what happened to pastor min chung what happened to pastor min chung
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. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. The congregation also sought to evaluate the health of the church through The Center Consulting Group (CCG). A total of 19 people signed on to the report or are cited as witnesses. font-size: 10px }. Thank you. He said in a statement to WBEZ that the presbytery is currently working with CFC and is discussing whether to receive the congregation into our jurisdiction. height: auto; CFC has begun posting Leadership Updates on its website. Last summer, hundreds of accounts surfaced online criticizing Covenant Fellowship Church for mishandling alleged incidents of sexual abuse committed by church members. A July 13 vote narrowly missed that threshold, with 22 in favor of rescinding the decision, 12 against, and one abstaining. Covenant Fellowship Church - IL - Our History 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. A couple of other organizations have also severed their associations with the CFC founder. Especially in the Korean community, to call out a pastor, youre going against God-given authority.. An arm of the Presbyterian Church in America is allowing Min Joshua Chungarguably the nations most prominent Korean-American pastorto return to ministry despite allegations of sexual misconduct and cover-up. font-size: 11px; 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. video screenshot / Good Fruit Co. / YouTube, Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment, Late Pope Benedict XVI Appears to Nun in Colombia, Delivers Shocking End-Times Message, Indian Police Arrests Two Pastors for Allegedly Desecrating Sikh Holy Book, Generous Church Eliminates Medical Debt for Pennies on the Dollar, Encourages Others to Follow Suit, Man Found Guilty With 18 Charges of Theft for Stealing Lead Roof from Several Churches in England, Britains Supreme Court Excluded Jehovahs Witnesses on A 1990 Rape By Church Elder, Church Vandal Apprehended in Union Gap for Shattering Windows with Stone, Church Community Importance in Finding Support and Encouragement, Devotees Thrash Man After Assaulting Two Sikh Priest, Charged with Deliberate, Malicious Acts, Brunswick Authorities Force Homeless To Leave Vacant Church Due to Safety Reasons, 'SatanCon' Debuts in Boston, Marking a Decade of The Satanic Temple's Defiance Against Religious and Political Norms, Pakistan Census Draws Criticism from Christian Community for Alleged Inaccuracies, Blockbuster Film' Jesus Revolution' Tops Amazon Charts, Predicted to Spark Spiritual Awakening, MAGA Pastor Urges Christians to Lead in Lawmaking: A Call to Shape National Policies, Stratham Enhances LGBTQ+ Flag Display After Being Stolen Two Times, Gov. However, there have also been a number of accusations of abuse of power and harsh treatment towards others that continued to surface regarding this same pastor, Kim continued. Theyre a very inclusive, very inviting community. Joshua Generation, commonly called J-Gen, a ministry for high schoolers that Chung founded, also severed ties with Chung. As a whistleblower, its traumatic as well, because there are so many places of pain and injustice along the way, Park said. WebDr. Almost every day of the week, they try to recruit people, Ma said. WebAs 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. The church hired GRACE to begin the independent assessment in August 2021, and the organization had been gathering information via one-on-one interviews, documents, listening circles and an anonymous survey. Dr. Min J. Chung is the founding and lead pastor of Covenant Fellowship Church, an interdenominational, multi-ethnic ministry located on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. How Tragic. Sometimes weve lost purpose and direction. In one particular case, according to sources, Chung took steps to cover up sexual abuse committed by a fellow pastor, Samuel Lee, who was leading Faith Alliance Chung didnt respond when The Roys Report tried to reach him for comment. He cited an example in the Bible, in the book of Luke, where Jesus tells the story of a woman and an unjust judge. Zimmerman didnt answer calls or emails to comment on his relationship with Chung. Thoughts on @Letters_From_Rahab Covenant Fellowship Church At University Of Illinois Reckons visibility: hidden; Join with thousands of others to keep this important public media-based resource available to all. 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. 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. 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. Park is one of the whistleblowers who submitted the report to the KCP. Anne Rhee (not her real name) recalled when she began to kiss a male friend from 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. He and his wife Tracy are celebrating eleven years of marriage together and have three children: Caden, Isabella, and Ian. Happened .wp-caption img { 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. This website requires JavaScript to function correctly. But Chung is subject to the PCAs Book of Church Order because of his PCA ordination, KJ Kim told TRR. We see this is the third article this month youve found worth reading. what happened to pastor min chung In September 2019, two other whistleblowers met with Kim as a final step to urge leadership to take proper steps, the report states. Keep in touch with Julie and get updates in your inbox! } In April, the Korean Central Presbytery received an eight-page report summarizing its investigative teams findings and recommendations. height: 3px; The following web browsers are supported by this website: Please contact your system administrator if you require assistance upgrading or changing your web browser. According to recordings acquired by WBEZ, Chung had admitted to touching a female "over the clothing for a brief moment" but stopped upon request. 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. We remind him to abide by the BCO (Book of Church Order), and we believe that he should return to ministry.. Former members of Covenant Fellowship Church (CFC) of Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, where Chung pastored, say the whole church system breeds abuse. Charles Stanley, an influential Baptist pastor who for more than 50 years preached a conservative message from his Atlanta megachurch, WebThe Roys Report is a Christian media outlet, reporting the unvarnished truth about whats happening in the Christian community so the church can be reformed and restored.. Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive a copy of Jesus v. Evangelicals: A Biblical Critique of a Wayward Movement by Constantine Campbell. The SJC decision stated there can be no reasonable hope of just proceedings with no cooperating victim, although Chung himself had admitted to sexual misconduct. background: #db4e88; 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. "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. z-index: 1; The report doesnt offer explicit details of the incident, but states that the touching was in a way that could be constituted as sexual assault under Illinois law. top: 19px; Webwhat happened to pastor min chunguindy football roster. 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. Min Joshua Chung - Speakerpedia If Chung wished to return to ministry, he would be allowed according to the KCP's ruling. Christie Clinic Race Weekend: Race results and next years preparations. The decision to return Chung to ministry may be appealed to the Standing Judicial Commission of the PCAs General Assembly. Now, former members and others familiar with the church say CFC is quietly reversing course. border: 0 none; Meanwhile, Chung maintains a presence and continues to attend KCP meetings, according to sources. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-controls .mejs-time-rail .mejs-time-loaded { Min Joshua Chung, founder of Covenant Fellowship Church in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, has been "restored to ministry" by an arm of the Presbyterian Church in America despite unanswered questions about alleged sexual misconduct and cover-up. (Image: Screengrab / YouTube) what happened to pastor min chung - aclmanagement.com You have entered an incorrect email address! [Churches and presbyteries] are not trained to look into [abuse], Langberg said. In May 2021, CFC cut ties with him. 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 Chung Chung Its time that we simply say enough is enough and no -longer co-sign this terrible plight that impacts people generationally. Rhee told WBEZ she reported the incident to Pastor Chung. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-float-current, But after receiving the findings and recommendations from its investigation team, the KCP decided to restore Chung to his post. All rights reserved.Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. height: 90px; 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.. WebAs of July 2021, CFC came under the leadership of Reverend KJ Kim and a lay oversight board. margin-top: 9px; They gave a couple of examples [of bias], which were tenuous at best, Singer said. 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 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. Anne Stych is a freelance writer, copy editor, proofreader and content manager covering science, technology, retail, etc. Editors note: This story has been updated to clarify when the KCP received the whistleblowers allegations and to more accurately state certain charges. 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. 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. Another woman reported to Chung that she had been raped repeatedly. He cited an example in the Bible, in the book of Luke, where Jesus tells the story of a woman and an unjust judge. .jet-smart-listing__post-title:after { A new report appears to implicate Covenant Fellowship Church's former head pastor, Min Joshua Chung, in fostering and creating a misogynistic church 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. We judge that his relationship with God is restored as we consider the grace of God. Daughter of Disgraced Megachurch Pastor Jeremy Foster Speaks Out, Christian Rocker Posts Stunning Response to Recent Apostasy of Christian Leaders, Chicago Radio Host & a Former Bodyguard Say James MacDonald Asked Them to Arrange Murders, James MacDonald Took Millions from Harvest & Now Demands Broadcast Ministry, Mancow Airs Shocking Comments By James MacDonald: My Response. However, a senior consultant at Center Consulting has ties with Chung. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-handle-content { Minister accused of sexual misconduct remains ordained Pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie has said he closed down his Good News International Church four years ago A church in Urbana-Champaign reverses on promises to address abuse allegations. People close to the woman said she didnt wish to speak to TRR. Other whistleblowers said in the report that that isnt true. A Presbyterian oversight group refused to defrock a Korean American minister following allegations of sexual misconduct, reports Ministry Watch. background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5); Nine teaching elders protested the KCPs ruling, saying they didnt think Chung was truly repentant, and called for indefinite suspension. Charles Zimmerman has been a speaker at One In Love, which Chung founded, and theyve both been main speakers at Global Kingdom Young Adult Missions Festival, where Chung was a board member. Also, any comments with profanity, name-calling, and/or a nasty tone will be deleted. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-controls .mejs-horizontal-volume-slider .mejs-horizontal-volume-current, 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. 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.. It was another missed opportunity, Amy Han said. 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. Chung turned over leadership of the church he founded in 2019 to a team of associate pastors, according to Ministry Watch. Rev. The motion to rescind the KCP decision needed a two-thirds vote in favor. Women in many Korean churches are told to be submissive, former CFC members said. His influence extends beyond the church walls. Toward that end, the site requires that people use their full name when commenting. 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. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time { what happened to pastor min chung They gave a couple of examples [of bias], which were tenuous at best, Singer said. For a monthly gift of $11or more wed also be able to send you a free copy of the brand new Premier Bible, a wonderful Anglicised version of the NLT packed with exclusive bonus content, reading plan and resources to help you get the most out of scripture. 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.. text-align: left; } Many CFC members are students there who hail from the Chicago area. Without its RSO status, the church was not able to reserve campus spaces and recruit attendees on Quad Day, an annual event held at the start of the fall semester where new students are introduced to organizations on campus. To donate, click here. 