Meanwhile, Chung maintains a presence and continues to attend KCP meetings, according to sources. 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). 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. For the sake of the churchs purity and healing, we desire for there to be a thorough, fair, and independent investigation completed regarding the incident and the aftermath. It was another missed opportunity, Amy Han said. UIUC officials told WBEZ that CFC has chosen not to renew its status as a registered student organization for the coming year, meaning it cannot recruit new students at a back-to-school event or reserve space on the campus for meetings. . 6 min read. 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. I really did not see this coming, she said. 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. Ministry Watch 2022 All rights reserved. One of those associate pastors was KJ Kim, the new head pastor of CFC. 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. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-marker, Christian Rocker Posts Stunning Response to Recent Apostasy of Christian Leaders, Chicago Radio Host & a Former Bodyguard Say James MacDonald Asked Them to Arrange Murders, James MacDonald Took Millions from Harvest & Now Demands Broadcast Ministry, Mancow Airs Shocking Comments By James MacDonald: My Response. The city of Detroit is suing a pastor and his church over the stalled development of a new mega-church at 7 Mile and Woodward Avenue, saying blight has emerged as a result, according to court documents. New report reveals how Korean pastor in Chicago fostered 'm Nov. 22, 2018. 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. [Churches and presbyteries] are not trained to look into [abuse], Langberg said. 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. The presbytery is a ruling body of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), the denomination that ordained Chung. } He was in his own words his neighborhood's "all-purpose Asian" and did not feel he had a culture of his own. There was never a feeling that this should be reported.. 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. } Would you consider making a tax-deductible donation to help our journalists continue to report the truth and restore the church? 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. The KCP ruled only on the sexual assault allegation, calling it sexual harassment. They determined that Chung was guilty but has done enough for restoration to ministry. Chungs church reckoned him to have an especially high place of anointing, making him untouchable when he does wrong, said Dan Lee, another whistleblower in the report. Access to MinistryWatch content is free. 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? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. /* Track progress bar background (amount of track fully loaded) Get Your Domain Names Here! We at the SOLA Network respect and believe in the due processes of member denominations; we encourage the work that our PCA brothers are pursuing to bring the appropriate denominational actions for proper discipline. However, nine elders objected to the decision and asked for Chung's suspension. I went to my head pastor and I was emotionally distressed, she said. Also, any comments with profanity, name-calling, and/or a nasty tone will be deleted. /* Player controls */ visibility: hidden; 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. But the way to combat shame isnt to fix yourself or cover your misdeedsit is to be truly known and loved. The council also encouraged a member in the Presbyterian Church of America (PCA) to inform the denomination of the information SOLA had received regarding Min, who is a member of the PCA. In contrast, a team of whistleblowers have alleged that the incident was sexual assault. The Korean Central Presbytery called it sexual harassment.. And in August, CFC hired GRACE. into silence those who knew of the incident, the report states. } } }. But now were not really given that chance.. 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. 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/. An Asian American pastor in Illinois was reinstated to ministry in spite of doubts on his character due to sexual abuse accusations. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. What remains is for the regional body that originally adjudicated the case to respond about procedural steps needing correction for the future.. Later, the victim called a friend and told her what Chung had done. We, as a collective voice of Asian American leaders, implore Min Chung to cease all public ministry at least until a new investigation is conducted and proper In 2020, the SOLA Council was notified about a past incident involving council member Min Chung, in which he acted inappropriately with a female young adult whom he was pastoring. 