.mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time { 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. 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. Park is one of the whistleblowers who submitted the report to the KCP. Other whistleblowers said in the report that that isnt true. Several survivors would ask theKorean Central Presbytery(KCP), a denominational oversight group, to investigate Chung's inappropriate touching incident before WBEZ's reporting. 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. Dr. Min J. Chung is the founding and lead pastor of Covenant Fellowship Church, an Min Pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie has said he closed down his Good News International Church four years ago what happened to pastor min chung 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. Learn how your comment data is processed. to Pastor 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. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment (GRACE), an organization hired by Covenant Fellowship Church to look into the allegations against the Minister accused of sexual misconduct remains ordained WebHe is a bi-vocational pastor and has been in the animation industry for over 10 years. We extend an invitation to worship with us if you are ever in the Champaign area.. As reported by The Roys Report ( TRR) last year, Min Joshua Chungarguably the nations most prominent Korean-American pastorwas accused 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. In an email to Roys, Kim wrote that the decision to terminate the churchs agreement with GRACE was made with much prayer and deliberation.. Go to our Twitter feed and Facebook page for more content. Follow her on Twitter @WBEZeducation and @soosieon. For Janet Park, the events of last year feel like a waste of time and energy. transform: translateY(445%); Now, former members and others familiar with the church say CFC is quietly reversing course. These include the SOLA Network, a group of Asian American pastors, and the Joshua Generation, a high school ministry that the minister also founded. And calls for reform are spreading through the Korean-American community, even as whistleblowers fear retaliation. margin: 0; 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. This story originally appeared at MinistryWatch., Religion Unplugged56 BroadwayNew York, NY 10004, Religion Unplugged is a production of The Media Project and a member of the Institute for Nonprofit NewsEIN: 83-0461425site design by Peter Freeby, Clemente Lisi, books, Pope Pius XII, Jews, Zenger, Hamil Harris, Primary Feature, Samuel Rodriguez, National hispanic christian leadership conference, Uvalde, Uvalde school shooting, Zenger, Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-float, Former members say Covenant Fellowship Church has reneged on its vows to investigate allegations of sexual and spiritual abuse. Rev. No one in the USAis sharing news like we are across radio, magazines and online so please help us to continue that today. We pray that CFC reconsiders this course of action and chooses to re-engage with GRACE for completion of this independent assessment.. height: 90px; 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). .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-horizontal-volume-total { 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.. 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.. Also, any comments with profanity, name-calling, and/or a nasty tone will be deleted. Keep in touch with Julie and get updates in your inbox! The Roys Report bottom: 0; I went to my head pastor and I was emotionally distressed, she said. . Now, more than a year after WBEZ broke the story, former members and others familiar with the church say CFC is quietly reversing course. [Churches and presbyteries] are not trained to look into [abuse], Langberg said. We lost our church family and community, she said. ymca executive director salary; times reporter garage sales; parexel trials london; eteri tutberidze husband; rocky mountain air show 2022; usfl rules differences; Menu. K.J. 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. 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). Charles Stanley, an influential Baptist pastor who for more than 50 years preached a conservative message from his Atlanta megachurch, Whistleblowers are making their accusations public after several years of attempts to confront the influential pastor within a reportedly tight-knit, shame-based community. The leader of a Christian cult in Kenya is due to appear in court next week, as the exhumation of bodies found in mass graves on his land continues. New report reveals how Korean pastor in Chicago fostered ' Its a moment of reckoning for the Korean American church, former CFC member June Pinyo said. 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. The leader of a Christian cult in Kenya is due to appear in court next week, as the exhumation of bodies found in mass graves on his land continues. He cited an example in the Bible, in the book of Luke, where Jesus tells the story of a woman and an unjust judge. invitation to love poem analysis; how to take care of your soul sermon; list of largest unsupported domes in the world. Chung was also an adjunct professor at Urbana Theological Seminary from 2005 to 2018. A major area we processed was how I respond to authority and feeling pressured, obligated, attacked, and manipulated. The World Economic Forum ranks the country 115th out of 145 countries in gender equality. height: 90px; But TRR disclosed that CCG's senior consultant, Charles Zimmerman, has ties with Chung. } } 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. 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. It went terribly, according to the report. Others claimed that Chung assaulted them several times, including while on a two-hour car ride. 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. 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. It was another missed opportunity, Amy Han said. On December 4, 2022, CFC became a particular church within the Presbytery of 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. We remind him to abide by the BCO (Book of Church Order), and we believe that he should return to ministry.. Rhee told WBEZ she reported the incident to Pastor Chung. URBANA For Janet Park, the events of last year feel like a waste of time and energy. A new report appears to implicate Covenant Fellowship Church's former head pastor, Min Joshua Chung, in fostering and creating a misogynistic church Chung began private counseling sessions with the victim, using that time to urge her to keep silent about the assault, the report states. A church in Urbana-Champaign reverses on promises to address }. 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. Last summer, hundreds of accounts surfaced online criticizing Covenant Fellowship Church for mishandling alleged incidents of sexual abuse committed by church members. Covenant Fellowship Church - IL - Our History 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. Pastor Min Chung Anew reportfrom the Chicago radio station WBEZ has gone into extensive detail regarding Chung's misogynistic conduct. 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.. I would guess the numbers will continue to collapse keep up the good work PCA. 