Toward that end, the site requires that people use their full name when commenting. } Several CFC Survivors came forward to tell their stories on an Instagram account, @letters_from_rahab. 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. In September 2019, two other whistleblowers met with Kim as a final step to urge leadership to take proper steps, the report states. We grieve that this incident will cause many to experience confusion and lose trust in their pastors and elders. 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. The cost has been high for the whistleblowers, said Amy Han, one of the whistleblowers who submitted the report. bottom: 0; You have entered an incorrect email address! Minister accused of sexual misconduct remains ordained, Meet Todd Gloria the first AAPI Mayor for San Diego, Arrest made in vandalism of Philadelphia mosque, Marvel unveils plans for AAPI Heritage Month stories, Woman accused of lying about her ethnicity resigns from diversity position, Govt. One was a claim from many years ago of inappropriate touch with an adult woman. 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. top: 19px; Powered by Church Plant Media 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.. margin: 0; Chung showed Minari to his parents around Thanksgiving 2019, a couple of months before its Sundance premiere. Susie An covers education for WBEZ. He received disciplinary measures that included temporary leave from the pulpit and acknowledgment of previous personal acts of piety as self-imposed discipline. 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. In April, the Korean Central Presbytery received an eight-page report summarizing its investigative teams findings and recommendations. 217 Today: 217 Today host looks back on time at Illinois Public Media, Plans are back on the table for a carbon pipeline in Illinois, Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson head to Chicago mayoral runoff. /* Track progress bar background (amount of track fully loaded) They were also concerned that other victims may exist, she said. [Churches and presbyteries] are not trained to look into [abuse], Langberg said. We remind him to abide by the BCO (Book of Church Order), and we believe that he should return to ministry.. border: 0 none; margin-top: 18px Also, any comments with profanity, name-calling, and/or a nasty tone will be deleted. Min Chung is the founding and senior pastor of Covenant Fellowship Church Rev. In August 2019, Chung stopped preaching at CFC, but said it was to facilitate a transition to a team leadership model. Anne Stych is a writer in Charlotte, North Carolina. 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. 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. 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. It 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. For investigators at GRACE, CFCs decision to terminate the assessment is a highly unusual move. Great! TRR reached out to Min Chung for comment, but he did not respond. Pete Singer, GRACEs executive director, called the cancellation very rare, adding he is aware of just one other organization that has done the same. 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. Its time that we simply say enough is enough and no -longer co-sign this terrible plight that impacts people generationally. And women are taught to protect men, even when the men are doing something wrong or hurting the women, said former member June Pinyo. /* Player background */ 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. We acknowledge that this was wrong., Kim said the woman had forgiven Chung long ago.. Wade Morris, Popular Baptist Youth Speaker, Dies After COVID-19 Hospitalization. [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. 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. background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5); 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. Weve lost our reputations. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-float-corner, 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. Former members of Covenant Fellowship Church (CFC) of Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, where Chung pastored, say the whole church system breeds abuse. } Kim did not respond to a request for comment on these claims against him. Conversations about sex, including consent, are taboo. 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. There are Walmart runs. The church that Min pastored operated without a board of elders or denominational oversight, which allowed him to create a system with few checks or balances. 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. However, we hope you will support our work with your prayers and financial gifts. 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. 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. Theyre a very inclusive, very inviting community. Find more resources and videos here. To Thyatira: Hold Fast What You Have Until I Come | Revelation 2:18-29 (Pastor Min Chung) joe 2019.02.19 43. } 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. Former church members expressed dismay over CFCs apparent about-face. 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. Several CFC Survivors came forward to tell their stories on an Instagram account. 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). But Chung got upset that the victim had told someone and told her to keep the incident quiet between the two of them, the friend said in the report. Eventually, that group reconsidered and completed the assessment. "MC (Min Chung) is anointed by God, God only exists at CFC and there is no other place like CFC. .wp-caption img { Finally, we desire and pray for justice and healing for all past and present survivors of abuse. } .wp-caption p.wp-caption-text { 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 . What Happened To Marco From Next In Fashion? Keep in touch with Julie and get updates in your inbox! 