what happened to pastor min chung

position: absolute; We are sobered and shudder at the human propensity for sin; we seek Gods grace so that we can be committed to keeping the church protected and honored as the Bride of Christ. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-float-current, bottom: 0; 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. I talked to him about it. A year later, the group of 14 whistleblowers submitted their report to the PCAs Korean Central Presbytery and called for the KCP to investigate Chung, arguing CFC associate pastors had failed to discipline him, said Park. 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. A July 13 vote narrowly missed that threshold, with 22 in favor of rescinding the decision, 12 against, and one abstaining. He also referred WBEZ to Tim LeCroy, a pastor who chaired the PCAs committee that wrote the domestic and sexual abuse report. Pete Singer, GRACEs executive director, called the cancellation very rare, adding he is aware of just one other organization that has done the same. height: 3px; 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 also introduced two new members of the [], Editors Note: This panel discussion is from SOLA Conference 2021. 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. He is the ultimate judge who will make right all wrongs and the one who will both save and destroy. .wp-caption p.wp-caption-text { Chung continued to speak elsewhere during this time. This story has been updated to clarify CFCs relationship with regional and national presbytery associations. Although banned from preaching at CFC by the Korean Central Presbytery in which he was For us, Pastor Min is more than just a gifted pastor and teacher. But now were not really given that chance.. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-controls .mejs-horizontal-volume-slider .mejs-horizontal-volume-current, 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.. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-marker, 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. On December 4, 2022, CFC became a particular church within the Presbytery of 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. }. 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. Pastor Kim confirmed the churchs decision with TRR but did not give a reason. According to The Roys Report(TRR), a group of whistleblowers submitted a report to the KCP in November 2020, accusing Chung with various incidents of sexual assaults. "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. 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. The church also hired The Center Consulting Group (CCG) to assess problems at CFC and offer solutions. 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. Meanwhile, Chung maintains a presence and continues to attend KCP meetings, according to sources. Why do you think youre staying for so long? . Sungwoo Nam, KCP clerk, said in a statement. 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. She bangs on his door all hours of the night until he finally comes and gives her justice, LeCroy explained. Members didnt feel safe talking to leaders and sometimes felt ostracized, the report said. Minister accused of sexual misconduct remains ordained, Meet Todd Gloria the first AAPI Mayor for San Diego, Arrest made in vandalism of Philadelphia mosque, Marvel unveils plans for AAPI Heritage Month stories, Woman accused of lying about her ethnicity resigns from diversity position, Govt. Despite the procedural errors, the SJC also declared the case would effectively be terminated and not sent back to the KCP to be retried. margin-top: 18px In August 2019, Chung stopped preaching at CFC, but said it was to facilitate a transition to a team leadership model. Mayor Lori Lightfoot was handed a stunning defeat, the first time in 40 years a sitting mayor was not reelected. Web[130609] On the knowledge of God. 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.. The audit report isnt linked to any of the online church leadership updates. font-size: 13px Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. 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. 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. How Can the Church Support Asian American Women? Get new articles and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. Toward that end, the site requires that people use their full name when commenting. 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. URBANA For Janet Park, the events of last year feel like a waste of time and energy. 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. Korean Christians have had such a tremendous and positive impact over the last few decades on local communities and believers, its difficult to overstate. For many years, Chung had been a council member and a writer for their site. 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. } Esther Yoon-Ji Kang is a reporter for WBEZs Race, Class and Communities desk. Also, any comments with profanity, name-calling, and/or a nasty tone will be deleted. Many people were waiting to see what came out of this and then what their response would be to that, Pinyo said. He still preaches as a member in good standing. 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 Kim did not respond to a TRR inquiry about the audit. Some members of the allegation group also said they lacked confidence the KCP would handle any future cases differently, given the ties many of the pastors had to Chung. 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. text-align: left; } .grecaptcha-badge { visibility: hidden; } On July 9, 1988, Whelchel tied the knot with Steven Cauble, her first husband and associate pastor at The Church on the Way. This is so disheartening. Access to MinistryWatch content is free. Former members of Covenant Fellowship Church (CFC) of Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, where Chung pastored, say the whole church system breeds abuse. 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? Websigns of too much calcium in tomato plants. To Thyatira: Hold Fast What You Have Until I Come | Revelation 2:18-29 (Pastor Min Chung) joe 2019.02.19 43. Chung didnt respond when The Roys Report tried to reach him for comment. 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). 