I actually had gotten to the point where I was naively thinking that [the GRACE assessment] was the one thing that was finally going to [lead] CFC to take a true, humble look at themselves.. .jet-smart-listing__post-title:after { Get new articles and breaking news delivered to your inbox. 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). 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. But its especially disappointing because now theyve shown that they do have the tools and resources to make better decisions.. Singer said any organizations that back out do so because they dont understand the nature of an independent assessment or investigation. Would you consider making a tax-deductible donation to help our journalists continue to report the truth and restore the church? 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? As a whistleblower, its traumatic as well, because there are so many places of pain and injustice along the way, Park said. 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. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-handle-content { top: 0; 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). Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. In September 2019, a member of the new leadership team, Pastor KJ Kim, said Chung had admitted to touching a female over the clothing for a brief moment about 20 years ago but had immediately stopped when she asked him to, per a recording obtained by WBEZ. 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. font-size: 13px .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-horizontal-volume-total { He received disciplinary measures that included temporary leave from the pulpit and acknowledgment of previous personal acts of piety as self-imposed discipline. Eventually, Ashton was removed along with Angel Chen in episode 9 because she didnt live up to the judges expectations. They were also concerned that other victims may exist, she said. A Presbyterian oversight group has determined that the former head pastor of a Korean church near the Champaign-Urbana campus of the University of Illinois can remain an ordained minister despite allegations of sexual misconduct against him and his church. 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. Go to our Twitter feed and Facebook page for more content. Many CFC members are students there who hail from the Chicago area. Why do you think youre staying for so long? . 217 Today: 217 Today host looks back on time at Illinois Public Media, Plans are back on the table for a carbon pipeline in Illinois, Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson head to Chicago mayoral runoff. /*Custom svg icon height fix*/ Ministry Watch 2022 All rights reserved. Though the assessment is nearly complete, the termination by CFC effectively halts our work at this time. text-align: left; } .mytheme-mejs-container.mejs-container, 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. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. Susie An covers education for WBEZ. Rhee told WBEZ she reported the incident to Pastor Chung. They described various experiences of mistreatment by an unhealthy leadership culture over a couple of decades. 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 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.. 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. 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. } He still preaches as a member in good standing. In a situation like this, we believe real accountability, discipline, and repentance are required. CFC also hired The Center Consulting Group to conduct surveys and evaluate the health of the church. 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. Not every religious leader is trained in handling the needs of sexual assault victims They should assist with reporting to the appropriate authorities and seek referrals to the victim services and professional counseling services!!! .elementor-widget .elementor-icon-list-icon svg { All videos and transcripts are available on our website. We extend an invitation to worship with us if you are ever in the Champaign area.. Sean Park, who said he experienced hazing and burnout at CFC, said hes finding his way to a healthy relationship with God. background-color: rgba(219, 78, 136, 0.075); She bangs on his door all hours of the night until he finally comes and gives her justice, LeCroy explained. 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. Pastor Kim did not respond to a TRR inquiry about the audit. You have entered an incorrect email address! I really did not see this coming, she said. Even the friend in whom the victim confided feared she would be cursed by God if she spoke against Chung. tricked into sending Asian Texans drivers licenses to fraud scheme, Everything Everywhere All at Once nearly sweeps SAG Awards, Elon Musk uses Asians in defense of Dilbert creators remarks about Black people, Michelle Yeoh wins SAG Award for best actress. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-float, 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. Commissioners for the Presbyterian Church in America approved a motion to leave the National Association of Evangelicals on Wednesday at the PCAs, The Presbyterian Church in Americas (PCA) highest ecclesiastical court is taking over a case allegedly mishandled by an Indiana presbytery, a letter, The Rev. The presbytery is a ruling body of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), the denomination that ordained Chung. This is so disheartening. I went to my head pastor and I was emotionally distressed, she said. 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. The victim was suicidal and traumatized by her initial and continuous interaction with Pastor Min, the friend stated in testimony included in the report. 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.. Toward that end, the site requires that people use their full name when commenting. 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 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. CFC would not be given much specific information prior to the release of the final executive summary, CFC reported in September. 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. .wp-caption img { 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). Its disappointing, but kind of in line with what weve seen from them over the past several yearsprioritizing the institution over the victims, said former church member June Pinyo. 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. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-hovered, In May 2021, CFC cut ties with Chung. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-handle-content { But lay leaders and congregants began leaving the church in recent years, which was also a registered student organization at UICU. For investigators at GRACE, CFCs decision to terminate the assessment is a highly unusual move. A 124-page extended version of the report, containing copies of texts describing one victims assault and subsequent intimidation, was submitted to an investigative team of the Korean Central Presbytery (KCP) in November 2020, following up on a five-page allegation letter the whistleblowers sent in August. Many other ministries have removed Chung from their boards and speaking schedules. } } More than a dozen former CFC members, leaders, and volunteers came forward to TRR. For many years, Chung had been a council member and a writer for their site. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-float-corner, It was very much like, Why do you think you got into this relationship? 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) 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. The Roys Report seeks to foster thoughtful and respectful dialogue. Brea, CA 92821 | 562.694.2100 2022 Living Hope Community Church. To Thyatira: Hold Fast What You Have Until I Come | Revelation 2:18-29 (Pastor Min Chung) joe 2019.02.19 43. A Presbyterian oversight group refused to defrock a Korean American minister following allegations of sexual misconduct, reports Ministry Watch. Some former CFC members told TRR they believe CFC leaders have lost their way. } The CCG called the allegations against Min Chung an inappropriate moral failure between Min Chung and a woman. 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. The report doesnt offer explicit details of the incident, but states that the touching was in a way that could be constituted as sexual assault under Illinois law. Web1215 W. Lambert Rd. SOLA Network, a digital platform and conference including Asian American pastors from all over the country, recently broke ties with Chung. Last summer, amid the outcry that resulted from the revelations by an Instagram account called @letters_from_rahab, CFC said it would cut financial ties to the pastor and hire a third-party group to do a full investigation. 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