.grecaptcha-badge { visibility: hidden; } 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. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-marker, Hi. Pastoral leadership is an immense privilege, not a right. 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). Join with thousands of others to keep this important public media-based resource available to all. Anne Rhee (not her real name) recalled when she began to kiss a male friend from church. 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. 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. For investigators at GRACE, CFCs decision to terminate the assessment is a highly unusual move. The Roys Report seeks to foster thoughtful and respectful dialogue. To donate, click here. by National Public Radio station WBEZ in Chicago, Covenant Fellowship Church and its former head pastor Min Joshua Chung for years fostered a misogynistic environment that included sexual mistreatment and oppression of women. Another day, theres basketball. We judge that his relationship with God is restored as we consider the grace of God. Chung showed Minari to his parents around Thanksgiving 2019, a couple of months before its Sundance premiere. To Pergamum: Do Not Compromise | Revelation 2:12-17 (Pastor Min Chung) The SOLA Network exists to influence the emerging generation with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-controls .mejs-horizontal-volume-slider .mejs-horizontal-volume-current, .wp-caption img { The treatment and reception of Asians in the broader American society has shaped the theological tendencies of Asian American Christians, ranging from very radical to very conservative theologies and all of these tendencies, even though often at odds with []. It is because we believe in the power and sanctity of the gospel that we are publishing this statement. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-hovered, } 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. 6 min read. Influencing the emerging generation with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. height: 3px; We acknowledge that this was wrong., Kim said the woman had forgiven Chung long ago.. 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. The report, published in June, is intended to provide resources to handle abuse cases and to offer best practices and guidelines for elders, churches, presbyteries and other entities. There are 300+ professionals named "Min Chung", who use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas, and opportunities. The sermon was maligned by many Protestants and praised by many Catholics, .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time { text-align: left; } Chung didnt respond when The Roys Report tried to reach him for comment. But after receiving the findings and recommendations from its investigation team, the KCP decided to restore Chung to his post. She bangs on his door all hours of the night until he finally comes and gives her justice, LeCroy explained. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-controls .mejs-horizontal-volume-slider .mejs-horizontal-volume-total, I have the privilege of living near a large population of Korean Americans, both Christian and otherwise. They called for the rescission of the ruling in July but fell short of votes when only 22 individuals sided with the move, out of 35, with 12 who went against it and one abstention. Chung continued to speak elsewhere during this time. In addition to the alleged sexual assault, the report lists several other allegations against Chung. Check out our new Instagram account. Keep in touch with Julie and get updates in your inbox! Nothing was put in place, to my knowledge, to keep me safe from him. Nine teaching elders protested the KCPs ruling, saying they didnt think Chung was truly repentant, and called for indefinite suspension. 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). 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. } He cited an example in the Bible, in the book of Luke, where Jesus tells the story of a woman and an unjust judge. 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. Pastor Min is the founding and lead pastor of Covenant Fellowship Church, a large church in Champaign. Join with thousands of others to keep this important public media-based resource available to all. 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). Covenant Fellowship Church is nondenominational, has no elders, and is not a PCA member. Later, the victim called a friend and told her what Chung had done. Heartland Greenway LLC refiled its application with the Illinois. Pastor KJ Kim acknowledged that Chung has been accused of a pattern of abusing his authority. 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.. Front-runner for Oscar. They gave a couple of examples [of bias], which were tenuous at best, Singer said. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-total, Weve lost our reputations. "MC (Min Chung) is anointed by God, God only exists at CFC and there is no other place like CFC. It serves as a digital platform for evangelical leaders, writers, speakers, and bloggers who share the same values of faith to provide Gospel-centered resources.View all posts by SOLA Network, This week we continued sharing our content from SOLA Conference 2021. 