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). Pete Singer, GRACEs executive director, called the cancellation very rare, adding he is aware of just one other organization that has done the same. Enter your email address to receive new posts by email. what happened to pastor min chung Smith said she agreed to report the incident and received help from the University of Illinois A July 13 vote narrowly missed that threshold, with 22 in favor of rescinding the decision, 12 against, and one abstaining. new homes for sale in gonzales, la; jfk airport covid testing requirements; norman, ok mayor political party; switzerland cemetery records; That same year, the actress retired from acting to start a family with her new husband. CFC came under fire last summer for its alleged mishandling of sexual misconduct by church founder and former head pastor Min Joshua Chung. 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. 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. 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. 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. /* Track progress bar background (amount of track fully loaded) WebAs of July 2021, CFC came under the leadership of Reverend KJ Kim and a lay oversight board. PCA Allows High-Profile Pastor Back Despite Alleged Friday, April 28, 2023 Todays headlines: A newly signed Illinois law will let out-of-state doctors and nurses practicing on temporary licenses stay here. Pastor 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. Min Chung is the founding and senior pastor of Covenant Fellowship Church. In addition, CFC vowed to be clear and transparent with members by providing regular updates on the probe on its website. April 21, 2023. CFC came under fire last summer for its alleged mishandling of sexual misconduct by church founder and former head pastor Min Joshua Chung. } He is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity at Talbot Theological Seminary. CFC has begun posting Leadership Updates on its website. CFC separated from Chung on May 27 and has contracted a third-party investigation into his conduct. In one instance, Chung assaulted a woman in the back seat of a car in 2001, the report alleges. 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. . 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. This website requires JavaScript to function correctly. Min Joshua Chung - Speakerpedia 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. Do share this story to encourage others to pray too. The victim was suicidal and traumatized by her initial and continuous interaction with Pastor Min, the friend stated in testimony included in the report. Kim also alluded to the KCP investigation. /* Reduce height of the progress and audio bars */ 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. Great! Even the friend in whom the victim confided feared she would be cursed by God if she spoke against Chung. 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 following web browsers are supported by this website: Please contact your system administrator if you require assistance upgrading or changing your web browser. .grecaptcha-badge { To donate, click here. Get new articles and breaking news delivered to your inbox. 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. 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. 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.. 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 He still preaches as a member in good standing. /* .jet-smart-listing__featured-box-link:before { Zimmerman didnt answer calls or emails to comment on his relationship with Chung. 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. color: #888888; 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. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-buffering, Kho St Cng Trnh Ngm macy's software engineer salary. In addition to the alleged sexual assault, the report lists several other allegations against Chung. 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. Your monthly support will make a world of difference. 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. Post author By ; cases where eyewitnesses were right Post date March 7, 2023; AsAmNews has Asian America in its heart. Please consider interning, joining our staff, or submitting a story or making a contribution. 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. In a world of fake news theres never been a greater need for quality Christian journalism. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-marker, She writes for American City Business Journals BizWomen. Pete Singer, GRACEs executive director, called the cancellation very rare, adding he is aware of just one other organization that has done the same. Conversations about sex, including consent, are taboo. 4 min read. 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. 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. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-controls .mejs-time-rail .mejs-time-loaded { 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.. For almost 20 years, Chung kept the alleged sexual assault from church leaders and his wife, Park said. We extend an invitation to worship with us if you are ever in the Champaign area.. 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. 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. We will not notify you again about this until you next restart your browser. 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) A church in Urbana-Champaign reverses on promises to address abuse allegations. We have encouraged them to see this important work through to completion, the statement said. Covenant Fellowship Church in central Illinois has terminated an independent investigation of "spiritual and emotional abuse" led by GRACE. I really did not see this coming, she said. We judge that his relationship with God is restored as we consider the grace of God. Later, the victim called a friend and told her what Chung had done. what happened to pastor min chung 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. 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. 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). The decision to return Chung to ministry may be appealed to the Standing Judicial Commission of the PCAs General Assembly. 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. 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. Happened The group said that though the was guilty, what he did was already enough for his reinstatement and that his hiatus from preaching was also enough to discipline him for the sin. Ultimately my hope is to discover who God truly is, beyond the God that CFC represented.. Victims of abuse who express their grievances on social media, who protest, who take their stories to the media theyre like that woman in that parable, LeCroy said. 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. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-handle-content { 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. what happened to pastor min chung 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.. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-controls .mejs-time-rail .mejs-time-current { 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 [Churches and presbyteries] are not trained to look into [abuse], Langberg said. But theres, of course, a lot under the surface as well, he added. 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. Min Chung is the founding and senior pastor of Covenant Fellowship Church. .grecaptcha-badge { visibility: hidden; } [They] are literally re-traumatizing [themselves] by speaking to us, so the least the other side could do would be to hear those pieces of information, Dunn said, adding that current church leaders, including KJ Kim, were the only remaining people GRACE had left to interview. 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. Premiers news output takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. He is the founder of truthmattersministries.com. 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