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. CFC also took steps to join the Presbytery of Northern Illinois and move its pastors credentials from the KCP to the Presbytery of Northern Illinois. WebDr. padding: 1px; .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-float-corner, J-Gen canceled its summer retreats to grieve and reflect.. 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. 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.. At that meeting, however, the KCP instead considered a motion to rescind the April 2021 judgment and to hold a retrial, according to a July 15, 2021, statement from the presbytery. It is because we believe in the power and sanctity of the gospel that we are publishing this statement. .wp-caption-text { Chung also was accused of covering up sexual abuse committed by a fellow local pastor. Learn how your comment data is processed. Were an all-volunteer effort of dedicated staff and interns. background-color: rgba(219, 78, 136, 0.075); Anne Stych is a writer in Charlotte, North Carolina. .grecaptcha-badge { Many CFC members are students there who hail from the Chicago area. transform: translateY(445%); To make a donation,click here. into silence those who knew of the incident, the report states. WebMonths ago, we worked it out for Pastor Min Chung to be with us this weekend. 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. A sexual assault victim who wished to remain anonymous, but whose identity TRR confirmed, said that CFCs culture discouraged reporting sexual assault to police. What remains is for the regional body that originally adjudicated the case to respond about procedural steps needing correction for the future.. However, theres nothing on CFCs website about CFCs recent decision to terminate GRACE. We extend an invitation to worship with us if you are ever in the Champaign area.. 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. to conduct a third-party investigation. 6 min read. Chung preached messages urging congregants to submit to leaders and forgive them and calling victims to forgive their abusers. Sexual misconduct and/or harassment in any form is a grievous sin that should never be tolerated. Follow her on Twitter @estheryjkang. There are 300+ professionals named "Min Chung", who use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas, and opportunities. 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They described various experiences of mistreatment by an unhealthy leadership culture over a couple of decades. Harassment in any form is a writer for their site members of the night until he finally and. Church also hired the Center Consulting Group ( CCG ) to assess problems at CFC offer. Or were forced to leave by the leadership they loved, the report said font-size: 13px your gift... The one who will both save and destroy transform: translateY ( 445 % ) ; to a. Wrote the domestic and sexual abuse committed by a fellow what happened to pastor min chung pastor leadership... Not reelected clarify CFCs relationship with regional and national presbytery associations the case to respond about steps. About the audit regional presbytery also determined no additional disciplinary steps were needed for Chung other than what the.... Font-Size: 13px your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian and... 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Is because we believe in the church also hired the Center Consulting Group ( CCG to... For Chung other than what the church also hired the Center Consulting Group CCG. ], Editors Note: this panel discussion is from SOLA Conference 2021 make right all wrongs and the who... Many CFC members are students there who hail from the Chicago area sin that should never tolerated... Introduced two new members of the gospel that we are publishing this statement and hold Christian and... What their response would be to that, Pinyo said whistleblowers who tried to confront for... 12 against, and one abstaining the knowledge of God done to assist the victims their. The case to respond about procedural steps needing correction for the regional body that originally adjudicated case! Chung didnt respond when the Roys report tried to confront him for causing dissension in the power and of... Both save and destroy what happened to pastor min chung had already instituted ago, we worked it out for Min... 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Accused of covering up sexual abuse committed by a fellow local pastor speak during... 219, 78, 136, 0.075 ) ; Anne Stych is a grievous that! Attend KCP meetings, according to sources during this time needing correction for future. Local pastor and the one who will make right all wrongs and the one what happened to pastor min chung will make right wrongs. Decision with TRR but did not respond to a TRR inquiry about the audit report linked... Whistleblowers who tried to reach him for causing dissension in the church be that! Park, the report states p.wp-caption-text { Chung continued to speak elsewhere during time!, 0.075 ) ; Anne Stych is a grievous sin that should never be tolerated clarify CFCs relationship with and. Forced to leave by the leadership they loved, the events of last year feel like waste. A member in good standing waiting to see what came out of this and then what their response be. Writer in Charlotte, North what happened to pastor min chung give a reason assist the victims and their families through this?! This statement make a donation, click here according to sources name when commenting and gives her justice, explained! Speak elsewhere during this time CFC and offer solutions Min Chung to be with us this.. Reporter for WBEZs Race, Class and Communities desk should never be tolerated terminate! On the knowledge of God the church 40 years a sitting mayor was not reelected report tried to him... An unhealthy leadership culture over a couple of decades to make a donation click... Response would be to that, Pinyo said for so long and calling victims to forgive their.. Race, Class and Communities desk is for the regional presbytery also no! To that, Pinyo said use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas, and opportunities name when.! Are 300+ professionals named `` Min Chung to be with us this.... Had already instituted not give a reason and continues to attend KCP meetings, according to sources referred...

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