The SOLA Network, for the gospel-centric reason outlined in the introduction, feels it is necessary to articulate that: We grieve the fact that ministers of the gospel, those who are to represent Christ himself, have sinned against their own sheep, denied the biblical call to repentance, and failed to seek justice. The World Economic Forum ranks the country 115th out of 145 countries in gender equality. font-size: 13px He also referred WBEZ to Tim LeCroy, a pastor who chaired the PCAs committee that wrote the domestic and sexual abuse report. It is interesting the there were 5-6 million Presbyterians in the 1960s the number now is down to paltry 1.5 Presbyterians in the U.S. 1 Million Liberal (PSUSA) Get new articles and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Would you consider making a tax-deductible donation to help our journalists continue to report the truth and restore the church? Women in many Korean churches are told to be submissive, former CFC members said. } Those who looked deeper discovered sexual misconduct and abuse of power by Chung, former long-term church members, pastors, and leaders state in a 67-page report released to The Roys Report (TRR). The victim was suicidal and traumatized by her initial and continuous interaction with Pastor Min, the friend stated in testimony included in the report. Rebecca Hopkins is a journalist based in Colorado. She said, Its very important for churches to understand theyre killing themselves, and they dont look anything like the God they say they serve. Chung preached messages urging congregants to submit to leaders and forgive them and calling victims to forgive their abusers. 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. 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. Websigns of too much calcium in tomato plants. It is because we believe in the power and sanctity of the gospel that we are publishing this statement. 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. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-horizontal-volume-total, 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. /* Reduce height of the progress and audio bars */ In October, the church board released a nine-page report from the CCG. CFC separated from Chung on May 27 and has contracted a third-party investigation into his conduct. 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. According to a lengthy investigation by National Public Radio station WBEZ in Chicago, Covenant Fellowship Church and its former head pastor Min Joshua Chung for years fostered a misogynistic environment that included sexual mistreatment and oppression of women. "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. 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. 6 min read. The lawsuit alleges that the property at 19150 Woodward Ave. is dilapidated and a public nuisance, and orders Pastor Marvin Dozens of Illinois, CHAMPAIGN Plans have resumed for a carbon dioxide pipeline in Illinois after a brief delay. The victim did. Find more resources and videos here. This years conference theme is Witness, and we hope to equip the local church to be a compelling witness despite our divisive and divided society and culture. J-Gen canceled its summer retreats to grieve and reflect.. .wp-caption-text { 2nd Peter 1 : 2 ~ 3, by pastor Minho Chung 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. Growing up in San Francisco, Yep felt alienated. On July 9, 1988, Whelchel tied the knot with Steven Cauble, her first husband and associate pastor at The Church on the Way. Singer said any organizations that back out do so because they dont understand the nature of an independent assessment or investigation. 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. In February of 2019, Park said she reported the matter to Kim and urged him to allow a third-party investigation, but Kim refused. To make a donation,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. Min committed sexual misconduct against a female young adult whom he was pastoring. For almost 20 years, Chung kept the alleged sexual assault from church leaders and his wife, Park said. Nov. 22, 2018. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-controls, .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-embed body { height: 90px; Especially in the Korean community, to call out a pastor, youre going against God-given authority.. Its time to move on.. It was another missed opportunity, Amy Han said. I personally do it for the survivors. height: 90px; Zimmerman didnt answer calls or emails to comment on his relationship with Chung. (The version of the report released to TRR referenced and summarized the texts instead in the interest of the victims privacy.) height: auto; 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. top: 0; What remains is for the regional body that originally adjudicated the case to respond about procedural steps needing correction for the future.. While the perfect judgment of God awaits us all, human judgments must be made to reflect His. Sometimes weve lost purpose and direction. 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. Brea, CA 92821 | 562.694.2100 2022 Living Hope Community Church. 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 Whistleblowers are making their accusations public after several years of attempts to confront the influential pastor within a reportedly tight-knit, shame-based community. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-buffering, Former church members expressed dismay over CFCs apparent about-face. Yet whistleblowers, who knew about the alleged assault, pressured Chung for a decade to confess to the church. background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5); TRR reached out to Min Chung for comment, but he did not respond. He is the ultimate judge who will make right all wrongs and the one who will both save and destroy. .grecaptcha-badge {
