If you attend C3, don’t think. Don’t raise any questions around the Kong Hee scandal. Pringle and his leadership will make sure they squash any inquisitive mind who starts looking into the case. So leave quietly or just accept the deceitful stories peddled by Phil Pringle. Even better, ask Pringle himself why he doesn’t disclose the actual details of his close friends case to his congregation.
After his cunning stunts at his latest C3 Presence Conference, how do you think Phil Pringle is going to spin this latest turn of events to his congregation?
The Straits Times reports,
Judge throws out application to acquit City Harvest Church leaders
The trial against City Harvest Church founder Kong Hee and five others will continue, and all six of them will testify. The trial resumes July 14.
Their defence lawyers had claimed the prosecution had not done enough to show there was a case against the accused, and called on Presiding Judge of the State Courts See Kee Oon to throw out all of the charges.
But on Monday, the judge rejected this, saying that there was enough evidence for the trial to continue with all of the charges intact. “In my view there is evidence to show that the investments were shams… and were merely disguises for something else,” he said.
He was referring to several bond transactions which the prosecution believes were illegal and a way for the accused to misuse church funds. About $50 million is alleged to have been illegally used in various sham transactions to finance Kong’s wife Ho Yeow Sun’s pop music career and to cover this up.
By Feng Zengkun, Judge throws out application to acquit City Harvest Church leaders, Straits Times, http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/courts-crime/story/judge-throws-out-application-acquit-city-harvest-church-leaders-20#sthash.2zqPfbXY.dpuf, May 5, 2014 3:15 PM. (Accessed 05/05/2014.)
We at C3 Church Watch are committed to speaking the truth in love, including exposing the false prophets and shepherds within or associated with the C3 movement. However we are also very concerned about the well-being of those people within C3 churches who have been harmed by the false doctrine, unethical practices, and ongoing scandals within the movement.
This latest development further exposes the poisonous fruit of the C3 leadership. We urge members to honestly reflect on what is happening within the C3 movement. Flee to the Word of God, praying that He will be gracious and reveal to you the truth that leaders such as Phil Pringle and Kong Hee are not shepherds but rather are ravenous wolves not sparing the flock (Matthew 7:15-23, Acts 20:29-31). It is our earnest desire to see many snatched from the fire (Jude 3:23).
“Emily and I want to update you on some news about our family and the circumstances that has arisen. Over two years ago we purchased property from some folks who are currently under a federal investigation in pursuit for multiple proprieties. These individuals and the bank that provided the financing were allegedly involved in illegal behaviour.
Although we had no knowledge of their misbehaviour, we’ve been required to participate with the federal government in this case since we were the buyers. This has put us in a very difficult position and cooperation was not an option in the matter. Our testimony now is a very critical part of the case against these individuals.
You may have seen information about this in the media. And if so, please realise that the media is very good at misconstruing facts, which is misleading at best. Nevertheless, it sells papers. We cannot control what the media does or how they represent the circumstance. But let me assure you church, the facts of the matter have been given to our overseers and a team of leaders within the church.”
Moving along, the Citizen-Times reports,
ASHEVILLE — Three men were sentenced to federal prison Tuesday for their roles in an elaborate scheme to obtain more than $23 million in illegal loans to forestall failure of the bankrupt Seven Falls development.
Robert Craig Gourlay, David G. Smith and Nicholas Dimitris conspired with developer Keith Vinson in a case that Judge Martin Reidinger described at the hearing as “a scourge on this community.”
“This is a case where the concerted actions of a few people brought down two banks,” the judge said in U.S. District Court in Asheville. “Not only was it serious wrongdoing, it was very harmful wrongdoing.”
Reidinger sentenced Gourlay, chief credit officer at Pisgah Community Bank, to 15 months in prison. Smith, a loan officer with the bank, received nine months. Dimitris, a minister and real estate investor, got 12 months.
Seven Falls filed for bankruptcy in 2009. The luxury development was planned to accommodate 900 homes and an Arnold Palmer-designed golf course on 1,400 acres, potentially adding $1.25 billion to Henderson County’s tax base.
Prosecutors said Vinson had “straw borrowers” take out illegal loans to buy lots in hopes of preventing foreclosure. Vinson was unable to borrow more money because of rules designed to limit banks’ exposure to any one borrower.
Gourlay and Smith authorized loans involving millions of dollars to straw borrowers, while Dimitris served as such a borrower on loans made by the bank, receiving kickbacks in return, according to criminal complaints filed in 2011.
