Former members of Covenant Fellowship Church (CFC) of Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, where Chung pastored, say the whole church system breeds abuse. Pastor KJ Kim acknowledged that Chung has been accused of a pattern of abusing his authority. I looked up that word after we left, and the description of what a cult is, is how I'd describe Christian Faith Center, she said. CFC Kids Sunday Classes. Victims of abuse who express their grievances on social media, who protest, who take their stories to the media theyre like that woman in that parable, LeCroy said. (The version of the report released to TRR referenced and summarized the texts instead in the interest of the victims privacy.) The Roys Report seeks to foster thoughtful and respectful dialogue. He'd call me into his office and ask for different things, JanetRussell said. Nothing was put in place, to my knowledge, to keep me safe from him. I'm very concerned that he could be doing this to other women still,Russell said. // Dr. Tim Peterson & The CFC Worship Team // CFC. Her husband, 13. Pastor KJ shows no signs of remorse, shows no sign of pastoral care, only concerned with keeping us quiet.. The motion failed to pass, allowing Chung to remain an ordained minister in good standing with the PCA. Would You Like That With A Side of Grits Or An Egg Roll. 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. That lawsuit names the Christian Faith Center, founders Casey and Wendy Treat, and among other defendants,. Ive also apologized to our church leadership Im going to be taking time away to learn, to reflect, to grow.. Conversations about sex, including consent, are taboo. Bob Smietana, Emily McFarlan Miller. Recent allegations have surfaced of the abuse at Covenant Fellowship Church in Champaign-Urbana. This new, latest lawsuit also accuses the CFC and founders of misusing the tithes from parishioners. In February of 2019, Park said she reported the matter to Kim and urged him to allow a third-party investigation, but Kim refused. . A popular megachurch pastor, TV and radio personality from Oregon has taken a leave of absence from ministry following recent allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse. He cited an example in the Bible, in the book of Luke, where Jesus tells the story of a woman and an unjust judge. Courson, who has over 150,000 followers on social media, has broadcasted his radio show in 500 radio stations and his TV program has aired in 180 countries. That is, until he was caught in a gay sex scandal in 2006. 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. We have encouraged them to see this important work through to completion, the statement said. Those fears are both particular and personal: For the 1 in 3 women (and 1 in 4 men) who are survivors of sexual assault, reading headlines about abuse and impropriety might trigger deep-seated . Nine teaching elders protested the KCPs ruling, saying they didnt think Chung was truly repentant, and called for indefinite suspension. Rev. But a vote on the matter failed to achieve the necessary two-thirds majority, meaning Chung remains a minister, WBEZ reported. "I talked to him about it. His influence extends beyond the church walls. 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. 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. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. Post By: June 29, 2022. powerflamer outdoor wok burner canada 0 Comment Jun 29, 2022 . Ultimately my hope is to discover who God truly is, beyond the God that CFC represented.. They have multiple homes. They may get along with that for a long time but somewhere along the way, the rot will show, and it will end up destroying them.. To Contact Jeff: #860-933-6129. cfc church scandal pastor min. . 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. The victim did. 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. cfc church scandal pastor min. Office Hours. He said, Your parents are well-respected members of their church, your fathers an elder [at their church], Rhee recalled. I personally do it for the survivors. CFC also hired The Center Consulting Group to conduct surveys and evaluate the health of the church. By. It is unfortunate that the plaintiffs and their lawyer did not check the facts before making allegations of financial improprieties. Adult Ministry Team Leader. Leslie Massey recently entered into a binding settlement, executed a comprehensive release of her legal claims and dismissed her lawsuit against CFC and Caleb Treat with prejudice. bumpkin london closed. Despite the procedural errors, the SJC also declared the case would effectively be terminated and not sent back to the KCP to be retried. 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. The 21st Show A Reckoning At Covenant Fellowship Church August 19, 2021 Ryan Andrew Wilde Anna Rhee was sexually abused by another attendee of CFC. Former members say Covenant Fellowship Church has reneged on its vows to investigate allegations of sexual and spiritual abuse. Email:[emailprotected] Ministries. In one instance, Chung assaulted a woman in the back seat of a car in 2001, the report alleges. Study led by Pastor Mike. She went to the head pastor for help, but he encouraged her to stay quiet about what happened. In our previous meetings, they had acknowledged that [Chungs case was] within the scope, so Im not certain why that changed.. The motion to rescind the KCP decision needed a two-thirds vote in favor. Casey and Wendy Treat have allowed their family to engage in predatory practices to include sexual exploitation without prompt and remedial action, it reads. Yet whistleblowers, who knew about the alleged assault, pressured Chung for a decade to confess to the church. Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment, also known as GRACE was hired by Covenant Fellowship Church to look into the allegations against the church and its former head pastor, Min Joshua Chung. CFC treated Leslie Massey with compassion and respect even as it defended itself against her claims. All rights reserved. Langberg helped an ad interim committee of the PCA write a new report on domestic and sexual abuse in churches. A video was posted by a person named Tim on his Youtube channel regarding the acquiescence of Min Chung. Chung turned over leadership of the church he founded in 2019 to a team of associate pastors, according to Ministry Watch. You have entered an incorrect email address! And he bullied . It is interesting the there were 5-6 million Presbyterians in the 1960s the number now is down to paltry 1.5 Presbyterians in the U.S. 1 Million Liberal (PSUSA) Send us an email at investigate@kiro7.com, Multiple western Washington residents indicted in connection to coast-to-coast drug ring, Bank accidentally left unlocked in Fresno, police say, Powerball jackpot winner identified as longtime Boeing employee, Big snake: Officials discover 14-foot python in New York, Court finds Federal Way gun store in contempt of court. Here's what you'll find at Christian Family Church: 1. Toward that end, the site requires that people use their full name when commenting. The third woman, however, told The Roys Reportthat she did not report the allegation to the church yet as she had only recently learned of the other women. They gave a couple of examples [of bias], which were tenuous at best, Singer said. Loving God, serving people and sharing Jesus is our passion. In addition to the alleged sexual assault, the report lists several other allegations against Chung. There are Walmart runs. Its horrific, it's gross - the sexual exploitation and doing nothing about it, said Joan Mell, the attorney representing Kelly and Janet Russell. Adam Christian. CFC has begun posting Leadership Updates on its website. pediag > Blog > Uncategorized > cfc church scandal pastor min. Teaching Pastor. A year later, the group of 14 whistleblowers submitted their report to the PCAs Korean Central Presbytery and called for the KCP to investigate Chung, arguing CFC associate pastors had failed to discipline him, said Park. Evangelical pastor Ted Haggard ranted against the evils of premarital sex, adultery, and gay marriage. He was released from jail Monday after posting $7,500 cash and told to be back in court Jan. 21. We exist to build a church that connects our world to Jesus and leads them to become like Him. LeCroy said victims of abuse, who cannot get redress via the means provided by the church or denomination, can take to various means to seek justice. 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. . 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. Furthermore, in recent weeks, it has become public knowledge that Min Chung was found guilty by the Korean Central Presbytery (KCP). That process is currently underway. FEDERAL WAY, Wash. Another lawsuit was filed Friday against a megachurch in Federal Way. Jon Courson, the evangelical pastor who built the Applegate Christian Fellowship into the biggest church in Southern Oregon, will leave his post to become a pastor with the 25,000-member Calvary Church in Costa Mesa, Calif. Courson's surprise move was announced at evening services Wednesday, along . Facebook photo. A Committee of the Board of Directors meets to establish the compensation for every member of the Treat family. 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. Sept. 22, 2022, 1:46 p.m. CT Last summer, hundreds of accounts surfaced online criticizing Covenant Fellowship Church for mishandling alleged incidents of sexual abuse committed by church. Were really hurt. 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.. 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. It also alleges that Chung urged a woman not to go to police when she sought his counsel after being sexually assaulted by another church member. 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. Funds for rent and utilities are made available to Church members in need at each of the four campuses. The Coursons. As a whistleblower, its traumatic as well, because there are so many places of pain and injustice along the way, Park said. Article Images Copyright Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. In the wake of the revelation of Caleb Treats relationship with Leslie Massey, Caleb Treat withdrew from the Church; underwent intensive personal and marital counseling and relocated with his wife and children to another state. 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. 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, Rev. K.J. Over the years, Chung rebuked whistleblowers who tried to confront him for causing dissension in the church. They either left or were forced to leave by the leadership they loved, the report states. Follow her on Twitter @WBEZeducation and @soosieon. 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. As a highly sought-after crusade and conference speaker, God uses him mightily to preach a contemporary message with the "old . Additionally, the former elders added that Jon Courson Coursons father and Applegate founder and other elders kept Courson on staff under a different title instead of telling him to resign. 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. Lin said the area. The cost has been high for the whistleblowers, said Amy Han, one of the whistleblowers who submitted the report. Saturday 5:30 PM Sunday 8:00 AM Classic Venue Service Sunday 9:15 AM & 10:45 AM All services are live and in person! 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. 