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). background-color: #efefef; 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. /* .jet-smart-listing__featured-box-link:before { 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). The commission ruled the KCP had made procedural errors during its initial look at the allegations against Chung, according to Brian Park, one of the pastors in that presbytery who filed the complaint to the SJC. Another 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. Please consider interning, joining our staff, or submitting a story or making a contribution. What remains is for the regional body that originally adjudicated the case to respond about procedural steps needing correction for the future.. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-controls .mejs-time-rail .mejs-time-loaded { Gave $3 Million Grant for Reconstruction of Historic First Baptist Church in Williamsburg. Sean Park, who said he experienced hazing and burnout at CFC, said hes finding his way to a healthy relationship with God. Amid rumors of sexual misconduct, Chung announced in the summer of 2019 that he would transition out of the head pastor role and that a team of associate pastors would take over. Yet this generations aggrieved version of sexism has taken on a different character from their fathers more traditional version of sexism featuring machoism and strict gender roles., https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/13/opinion/south-koreas-misogyny.html, https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/06/23/young-south-korean-men-hate-liberals-feminists/. } To donate, sexual misconduct and decades of cover-up, Presbyterian Church in America Votes to Leave National Association of Evangelicals, Presbyterian Pastor Who Sued for Accusers Silence to be Tried in Denominations Highest Court, Pastor Who Helped Found the Presbyterian Church in America Dies, Former Pastor Accused of Rape Resigns from Churchome After TRR Investigation; Church Official Makes False Claims, Arkansas Youth Pastor Pleads Guilty to 13 Counts of Sexual Assault, Bishop Scott Jones Moves from Extreme Center of UMC to Global Methodist Church, A Christian Health Nonprofit Saddled Thousands With Debt as It Built a Family Empire Including A Pot Farm, Bank and Airline, 2 Megachurches Rocked by Allegations They Allowed Pastor Guilty of Clergy Sexual Abuse to Re-Offend, EXCLUSIVE: John MacArthur Shamed, Excommunicated Mother for Refusing to Take Back Child Abuser, Days-long Revival Sweeping Asbury University in Kentucky, EXCLUSIVE: John MacArthur Covered Up Pastors Sexual Abuse, Witnesses Say, EXCLUSIVE: John MacArthurs Church Supported Convicted Child Abuser & Pedophile, Records Show, Dante Bowe Posts, Then Removes, Apology for Behavior Causing Split with Maverick City Music, Matt Chandler Steps Aside After Admitting Inappropriate Online Relationship, John MacArthur Pulls Out of Ligonier Conference, Pastor Resigns From Houston Megachurch After Admitting Affair, Televangelist Creflo Dollar Renounces Past Teachings on Tithing, But Questions Persist. font-size: 11px; border: 0 none; 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. We apologize for the ways we may have contributed to an unhealthy culture if we have been silent. 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. It went terribly, according to the report. color: #888888; 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. WebLearning to Groan in the Holy Spirit | Romans 8:13-16, 26-27 (Pastor Min Chung) z-index: 1; A Presbyterian oversight group refused to defrock a Korean American minister following allegations of sexual misconduct, reports Ministry Watch. An arm of the Presbyterian Church in America is allowing Min Joshua Chungarguably the nations most prominent Korean-American pastorto return to ministry despite allegations of sexual misconduct and cover-up. His influence extends beyond the church walls. 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. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-embed, 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 .jet-smart-listing__post-title:after { /*Custom svg icon height fix*/ Bryan Chapell, the PCAs stated clerk, confirmed to WBEZ in a statement that the discipline matter has been concluded by the SJC. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-loaded, Great! Dr. Min J. Chung is the founding and lead pastor of Covenant Fellowship Church, an 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. Many CFC members are students there who hail from the Chicago area. top: 6px; Learn how your comment data is processed. Pastor Chung holds a Korean-American identity. They were also concerned that other victims may exist, she 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. Chung founded the church in 1990 on the University of Illinois-Champaign Urbana (UICU) campus and welcomed students to join. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Nov. 22, 2018. 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