Before publishing this article, we would like to request our readers keep members in City Harvest Church in their prayers. Whether Kong Hee is guilty or not, it is important to remember that people can be seriously affected by events like this.
AsiaOne reports,
City Harvest case: Opposition to QC
SINGAPORE – CITY Harvest Church member Chew Eng Han faces stiff opposition to his plan to hire an elite British lawyer to defend him. The 52-year-old wants to fight the multi-million-dollar corruption case with the help of a Queen’s Counsel (QC).
But both the Attorney-General’s Chambers and the Law Society told The Straits Times they intend to object to his application. On Thursday, however, Chew said that he was not surprised by the development. “It’s natural that they would object and I am not too bothered by it,” he added.
The City Harvest investment manager is one of six church leaders charged last June with conspiring to cheat the church of millions of dollars. They are alleged to have funnelled $24 million into sham bond investments to further the career of senior pastor Kong Hee’s pop singer wife. The six are also said to have misappropriated another $26.6 million to cover up the first sum.
Chew wants QC Jonathan Caplan to defend him in the upcoming trial. He has said he needs to hire one of the elite British lawyers as he cannot find a Senior Counsel – the local equivalent – to take on the case. But before doing so, he is legally obliged to serve the application papers on the Law Society and Attorney General. Both will express their views to the court, which has the final say.
On Thursday, a spokesman for the Attorney-General’s Chambers said it will oppose the application “from the point of view of public interest and legislative policy”. He added that there are “various issues of public interest that a court will consider in deciding whether to admit Queen’s Counsel”. These include “the need to nurture the local Bar, and to ensure the proper and timely administration of justice”.
The Law Society said it considers each application independently. It will be objecting in the present case, said a spokesman. The reasons will be given at the hearing.
Chew originally hired Senior Counsel Francis Xavier of Rajah and Tann, but the firm was discharged in October. The Straits Times understands this is because it was involved in drawing up original documents for bond investments involved in the case.
All of his co-accused are being represented by Senior Counsel. The trial was due to begin in April, but it is understood the application for a QC may delay it. Chew told The Straits Times: “I believe I have a compelling case.”
Source: Jennani Durai, City Harvest case: Opposition to QC, Strait Times, http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20130301-405566.html, 03/03/2013. (Accessed 04/03/2013.)
C3 Church Watch 
Hey thanks for calling for prayers. I have been a member of CHC for 14 years and this event has allowed me to question all that I have embraced as truth over the past decade. And in case you are wondering, we are alright. Some wholeheartedly believe in the innocence of the leadership while others simply understand the fallen nature of man.
frankly as a ex Christian, I am disgusted by the JUSTIFICATION given by Kong Hee for his crossover project. If by singing secular music, you can attract the secular people to church. Why don’t Sun Ho pose in playboy magazine so that more men will come to church. It is amazing how church leader are abusing their power and misleading the crowds. They are like wolves in the sheepskin. Urghhh
Words from the wise – observations of a Singaporean Christian….
“I guess most of you have already seen, read, and heard a plethora of responses, both good and bad, from Christians and non-Christians on what most will by now be dubbed the “Kong Hee Incident”. The senior pastor of City Harvest Church (CHC), one of Singapore’s biggest congregations, has, along with four others, been charged with financial misconduct. The five accused allegedly misused donations to the church, which is registered as a charity, to finance the singing career of Kong’s wife, Sun Ho.
Since the news broke, many Christians and Christian leaders have shared their thoughts and concerns about the case. That said, I thought I’d add another (yes, another) Christian response to the whole fiasco. Why, you ask? Simple: there are so many facets to this case I thought it warranted a detailed look.
Effects on Christianity and Churches in Singapore
No matter the outcome of the trial, this incident has, and will, put a strain and stain on Christianity and churches in general. Kong Hee’s ministry and church has never been very well-received outside of the church’s walls by both Christians and non-Christians alike. With regards to Christianity, our stand on LGBT and other moral issues have certainly lent many a “respectful disdain” for the faith.
Kong Hee preaches a gospel that is counter to the true gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Except for those who buy into his false gospel of health, wealth and prosperity, most Christians ignore his teachings while some try to point out the dangers of the prosperity gospel on some online platform or another. The latter is a thankless task, and often met with strong opposition either from those who attend City Harvest Church or have no qualms about launching ad hominem attacks on Christians and the faith whenever the occasion presents itself.
It is obvious this incident has not given God any glory. Instead, His name is blasphemed among the nations (2 Peter 2:2) because of this false teacher. Just do a search for mentions of this incident on any social network, and you will undoubtedly find many derogatory remarks on either Kong Hee, the church, and Christianity at large. The mainstream media has also joined the fray–I heard a snippet of some presenters at a radio station joking that instead of saying the funds were misused, people should say that the fund were “‘missus’-used”.
Yes, go ahead and groan. I did that and rolled my eyes.
The backlash is perceived to be so widespread that the National Council of Churches of Singapore (NCCS) had to issue a statement on 27 June seeking “the understanding of fellow Singaporeans, urging them ‘not to react against the church or churches’ here.”
How do we react to this backlash and the unwarranted increase in a misunderstanding of the faith by non-Christians in our midst?
I only see one simple way: pray and share. Pray that God will be glorified by the sharing of the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Tell people about the real good news of Jesus Christ, and that the biggest and most important question is not how one can be rich and healthy in this life, but how sinners can be reconciled to God!
As for the churches in Singapore, we need to pray that God uses this incident as a wake-up call to us–that we who are called to be the salt and light of the world constantly remind ourselves that we live our lives coram deo, and we should seek to do everything for His glory and His glory alone.
