what happened to pastor min chung
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. It affects your identity, making you want to hide parts or even all of yourself. And calls for reform are spreading through the Korean-American community, even as whistleblowers fear retaliation. figcaption.wp-caption-text { There are 300+ professionals named "Min Chung", who use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas, and opportunities. Toward that end, the site requires that people use their full name when commenting. Korean Church Stops Independent Investigation into Sexual Chung reportedly abused a number of congregants at CFC. The woman pastor at the center of the Southern Baptist Convention's decision to oust Saddleback Church the California megachurch founded by pastor and best-selling author Rick Warren says she will continue to serve as a ministry leader despite her longstanding ties to the nation's largest 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. I really did not see this coming, she said. Many people were waiting to see what came out of this and then what their response would be to that, Pinyo said. For almost 20 years, Chung kept the alleged sexual assault from church leaders and his wife, Park said. His influence extends beyond the church walls. 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. /* Progress and audio bars */ Min committed sexual misconduct against a female young adult whom he was pastoring. She is convinced she would have been raped if he could. 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.. However, the gospel also demonstrates that mercy is not given at the expense of justice and vice versa. We judge that his relationship with God is restored as we consider the grace of God. We extend an invitation to worship with us if you are ever in the Champaign area.. content: ''; .grecaptcha-badge { visibility: hidden; } However, theres nothing on CFCs website about CFCs recent decision to terminate GRACE. Gave $3 Million Grant for Reconstruction of Historic First Baptist Church in Williamsburg. We are personally reflecting on where we may fall short and how we can be proactive in preventing abuse and cover-up, instead of just reacting to it. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-embed, 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. 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. Although banned from preaching at CFC by the Korean Central Presbytery in which he was } Over the years, Chung rebuked whistleblowers who tried to confront him for causing dissension in the church. They either left or were forced to leave by the leadership they loved, the report states. Theyre a very inclusive, very inviting community. A sexual assault victim who wished to remain anonymous, but whose identity TRR confirmed, said that CFCs culture discouraged reporting sexual assault to police. They gave a couple of examples [of bias], which were tenuous at best, Singer said. . Former members of Covenant Fellowship Church (CFC) of Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, where Chung pastored, say the whole church system breeds abuse. /* Progress and audio bar background */ WBEZ confirmed with Justin Coverstone, the stated clerk of the Presbytery of Northern Illinois, that CFC was in the process of joining that regional body as of early September. 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. Other whistleblowers said in the report that that isnt true. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-horizontal-volume-total, Nothing was ever followed up on with me. 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. /* .jet-smart-listing__featured-box-link:before { .wp-caption-text { 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. /* Player controls */ Get Your Domain Names Here! Editors note: This story has been updated to clarify when the KCP received the whistleblowers allegations and to more accurately state certain charges. 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.. Anne Rhee (not her real name) recalled when she began to kiss a male friend from church. Chung continued to speak elsewhere during this time. Shame is worse than embarrassment. All rights reserved.Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Find more resources and videos here. Several CFC Survivors came forward to tell their stories on an Instagram account, @letters_from_rahab. We apologize for the ways we may have contributed to an unhealthy culture if we have been silent. Im tired, said Tim Ma, who previously served on the CFC worship team. It was another missed opportunity, Amy Han said. 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.. transform: translateY(445%); In much of Asian culture, you never want to look bad in front of the community and you never want to be the cause of someone else being shamed, said Frank Mesina, a former CFC member. Marco Morante was eliminated in episode 8, Military, since the judges werent impressed by his outfit with a military motif. Chung founded CFC in 1990, and its now home to more than a thousand members hailing from more than 20 ethno-linguistic groups, according to its website. 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. height: auto; Get new articles and breaking news delivered to your inbox. 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. 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. Hence, the SOLA Network writes the following statement so that the emerging generation of Asian American pastors, leaders, and Christ-followers can be gospel-centric in processing and dealing with the stated incident. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-float-current, URBANA For Janet Park, the events of last year feel like a waste of time and energy. In one instance, Chung assaulted a woman in the back seat of a car in 2001, the report alleges. 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. As a whistleblower, its traumatic as well, because there are so many places of pain and injustice along the way, Park said. The woman, a former CFC member, said she was sexually assaulted by a leader in the churchnot Chungand reported the incident to a pastor. In the aftermath, CFC promised to make changes and to be transparent. 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. A total of 19 people signed on to the report or are cited as witnesses. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-handle-content { She said, Its very important for churches to understand theyre killing themselves, and they dont look anything like the God they say they serve. Another woman reported to Chung that she had been raped repeatedly. Learn how your comment data is processed. WebLearning to Groan in the Holy Spirit | Romans 8:13-16, 26-27 (Pastor Min Chung) Join with thousands of others to keep this important public media-based resource available to all. Photo: Illustration by Andjela Padejski, Photo by Manuel Martinez/WBEZ News, Move over, Bruce Willis: NASA crashed into an asteroid to test planetary defense, Students protest University of Illinois investments related to fossil fuels. But Chung is subject to the PCAs Book of Church Order because of his PCA ordination, KJ Kim told TRR. 