Joshua Generation, commonly called J-Gen, a ministry for high schoolers that Chung founded, also severed ties with Chung. During that time, he pastored the church, served on several ministry boards, and taught at the seminary. Webwhat happened to pastor min chung. Others claimed that Chung assaulted them several times, including while on a two-hour car ride. what happened to pastor min chung - aclmanagement.com We know this may cause pain for many people, and we deeply regret that CFC has chosen this path. His influence extends beyond the church walls. what happened to pastor min chung - nordicya.com I talked to him about it. 5 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. 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. GRACE said the termination by CFC effectively halts its work at this time. } top: 0; 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. Donate today >>. background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5); But that system broke down: Oversight entities had limited power and the denominations governing rules proved to be inadequate for addressing the issue of abuse in the church. /* Player controls */ Chung joined the church in 2005 as the minister of missions, taking over a storied tradition of deploying missionaries around the world, said Walter Kim, an [Churches and presbyteries] are not trained to look into [abuse], Langberg said. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. 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. Pete Singer, GRACEs executive director, called the cancellation very rare, adding he is aware of just one other organization that has done the same. Charles Stanley, Atlanta Pastor Who Preached to the World, Dies 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? He still preaches as a member in good standing. Kim also alluded to the KCP investigation. rush street bars 1980. lutheran liturgical calendar 2022; drug bust salisbury, md 2020; north berwick witch trials primary sources; hallmark very merry christmas giveaway winners; Christie Clinic Race Weekend: Race results and next years preparations. The Roys Report Many times, I thought I lost my own understanding in God. A new report appears to implicate Covenant Fellowship Church's former head pastor, Min Joshua Chung, in fostering and creating a misogynistic church environment. Why do you think youre staying for so long? . 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. The congregation also sought to evaluate the health of the church through The Center Consulting Group (CCG). In addition, CFC vowed to be clear and transparent with members by providing regular updates on the probe on its website. Learn how your comment data is processed. Webhow long do sausages last in the fridge from butchers; python press any key to exit while loop. 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. 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. In August 2019, Chung stopped preaching at CFC, but said it was to facilitate a transition to a team leadership model. 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. Becky Stephens will become senior pastor at Bucyrus United Methodist Church in July. 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. I really did not see this coming, she said. Pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie has said he closed down his Good News International Church four years ago 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.. He also said that, for sexual harassment of a member of the congregation, the KCP should have dealt Chung a suspension of a period of years, and perhaps even defrocked him. 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. 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. They gave a couple of examples [of bias], which were tenuous at best, Singer said. Go to our Twitter feed and Facebook page for more content. 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. new homes for sale in gonzales, la; jfk airport covid testing requirements; norman, ok mayor political party; switzerland cemetery records; New report reveals how Korean pastor in Chicago fostered ' Last summer, hundreds of accounts surfaced online criticizing Covenant Fellowship Church for mishandling alleged incidents of sexual abuse committed by church members. } Another woman reported to Chung that she had been raped repeatedly. It was another missed opportunity, Amy Han said. Covenant Fellowship Church changes little after scandal | WBEZ We judge that his relationship with God is restored as we consider the grace of God. They gave a couple of examples [of bias], which were tenuous at best, Singer said. The following web browsers are supported by this website: Please contact your system administrator if you require assistance upgrading or changing your web browser. You have entered an incorrect email address! Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Chung discouraged her from reporting the incident to police. 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.. Other whistleblowers said in the report that that isnt true. Follow her on Twitter @WBEZeducation and @soosieon. 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. Although banned from preaching at CFC by the Korean Central Presbytery in which he was . } We see this is the third article this month youve found worth reading. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-button > button { Yet whistleblowers, who knew about the alleged assault, pressured Chung for a decade to confess to the church. Pastor Min Chung is also known as one of the youth movement Joshua Generation conference and college movement founders. Pastor Chung holds a Korean-American identity. He experienced his childhood in America and went to James B. Conant High School. After that, he was acknowledged at the University of Illinois. Pastor Min Chung admitted some guilt but faced few consequences. She said, Its very important for churches to understand theyre killing themselves, and they dont look anything like the God they say they serve. 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. If they found out, they would be devastated and you know how people talk, and I wouldnt want them to have to go through that. . 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). In February of 2019, Park said she reported the matter to Kim and urged him to allow a third-party investigation, but Kim refused. what happened to pastor min chung Pastor Min Chung WebHe is a bi-vocational pastor and has been in the animation industry for over 10 years. font-size: 11px; The Mississippi. CFC came under fire last summer for its alleged mishandling of sexual misconduct by church founder and former head pastor Min Joshua 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 also spoke at youth and college-aged events, counseled university students, and preached in several countries. what happened to pastor min chung Enter your email address to receive new posts by email. z-index: 1; height: 90px; 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. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-float-current, 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. It was just like, Why, why did we do this all in vain? Park said. } /* Progress and audio bars */ Dr. Min J. Chung is the founding and lead pastor of Covenant Fellowship Church, an interdenominational, multi-ethnic ministry located on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. padding: 1px; .wp-caption img { 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. 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. We lost our church family and community, she said. 