The three are among 10 codefendants who reached plea deals with prosecutors, leaving only Vinson to stand trial. He was convicted by a jury last month on all 13 counts he was charged with, including conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, misapplication of bank funds, wire fraud and money laundering.
Reidinger ordered Vinson held without bond until sentencing. He faces up to 30 years in prison, according to prosecutors.
The judge said that in sentencing of Gourlay, Smith and Dimitris, he took into account their cooperation with the government in the case against Vinson. Gourlay and Dimitris testified at the trial.
But Reidinger pointed out that Bank of Asheville and Pisgah Community Bank failed as a result of the scheme. Such crimes serve to undermine the banking system, he said.
“When citizens don’t have confidence in the banking system, the economy collapses,” the judge said.
Prosecutors said Vinson began Seven Falls with a $25 million bank loan to be repaid with money from the sale of lots. He ran out of money in 2008, when the economy tanked and sales dried up. That’s when Vinson and his fellow conspirators came up with a “lot loan scheme” involving straw borrowers.
Former Bank of Asheville President George Gordon “Buddy” Greenwood pleaded guilty to bank fraud charges and was sentenced in May 2012 to four years in federal prison. According to court records, Greenwood was involved in illegal loans to Vinson totaling nearly $6.8 million.
Vinson and six other codefendants, including former Pisgah Community Bank President Thomas “Ted” Durham Jr., await sentencing.
We originally were going to publish a long-winded response to all the misleading and deceptive comments Phil Pringle made in the below transcript. However, we wish to frame the below transcript with the motivations of Sun Ho and the Cross Over project.
Pastor Sun Ho said the following about her music album release which featured her song China Wine:
“I’m really excited about this album, because I feel like it really represents me even though it’s in English.” [Source]
“Wyclef was so amazing! He would pick up his guitar and we started just writing the song and we call it “China Wine… I want to work with the choreographer to come up with “China Wine” dance steps and stuff. Seriously, I can’t wait to grow in America and I can’t wait for people to see me…” [Source]
Here is Pastor Sun Ho’s music video clip China Wine. Ask yourself this question, can you see this video clip convicting people of their sins and as a result. repent and turn to Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins?
Keep this information in mind.
On the 9th of June, Phil Pringle said the following (transcript below):
“Anyway – ah, when I’m in Singapore, generally Pastor Kong and Sun are not cos they are out, just ah, staying in the Asian Christian community preaching and – ah, making sure that everybody knows they’re still alive, ah- facing a lot of challenges, a lot of battles. A lot of people who um- you know have ah have ah – taking sides against them and- And ah- people just love to be critical. And you know, ah, there are times-ah with believers, I’m not sure if I care if they were right or wrong and- and in this case, this- this couple are the two of the most holy people I know. And I get convicted when I am around them. And I am a very holy person and ah – [audience laughs]. Anyway, I-I-I will ignore the fact that you laughed then. Amen! Ha ha ha!
So- ha ha hum! Uh- Just ask my wife how holy I- no don’t! And uh- yeah so- we um- anyway we were up there in ah- Singapore treading the wi- ONE OF THE THINGS- i- it’s a horrible if you are treading the wine press all on your own. And uh- to have some friends with you- even if, you know- uh- a- e- i- I like – I like the fact that Jesus stood with us even when we weren’t that great. I know most of you have- have been really great people all your life and done bad. But I’m glad he’s still with me anyway when I- met my moments of challenge and difficulty.
And even if you’re right, you know and ah- a- in- to- to be persecuted for that is a challenging thing.
Now this church is one of the greatest churches in the world. If I was to pick five great churches in the world, this would be one of them. In the whole world. This church is impacting nations, like taking the population ratio of Taiwan from two percent to ah- ten per cent oh- a- over a period of ten years. Ah- Astonishing results in many, many Christian- ah, in many, many ah- Asian nations in ah- Christian concerts that Sun was performing in, about a hundred and ah- ten concerts. In- In those she had about a hundred and forty thousand people come to Christ. So that was the purpose of um- them, as a church- ah- boosting that- ah – singing career. And ah- so anyway- ah- apart from all that fact, we are great friends of this church and are standing with them, seeing them ah- through this incredible challenge they are facing at present. And uh- they’ve had some good news in this last week, even though the pressure is still on- eh- eh- at an equal level. But I just wanted to play a little clip from last weekend when I was with him. Thanks guys!”
