Do share this story to encourage others to pray too. Chungs church reckoned him to have an especially high place of anointing, making him untouchable when he does wrong, said Dan Lee, another whistleblower in the report. transform: translateY(445%); I would guess the numbers will continue to collapse keep up the good work PCA. 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. My experience is that more gets done for the perpetrator versus the victim. /* Player controls */ Later, the victim called a friend and told her what Chung had done. 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. In an email to Roys, Kim wrote that the decision to terminate the churchs agreement with GRACE was made with much prayer and deliberation.. margin-top: 9px; Under the previous structure, CFC was an independent church, with just Chung and the associate pastors, as individuals, belonging to the Korean Central Presbytery (KCP), one of the regional bodies within the PCA. Web.mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-controls .mejs-time-rail .mejs-time-current { Pastor Mins Encouragement to Thai Christians December 4, 2010 CFC Senior Pastor, Dr. Min Chung, gave a message on book of Judges during Servants retreat in August of 2010. Follow her on Twitter @WBEZeducation and @soosieon. Former members of Covenant Fellowship Church say Chungs abuse is part of a larger pattern of abuse and silencing at CFC and affiliated ministries. z-index: 1; In addition, CFC vowed to be clear and transparent with members by providing regular updates on the probe on its website. Webwhat happened to pastor min chung CMI is a proven leader at applying industry knowledge and engineering expertise to solve problems that other fabricators cannot or 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. 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. 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. I personally do it for the survivors. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-controls .mejs-time-rail .mejs-time-current { lely golf summer membership. Check out our new Instagram account. 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. 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. The Mississippi. left: 0; The woman, a former CFC member, said she was sexually assaulted by a leader in the churchnot Chungand reported the incident to a pastor. They gave a couple of examples [of bias], which were tenuous at best, Singer said. But we cant do it without you. Chung began private counseling sessions with the victim, using that time to urge her to keep silent about the assault, the report states. /* Current track progress and active audio volume level bar */ Facebook photo. The presbytery is a ruling body of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), the denomination that ordained Chung. The motion to rescind the KCP decision needed a two-thirds vote in favor. 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. "MC (Min Chung) is anointed by God, God only exists at CFC and there is no other place like CFC. } In the aftermath, CFC promised to make changes and to be transparent. As reported by The Roys Report ( TRR) last year, Min Joshua Chungarguably the nations most prominent Korean-American pastorwas accused 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) 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). .elementor-widget .elementor-icon-list-icon svg { 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. margin: 0; .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-handle-content { A final assessment was set to be published by this summer. 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 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. 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. } [Churches and presbyteries] are not trained to look into [abuse], Langberg said. We prefer to style these with the main accent color of our theme */ The victim was terrified and did whatever she was told, the report states. We advise you upgrade your web browser before continuing to use this website. CFC came under fire last summer for its alleged mishandling of sexual misconduct by church founder and former head pastor Min Joshua Chung. Dr. Min J. Chung is the founding and lead pastor of Covenant Fellowship Church, an Covenant Fellowship Church is nondenominational, has no elders, and is not a PCA member. 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. The cost has been high for the whistleblowers, said Amy Han, one of the whistleblowers who submitted the report. Many people conceive of tweets as analogous to TV or newspaper or radio that there are people who tweet, there are people who read the tweets, as Munger puts it. They were also concerned that other victims may exist, she said. But theres, of course, a lot under the surface as well, he added. 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!!! Get Your Domain Names Here! 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. Please consider interning, joining our staff, or submitting a story or making a contribution. /*Custom svg icon height fix*/ At a later meeting, the KCP would discuss a complaint filed by several pastors who wanted to see Chung removed from office. How Tragic. The commission ruled the KCP had made procedural errors during its initial look at the allegations against Chung, according to Brian Park, one of the pastors in that presbytery who filed the complaint to the SJC. Another day, theres basketball. 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. Despite the procedural errors, the SJC also declared the case would effectively be terminated and not sent back to the KCP to be retried. 