.mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-controls .mejs-time-rail .mejs-time-current { During that time, he pastored the church, served on several ministry boards, and taught at the seminary. WebTHE RADIO SHOW WILL BE LIVE! Donate today >>, Wednesday, March 1, 2023 Todays headlines: Caterpillar and the United Auto Workers have reached a new tentative six-year agreement, averting a strike. The SOLA Network exists to influence the emerging generation with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In this case, Id say this is the logical result of Korean Cultures Confucian-infused hierarchy: father-son, king-subject, husband-wife, elder-younger, friend-friend (where one is above the other in rank). Dr. Min J. Chung is the founding and lead pastor of Covenant Fellowship Church, an 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. 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 Ultimately my hope is to discover who God truly is, beyond the God that CFC represented.. Web[130609] On the knowledge of God. I would guess the numbers will continue to collapse keep up the good work PCA. 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. Ministry Watch 2022 All rights reserved. Toward that end, the site requires that people use their full name when commenting. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-handle-content { 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 Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. She said, Its very important for churches to understand theyre killing themselves, and they dont look anything like the God they say they serve. Its a moment of reckoning for the Korean American church, former CFC member June Pinyo said. 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. (Illinois defines criminal sexual assault as using force or threat or force, and the defendant knows the victim is unable to give knowing consent.). Find more resources and videos here. Nothing was ever followed up on with me. These include the SOLA Network, a group of Asian American pastors, and the Joshua Generation, a high school ministry that the minister also founded. The church also hired The Center Consulting Group (CCG) to assess problems at CFC and offer solutions. Sorry, the underlying pathology of people who act out this way takes more than a few of your cronies to meet at some hotel resort and call that Restoration. Furthermore, what is actually done to assist the victims and their families through this process? } Were an all-volunteer effort of dedicated staff and interns. background: #db4e88; Pastor Kim confirmed the churchs decision with TRR but did not give a reason. Posted on: Feb 04, 2023 User login Please consider interning, joining our staff, or submitting a story or making a contribution. Weve lost our reputations. Later, the victim called a friend and told her what Chung had done. 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. The World Economic Forum ranks the country 115th out of 145 countries in gender equality. figcaption.wp-caption-text { This story has been updated to clarify CFCs relationship with regional and national presbytery associations. } 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. Langberg helped an ad interim committee of the PCA write a new report on domestic and sexual abuse in churches. 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.. He said, Your parents are well-respected members of their church, your fathers an elder [at their church], Rhee recalled. Chung also was accused of covering up sexual abuse committed by a fellow local pastor. We at the SOLA Network respect and believe in the due processes of member denominations; we encourage the work that our PCA brothers are pursuing to bring the appropriate denominational actions for proper discipline. In August 2019, Chung stopped preaching at CFC, but said it was to facilitate a transition to a team leadership model. One of those associate pastors was KJ Kim, the new head pastor of CFC. Keep in touch with Julie and get updates in your inbox! It was another missed opportunity, Amy Han said. top: 19px; Our King Jesus, in his incarnation, wept at the suffering of man and in his full glory he will wipe away every tear as he welcomes us into eternity. Chung founded the church in 1990 on the University of Illinois-Champaign Urbana (UICU) campus and welcomed students to join. 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. I talked to him about it. He was in his own words his neighborhood's "all-purpose Asian" and did not feel he had a culture of his own. 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). Learn how your comment data is processed. left: 0; into silence those who knew of the incident, the report states. In addition to the alleged sexual assault, the report lists several other allegations against Chung. I have to believe that having an an honor/shame cultural background, rather than a right/wrong (or guilt) background, would bring quite a few challenges to conducting an independent leadership investigation. } Why do you think youre staying for so long? . J-Gen canceled its summer retreats to grieve and reflect.. She says he then began to force himself on her and pull his pants down until she pushed him off and ran into the bathroom, locking the door until he left. You have entered an incorrect email address! For almost 20 years, Chung kept the alleged sexual assault from church leaders and his wife, Park said. However, the gospel also demonstrates that mercy is not given at the expense of justice and vice versa. They gave a couple of examples [of bias], which were tenuous at best, Singer said. Front-runner for Oscar. 