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. A vote by the Presbyterian oversight group on July 13 to remove Chung as a minister failed to get the necessary 2/3 vote. 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. SOLA Network, a digital platform and conference including Asian American pastors from all over the country, recently broke ties with Chung. Hannah Chao In May, CFC severed ties with Chung and hired Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment (G.R.A.C.E.) Moreover, for the sake of god, Min Chung had carried out various beneficial things for the duration of his life. Pastor Chung was claimed and accused in the scandal for certain genuine wrongdoings of sexual and obnoxious attack. In addition, his embarrassment was examined and discovered by numerous people on Reddit. Hi. But Chung got upset that the victim had told someone and told her to keep the incident quiet between the two of them, the friend said in the report. Covenant Fellowship Church in central Illinois has terminated an independent investigation of "spiritual and emotional abuse" led by GRACE. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-hovered, At a later meeting, the KCP would discuss a complaint filed by several pastors who wanted to see Chung removed from office. Bryan Chapell, the PCAs stated clerk, confirmed to WBEZ in a statement that the discipline matter has been concluded by the SJC. The KCP ruled only on the sexual assault allegation, calling it sexual harassment. They determined that Chung was guilty but has done enough for restoration to ministry. } She said, Its very important for churches to understand theyre killing themselves, and they dont look anything like the God they say they serve. } .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-button > button { 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. What Was Twitter, Anyway? - The New York Times 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. Sorry, your web browser is not capable of supporting the features required by this website. 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. For investigators at GRACE, CFCs decision to terminate the assessment is a highly unusual move. Singer said any organizations that back out do so because they dont understand the nature of an independent assessment or investigation. 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.. And he bullied . 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. 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. Weve lost our reputations. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-embed body { 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. Great! He is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity at Talbot Theological Seminary. One of those associate pastors was KJ Kim, the new head pastor of CFC. There were also claims of pastors making sexual comments to teen attendees, officials brushing off sexual assault claims, and a general setting where women were seemingly less valued than men. Authors Channel Summit. WebHe is a bi-vocational pastor and has been in the animation industry for over 10 years. 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.. Park is part of a group that last year brought to light allegations of sexual and spiritual abuse at Covenant Fellowship Church (CFC), a predominantly Asian American church near the campus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The Roys Report . I really did not see this coming, she said. Kho St Cng Trnh Ngm macy's software engineer salary. Rebecca Hopkins is a journalist based in Colorado. 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. On July 9, 1988, Whelchel tied the knot with Steven Cauble, her first husband and associate pastor at The Church on the Way. 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. left: 0; Minister resigns after allegedly peering in neighbors window kept the alleged sexual assault from church leaders and his wife, Another day, theres basketball. One was a claim from many years ago of inappropriate touch with an adult woman. Chung continued to speak elsewhere during this time. (Illinois defines criminal sexual assault as using force or threat or force, and the defendant knows the victim is unable to give knowing consent.). .grecaptcha-badge { According to U of I spokeswoman Robin Kaler, Covenant Fellowship is once again a registered student organization with the university this school year giving the 32-year-old congregation access to the schools facilities and a new crop of potential members. what happened to pastor min chung Several survivors would ask theKorean Central Presbytery(KCP), a denominational oversight group, to investigate Chung's inappropriate touching incident before WBEZ's reporting. Chung, who founded the church in 1990 on the University of Illinois-Champaign Urbana campus, announced in the summer of 2019 that he would We extend an invitation to worship with us if you are ever in the Champaign area.. A judge sentenced 57-year-old Daryl Vandyke on Wednesday after the Champaign man admitted that he used an ax or other sharp-edged garden tool to kill Steven Butler III, in July 2021. 500K PCA and other conservative denominations. 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.. 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.. Becky Stephens will become senior pastor at Bucyrus United Methodist Church in July. Please consider interning, joining our staff, or submitting a story or making a contribution. 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. 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. Others claimed that Chung assaulted them several times, including while on a two-hour car ride. } We remind him to abide by the BCO (Book of Church Order), and we believe that he should return to ministry," Sungwoo Nam of KCP stated. Korean Covenant Fellowship Church Halts Investigation Into We pray that CFC reconsiders this course of action and chooses to re-engage with GRACE for completion of this independent assessment.. Charles Stanley, Atlanta Pastor Who Preached to the World, Dies 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. what happened to pastor min chung - nordicya.com what happened to pastor min chung. We extend an invitation to worship with us if you are ever in the Champaign area.. Even the friend in whom the victim confided feared she would be cursed by God if she spoke against Chung.
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