Its time that we simply say enough is enough and no -longer co-sign this terrible plight that impacts people generationally. . to conduct a third-party investigation. VIDEO: Another lawsuit filed against a mega-church in Federal Way, KIRO 7 News Seattle facebook feed(Opens a new window), KIRO 7 News Seattle twitter feed(Opens a new window), KIRO 7 News Seattle youtube feed(Opens a new window), Before Pac-12 Championship, UW's Myles Gaskin fulfills fan's 'last wish', Shoplifting costs Washington families $400 a year, Missing 2-year-old last seen playing near Skagit River, 'Baby It's Cold Outside' removed from radio station's playlist, Do you have an investigative story tip? In addition, CFC vowed to be clear and transparent with members by providing regular updates on the probe on its website. "Thats why we're coming forward. The pastor's statements have forced the church to state publicly why he left-something they had previously, and appropriately, preferred to keep within their church family. Why do you think youre staying for so long? . Ultimately my hope is to discover who God truly is, beyond the God that CFC represented.. You have to realize all those relationships, they're gone, said KellyRussell. Harry, Elder . Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. The victim did. 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. Several years ago, reports of alleged inappropriate behavior were made concerning the CFC employee who has been placed on leave. Almost every day of the week, they try to recruit people, Ma said. The motion failed to pass, allowing Chung to remain an ordained minister in good standing with the PCA. Its horrific, it's gross - the sexual exploitation and doing nothing about it, said Joan Mell, the attorney representing Kelly and Janet Russell. trugrade fuel pump. He also referred WBEZ to Tim LeCroy, a pastor who chaired the PCAs committee that wrote the domestic and sexual abuse report. Kim did not respond to a request for comment on these claims against him. 01 1401 - 23:19 . My mind was racing. To make a donation,click here. Toward that end, the site requires that people use their full name when commenting. 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. 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. You'll find excellent programs for your children, from birth through 12th grade. Leslie Massey continued to receive a salary for many months following her departure from the workplace. A Presbyterian oversight group refused to defrock a Korean American minister following allegations of sexual misconduct, reports Ministry Watch. She is convinced she would have been raped if he could. Many times, I thought I lost my own understanding in God. cfc church scandal pastor minexamples of misfeasance in healthcare. CFC exposed and the harassment Watch on Furthermore, in recent weeks, it has become public knowledge that Min Chung was found guilty by the Korean Central Presbytery (KCP). Pastor KJ Kim acknowledged that Chung has been accused of a pattern of abusing his authority. Ministry Watch 2022 All rights reserved. CFCs main ministry is to the students at the University of Illinois and the church recruits heavily during new student week, said Tim Ma, former CFC member and 2014 Illinois graduate. 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. It contracted with an organization called Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment (GRACE) to assess the church and its response to allegations of abuse. Diseo y fabricacin de reactores y equipo cientfico y de laboratorio Diane Langberg, a prominent psychologist and leading voice on abuse within church communities, said CFCs termination of the GRACE assessment is yet another move to silence the individuals the church has hurt. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Facebook photo. 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. Because we hope no other family will have to experience this again. His. This story originally appeared at MinistryWatch., Religion Unplugged56 BroadwayNew York, NY 10004, Religion Unplugged is a production of The Media Project and a member of the Institute for Nonprofit NewsEIN: 83-0461425site design by Peter Freeby, Clemente Lisi, books, Pope Pius XII, Jews, Zenger, Hamil Harris, Primary Feature, Samuel Rodriguez, National hispanic christian leadership conference, Uvalde, Uvalde school shooting, Zenger, Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment. texas sage tea benefits. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. Office Hours. Really hurt by this, JanetRussell said. Follow her on Twitter @WBEZeducation and @soosieon. Pastor Howard, is the Senior Pastor at Christian Fellowship Church, in Albuquerque, New Mexico were he has devoted more than 30 years of service.He is a loving and compassionate Pastor who continually guides his church members on how to build their faith, live and walk in the Kingdom principles, and pray in the Holy Spirit. Dale is the Children's Church Pastor. 