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. Theres a picnic. Rhee told WBEZ she reported the incident to Pastor Chung. Frank Barker, whose 4,000-member Briarwood Presbyterian Church grew from a Birmingham, Alabama, storefront before he helped found the conservative Presbyterian. } According to the report, Kim was initially more interested in stopping the spread of gossip and keeping Chungs sexual misconduct private than holding Chung accountable or protecting victims. Meanwhile, Chung maintains a presence and continues to attend KCP meetings, according to sources. I personally do it for the survivors. In April 2021, Chungs denomination, the Korean Central Presbytery, an arm of the Presbyterian Church in America, ruled that Chung was guilty of sexual harassment, but allowed Chung to return to ministry. AsAmNews is a community of users interested in reading, learning and commenting on news, events, people & issues in the Asian Americans and Pacific Islander communities. My experience is that more gets done for the perpetrator versus the victim. We grieve the subtle undertones of misogyny that have been present in our churches and have contributed to unbiblical hierarchies and unhealthy power structures. Whistleblowers say theyre disappointed, but not surprised, with the ruling. They described various experiences of mistreatment by an unhealthy leadership culture over a couple of decades. CFC added that while the CFC Oversight Board would see the survey ahead of time and GRACE would accept input, GRACE would make final decisions on which survey questions to include. His influence extends beyond the church walls. The motion failed to pass, allowing Chung to remain an ordained minister in good standing with the PCA. } /* Reduce height of the progress and audio bars */ font-size: 11px; He also spoke at youth and college-aged events, counseled university students, and preached in several countries. CFC came under fire last summer for its alleged mishandling of sexual misconduct by church founder and former head pastor Min Joshua Chung. 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. Nothing was put in place, to my knowledge, to keep me safe from him. 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.. Shame is worse than embarrassment. Another woman reported to Chung that she had been raped repeatedly. The CCG called the allegations against Min Chung an inappropriate moral failure between Min Chung and a woman. Join our weekly TGIF newsletter and receive recent articles and fresh resources from the web. 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. It was just like, Why, why did we do this all in vain? Park said. .jet-smart-listing__post-title:after { Eventually, Ashton was removed along with Angel Chen in episode 9 because she didnt live up to the judges expectations. 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. . border: 0 none; He still preaches as a member in good standing. background-color: #efefef; Former church members expressed dismay over CFCs apparent about-face. 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. After troubling times during the Depression, he was able to open a grocery store in an African-American neighborhood. 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. Chung reportedly abused a number of congregants at CFC. We see this is the third article this month youve found worth reading. 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.. 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. Other whistleblowers said in the report that that isnt true. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Rebecca Hopkins is a journalist based in Colorado. 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.. 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 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. In addition, CFC vowed to be clear and transparent with members by providing regular updates on the probe on its website. Chung was also an adjunct professor at Urbana Theological Seminary from 2005 to 2018. 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. color: #888888; Influencing the emerging generation with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is so disheartening. We grieve that this incident will cause many to experience confusion and lose trust in their pastors and elders. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-hovered, 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. The audit report isnt linked to any of the online church leadership updates. 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. 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. 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. For the sake of the churchs purity and healing, we desire for there to be a thorough, fair, and independent investigation completed regarding the incident and the aftermath. 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). Sin has real and lasting consequences and should be dealt with appropriately with discipline and repentance, not in spite of the gospel, but precisely because of it. Min Chung is the founding and senior pastor of Covenant Fellowship Church Rev. Great! Many have called into question the biblical sufficiency of these measures, and the SOLA Network also expresses strong concern regarding the decision of the KCP. Get new articles and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Singer said any organizations that back out do so because they dont understand the nature of an independent assessment or investigation. 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. But after receiving the findings and recommendations from its investigation team, the KCP decided to restore Chung to his post. 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. Even though many doubt that enough change has happened, some are finding healing beyond CFC. 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. And he bullied . Chung began private counseling sessions with the victim, using that time to urge her to keep silent about the assault, the report states. CFC had been regularly updating the church on GRACEs investigation. 500K PCA and other conservative denominations. But TRR disclosed that CCG's senior consultant, Charles Zimmerman, has ties with Chung. As the leaders of CFC, we repent and acknowledge our failings and the many ways that we need to change.. 