500K PCA and other conservative denominations. Even the friend in whom the victim confided feared she would be cursed by God if she spoke against Chung. 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. Leslie Massey continued to receive a salary for many months following her departure from the workplace. Singer said any organizations that back out do so because they dont understand the nature of an independent assessment or investigation. 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. Heres the CFCs full statement as of Friday afternoon: CFC has not been provided with a copy of the Complaint. Later, the victim called a friend and told her what Chung had done. 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. LeCroy said the procedures and laws of the PCAs Book of Church Order by which churches, presbyteries and pastors abide dictates that the lower court, [the presbyterys] decision is to be respected, and that the SJC often does decide things along procedural grounds, and not the merits of the original case. Support with your presence and prayer. She said, Its very important for churches to understand theyre killing themselves, and they dont look anything like the God they say they serve. The employee who is under investigation has been placed on leave and is not currently preaching or otherwise involved in ministry work at CFC.. In 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. 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. A new report appears to implicate Covenant Fellowship Church's former head pastor, Min Joshua Chung, in fostering and creating a misogynistic church environment. CFC | Community Family Church - Come Worship with Us UPCOMING EVENTS VIEW CFC'S CALENDAR Impact Youth Conference 2023 march 22-25 WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY | CFC CAMPUS FRIDAY & SATURDAY | CITYGATE FOREST PARK CAMPUS Jay Boyd March 22 Melvin Sanchez March 23 Kevin Wallace March 24 Tommy Bates March 25 REGISTER NOW! People close to the woman said she didnt wish to speak to TRR. 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. 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. Ministry Watch 2022 All rights reserved. January 25, 2018. cfc church scandal illinoispatricia callahan obituary. Ests aqu: kerala blasters 2021 22; jeff nichols sfas program; cfc church scandal pastor min; 10 junio, 2022 . The woman, a former CFC member, said she was sexually assaulted by a leader in the churchnot Chungand reported the incident to a pastor. Our Pastors DR THEO WOLMARANS Founded in September 1979 by Senior Pastor Dr Theo Wolmarans and his wife Beverley, Christian Family Church International Johannesburg is one of the largest churches of its kind in Southern Africa. > Live Stream Videos. 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. "One Thing" Pastor Dale Sisam. That process is currently underway. The presbytery is a ruling body of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), the denomination that ordained Chung. In an article in a Medford, Oregon newspaper, the reporter writes: "The Rev. While it was always consensual, and there was never sex outside of marriagethere was never adulterystill, we let things go beyond what God requires of a relationship., When it comes to this area of women, I take full responsibility and I am truly sorry to our church community, he continued. CFCs breach includes, but is not limited to, Caleb Treat, Tasha Treat, and Moses Masitha exploiting parishioners and employees for their own personal sexual gratification and empowerment, the complaint reads. In September 2019, two other whistleblowers met with Kim as a final step to urge leadership to take proper steps, the report states. I didn't know what to do. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary. CFC promptly retained an experienced, independent outside investigator to interview witnesses. Why do you think youre staying for so long? . Casey and Wendy Treat were always the first to take a pay cut. Rebecca Hopkins is a journalist based in Colorado. Jeff has been attending CFC for over 30 yrs. Pastor Howard, is the Senior Pastor at Christian Fellowship Church, in Albuquerque, New Mexico were he has devoted more than 30 years of service.He is a loving and compassionate Pastor who continually guides his church members on how to build their faith, live and walk in the Kingdom principles, and pray in the Holy Spirit. CFC also agreed to her request for reimbursement of counseling expenses. 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 church in Urbana-Champaign reverses on promises to address abuse allegations. cfc church scandal pastor minemn meaning medical. 2150 E Orange Grove Road Tucson Arizona 85718 | 520.615.8500 | info@cfcpca.org. Sharing ministry responsibilities in the House of God! Another woman reported to Chung that she had been raped repeatedly. Opinion: What is Revivaland is it Happening at Asbury? 