We here at SOLA Network affirm these words: SOLA Network exists to influence the emerging generation with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Council believes sexual sin against a member of the congregation and failure to properly confess or be held accountable are reasons to disqualify a pastor/elder from office. 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). Zimmerman didnt answer calls or emails to comment on his relationship with Chung. We remind him to abide by the BCO (Book of Church Order), and we believe that he should return to ministry.. CFC would not be given much specific information prior to the release of the final executive summary, CFC reported in September. That same year, the actress retired from acting to start a family with her new husband. Ministry Watch 2022 All rights reserved. Anne Rhee (not her real name) recalled when she began to kiss a male friend from church. 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). One was a claim from many years ago of inappropriate touch with an adult woman. But TRR said that the ruling may still be appealed to the Standing Judicial Commission of the PCA's General Assembly. height: 90px; On January 17, 1990, the couple welcomed their first child, Tucker Stephenson. Eventually, that group reconsidered and completed the assessment. To Thyatira: Hold Fast What You Have Until I Come | Revelation 2:18-29 (Pastor Min Chung) joe 2019.02.19 43. 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. Join with thousands of others to keep this important public media-based resource available to all. CFC has already disassociated with Chung on May 27 and hired the services of Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment(GRACE) to investigate the pastor. Gave $3 Million Grant for Reconstruction of Historic First Baptist Church in Williamsburg. Keep in touch with Julie and get updates in your inbox! CFC also hired The Center Consulting Group to conduct surveys and evaluate the health of the church. The Austin-area congregation declared itself open to LGBTQ persons on staff and that the church building would be available to host same-sex wedding ceremonies. A total of 19 people signed on to the report or are cited as witnesses. } Pastor Kim confirmed the churchs decision with TRR but did not give a reason. We recognize that some have suffered, often silently, because of our church, states CFCs letter. Why do you think youre staying for so long? . Chung reportedly abused a number of congregants at CFC. 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. 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. to conduct a third-party investigation. Although banned from preaching at CFC by the Korean Central Presbytery in which he was 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. Theyre a very inclusive, very inviting community. After that, he was 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. 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 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). Min Chung is the founding and senior pastor of Covenant Fellowship Church Rev. } Chung didnt respond when The Roys Report tried to reach him for comment. Frank Barker, whose 4,000-member Briarwood Presbyterian Church grew from a Birmingham, Alabama, storefront before he helped found the conservative Presbyterian. Hi. CFCs current senior pastor, KJ Kim, was also accused of aiding in the cover-up of Min Chungs misconduct in a report compiled by a team of whistleblowers. The presbytery is a ruling body of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), the denomination that ordained Chung. Illinois Newsroom gets stories from public radio stations from across the state, including WBEZ-Chicago, WCBU-Peoria, WGLT-Normal, WVIK-Rock Island, WIUM-Macomb, WNIJ-DeKalb, WSIU-Carbondale, WUIS-Springfield, and St. Louis Public Radio. The friend urged the victim to tell Chung she hadnt consented to his touch. Get Your Domain Names Here! My heart breaks. And I say that as someone who believes the Bible clearly uses language from both spectra, not just one or the other. Pastor Kim also promised that church leadership would add more layers of accountability and would humbly listen, learn, and grow so we can be a healthier church moving forward.. Mayor Lori Lightfoot was handed a stunning defeat, the first time in 40 years a sitting mayor was not reelected. The timing of thisso close to the finish of the assessmenthas raised a lot of questions and suspicion among former members, said Pinyo. 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The investigation, which began last summer, came after multiple allegations that CFC had silenced and intimidated those who reported sexual misconduct by the churchs former well-known pastor, Min Joshua Chung. We prefer to style these with the main accent color of our theme */ } I personally do it for the survivors. /* Track progress bar background (amount of track fully loaded) There was never a feeling that this should be reported.. Chung showed Minari to his parents around Thanksgiving 2019, a couple of months before its Sundance premiere. 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 And he bullied . 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. Langberg helped an ad interim committee of the PCA write a new report on domestic and sexual abuse in churches. Pete Singer, GRACEs executive director, called the cancellation very rare, adding he is aware of just one other organization that has done the same. 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. We apologize for the ways we may have contributed to an unhealthy culture if we have been silent. 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. Toward that end, the site requires that people use their full name when commenting. Great! This is so disheartening. The church consists of predominantly a Korean American congregation. Opinion: What is Revivaland is it Happening at Asbury? 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. Joshua Generation, commonly called J-Gen, a ministry for high schoolers that Chung founded, also severed ties with Chung. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-controls .mejs-horizontal-volume-slider .mejs-horizontal-volume-total, 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. The city of Detroit is suing a pastor and his church over the stalled development of a new mega-church at 7 Mile and Woodward Avenue, saying blight has emerged as a result, according to court documents. The victim was suicidal and traumatized by her initial and continuous interaction with Pastor Min, the friend stated in testimony included in the report. All videos and transcripts are available on our website. Now, more than a year after WBEZ broke the story, former members and others familiar with the church say CFC is quietly reversing course. .wp-caption p.wp-caption-text { 500K PCA and other conservative denominations. Chung was also an adjunct professor at Urbana Theological Seminary from 2005 to 2018. 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 woman pastor at the center of the Southern Baptist Convention's decision to oust Saddleback Church the California 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. In a situation like this, we believe real accountability, discipline, and repentance are required. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. height: auto; 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. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-total, The audit report isnt linked to any of the online church leadership updates. /*Custom svg icon height fix*/ Marco Morante was eliminated in episode 8, Military, since the judges werent impressed by his outfit with a military motif. The report states that 62 percent of those surveyed consider CFC to have a works-based culture. The church has been legalistic, the CCG reported, and has lacked transparency and accountability. WebAs of July 2021, CFC came under the leadership of Reverend KJ Kim and a lay oversight board. } There are far-reaching consequences to a leaders sins, and as God lovingly and wisely disciplines those he loves, so the church must do the same beginning with her leaders. 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. figcaption.wp-caption-text { Nine teaching elders protested the KCPs ruling, saying they didnt think Chung was truly repentant, and called for indefinite suspension. . 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. 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. 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. Conversations about sex, including consent, are taboo. /* Progress and audio bar background */ } Korean Church Stops Independent Investigation into Sexual 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. height: 90px; WebTHE RADIO SHOW WILL BE LIVE! .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-horizontal-volume-total { Growing up in San Francisco, Yep felt alienated. Pinyo told TRR that shes advising her current church leadership on how to be a safe and healthy church that doesnt turn a blind eye to problems. Meanwhile, Chung maintains a presence and continues to attend KCP meetings, according to sources. Even though many doubt that enough change has happened, some are finding healing beyond CFC. They also ruled that the period when Chung wasnt preaching at CFC was enough discipline for his sin. The decision came before an investigation by WBEZ of Pastor Min Joshua Chung of the Covenant Fellowship Church on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus. He said, Your parents are well-respected members of their church, your fathers an elder [at their church], Rhee recalled. } Go to our Twitter feed and Facebook page for more content. Through the Presbyterian Church in America's ruling body, Korean Central Presbytery (KCP), Min Joshua Chung, the founder of the Covenant Fellowship Church (CFC) in Champaign-Urbana, was restored to his post as a minister in April this year. 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 CFC made the difficult decision to terminate its agreement with GRACE and this decision was made with much prayer and deliberation, Kim wrote in an email last week. height: 3px; text-align: left; } 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 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. Even the friend in whom the victim confided feared she would be cursed by God if she spoke against Chung. WebView the profiles of professionals named "Min Chung" on LinkedIn. } The Roys Report seeks to foster thoughtful and respectful dialogue. We judge that his relationship with God is restored as we consider the grace of God. 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. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-horizontal-volume-total, Women in many Korean churches are told to be submissive, former CFC members said. 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. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-total { During that time, he pastored the church, served on several ministry boards, and taught at the seminary. 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. We also introduced two new members of the [], Editors Note: This panel discussion is from SOLA Conference 2021. border: 0 none; document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Get new articles and breaking news delivered to your inbox. . 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. 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. 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.. 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. 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.. To Thyatira: Hold Fast What You Have Until I Come | Revelation 2:18-29 (Pastor Min Chung) joe 2019.02.19 43. However, a senior consultant at Center Consulting has ties with Chung. Pastor Min Chung admitted some guilt but faced few consequences. The motion requires two-thirds vote. In one instance, Chung assaulted a woman in the back seat of a car in 2001, the report alleges. 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. While the perfect judgment of God awaits us all, human judgments must be made to reflect His. 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. URBANA For Janet Park, the events of last year feel like a waste of time and energy. 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