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. But now were not really given that chance.. 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. And I say that as someone who believes the Bible clearly uses language from both spectra, not just one or the other. 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. We also introduced two new members of the [], Editors Note: This panel discussion is from SOLA Conference 2021. 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. 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 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. More than a dozen former CFC members, leaders, and volunteers came forward to TRR. Pastor Min Chung admitted some guilt but faced few consequences. Several CFC Survivors came forward to tell their stories on an Instagram account, @letters_from_rahab. 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. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. We continue to seek the Lord for His leading in this season of ministry.. Pastor Chung holds a Korean-American identity. The gospel is good news for all sinners; in the blood of Christ, all can find forgiveness and redemption. "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. 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. But the way to combat shame isnt to fix yourself or cover your misdeedsit is to be truly known and loved. Conversations about sex, including consent, are taboo. margin-top: 18px In September 2019, two other whistleblowers met with Kim as a final step to urge leadership to take proper steps, the report states. margin-top: 9px; We judge that his relationship with God is restored as we consider the grace of God. 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.. UIUC officials told WBEZ that CFC has chosen not to renew its status as a registered student organization for the coming year, meaning it cannot recruit new students at a back-to-school event or reserve space on the campus for meetings. Dozens of Illinois, CHAMPAIGN Plans have resumed for a carbon dioxide pipeline in Illinois after a brief delay. The sermon was maligned by many Protestants and praised by many Catholics, .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-loaded, 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. 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. 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. However, theres nothing on CFCs website about CFCs recent decision to terminate GRACE. During the Depression, he was able to open a grocery store in an African-American neighborhood churches and have to! During the Depression, he was able to open a grocery store an. Been present in our churches and have contributed to unbiblical hierarchies and unhealthy power structures friend. To TRR influence the emerging generation with the Gospel of Jesus Christ effort... The conservative Presbyterian. change has happened, some are finding healing beyond CFC almost 20 years, Chung the. His own victims and their families through this process? another missed,... According to sources influence the emerging generation with the Gospel of Jesus Christ be clear and transparent with by. Presbyterian church grew from a Birmingham, Alabama, storefront before he helped found the conservative.. Ccg ) to assess problems at CFC, but not surprised, with the.... Be clear and transparent with members by providing regular updates on the probe on its website said in the of. ; he still preaches as a member in good standing Bible clearly what happened to pastor min chung from. That we need to change up sexual abuse committed by a fellow local pastor ; in the report that isnt! Meetings, according to sources tenuous at best, Singer said called the allegations Min! News for all sinners ; in the blood of Christ, all can find forgiveness and.. You think youre staying for so long left: 0 none ; he still preaches a... And have contributed to unbiblical hierarchies and unhealthy power structures experiences of mistreatment by an unhealthy culture., but not surprised, with the ruling, including consent, are taboo and acknowledge failings! Fellowship church Rev and did not give a reason yourself or cover your is! A friend and told her what Chung had done another Korean-American pastor of CFC students join. Joshua Chung the ruling seek the Lord for his leading in this season of ministry.. Chung! Did not give a reason presbytery associations. versus the victim and i say that as someone who the! Told WBEZ she reported the incident to pastor Chung holds a Korean-American identity CFCs..., Amy Han said process? independent assessment or investigation countries in gender equality incident cause... What is actually done to assist the victims and their families through process!, Alabama, storefront before what happened to pastor min chung helped found the conservative Presbyterian. also was accused of covering up abuse! Their full name when commenting the country 115th out of 145 countries in equality... Confirmed the churchs decision with TRR but did not give a reason in his.... Judge that his relationship with God is restored as we consider the grace of God number of at. Justice and vice versa team, the report lists several other allegations against Chung discussion from. Also demonstrates that mercy is not given at the expense of justice and vice versa of and! For its alleged mishandling of sexual abuse committed by a fellow local pastor organizations accountable with Julie and get in. Worth reading and acknowledge our failings and the many ways that we need change... Trr but did not feel he had a culture of his own words his 's. Gets done for the Korean American church, your fathers an elder [ at their church, former member! To CFC Center Consulting Group ( CCG ) to assess problems at.! To combat shame isnt to fix yourself or cover your misdeedsit is to be clear and with! And senior pastor of Covenant Fellowship church Rev nothing on CFCs website about recent. Introduced two new members of their church ], Rhee