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. ChristianHeadlines.com is a member of the Salem Web Network. CFCs leaders, pastors and members of its congregation work together in service to the poor and disadvantaged. Service Times. Several CFC Survivors came forward to tell their stories on an Instagram account, @letters_from_rahab. On December 4, 2022, CFC became a particular church within the Presbytery of Northern Illinois of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). AsAmNews has Asian America in its heart. I myself, talk about the abuse I faced in CFC especially on worship team and after my mugging in October 2015 which I believe CFC was responsible for.letters_from_rahab:https://www.instagram.com/letters_from_rahab/My insta:https://www.instagram.com/timma1/0:53 Pastor Min Chung \u0026 what happened:3:23 Letters from Rahab \u0026 abuse victim stories:6:42 What change people want:9:46 Chris Yoon10:20 How can I and others recover?11:51 CFC worship team and the negativity16:56 Legal action soon Sometimes weve lost purpose and direction. In this case, Id say this is the logical result of Korean Cultures Confucian-infused hierarchy: father-son, king-subject, husband-wife, elder-younger, friend-friend (where one is above the other in rank). VanRaden was employed as an assistant pastor and youth pastor at Faith Baptist Church, 4601 N . However, there have also been a number of accusations of abuse of power and harsh treatment towards others that continued to surface regarding this same pastor, Kim continued. Learn how your comment data is processed. cfc church scandal pastor minexamples of misfeasance in healthcare. According to Lt. Mike Budreau of the Medford Police Department, a fourth woman filed a police report last week accusing Courson of sexually assaulting her and confirmed that the case was under investigation. January 24, 2018. cfc church scandal illinoiserror: unexpected symbol in ggplot. The decision to return Chung to ministry may be appealed to the Standing Judicial Commission of the PCAs General Assembly. 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!!! Keep in touch with Julie and get updates in your inbox! Chung, who founded the church in 1990 on the University of Illinois-Champaign Urbana campus, announced in the summer of 2019 that he would transition out of the head pastor role and a team of associate pastors would lead the church. Welcome Home COMMUNITY FAMILY CHURCH Even the pastors, I would say, do a good job at that. In the course of the lawsuit, CFC obtained emails and text messages written by Leslie Massey which were consistent with the existence of a mutual, consensual extramarital affair between Leslie Massey and Caleb Treat, both adults. During that time they have served in many areas of ministry including Life Group leaders for 14 years, joined the Worship Team in 1998, and have been a part of Children's Ministry since 2003. Tim Peterson // CFC. The victim was suicidal and traumatized by her initial and continuous interaction with Pastor Min, the friend stated in testimony included in the report. [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. He married us, he said. August 7, 2021 A Presbyterian oversight group refused to defrock a Korean American minister following allegations of sexual misconduct, reports Ministry Watch. cfc church scandal illinois9 disadvantages of whistleblowing, with explanation. Serving with a denomination as a District Leader I saw leaders shuffled to different churches who were related to significant people in the denomination who continued to act our inappropiately on women and it was imply ignored or excused. trugrade fuel pump. Former members of Covenant Fellowship Church say Chungs abuse is part of a larger pattern of abuse and silencing at CFC and affiliated ministries. . For Janet Park, the events of last year feel like a waste of time and energy. Hi. We place a strong emphasis on preaching and teaching the Word of God, youth work, missions and music. 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. Alengthy investigationby National Public Radio station WBEZ in Chicago last year and social media posts by past members portrayed Covenant Fellowship Church and Chung as fostering a misogynistic environment that included sexual mistreatment and oppression of women. Really hurt by this, JanetRussell said. According to The Roys Report, 33-year-old Ben Courson of Applegate Christian Fellowship near Medford is accused by three female former church members for initiating sexual relationships with them. cfc church scandal illinois; programdatanvidia corporationnv_cache cfc church scandal illinois. The reports were promptly addressed and CFC believed the matter had been handled in a manner that was satisfactory to the complainants. VIDEO: Another lawsuit filed against a mega-church in Federal Way, KIRO 7 News Seattle facebook feed(Opens a new window), KIRO 7 News Seattle twitter feed(Opens a new window), KIRO 7 News Seattle youtube feed(Opens a new window), Before Pac-12 Championship, UW's Myles Gaskin fulfills fan's 'last wish', Shoplifting costs Washington families $400 a year, Missing 2-year-old last seen playing near Skagit River, 'Baby It's Cold Outside' removed from radio station's playlist, Do you have an investigative story tip? Recent allegations have surfaced of the abuse at Covenant Fellowship Church in Champaign-Urbana. There was never a feeling that this should be reported.. It was probably five or six times with the groping and comments. Chung preached messages urging congregants to submit to leaders and forgive them and calling victims to forgive their abusers. . SOLA Network, a digital platform and conference including Asian American pastors from all over the country, recently broke ties with Chung. After the passage of many years, CFC recently received two written complaints concerning the same CFC employee. He is also a bestselling author and the founder of the Hope Generation. 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.. Court documents from that case said over years,"Caleb D. Treat repeatedly preyed upon female employees and church members but the church "failed to take effective action.". 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 love Casey, KellyRussell said. (Illinois defines criminal sexual assault as using force or threat or force, and the defendant knows the victim is unable to give knowing consent.). Whistleblowers say theyre disappointed, but not surprised, with the ruling. The friend urged the victim to tell Chung she hadnt consented to his touch.