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. peter cancro politics; headway reimbursement rates 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. Pastor Min Chung admitted some guilt but faced few consequences. } Anne Stych is a freelance writer, copy editor, proofreader and content manager covering science, technology, retail, etc. .wp-caption p.wp-caption-text { Webwhat happened to pastor min chunguindy football roster. Chung was also an adjunct professor at Urbana Theological Seminary from 2005 to 2018. Many CFC members are students there who hail from the Chicago area. Your monthly support will make a world of difference. 500K PCA and other conservative denominations. 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-time-marker, 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. 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.. 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. .mytheme-mejs-container.mejs-container, Opinion: What is Revivaland is it Happening at Asbury? } He still preaches as a member in good standing. 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. Would you consider making a tax-deductible donation to help our journalists continue to report the truth and restore the church? New report reveals how Korean pastor in Chicago fostered ' It was another missed opportunity, Amy Han said. 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. Keep in touch with Julie and get updates in your inbox! WBEZ emailed CFC lead pastor KJ Kim and the churchs Oversight Board with questions about why the church terminated its contract with GRACE, as well as CFCs plan for any long-term changes in the wake of last years events. 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. 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. This website requires JavaScript to function correctly. 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. Chung didnt respond when The Roys Report tried to reach him for comment. 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. Inside the Actresss Marriage to a Pastor. She writes for American City Business Journals BizWomen. 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. Min Joshua Chung founded Covenant Fellowship Church in 1990 as an outreach effort to local college students. ymca executive director salary; times reporter garage sales; parexel trials london; eteri tutberidze husband; rocky mountain air show 2022; usfl rules differences; Menu. /* Progress and audio bar background */ Min Chung is the founding and senior pastor of Covenant Fellowship Church. font-size: 11px; Growing Susie An covers education for WBEZ. 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 Singer said any organizations that back out do so because they dont understand the nature of an independent assessment or investigation. Sometimes weve lost purpose and direction. } Rhee told WBEZ she reported the incident to Pastor Chung. . That same year, the actress retired from acting to start a family with her new husband. Join with thousands of others to keep this important public media-based resource available to all. Webwhat happened to pastor min chung pickwick lake fishing guides. 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. 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. 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. He has either founded or served in leadership for several youth and college ministries throughout the country, and was a board member for international missions organization SIM from 2006 to 2019. Rev. .wp-caption img { 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. Minister accused of sexual misconduct remains ordained, Business leader wants AAPI voters to use their money and their vote, Ke Huy Quan responds to rumors about Indiana Jones 5 appearance, Report shows islamophobia and bullying in schools remains high, Naomi Osaka praises Giannis Antetokounmpos answer to question about failure, Indian American founder of tech start-up pleads guilty to fraud, 15,000 signatures submitted opposing Philadelphia 76er arena, Survey: Racism & mental health top concerns of Chinese Am, Vincent Chin Institute Launched to fight hate, Ex-beauty queen double downs on racist video, 2023 resource guide for services to the AAPI Community, A Sweltering Problem Begs For A Cool Solution. A July 13 vote narrowly missed that threshold, with 22 in favor of rescinding the decision, 12 against, and one abstaining. Mark 5:20-34 "Healing Touch" (Pastor Min Chung) 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. A new report appears to implicate Covenant Fellowship Church's former head pastor, Min Joshua Chung, in fostering and creating a misogynistic church environment. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-button > button { . 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. WBEZ Chicagoalso uncovered about an Instagram account created last May which grew to become a platform for sexual assault survivors, exposing the abuses that have been happening in the church for almost thirty years. Great! 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. 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. 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). Despite the procedural errors, the SJC also declared the case would effectively be terminated and not sent back to the KCP to be retried. 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. height: 90px; 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. 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. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-float-corner, "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. Pastor KJ shows no signs of remorse, shows no sign of pastoral care, only concerned with keeping us quiet.. into silence those who knew of the incident, the report states. The commission ruled the KCP had made procedural errors during its initial look at the allegations against Chung, according to Brian Park, one of the pastors in that presbytery who filed the complaint to the SJC. } .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-float-current,