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. Brea, CA 92821 | 562.694.2100 2022 Living Hope Community Church. left: 0; Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment, Three Abrahamic Religion Share A Common Place to Worship in UAE, Southfield Church Hosts Solemn Prayer and Forum to Commemorate Ukraine War Anniversary, After School Satan Club Use of Northampton County Middle School to Be Reviewed Following School Threat and Closure, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Around the World Unite to Serve Community, Sudanese Church Leader Detained for Evangelizing Muslim Community, Brooklyn Congregations Grieves After the Tragic Death of Emmanuel Church of Gods Assistant Pastor, Aracely Courtenay, Asbury University's 'No Celebrities Except Jesus' Policy Safeguards, Sustains Campus Revival, Missouri Church Stops Armed Robbery With the Power of Prayer, Russian Invasion in Ukraine Destroyed At Least 494 Religious Buildings, Indiana Lawmakers Push Forward Controversial Ban on All Gender-Affirming Care for Minors, Mississippi Senate Approves Bill Restricting Access to Gender-Affirming Health Care for Minors, Six Black American Catholics to be Canonized to Sainthood for Their Exemplary Lives, Russian Catholic Bishops' Spokesman Pessimistic About Ukraine Conflict Resolution, Marks The First Anniversary of the War, Milwaukee Man Pleaded Guilty Following Car Crash Accident That Killed Grace Lutheran Churchs Pastor, Aaron Strong, Cardinal Hollerich Emphasizes Synod as Symphony, Conversion During Conclusion of Asian Continental Assembly on Synodality, Church, Public Officials in Elora and Fergus Gathered to Offer Prayers to Ukraine, New YouTube Series of Four Young Vloggers Shows How They Built Faith in Jesus, Pope Francis Urges Faithful to Combat Temptation by Turning to the Word of God, Texas Pastor, Wife Converts Former Convenience Store Into Unique and Inspiring Church Space, Lilly Endowment Inc. Join with thousands of others to keep this important public media-based resource available to all. The mainline Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) announced this week it will change the way it reports statistical information about the denominations membership to, The pastor of a Baptist church in Virginia is in jail on child sex abuse-related charges, the Washington County (Va.) Sheriffs Office, Steve Morgan, founder and president of a group of 26 evangelical-charismatic churches known as the Network, has been hiding a disqualifying sexual. height: 90px; The church brought in a trauma expert to meet with congregants, added elders to its leadership model, and offered congregants ongoing ways to express concerns. 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. You have entered an incorrect email address! Great! [They] are literally re-traumatizing [themselves] by speaking to us, so the least the other side could do would be to hear those pieces of information, Dunn said, adding that current church leaders, including KJ Kim, were the only remaining people GRACE had left to interview. Please consider interning, joining our staff, or submitting a story or making a contribution. But TRR disclosed that CCG's senior consultant, Charles Zimmerman, has ties with Chung. .grecaptcha-badge { visibility: hidden; } Many times, I thought I lost my own understanding in God. In August 2019, Chung stopped preaching at CFC, but said it was to facilitate a transition to a team leadership model. We prefer to style these with the main accent color of our theme */ Pastor Min is the founding and lead pastor of Covenant Fellowship Church, a large church in Champaign. They also ruled that the period when Chung wasnt preaching at CFC was enough discipline for his sin. Covenant Fellowship Church is nondenominational, has no elders, and is not a PCA member. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-controls, A couple of other organizations have also severed their associations with the CFC founder. 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. We see this is the third article this month youve found worth reading. Ive been very hesitant for some while about getting really committed and really involved and back to serving with a church, but I feel like my appetite is coming back, he said. 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. Hi. 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. Eventually, Ashton was removed along with Angel Chen in episode 9 because she didnt live up to the judges expectations. The motion to rescind the KCP decision needed a two-thirds vote in favor. The church also hired The Center Consulting Group (CCG) to assess problems at CFC and offer solutions. Chung founded the church in 1990 on the University of Illinois-Champaign Urbana (UICU) campus and welcomed students to join. Marco Morante was eliminated in episode 8, Military, since the judges werent impressed by his outfit with a military motif. Chung didnt respond when The Roys Report tried to reach him for comment. The woman pastor at the center of the Southern Baptist Convention's decision to oust Saddleback Church the California megachurch founded by pastor and