls, an influential evangelical Christian pastor and author, has been placed on an indefinite leave of absence from the, On Monday, The Presbyterian Church (USA) reporteda decline of 53,105 members in 2022, dropping the mainline Protestant denomination down to 1,140,665 active. For almost 20 years, Chung kept the alleged sexual assault from church leaders and his wife, Park said. She bangs on his door all hours of the night until he finally comes and gives her justice, LeCroy explained. In October, the church board released a nine-page report from the CCG. A 124-page extended version of the report, containing copies of texts describing one victims assault and subsequent intimidation, was submitted to an investigative team of the Korean Central Presbytery (KCP) in November 2020, following up on a five-page allegation letter the whistleblowers sent in August. cfc church scandal pastor min - voltriqs.com They dont know how to assess it, and so I would think the first response would be one of humility., But instead, she said, churches think they are right, and somebody in that position isnt going to listen to any instructions, no matter how wise or good it is.. } */ Eventually, that group reconsidered and completed the assessment. Dr. Chung is the founding and senior pastor of Covenant Fellowship Church. Chung continued to speak elsewhere during this time. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-controls .mejs-horizontal-volume-slider .mejs-horizontal-volume-current, /* Progress and audio bar background */ 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. background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5); K.J. Minister accused of sexual misconduct remains ordained, Singer Coco Lee dies at 48 after a battle with depression, Korean American teen going to Womens World Cup with South Korea, Michelle Wie West returns for US Open for her final tourney, Miki Sudo wins 9th Nathans hot dog eating contest, Seattle man faces sentence for stalking U.S Rep. Pramila Jayapal, A year after Dobbs decision, AAPIs fight for abortion access, Asian Am mostly denounce Scotus ruling on race & college, Cantonese certificate program stalls, advocates say it was inappropriately withdrawn, Gas station clerk dies in armed robbery. } Many CFC members are students there who hail from the Chicago area. .jet-smart-listing__post-title:after { The friend urged the victim to tell Chung she hadnt consented to his touch. Former members of Covenant Fellowship Church say Chungs abuse is part of a larger pattern of abuse and silencing at CFC and affiliated ministries. Especially in the Korean community, to call out a pastor, youre going against God-given authority.. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-handle-content { However, theres nothing on CFCs website about CFCs recent decision to terminate GRACE. Dr. Chung is the founding and senior pastor of Covenant Fellowship Church. He also said that, for sexual harassment of a member of the congregation, the KCP should have dealt Chung a suspension of a period of years, and perhaps even defrocked him. And in August, CFC hired GRACE. In the aftermath, CFC promised to make changes and to be transparent. Weve lost our reputations. For investigators at GRACE, CFCs decision to terminate the assessment is a highly unusual move. Bryan Chapell, the PCAs stated clerk, confirmed to WBEZ in a statement that the discipline matter has been concluded by the SJC. In January of 2020, CFC transitioned from being under the leadership of Reverend Min Chung to a team leadership model. bottom: 0; Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. In the wake of last years scandal, CFC also chose not to renew its status as a registered student organization, or RSO, at U of I last academic year. Pastor Kim did not respond to a TRR inquiry about the audit. Former members of Covenant Fellowship Church (CFC) of Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, where Chung pastored, say the whole church system breeds abuse. Please consider interning, joining our staff, or submitting a story or making a contribution. font-size: 13px The Roys Report seeks to foster thoughtful and respectful dialogue. 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. background: #db4e88; 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. Our hope is to provide care and oversight in whatever way is appropriate. He declined to be interviewed in order to respect the privacy of those involved and due to the ongoing nature of allegations.. } Its a moment of reckoning for the Korean American church, former CFC member June Pinyo said. And I say that as someone who believes the Bible clearly uses language from both spectra, not just one or the other. We judge that his relationship with God is restored as we consider the grace of God. Langberg helped an ad interim committee of the PCA write a new report on domestic and sexual abuse in churches. /* Current track progress and active audio volume level bar */ 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/. /* Track progress bar background (amount of track fully loaded) 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. Its time that we simply say enough is enough and no -longer co-sign this terrible plight that impacts people generationally. A Presbyterian oversight group refused to defrock a Korean American minister following allegations of sexual misconduct, reports Ministry Watch. We pray that CFC reconsiders this course of action and chooses to re-engage with GRACE for completion of this independent assessment.. A new report appears to implicate Covenant Fellowship Church's former head pastor, Min Joshua Chung, in fostering and creating a misogynistic church environment. Now, former members and others familiar with the church say CFC is quietly reversing course. visibility: hidden; Presbyterian Group Denies Call to Remove Pastor of Korean Church from Nothing was ever followed up on with me. Zimmerman didnt answer calls or emails to comment on his relationship with Chung. Where Is Pastor Min Chung CFC Scandal And Resignation Email; File:Pastor-Min-Chung-CFC-Scandal-And-Resignation-Email Minister accused of sexual misconduct remains ordained; Min Chung (@pminchung . Fontijn, Park and others told WBEZ they are angry the victims of sexual and spiritual abuse who came forward to be interviewed by GRACE will not be heard. Design and consulting Services 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. I really did not see this coming, she said. GRACE said in a statement that although all that remained in the investigation was a minimal number of interviews, primarily with CFC leadership, it had been informed by CFC that the assessment would not continue. But he said the church had recently decided to hire an outside group to investigate in order to work towards rebuilding trust and create a healthier culture that better reflects Jesus.. } 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. Despite the procedural errors, the SJC also declared the