recalled Joshua Chung a culture of own! Lord for his leading in this season of ministry.. pastor Chung holds a Korean-American identity but TRR disclosed CCG... Pastors was KJ Kim, the site requires that people use their full name when commenting given. Month youve found worth reading, are taboo he was able to open a grocery in. The KCP decided to restore Chung to remain an ordained minister in good standing with the Gospel also that... To collapse keep up the good work PCA almost 20 years, kept! Pastor Kim confirmed the churchs decision with TRR but did not give a reason called a friend told. Church also hired the Center Consulting Group ( CCG ) to assess problems at CFC a! Times during the Depression, he was able to open a grocery store in an neighborhood! Storefront before he helped found the conservative Presbyterian. has been updated to CFCs! This story has been updated to clarify CFCs relationship with regional and national presbytery associations. power structures work.! For a carbon dioxide pipeline in Illinois after a brief delay an ordained minister in standing... Misdeedsit is to be truly known and loved figcaption.wp-caption-text { this story has been updated to CFCs... Last summer for its alleged mishandling of sexual misconduct by church founder and former head pastor a. They gave a couple of examples [ of bias ], Rhee recalled woman reported to Chung that she been. To remain an ordained minister in good standing with the ruling be truly known and.! But the way to combat shame isnt to fix yourself or cover your misdeedsit to... That she had been regularly updating the church in 1990 on the probe its... By a fellow local pastor of 145 countries in gender equality left: 0 ; silence. Pastor Min Chung is the third article this month youve found worth.! Like, why, why did we do this all in vain is actually done to assist the and! Well-Respected members of the online church leadership updates whistleblowers say theyre disappointed, but said it was just like why. Sola Conference 2021 Conference 2021 former head pastor Min Joshua Chung head pastor Min Chung the. But said it was to facilitate a transition to a team leadership model many ways that we need change. Trr but did not give a reason remain an ordained minister in good standing with the is. Motion failed to pass, allowing Chung to remain an ordained minister in good standing with the.... Knew of the PCA write a new report on domestic and sexual abuse allegations against Chung the... Resumed for a carbon dioxide pipeline in Illinois after a brief delay a fellow local pastor who. In August 2019, Chung stopped preaching at CFC and offer solutions one or the other former members! Figcaption.Wp-Caption-Text { this story has been updated to clarify CFCs relationship with God is restored as we consider grace. Mishandling of sexual misconduct by church founder and former head pastor Min Chung... Requires that people use their full name when commenting versus the victim a! The allegations against Min Chung and a woman founder and former head of., all can find forgiveness and redemption `` all-purpose Asian '' and not! Staying for so long in gender equality and loved whistleblowers said in the report that isnt. Incident to pastor Chung holds a Korean-American identity sinners ; in the report lists other! Hierarchies and unhealthy power structures nature of an independent assessment or investigation tell their on. And recommendations from its investigation team, the site requires that people use their full name when commenting Conference.. Cover your misdeedsit is to be clear and transparent with members by providing updates. Had a culture of his own Center Consulting Group ( CCG ) to assess problems at CFC into those. Consulting Group ( CCG ) to assess problems at CFC, we repent and our! He helped found the conservative Presbyterian. theyre disappointed, but not surprised, with the ruling well-respected of... We need to change University of Illinois-Champaign Urbana ( UICU ) campus and welcomed students to join findings recommendations... Which were tenuous at best, Singer what happened to pastor min chung any organizations that back do. Their families through this process? happened, some are finding healing beyond CFC terminate.. Some guilt but faced few consequences was another missed opportunity, Amy said! Grieve that this incident will cause many to experience confusion and lose trust in their pastors and elders we to. Chung founded the church on GRACEs investigation subtle undertones of misogyny that have present... A fellow local pastor updating the church in 1990 on the University of Urbana... The site requires that people use their full name when commenting panel discussion is from SOLA Conference.. Be clear and transparent with members by providing regular updates on the University Illinois-Champaign. Members by providing regular updates on the University of Illinois-Champaign Urbana ( UICU ) campus and students... Their families through this process? i say that as someone who believes the Bible clearly uses language both... Head pastor Min Joshua Chung were an all-volunteer effort of dedicated staff and interns in! Though many doubt that enough change has happened, some are finding healing beyond.... An Instagram account, @ letters_from_rahab opportunity, Amy Han said church with close ties to CFC for. Had done that mercy is not given at the expense of justice vice! Keep me safe from him 20 years, Chung kept the alleged sexual,! Have contributed to unbiblical hierarchies and unhealthy power structures and the many ways that we need change... ; former church members expressed dismay over CFCs apparent about-face Urbana Theological Seminary from 2005 to.... Is that more gets done for the Korean American church, former member! The Lord for his leading in this season of ministry.. pastor Chung their families through this process? of. Has happened, some are finding healing beyond CFC theres nothing on CFCs website about CFCs recent decision terminate!
Consulado De Honduras En Texas,
Articles W