There’s Faith, and then there’s Blind Faith
My main concern is for the congregation of City Harvest Church.
Unfortunately, no matter how one wants to posit it, CHC is a cult of personality–Kong Hee and Sun Ho are heroes to many in the congregation. A cursory reading of some testimonies on blogs tells us that Kong Hee and Sun Ho have both been positive influences on many youths.
It is, therefore, not that much of a surprise that these members of CHC have stood up and have strongly voiced their support for their pastor and his wife. After all, as an old song goes, how do you thank someone who has taken you from crayons to perfume? I am quite sure Kong Hee and Sun Ho don’t necessarily do that, but you get the drift.
Is it blind faith after the charges against Kong Hee were made public? I don’t think so. In my books there is something called “gratitude”. Nobody should deny that Kong Hee and Sun Ho have done much for many people here in Singapore and the region on a social level. To many of us it is seen as blind faith, but these die-hard supporters of Kong Hee are merely expressing their gratitude. Chiding them and attacking their hero and heroine serves no purpose other than to push them further from the truth.
Nestled among the testimonies of gratitude towards Kong Hee and Sun Ho are many who profess that they have “lost their faith” because of the duo and the money-mad environment in CHC. Sadly, some, if not most, of these people who have “lost their faith” will shy away from hearing the true Gospel. Biblically speaking, they were never of us (cf. 1 John 2:19) since I believe no one can really be truly saved in a church where the Gospel is never preached.
Surely there might be some of the elect among the congregation there, you say? I agree, just as I would believe that there are the elect among the congregation of Rome. We need to continue praying that God will open their eyes to the truth and come out of the false church that is CHC.
What of Kong Hee, Sun Ho and the Four Accused?
I will admit this: when I first saw the news, I celebrated. I rejoiced that this false teacher has finally been chastised and brought low. Should we rejoice to some degree that this has come to pass? No, because it has brought disrepute to the name and glory of the Lord our God. Now, while I won’t go so far as to say that Kong Hee is our enemy, I would contend that he is an enemy of the true Gospel by preaching another gospel.
Moreover, I am no better than Kong Hee. While I stand righteous before God because the precious blood of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ covers me, my flesh continues to sin (Martin Luther calls this peculiar state simul iustus et peccator). I’m not one to delve into such details, but let’s just say that I do not at all times love the Lord my God with all my heart, my soul and my strength, nor do I mostly love my neighbors as myself. In other words, I am no better than Kong Hee.
So, while I can call out and warn against his false teachings, I don’t think I have any right to condemn him (note that I said “condemn”, not judge. I have judged that he has allegedly done wrong in the eyes of the law). If the judicial system here finds him guilty, I would support whatever punishment is meted out–he must pay for his misdeeds.
At the same time, I would exhort all who profess faith in Christ Jesus to join me in prayer for this man, his wife and those who are involved in this crime that they repent and come to true saving faith in Jesus Christ.
Imagine this: if Kong Hee were found guilty and sentenced to time in jail, and if he repented and professed true saving faith in Christ Jesus then, how many inmates would hear the true Gospel? Imagine also if many of his die-hard supporters finally hear Kong Hee preach the true Gospel, of their sin and God’s grace and forgiveness if they repent, what joy there would be if even only a quarter of his congregation of (reportedly) 33,000 repented and put their faith and trust in Christ Jesus!
The Crossover, otherwise titled “The Gospel is not Enough”
The reports on the case stated that the misappropriated money from donations was used to finance Sun Ho’s music career–she was to crossover into the secular as a pop star in order to reach non-Christians.
The crossover does not surprise me. After all, CHC is a seeker-sensitive church where the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is, it would seem, insufficient to reach the lost. It would have to take the pastor’s wife gyrating in music videos while scantily clad to preach the “good news” and save the lost.
Outside of Sun Ho’s crossover, the church also relies heavily on the use of secular means and celebrity endorsements to “save the lost”. For example, at one of their Christmas services, a song in the skit was set to the tune of a Lady Gaga song, with the lyrics christianized. No doubt everything is done to specifically draw in the impressionable young. Amid all the promotional materials, entertainment and rock concert-esque church services, the law and the Gospel of Jesus Christ are never fully presented and preached. I’d think that the word “sin” is shunned too.
The church and her leaders have forgotten that Romans 1:16 is part of God’s Word, where the Apostle Paul categorically stated that the Gospel, and the Gospel alone, is the power of God for salvation to the Jew first, then the Greek, i.e. everyone. If only they had heeded God’s own words in the Bible regarding the Gospel of His Son Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, they wouldn’t have needed a program like the Crossover.
Last Words
Rather than adding fuel to the bonfire that many, both Christians and non-Christians, have started, let us be sober-minded to recognize that this is a great opportunity to be preaching the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Let us be fervent in prayer for these men and women to repent and come to true saving faith in Christ Jesus, and let us be passionate about sharing the Gospel with those around us (in fact, this incident is a great opener!).
Finally, and most importantly, may God keep us faithful to the Gospel that He has given us the privilege of proclaiming and preaching.
Amen.” Isaiah Chua
Funny how the very leaders who asked people to put their faith and trust in God when telling them to empty their purse and give to the church, are the very last people to have faith and trust God in their situation. They rather put their trust in the expertise of some QC because local expertise is not good enough.
Let’s not be gullible but be discerning. Remember if you choose to give 10% of your income it is voluntary and never taught or an injunction in the Bible. If you believe that tithing as taught in Malachi still applies, then you should be giving 23% annually or you rob God( Levitical tithing system are 2 tithes annually and an extra 3rd tithe in the 3rd year bringing the annual average of 23 %) The NT giving has no fixed percentages. Giving is free will and God loves a cheerful giver.