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. But from faith and friendship - the Russells say they now feel forsaken. These will be addressed in order below. In May 2021, CFC cut ties with him. I really did not see this coming, she said. Tim Peterson // CFC. Several CFC Survivors came forward to tell their stories on an Instagram account, @letters_from_rahab. People close to the woman said she didnt wish to speak to TRR. CFC believes missions is the purpose of the church. To donate, click here. Tommy Bates, Senior Pastor of Community Family Church since 1981, has a unique calling and gift of God to bridge the gap of separation between "that which was" and "that which is" in the full-gospel movement. Nothing was ever followed up on with me. He has either founded or served in leadership for several youth and college ministries throughout the country, and was a board member for international missions organization SIM from 2006 to 2019. Lin said the area. I am truly sorry and deeply repentant, Courson said. > Live Stream Videos. "One Thing" Pastor Dale Sisam. "When [the pastor] sexually assaulted me, I knew what would happen," she 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. Park is one of the whistleblowers who submitted the report to the KCP. Travel into Chicago the 2nd Friday of each month at 10AM. Chung discouraged her from reporting the incident to police. Kyle Carnahan. 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. 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.. 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. A new report appears to implicate Covenant Fellowship Church's former head pastor, Min Joshua Chung, in fostering and creating a misogynistic church environment. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. I looked up that word after we left, and the description of what a cult is, is how I'd describe Christian Faith Center, she said. For almost 20 years, Chung kept the alleged sexual assault from church leaders and his wife, Park said. Minister accused of sexual misconduct remains ordained, Kamala Harris vows to lift up Asian small businesses, No No Girl centers on generational trauma, Japanese internment camps, Vietnamese Am man files lawsuit against county deputy, Walmart for false arrest, Ronny Chieng and Hasan Minhaj roast each other on The Daily Show, Two Native Hawaiian men sentenced to prison for hate crimes against White man, Meet Todd Gloria the first AAPI Mayor for San Diego, Journey lead singer Arnel Pineda in a public feud with other band members, Michelle Yeoh wins SAG Award for best actress. , . ARZBtc.com > > > cfc church scandal pastor min. 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). Editors note: This story has been updated to clarify when the KCP received the whistleblowers allegations and to more accurately state certain charges. He cited an example in the Bible, in the book of Luke, where Jesus tells the story of a woman and an unjust judge. 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. Children ages 4-5 now have the option to take swim lessons for free as part of their preschool day. Since 2008 the organisation has hosted summer camps and retreats all over Texas. Conversations about sex, including consent, are taboo. Sunday: In Person: 9:30a & 11:00a Watch from Anywhere Online: 9:30 & 11:00a Watch Live. cfc church scandal pastor minemn meaning medical. Yet whistleblowers, who knew about the alleged assault, pressured Chung for a decade to confess to the church. CFC treated Leslie Massey with compassion and respect even as it defended itself against her claims. Her husband, 13. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. 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. 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.. Other whistleblowers said in the report that that isnt true. Per a New York Times opinion piece from June 13, 2016 called South Koreas Misogyny, Women made up 86 percent of all violent crime victims in 2013, according to police data (most violent crime is sexual in nature, and women suffer disproportionately from sexual crimes)., Per a June 23, 2021 article from foreignpolicy.com, sexism has been a long-standing issue in South Korea. What to expect. 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. Later, the victim called a friend and told her what Chung had done. In the aftermath, CFC promised to investigate and to be transparent. WBEZ first reported the allegations against Chung and the crisis unfolding at CFC as the victims of sexual and spiritual abuse shared their stories online. Each of the 4 services are streamed as well. A vote by the Presbyterian oversight group on July 13 to remove Chung as a minister failed to get the necessary 2/3 vote. Unfortunately, your shopping bag is empty. 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. 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. Esther Yoon-Ji Kang is a reporter for WBEZs Race, Class and Communities desk. The employee who is under investigation has been placed on leave and is not currently preaching or otherwise involved in ministry work at CFC.. In an email to Roys, Kim wrote that the decision to terminate the churchs agreement with GRACE was made with much prayer and deliberation.. In a statement aboutMasitha, the church said this in a statement: CFC promptly retained an experienced, independent outside investigator to interview witnesses. Study led by Pastor Mike. We exist to build a church that connects our world to Jesus and leads them to become like Him. Attorney Laura Dunn, a contracted institutional response specialist with GRACE, said many of the people with whom she spoke struggled to get through their interviews, some of which took three to four hours.