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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. Despite the procedural errors, the SJC also declared the case would effectively be terminated and not sent back to the KCP to be retried. And he bullied . 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 went terribly, according to the report. The Council believes sexual sin against a member of the congregation and failure to properly confess or be held accountable are reasons to disqualify a pastor/elder from office. 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Amid rumors of sexual misconduct, Chung announced in the summer of 2019 that he would transition out of the head pastor role and that a team of associate pastors would take over. The church followed the report with a letter apologizing for several wrongs. background: #db4e88; Kim also alluded to the KCP investigation. Pastor Chung holds a Korean-American identity. In October, the church board released a nine-page report from the CCG. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-handle-content { Ultimately my hope is to discover who God truly is, beyond the God that CFC represented.. Chung founded CFC in 1990, and its now home to more than a thousand members hailing from more than 20 ethno-linguistic groups, according to its website. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. background-color: #efefef; Anne Rhee (not her real name) recalled when she began to kiss a male friend from church. The presbytery is a ruling body of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), the denomination that ordained Chung. Eventually, Ashton was removed along with Angel Chen in episode 9 because she didnt live up to the judges expectations. For many years, Chung had been a council member and a writer for their site. Some people are just too far gone and need a wake-up call.. I have the privilege of living near a large population of Korean Americans, both Christian and otherwise. We prefer to style these with the main accent color of our theme */ 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. Go to our Twitter feed and Facebook page for more content. background-image: url("images/mejs-controls-dark.svg"); He also referred WBEZ to Tim LeCroy, a pastor who chaired the PCAs committee that wrote the domestic and sexual abuse report. As of May 27, 2021, Covenant Fellowship Church (CFC) has terminated its formal relationship with Min Chung. Sexual misconduct and/or harassment in any form is a grievous sin that should never be tolerated. 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. CFC came under fire last summer for its alleged mishandling of sexual misconduct by church founder and former head pastor Min Joshua Chung. Creating space for women to be actively involved and included has been so important and it gives me hope for the institution of the church in general, she said. 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. Joshua Generation, commonly called J-Gen, a ministry for high schoolers that Chung founded, also severed ties with Chung. For us, Pastor Min is more than just a gifted pastor and teacher. 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. The church also hired The Center Consulting Group (CCG) to assess problems at CFC and offer solutions. Why do you think youre staying for so long? . 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 /* .jet-smart-listing__featured-box-link:before { 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. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-time-total { The Roys Report seeks to foster thoughtful and respectful dialogue. .mytheme-mejs-container .mejs-horizontal-volume-total { There are far-reaching consequences to a leaders sins, and as God lovingly and wisely disciplines those he loves, so the church must do the same beginning with her leaders. CFC would not be given much specific information prior to the release of the final executive summary, CFC reported in September. Would you consider making a tax-deductible donation to help our journalists continue to report the truth and restore the church? But Chung is subject to the PCAs Book of Church Order because of his PCA ordination, KJ Kim told TRR. We here at SOLA Network affirm these words: SOLA Network exists to influence the emerging generation with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 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. 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. Chung began private counseling sessions with the victim, using that time to urge her to keep silent about the assault, the report states. The woman, a former CFC member, said she was sexually assaulted by a leader in the churchnot Chungand reported the incident to a pastor. A 124-page extended version of the report, containing copies of texts describing one victims assault and subsequent intimidation, was submitted to an investigative team of the Korean Central Presbytery (KCP) in November 2020, following up on a five-page allegation letter the whistleblowers sent in August. "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. Opinion: What is Revivaland is it Happening at Asbury? Follow her on Twitter @estheryjkang. 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. But the way to combat shame isnt to fix yourself or cover your misdeedsit is to be truly known and loved. height: 90px; He cited an example in the Bible, in the book of Luke, where Jesus tells the story of a woman and an unjust judge. However, CFC has made some changes. However, theres nothing on CFCs website about CFCs recent decision to terminate GRACE. Leaving the case to be resolved by a higher jurisdiction. Influencing the emerging generation with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 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. 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. Chung continued to speak elsewhere during this time. 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