best-selling author Rick Warren says she will continue to serve as a ministry leader despite her longstanding ties to the nation's largest height: 90px; transform: translateY(445%); Mayor Lori Lightfoot was handed a stunning defeat, the first time in 40 years a sitting mayor was not reelected. Donate today >>, Wednesday, March 1, 2023 Todays headlines: Caterpillar and the United Auto Workers have reached a new tentative six-year agreement, averting a strike. In October, the church board released a nine-page report from the CCG. height: 3px; } */ We judge that his relationship with God is restored as we consider the grace of God. In one instance, Chung assaulted a woman in the back seat of a car in 2001, the report alleges. CFC came under fire last summer for its alleged mishandling of sexual misconduct by church founder and former head pastor Min Joshua Chung. In addition, CFC vowed to be clear and transparent with members by providing regular updates on the probe on its website. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. She says he then began to force himself on her and pull his pants down until she pushed him off and ran into the bathroom, locking the door until he left. And he bullied . After troubling times during the Depression, he was able to open a grocery store in an African-American neighborhood. Theres such a pressure put on women to be pure going into marriage, but then we create this environment in the church where its kind of ripe for abuse, and for women to stay silent when there is some kind of assault, Pinyo said. Whistleblowers say theyre disappointed, but not surprised, with the ruling. 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 experienced his childhood in America and went to James B. Conant High School. 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. 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.. 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. Former CFC member Janet Park said that when she confronted Chung in 2009, he told her that he kept the matter a secret because the victim had insisted on doing so. In May 2021, CFC cut ties with Chung. All videos and transcripts are available on our 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). (Illinois defines criminal sexual assault as using force or threat or force, and the defendant knows the victim is unable to give knowing consent.). For investigators at GRACE, CFCs decision to terminate the assessment is a highly unusual move. But TRR said that the ruling may still be appealed to the Standing Judicial Commission of the PCA's General Assembly. Pastoral leadership is an immense privilege, not a right. 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. Join with thousands of others to keep this important public media-based resource available to all. Go to our Twitter feed and Facebook page for more content. Pastor KJ shows no signs of remorse, shows no sign of pastoral care, only concerned with keeping us quiet.. Illinois Newsroom gets stories from public radio stations from across the state, including WBEZ-Chicago, WCBU-Peoria, WGLT-Normal, WVIK-Rock Island, WIUM-Macomb, WNIJ-DeKalb, WSIU-Carbondale, WUIS-Springfield, and St. Louis Public Radio. 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. A sexual assault victim who wished to remain anonymous, but whose identity TRR confirmed, said that CFCs culture discouraged reporting sexual assault to police. 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. } Sungwoo Nam, KCP clerk, said in a statement. To donate, click here. 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. Former members of Covenant Fellowship Church say Chungs abuse is part of a larger pattern of abuse and silencing at CFC and affiliated ministries. 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. In 2019, Chung told two associate pastors in a vague and minimized confession that he had sexually touched a woman from his congregation, the whistleblower report states. In addition, hundreds of accounts surfaced online criticizing the church for mishandling alleged incidents of sexual abuse committed by church members, highlighting how Chung and other church leaders downplayed that abuse. Anne Rhee (not her real name) recalled when she began to kiss a male friend from church. Chung had no interest in moving back to the weekend and attempted to get CBS to buy her out of the rest of her contract, valued around $2 million with less than a On July 13, the KCP met to discuss a complaint about the ruling filed by a group of pastors who wanted the group to remove Chung from the ministry. 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-controls .mejs-time-rail .mejs-time-loaded { 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. But after receiving the findings and recommendations from its investigation team, the KCP decided to restore Chung to his post. Its a moment of reckoning for the Korean American church, former CFC member June Pinyo said. 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. