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. The leader of a Christian cult in Kenya is due to appear in court next week, as the exhumation of bodies found in mass graves on his land continues. Pete Singer, GRACEs executive director, called the cancellation very rare, adding he is aware of just one other organization that has done the same. 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. In the aftermath, CFC promised to make changes and to be transparent. For many years, Chung had been a council member and a writer for their site. Dr. Min J. Chung is the founding and lead pastor of Covenant Fellowship Church, an How Tragic. 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.. [Churches and presbyteries] are not trained to look into [abuse], Langberg said. Becky Stephens will become senior pastor at Bucyrus United Methodist Church in July. height: auto; Premiers news output takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. An Asian American pastor in Illinois was reinstated to ministry in spite of doubts on his character due to sexual abuse accusations. Anne Stych is a freelance writer, copy editor, proofreader and content manager covering science, technology, retail, etc. background-color: #efefef; 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 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. 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At the same time as former and current members of CFC were being interviewed by GRACE, the case against the figure at the center of the controversy Min Chung made its way through the PCAs judicial system. Growing Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive a copy of Jesus v. Evangelicals: A Biblical Critique of a Wayward Movement by Constantine Campbell. 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. Park is one of the whistleblowers who submitted the report to the KCP. According to the report, Kim was initially more interested in stopping the spread of gossip and keeping Chungs sexual misconduct private than holding Chung accountable or protecting victims. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-float-corner, 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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. 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. 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). 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. background-image: url("images/mejs-controls-dark.svg"); Also, any comments with profanity, name-calling, and/or a nasty tone will be deleted. URBANA A former assistant pastor at a Champaign church has been criminally charged with sexually assaulting a teen who was a member of the congregation. I talked to him about it. For Janet Park and other members of the group that filed the initial allegations against Chung and the CFC pastors, the GRACE termination felt like a particularly painful blow. 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. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-controls .mejs-time-rail .mejs-time-total { We remind him to abide by the BCO (Book of Church Order), and we believe that he should return to ministry.. Charles Stanley, an influential Baptist pastor who for more than 50 years preached a conservative message from his Atlanta megachurch, For investigators at GRACE, CFCs decision to terminate the assessment is a highly unusual move. And calls for reform are spreading through the Korean-American community, even as whistleblowers fear retaliation. Sources at GRACE told WBEZ that the group had conducted interviews with more than 40 former and present CFC members, many of whom spent hours talking about their experiences. 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. 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. 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. He and his wife Tracy are celebrating eleven years of marriage together and have three children: Caden, Isabella, and Ian. "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. Theres a side of me thats like, no, Im not gonna give another ounce of my energy and time to this, and then theres this other side of me thats just so upset at the injustice of it all, that people still dont have the truth., Miryung Fontijn, another member of the allegation group, said she was shocked by the GRACE termination. Your monthly support will make a world of difference. Theres a picnic. } Singer said any organizations that back out do so because they dont understand the nature of an independent assessment or investigation. 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. 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. WBEZ brings you fact-based news and information. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Its a moment of reckoning for the Korean American church, former CFC member June Pinyo said. Women in many Korean churches are told to be submissive, former CFC members said. .wp-caption img { It was just like, Why, why did we do this all in vain? Park said. } Toward that end, the site requires that people use their full name when commenting. 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. 5 min read. 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. A new report appears to implicate Covenant Fellowship Church's former head pastor, Min Joshua Chung, in fostering and creating a misogynistic church We continue to seek the Lord for His leading in this season of ministry, he said. bottom: 0; Although banned from preaching at CFC by the Korean Central Presbytery in which he was At a later meeting, the KCP would discuss a complaint filed by several pastors who wanted to see Chung removed from office. New report reveals how Korean pastor in Chicago fostered ' Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment (GRACE), an organization hired by Covenant Fellowship Church to look into the allegations against the If Chung wished to return to ministry, he would be allowed according to the KCP's ruling. Anew reportfrom the Chicago radio station WBEZ has gone into extensive detail regarding Chung's misogynistic conduct. 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. Would you consider making a tax-deductible donation to help our journalists continue to report the truth and restore the church? font-size: 10px His influence extends beyond the church walls. Rhee told WBEZ she reported the incident to Pastor Chung. 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. } visibility: hidden; But we cant do it without you. GRACE said in a statement that although all that remained in the investigation was a minimal number of interviews, primarily with CFC leadership, it had been informed by CFC that the assessment would not continue. CFC also hired The Center Consulting Group to conduct surveys and evaluate the health of the church. Min Joshua Chung, founder of Covenant Fellowship Church in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, has been "restored to ministry" by an arm of the Presbyterian Church in America despite unanswered questions about alleged sexual misconduct and cover-up. (Image: Screengrab / YouTube) Many CFC members are students there who hail from the Chicago area. Experts say the scandal and subsequent backsliding at CFC illustrates how many churches and their governing bodies are ill-equipped to address allegations of abuse. left: 0; WebDr. into silence those who knew of the incident, the report states. Sungwoo Nam, KCP clerk, said in a statement. 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). .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-controls .mejs-time-rail .mejs-time-loaded { 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. Pastor Chung holds a Korean-American identity. 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. 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 Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive a copy of Jesus v. Evangelicals: A Biblical Critique of a Wayward Movement by Constantine Campbell. 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. For a monthly gift of $11or more wed also be able to send you a free copy of the brand new Premier Bible, a wonderful Anglicised version of the NLT packed with exclusive bonus content, reading plan and resources to help you get the most out of scripture. peter cancro politics; headway reimbursement rates Kim did not respond to a request for comment on these claims against him. Donate today >>. For Janet Park, the events of last year feel like a waste of time and energy. The church hired GRACE to begin the independent assessment in August 2021, and the organization had been gathering information via one-on-one interviews, documents, listening circles and an anonymous survey. 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. 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. .mytheme-mejs-container.mejs-container, 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.. 500K PCA and other conservative denominations. top: 19px; He experienced his childhood in America and went to James B. Conant High School. Rev. } right: 0; 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. background-color: rgba(219, 78, 136, 0.075); 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 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. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-total { Many other ministries have removed Chung from their boards and speaking schedules. Min Joshua Chung founded Covenant Fellowship Church in 1990 as an outreach effort to local college students. Follow her on Twitter @WBEZeducation and @soosieon. 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. I really did not see this coming, she said. ymca executive director salary; times reporter garage sales; parexel trials london; eteri tutberidze husband; rocky mountain air show 2022; usfl rules differences; Menu. Learn how your comment data is processed. A Presbyterian oversight group refused to defrock a Korean American minister following allegations of sexual misconduct, reports Ministry Watch. Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive a copy of Jesus v. Evangelicals: A Biblical Critique of a Wayward Movement by Constantine Campbell. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time { Go to our Twitter feed and Facebook page for more content. Dr. Michael Brown Examines, Pastors Should Talk About Divisive Politics From The Pulpit, And Here's Why, Phonies, Superficial Christianity Being Exposed Amid Pandemic, Pastor John MacArthur Says. 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. Without its RSO status, the church was not able to reserve campus spaces and recruit attendees on Quad Day, an annual event held at the start of the fall semester where new students are introduced to organizations on campus. Another woman reported to Chung that she had been raped repeatedly. 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? Authors Channel Summit. 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. /* Player controls */ Langberg helped an ad interim committee of the PCA write a new report on domestic and sexual abuse in churches. He still preaches as a member in good standing. Join with thousands of others to keep this important public media-based resource available to all. figcaption.wp-caption-text { It was just like, Why, why did we do this all in vain? Park said. 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.. 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.

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