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 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. 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 In October, the church board released a nine-page report from the CCG. font-size: 13px The former AG pastor led his congregation out of the 1.8 million member Pentecostal denomination and presided over the change of policy in his local church on same-sex practices. (Illinois defines criminal sexual assault as using force or threat or force, and the defendant knows the victim is unable to give knowing consent.). In February of 2019, Park said she reported the matter to Kim and urged him to allow a third-party investigation, but Kim refused. In May 2021, CFC cut ties with Chung. But its especially disappointing because now theyve shown that they do have the tools and resources to make better decisions.. 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. 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). 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. Weve lost our reputations. Prominent Korean-American congregation Covenant Fellowship Church (CFC) in central Illinois has terminated its nearly complete independent investigation into alleged spiritual and emotional abuse at the church, according to Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment (GRACE). Creating space for women to be actively involved and included has been so important and it gives me hope for the institution of the church in general, she said. color: #888888; document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Eventually, that group reconsidered and completed the assessment. 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 disciplinary measures are followed. 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. 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. } We judge that his relationship with God is restored as we consider the grace of God. 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. The audit report isnt linked to any of the online church leadership updates. margin: 0; .wp-caption p.wp-caption-text { We recognize that some have suffered, often silently, because of our church, states CFCs letter. LeCroy said victims of abuse, who cannot get redress via the means provided by the church or denomination, can take to various means to seek justice. .mytheme-mejs-container.mejs-container, He was in his own words his neighborhood's "all-purpose Asian" and did not feel he had a culture of his own. How Can the Church Support Asian American Women? Rhee told WBEZ she reported the incident to Pastor Chung. Its time to move on.. One was a claim from many years ago of inappropriate touch with an adult woman. On January 17, 1990, the couple welcomed their first child, Tucker Stephenson. } The Council in particular, as men in pastoral leadership of Asian American churches, want to offer an apology. Former members of Covenant Fellowship Church say Chungs abuse is part of a larger pattern of abuse and silencing at CFC and affiliated ministries. Toll free: (866) 364-9980, Florida Youth Pastor Arrested for Attempting Sex with Teen Student, Cedarvilles Plan to Save Anthony Moore Abandoned its Students and Moore, Missouri Church Leaves Presbyterian Church in America Over LGBT Issues, Archbishop Resigns from Anglican Church of Canada over Sexual Misconduct, Cedarville Reinstates President White After Misconduct Investigation. Chung also was accused of covering up sexual abuse committed by a fellow local pastor. Mayor Lori Lightfoot was handed a stunning defeat, the first time in 40 years a sitting mayor was not reelected. 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. I talked to him about it. 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 political influence of the Senior Pastor in most independent churches is always a problem but in a denomination the hope is that people with oversight can minimize the political influence I guess not. Park is one of the whistleblowers who submitted the report to the KCP. However, we hope you will support our work with your prayers and financial gifts. 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. background-color: rgba(219, 78, 136, 0.075); However, CFC has made some changes. Web[130609] On the knowledge of God. Dr. Min J. Chung is the founding and lead pastor of Covenant Fellowship Church, an During the subsequent year, the SOLA Council learned that: Furthermore, in recent weeks, it has become public knowledge that Min Chung was found guilty by the Korean Central Presbytery (KCP). 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. A couple of other organizations have also severed their associations with the CFC founder. However, the KCP determined at an April meeting that looked only at the single incident that Chung had been restored to God, as well as the woman, and that that discipline instituted by CFC pastors was found to be sufficient.. A new report appears to implicate Covenant Fellowship Church's former head pastor, Min Joshua Chung, in fostering and creating a misogynistic church environment. 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. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-button > button { Chung had no interest in moving back to the weekend and attempted to get CBS to buy her out of the rest of her contract, valued around $2 million with less than a There was never a feeling that this should be reported.. visibility: hidden; background-image: url("images/mejs-controls-dark.svg"); AsAmNews has Asian America in its heart. The mainline Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) announced this week it will change the way it reports statistical information about the denominations membership to, The pastor of a Baptist church in Virginia is in jail on child sex abuse-related charges, the Washington County (Va.) Sheriffs Office, Steve Morgan, founder and president of a group of 26 evangelical-charismatic churches known as the Network, has been hiding a disqualifying sexual. 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). A few months later, a group of pastors dissatisfied with the presbyterys April 2021 determination filed a complaint in an effort to indefinitely suspend Chung from ministry. Harold Kim (Christ Central of Southern California), Steve Chang (Living Hope Community Church), Owen Lee (Christ Central Presbyterian Church), Hanley Liu (First Chinese Baptist Church Walnut), Will Chang (New Life Presbyterian Church), Michael Lee (All Nations Community Church), Hannah Chao (All Nations Community Church), Soojin Park (Christ Central Presbyterian Church), Tim St. John (Lighthouse Community Church), Moses Y. Lee (Rosebook Presbyterian Church). fostered a misogynistic environment that included sexual mistreatment and Anne Stych is a writer in Charlotte, North Carolina. CFC came under fire last summer for its alleged mishandling of sexual misconduct by church founder and former head pastor Min Joshua Chung. What came out of this and then what their response would be available to host same-sex wedding ceremonies response be... 0.075 ) ; however, the events of last year feel like a of! 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