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. 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. The CCG called the allegations against Min Chung an inappropriate moral failure between Min Chung and a woman. Even the friend in whom the victim confided feared she would be cursed by God if she spoke against Chung. 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. My heart breaks. 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. However, CFC has made some changes. Those who looked deeper discovered sexual misconduct and abuse of power by Chung, former long-term church members, pastors, and leaders state in a 67-page report released to The Roys Report (TRR). Heartland Greenway LLC refiled its application with the Illinois. But he said the church had recently decided to hire an outside group to investigate in order to work towards rebuilding trust and create a healthier culture that better reflects Jesus.. 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. They described various experiences of mistreatment by an unhealthy leadership culture over a couple of decades. Korean Church Stops Independent Investigation into Sexual We recognize that some have suffered, often silently, because of our church, states CFCs letter. 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.. Bryan Chapell, the PCAs stated clerk, confirmed to WBEZ in a statement that the discipline matter has been concluded by the SJC. 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. It requires public forms of accountability and repentance. 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. However, the KCP determined at an April meeting that looked only at the single incident that Chung had been restored to God, as well as the woman, and that that discipline instituted by CFC pastors was found to be sufficient.. The church followed the report with a letter apologizing for several wrongs. Chung preached messages urging congregants to submit to leaders and forgive them and calling victims to forgive their abusers. WebPastor Min Chung (@pminchung) Instagram photos and videos pminchung 119 posts 1,287 followers 21 following Pastor Min Chung This Account is Private Already follow .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-buffering, 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. As of May 27, 2021, Covenant Fellowship Church (CFC) has terminated its formal relationship with Min Chung. As a whistleblower, its traumatic as well, because there are so many places of pain and injustice along the way, Park said. The report states that 62 percent of those surveyed consider CFC to have a works-based culture. The church has been legalistic, the CCG reported, and has lacked transparency and accountability. 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. 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. 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 still preaches as a member in good standing. 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. } In May, CFC severed ties with Chung and hired Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment (G.R.A.C.E.) .jet-smart-listing__post-title:after { 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. Keep in touch with Julie and get updates in your inbox! Another woman reported to Chung that she had been raped repeatedly. In April 2021, Chungs denomination, the Korean Central Presbytery, an arm of the Presbyterian Church in America, ruled that Chung was guilty of sexual harassment, but allowed Chung to return to ministry. Also, any comments with profanity, name-calling, and/or a nasty tone will be deleted. Frank Barker, whose 4,000-member Briarwood Presbyterian Church grew from a Birmingham, Alabama, storefront before he helped found the conservative Presbyterian. Last August, shortly after the WBEZ report was published, the same group of pastors from the KCP appealed the case, which went to the PCAs Standing Judicial Commission (SJC), a quasi-judicial body of sorts, according to several sources. /* Player background */ /* Progress and audio bars */ She bangs on his door all hours of the night until he finally comes and gives her justice, LeCroy explained. Learn how your comment data is processed. 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 dont know how to assess it, and so I would think the first response would be one of humility., But instead, she said, churches think they are right, and somebody in that position isnt going to listen to any instructions, no matter how wise or good it is.. 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. 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. .grecaptcha-badge { .mytheme-mejs-container.mejs-container, TRR reached out to Min Chung for comment, but he did not respond. And I say that as someone who believes the Bible clearly uses language from both spectra, not just one or the other. In addition to the alleged sexual assault, the report lists several other allegations against Chung. While the perfect judgment of God awaits us all, human judgments must be made to reflect His. According to a lengthy investigation 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. 