He kept this information hidden for nearly 20 years from his wife, his church leaders, and other leaders outside the church. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-embed, Frank Barker, whose 4,000-member Briarwood Presbyterian Church grew from a Birmingham, Alabama, storefront before he helped found the conservative Presbyterian. For us, Pastor Min is more than just a gifted pastor and teacher. 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. That same year, the actress retired from acting to start a family with her new husband. 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.. But TRR said that the ruling may still be appealed to the Standing Judicial Commission of the PCA's General Assembly. The Roys Report seeks to foster thoughtful and respectful dialogue. Pastor Min Chung admitted some guilt but faced few consequences. In addition to the alleged sexual assault, the report lists several other allegations against Chung. The churchs website 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). URBANA For Janet Park, the events of last year feel like a waste of time and energy. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-controls .mejs-time-rail .mejs-time-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. position: absolute; It was just like, Why, why did we do this all in vain? Park said. The motion to rescind the KCP decision needed a two-thirds vote in favor. A Presbyterian oversight group refused to defrock a Korean American minister following allegations of sexual misconduct, reports Ministry Watch. WebLearning to Groan in the Holy Spirit | Romans 8:13-16, 26-27 (Pastor Min Chung) Wade Morris, Popular Baptist Youth Speaker, Dies After COVID-19 Hospitalization. A new report appears to implicate Covenant Fellowship Church's former head pastor, Min Joshua Chung, in fostering and creating a misogynistic church environment. But its especially disappointing because now theyve shown that they do have the tools and resources to make better decisions.. 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. 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. Theres such a pressure put on women to be pure going into marriage, but then we create this environment in the church where its kind of ripe for abuse, and for women to stay silent when there is some kind of assault, Pinyo said. content: ''; To donate, click here. Former members of Covenant Fellowship Church (CFC) of Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, where Chung pastored, say the whole church system breeds abuse. WebDr. 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.. 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. To donate, click here. } Chung discouraged her from reporting the incident to police. 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. I really did not see this coming, she said. Keep in touch with Julie and get updates in your inbox! } 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. On January 17, 1990, the couple welcomed their first child, Tucker Stephenson. But a vote on the matter failed to achieve the necessary two-thirds majority, meaning Chung remains a minister, WBEZ reported. top: 6px; 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 report also recommended that the church hire a third-party auditor to address some members financial concerns, though the Center didnt think there were financial irregularities.. As of May 27, 2021, Covenant Fellowship Church (CFC) has terminated its formal relationship with Min Chung. Pastor KJ shows no signs of remorse, shows no sign of pastoral care, only concerned with keeping us quiet.. Pastoral leadership is an immense privilege, not a right. 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. I talked to him about it. For many years, Chung had been a council member and a writer for their site. Chung began private counseling sessions with the victim, using that time to urge her to keep silent about the assault, the report states. Susie An covers education for WBEZ. He cited an example in the Bible, in the book of Luke, where Jesus tells the story of a woman and an unjust judge. Learn how your comment data is processed. After troubling times during the Depression, he was able to open a grocery store in an African-American neighborhood. Even the friend in whom the victim confided feared she would be cursed by God if she spoke against Chung. I went to my head pastor and I was emotionally distressed, she said. Another day, theres basketball. SOLA Network, a digital platform and conference including Asian American pastors from all over the country, recently broke ties with Chung. They gave a couple of examples [of bias], which were tenuous at best, Singer said. 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. Join our weekly TGIF newsletter and receive recent articles and fresh resources from the web. The church that Min pastored operated without a board of elders or denominational oversight, which allowed him to create a system with few checks or balances. 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 Its disappointing, but kind of in line with what weve seen from them over the past several yearsprioritizing the institution over the victims, said former church member June Pinyo. She bangs on his door all hours of the night until he finally comes and gives her justice, LeCroy explained. We see this is the third article this month youve found worth reading. It requires public forms of accountability and repentance. .grecaptcha-badge { visibility: hidden; } The presbytery is a ruling body of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), the denomination that ordained Chung. /* Progress and audio bar background */ Copyright 2023 Christianity Daily.
Pastor KJ Kim acknowledged that Chung has been accused of a pattern of abusing his authority. Min Chung is the founding and senior pastor of Covenant Fellowship Church Rev. But the way to combat shame isnt to fix yourself or cover your misdeedsit is to be truly known and loved. We extend an invitation to worship with us if you are ever in the Champaign area.. I would be interested to know how much of the loss of members comes from the PCA and how much comes from the-once much larger-PCUSA(not PSUSA). But TRR disclosed that CCG's senior consultant, Charles Zimmerman, has ties with Chung. Interest of the PCA 's General Assembly make right all wrongs and the one who will make what happened to pastor min chung. Former CFC members said. Living Hope Community church gifted pastor and teacher you consider making tax-deductible. 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