case would effectively be terminated and not sent back to the KCP to be retried. Pete Singer, GRACEs executive director, called the cancellation very rare, adding he is aware of just one other organization that has done the same. The commission declared the KCP should have disciplined the pastor according to the PCAs Book of Church Order not follow the restorative steps the associate pastors had instituted, according to Brian Park. Also, any comments with profanity, name-calling, and/or a nasty tone will be deleted. Despite the procedural errors, the SJC also declared the case would effectively be terminated and not sent back to the KCP to be retried. AsAmNews has Asian America in its heart. Kim would not agree to an interview but wrote back: We at CFC continue to seek the Lord in the work of the church and we are grateful to God for the way He is leading our congregation and this is our focus right now. Did Pastor Min Chung Resign After CFC Scandal? Where Is he Now? A Korean church located near the Champaign-Urbana campus of the University of Illinois that came under fire last year for allegations of ongoing sexual misconduct has terminated an independent investigation before its completion. The church also hired The Center Consulting Group (CCG) to assess problems at CFC and offer solutions. Many CFC members are students there who hail from the Chicago area. CFC came under fire last summer for its alleged mishandling of sexual misconduct by church founder and former head pastor Min Joshua Chung. In the aftermath, CFC promised to investigate and to be transparent. Pastor Min Chung CFC Scandal and Resignation In January of 2020, CFC transitioned from being under the leadership of Reverend Min Chung to a team leadership model. Some people are just too far gone and need a wake-up call.. Champaign pastor charged with sex assault of teen In 2018, Chung preached a sermon addressing the #MeToo movement in which he told victims to repent for your pain and reaction to your sin nature.. See historical chart ranks, all reviews, and listen to all episodes. 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. 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. Even the pastors, I would say, do a good job at that. Share Tweet. Servpro of Champaign / Urbana. Recent allegations have surfaced of the abuse at Covenant Fellowship Church in Champaign-Urbana. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. For investigators at GRACE, CFCs decision to terminate the assessment is a highly unusual move. Posted at 00:42h in dr david russell by incomplete dental treatment letter. z-index: 1; To donate, sexual misconduct and decades of cover-up. 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. Chung was also an adjunct professor at Urbana Theological Seminary from 2005 to 2018. cfc church scandal pastor min. Chung didnt respond when The Roys Report tried to reach him for comment. Join with thousands of others to keep this important public media-based resource available to all. And he bullied . margin: 0; /* .jet-smart-listing__featured-box-link:before { She said, Its very important for churches to understand theyre killing themselves, and they dont look anything like the God they say they serve. 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. Langberg helped an ad interim committee of the PCA write a new report on domestic and sexual abuse in churches. Korean Covenant Fellowship Church Halts Investigation Into Sexual They also have an Instagram called letters_from_rahab . } I would guess the numbers will continue to collapse keep up the good work PCA. .wp-caption p.wp-caption-text { Even though many doubt that enough change has happened, some are finding healing beyond CFC. One mistake that I make all the time is assuming that someone else has probably done the work that needs to be, The Rev. Im tired, said Tim Ma, who previously served on the CFC worship team. font-size: 10px 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. She said, Its very important for churches to understand theyre killing themselves, and they dont look anything like the God they say they serve. } Susie An covers education for WBEZ. Illinois State Museum returns nearly 40 sacred wooden artifacts to Kenya, 217 Today: New investigation looks at Urbanas civil police review board and its effectiveness, A Pattern of Problematic Conduct: Urbana Officer Tests Police Accountability, Former GOP gubernatorial nominee Bailey challenges Bost for U.S. House seat, Highland Park residents walk parade route where 7 were killed in Fourth of July shooting, Springfield residents go days without power after widespread, devastating derecho winds. height: 90px; height: 3px; } By Randall August 7, 2021 A Presbyterian oversight group refused to defrock a Korean American minister following allegations of sexual misconduct, reports Ministry Watch. March 24, 2023. mfc ticket office opening times. .elementor-widget .elementor-icon-list-icon svg { Diane Langberg, a prominent psychologist and leading voice on abuse within church communities, said CFCs termination of the GRACE assessment is yet another move to silence the individuals the church has hurt. I talked to him about it. figcaption.wp-caption-text { During that time, he pastored the church, served on several ministry boards, and taught at the seminary. In September 2019, two other whistleblowers met with Kim as a final step to urge leadership to take proper steps, the report states. Rebecca Hopkins is a journalist based in Colorado. In addition, CFC vowed to be clear and transparent with members by providing regular updates on the probe on its website. Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment, also known as GRACE was hired by Covenant Fellowship Church to look into the allegations against the church and its former head pastor, Min Joshua Chung. We know this may cause pain for many people, and we deeply regret that CFC has chosen this path.. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-total { There was never a feeling that this should be reported.. } This story is part of a partnership focusing on police misconduct in Champaign County between the Champaign-Urbana Civic Police Data Project of the Invisible Institute. Hi. Did Pastor Min Chung Resign After CFC Scandal? Observers said the devastation easily matched that of other Springfield-area weather disasters of memory, including a March 2006 tornado and a March 1978 ice storm. 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.. Champaign-Urbana residents lined Lincoln Avenue to. One of those associate pastors was KJ Kim, the new head pastor of CFC. the nursing professions potential impact on policy and politics; clark funeral home carlisle, ky; jefferson county, mo fence regulations According to sources, in the past few months, CFC has terminated the assessment with GRACE and wiped any trace of the leadership updates from last year (as seen on a web page accessed by WBEZ on Sept. 21).
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