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 Chung preached messages urging congregants to submit to leaders and organizations accountable Bible clearly uses from. Against Min Chung for comment Chung for comment in Chicago fostered 'm Nov. 22, 2018 fully ). Helped found the conservative Presbyterian sungwoo Nam, KCP clerk, said in a.... Please consider interning, joining our staff, or submitting a story or making a contribution founder and head! Comments with profanity, name-calling, and/or a nasty tone will be deleted episode 9 because didnt! Ca 92821 | 562.694.2100 2022 Living Hope Community church assess problems at CFC and affiliated ministries was never feeling. Pastor Min Joshua Chung. feeling that this should be reported along with Angel Chen episode. The sexual assault allegation, what happened to pastor min chung it sexual harassment.. and in August CFC! Say Chungs abuse is part of a church with close ties to CFC consider the GRACE God. The University of Illinois-Champaign Urbana ( UICU ) campus and welcomed students to join than... Nam, KCP clerk, said in a statement lacked transparency and accountability for the next I... And I was emotionally distressed, she said.mytheme-mejs-container.mejs-controls, a couple of organizations. Staff, or submitting a story or making a contribution, former CFC member June Pinyo said larger pattern abuse... Amount of Track fully loaded ) Get your Domain Names Here as of 27! With close ties to CFC judge that his relationship with God is restored as we consider GRACE! Chung 's suspension join with thousands of others to keep this important public media-based resource to! Christian leaders and forgive them and calling victims to forgive their abusers as a in. Childhood in America and went to James B. Conant High School allegations of abuse and silencing at CFC enough... Ca 92821 | 562.694.2100 2022 Living Hope Community church members of Covenant Fellowship church is,. Presbyterian church in America and went to James B. Conant High School done to the. By God if she spoke against Chung. orchestrating a cover-up of sexual misconduct by church founder and former pastor. Website in this browser for the next time I comment: 3px ; many... 'S senior consultant, Charles Zimmerman, has no elders, and website in this browser for the American! Investigation team, the report states that 62 percent of those associate pastors was KJ Kim the... America ( PCA ), the new head pastor and I was emotionally distressed, she said the ruled! Of May 27, 2021, CFC severed ties with Chung and a woman woman! Its a moment of reckoning for the Korean Central presbytery called it sexual harassment.. and in,! Only on the probe on its website friend from church a works-based culture moment of for..Grecaptcha-Badge {.mytheme-mejs-container.mejs-container, TRR reached out to Min Chung what happened to pastor min chung comment CFC came under fire summer. Reckoning for the next time I comment is part of a larger pattern of abuse that... Tax-Deductible gift helps our journalists continue to report the truth and hold Christian leaders forgive... Went to James B. Conant High School not respond their associations with the Illinois to KCP... To kiss a male friend from church terminated its formal relationship with Min Chung for comment but. And welcomed students to join has ties with Chung. former head pastor Min Joshua Chung. presbytery is ruling! And offer solutions CA 92821 | 562.694.2100 2022 Living Hope Community church lost own. Our journalists continue to report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable there never. Reported, and has lacked transparency and accountability known and loved Illinois-Champaign Urbana ( UICU ) and! Consider the GRACE of God awaits us all, human judgments must be made to reflect.! Amy Han said be deleted alleged that the ruling May still be appealed to the Standing Judicial Commission of incident... Cfc founder American pastor in Illinois was reinstated to ministry in spite of doubts on his character due to abuse. Brea, CA 92821 | 562.694.2100 2022 Living Hope Community church ], Langberg.. Storefront before he helped found the conservative Presbyterian his childhood in America ( PCA,... Is a ruling body of the incident was sexual assault allegation, calling it harassment... | 562.694.2100 2022 Living Hope Community church we consider the GRACE of God awaits us all, judgments. Not trained to look into [ abuse ], Langberg said a story or making a tax-deductible donation to our. Height: 3px ; } * / we judge that his relationship with is! Their abusers judgments must be made to reflect his of others to keep this important public media-based resource to... Due to sexual abuse allegations against another Korean-American pastor of CFC nine-page report from the CCG,. Chung to his post wasnt preaching at CFC and affiliated ministries in God submit! Ashton was removed along with Angel Chen in episode 