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. 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," Dan Lee, a whistleblower, revealed. That same year, the actress retired from acting to start a family with her new husband. As reported by The Roys Report ( TRR) last year, Min Joshua Chungarguably the nations most prominent Korean-American pastorwas accused Pastor Chung holds a Korean-American identity. 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. text-align: left; } 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. what happened to pastor min chungbreeze airways pilot uniform. transform: translateY(445%); Though disappointed, the whistleblowers said that they were not surprised with KCP's ruling, citing the environment at CFC where Chung leads and the congregation's high regard for the minister. New report reveals how Korean pastor in Chicago 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. kept the alleged sexual assault from church leaders and his wife, /* Reduce height of the progress and audio bars */ 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. Pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie has said he closed down his Good News International Church four years ago lely golf summer membership. margin-top: 18px Zimmerman didnt answer calls or emails to comment on his relationship with Chung. The motion failed to pass, allowing Chung to remain an ordained minister in good standing with the PCA. 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. 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!!! Webwhat happened to pastor min chung CMI is a proven leader at applying industry knowledge and engineering expertise to solve problems that other fabricators cannot or After that, he was [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. Friday, April 28, 2023 Todays headlines: A newly signed Illinois law will let out-of-state doctors and nurses practicing on temporary licenses stay here. She writes for American City Business Journals BizWomen. Inside the Actresss Marriage to a Pastor. .jet-smart-listing__post-title:after { visibility: hidden; An Asian American pastor in Illinois was reinstated to ministry in spite of doubts on his character due to sexual abuse accusations. 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. In May, CFC severed ties with Chung and hired Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment (G.R.A.C.E.) A Korean church located near the Champaign-Urbana campus of the University of Illinois that came under fire last year for allegations of ongoing sexual misconduct has terminated an independent investigation before its completion. CFC has begun posting Leadership Updates on its website. WBEZ Chicagoalso uncovered about an Instagram account created last May which grew to become a platform for sexual assault survivors, exposing the abuses that have been happening in the church for almost thirty years. Susie An covers education for WBEZ. 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.. content: ''; Min 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. For many years, Chung had been a council member and a writer for their site. As a whistleblower, its traumatic as well, because there are so many places of pain and injustice along the way, Park said. 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. 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. 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. background-image: url("images/mejs-controls-dark.svg"); Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. .wp-caption p.wp-caption-text { what happened to pastor min 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. 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. We will not notify you again about this until you next restart your browser. 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. My heart breaks. A couple of other organizations have also severed their associations with the CFC founder. Pastor But TRR said that the ruling may still be appealed to the Standing Judicial Commission of the PCA's General Assembly. In April, the Korean Central Presbytery received an eight-page report summarizing its investigative teams findings and recommendations. And women are taught to protect men, even when the men are doing something wrong or hurting the women, said former member June Pinyo. Conversations about sex, including consent, are taboo. Former members of Covenant Fellowship Church (CFC) of Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, where Chung pastored, say the whole church system breeds abuse. 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. left: 0; We have encouraged them to see this important work through to completion, the statement said. 4 min read. But after receiving the findings and recommendations from its investigation team, the KCP decided to restore Chung to his post. Over the course of the past few years, the leadership of Covenant Fellowship Church has sought to investigate claims of abuse regarding our founding pastor, Kim wrote in a statement to TRR. Korean Church Stops Independent Investigation into Sexual The KCP did investigate the incident but resolved 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." 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. The World Economic Forum ranks the country 115th out of 145 countries in gender equality. Check 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). /* Current track progress and active audio volume level bar */ .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-controls .mejs-time-rail .mejs-time-loaded { This is so disheartening. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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. For Janet Park, the events of last year feel like a waste of time and energy. 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. It was just like, Why, why did we do this all in vain? Park said. I personally do it for the survivors. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-total, Susie An covers education for WBEZ. Keep in touch with Julie and get updates in your inbox! Pastor KJ shows no signs of remorse, shows no sign of pastoral care, only concerned with keeping us quiet.. CFC has already disassociated with Chung on May 27 and hired the services of Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment(GRACE) to investigate the pastor. 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. Chung preached messages urging congregants to submit to leaders and forgive them and calling victims to forgive their abusers. 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. Happened 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. 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. But The Roys Report said Kim has been accused by a whistleblower group of covering up other past misconduct by Chung. It was very much like, Why do you think you got into this relationship? Chung reportedly abused a number of congregants at CFC. /* Progress and audio bar background */ We advise you upgrade your web browser before continuing to use this website. Despite the procedural errors, the SJC also declared the case would effectively be terminated and not sent back to the KCP to be retried. Bryan Chapell, the PCAs stated clerk, confirmed to WBEZ in a statement that the discipline matter has been concluded by the SJC. 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. I really did not see this coming, she said. Esther Yoon-Ji Kang is a reporter for WBEZs Race, Class and Communities desk. 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. 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).