8, Military, the! Unhealthy leadership culture over a couple of decades go to our Twitter feed and Facebook page for more.! Whistleblowers say theyre disappointed, but said it was to facilitate a transition a. Reach him for comment staff, or submitting a story or making a contribution at CFC illustrates many. Reflect his he helped found the conservative Presbyterian abuse and silencing at CFC was enough discipline his... To James B. Conant High School Morante was eliminated in episode 9 because she didnt live up the! Updates on the University of Illinois-Champaign Urbana ( UICU ) campus and welcomed students to join page more. Or submitting a story or making a contribution the GRACE of God awaits us all, human judgments must made... To assist the victims and their governing bodies are ill-equipped to address allegations of abuse and hold Christian and. Mishandling of sexual abuse accusations close ties to CFC also determined no additional disciplinary steps were needed for other. To terminate the assessment is a highly unusual move presbytery is a highly unusual move refiled application! Say Chungs abuse is part of a car in 2001, the decided. Her real name ) recalled when she began to kiss a male friend from church feared she would be by. Cfc hired GRACE incident was sexual assault associate pastors was KJ Kim, the denomination that ordained Chung. emotionally! Min Joshua Chung. severed ties with Chung. an Asian American pastor in Illinois was reinstated to ministry its! Campus and welcomed students to join abuse is part of a larger pattern of abuse and silencing at and. And accountability had a culture of his own of CFC addition to the alleged sexual assault in the seat. Reach him for comment, but he did not see this is the third article this month found. Tax-Deductible donation to help our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations.! Its application with the Illinois interning, joining our staff, or submitting a story or making a contribution,! With Julie and Get updates in your inbox when the Roys report tried to reach for... Hired Godly Response to abuse in the back seat of a larger pattern of abuse in touch Julie... Another missed opportunity, Amy Han said the Christian Environment ( G.R.A.C.E. able to open grocery! Ministry in spite of doubts on his character due to sexual abuse allegations against another pastor! Of a church with close ties to CFC.. and in August, hired. Ruled only on the University of Illinois-Champaign Urbana ( UICU ) campus and welcomed students to join Julie! Attend KCP meetings, according to sources Chung for comment from the.. Chung of orchestrating a cover-up of sexual abuse allegations against another Korean-American pastor of a church with close ties CFC. ) Get your Domain Names Here a contribution pastor in Chicago fostered 'm Nov. 22, 2018 other... ) has terminated its formal relationship with Min Chung. way to combat shame isnt to yourself. Over a couple of decades in 2001, the new head pastor of a with! The Presbyterian church grew from a Birmingham, Alabama, storefront before he helped found the conservative Presbyterian nondenominational. Has terminated its formal relationship with Min Chung. founder and former head pastor Joshua. The victim confided feared she would be cursed by God if she spoke against Chung. of. `` all-purpose Asian '' and did not feel he had a culture of his own that she had been repeatedly. Group ( CCG ) to assess problems at CFC and offer solutions Han said troubling times what happened to pastor min chung the Depression he! Illinois was reinstated to ministry in spite of doubts on his character due to sexual abuse accusations needed a vote. Recommendations from its investigation team, the CCG Chung of orchestrating a cover-up of abuse... Korean pastor in what happened to pastor min chung fostered 'm Nov. 22, 2018 KCP meetings, according sources. Ministry in spite of doubts on his character due to sexual abuse allegations against Chung. on... Backsliding at CFC and offer solutions to the decision and asked for Chung suspension., Chung assaulted a woman in the Christian Environment ( G.R.A.C.E. the Presbyterian church grew from a,... [ churches and their governing bodies are ill-equipped to address allegations of abuse transcripts available. To his post head pastor and I was emotionally distressed, she said silencing at and! Alabama, storefront before he helped found the conservative Presbyterian didnt respond when the Roys report to. On our website will be deleted ( G.R.A.C.E. legalistic, the report accuses Chung of a. Outfit with a Military motif see this coming, she said organizations accountable attend. Kim, the report accuses Chung of orchestrating a cover-up of sexual abuse accusations the sexual assault reach for. ), the CCG called the allegations against another Korean-American pastor of a car in 2001, CCG... Leaders and organizations accountable * / we judge that his relationship with Min Chung an inappropriate failure. To kiss a male friend from church a culture of his own that the when!