[Plays Video]
Amen! Well, the Pastor of that church is gonna be speakin’ at Presence Conference next week. Kong Hee. And the Advisory Pastor will also be speaking at that conference next week. Amen! So ah- it is going to be such an astonishing time. One of the reasons I show you that- just to get a visual of what this church is going to look like in a few years time amen! And ah- Presence will help us get to that place as we keep moving!
That’s one of seven services they have over a weekend. They also have Chinese and Indonesian services. Ah- but um- that one is actually the smaller of the two weekend services. Um- English speaking services. The night before is the Saturday night one which is the largest service during the week. And uh- that’s exciting though every time I get in amongst their great church and feel the power of their prayer life, their discipline and ah- and moving forward. And no wonder the- the devil has done everything he can to try and oppose them.
We’re gonna see revival around all the nations of the world, every tip where there’s a C3 Church- next week we are upgrading and going up a level, without any doubt at all.” – Phil Pringle, C3 Church Oxford Falls, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiKrMwtZGSk.
To understand what happened prior to this transcript, please read the following article:
We will be producing a lot of information in the coming weeks about the emerging C3 ‘Church’ and City Harvest ‘Church’ scandals. A lot of information is coming out of the courts and hitting the news. The facebook group ‘CHC Confessions‘ has been exploding with fascinating insights to the CHC Cult and the China Wine scandal.
At C3 Church Watch we will try to do our best to capture the important information surfacing at this time. This means there may be multiple articles posted a day.
“You can inform your readers that Phil is a father in the faith to Kong.” [Source]
That was a recent comment made by Dean Sweetman. Sweetman is the ‘Executive Regional C3 Americas Overseer’ and Sr ‘Pastor’ of C3 Church Atlanta. Dean Sweetman is a significant player in the C3 movement and should be causing Australian and Singaporean heads to turn towards the global C3 Church movement with his recent comment.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.” Matt 23:15
That was Jesus’ words to the false religious teachers of his day. This says a lot about not only the ministry of Phil Pringle but the influence he has had on the ministry of Kong Hee. Consider Kong Hee’s comment:
“You can’t talk about City Harvest Church without talking about C3. Or Christian City Church. You know Pastor Phil has been there for me; praying with me; encouraging me; discipling me; telling me how to do the work of the ministry; taught me how to collect an offering; how to give an altar call; how to build a church; build a team. So Pastor Phil, from the depth of my heart, for Sun and myself, we wouldn’t be where we are today without you and Pastor Chris. Let’s give Pastor Phil and Pastor Chris a big clap.” – Kong Hee, Kong Hee, Session 8: (00:24), Presence Conference 2010.
To fully understand how involved the founder of the C3 movement Phil Pringle is with the CHC scandal, please read the below articles.
We have already concluded that Phil Pringle and his C3 movement is a global prosperity cult. This was not just based on Pringle’s claim to his congregation that he was ‘Elijah’. (If you give money to him, you are giving directly to God). There were many times when we could have labeled C3 a cult. However it was Jabin Chavez who spoke at C3 this year that made us publicly label the C3 Church movement a cult.
Now we are seeing people from CHC conclude from their experiences that CHC is also a cult. The similarities between the way C3 and CHC operate is highly disturbing. We are now becoming more concerned how C3 Church financially conducts itself if Kong Hee imitates and learns from Phil Pringle and his ministry.
“Many people come to City Harvest Church and they look at our church. Look at our pulpit. Our Rise and Build. And they say, “Hey! Why is it that in Australia they kinda copy after you?”
Well actually we came here and copied everything from Christian City Church. So we have our own Rise and Build and I just thought I show you this latest installment where we anounced to our church, SunTec City Convention Center.” – Kong hee, C3 Presence Conference, Session 4, Sydney, 2010. [Emphasis ours]
Recently this testimony was published online:
I remember Pastor Kong sharing about how a couple sold their Wedding Ring to pay for their Building Fund pledge, back when i was a christian at CHC 4 years ago. It’s a pity it’s all for China Wine.
I left CHC after my CG Leader Pressured me to show him the True amount of my income thus to increase the amount i give in my tithes. Now i know; CHC is a Cult. I got their “Regular Member’s Card” only after i have regularly gave my tithes (Of course i never gave 10%, it was barely 5% i never believed Church is all about money).
More Christians in his church should tell Phil Pringle to “stick to the bible”. The topic of money is a common message preached at C3 Church. While we do not hear the faithful gospel preached of Christ and Him crucified, it is impossible to escape C3’s ten minute money-grubbing message. People need to face the facts. Phil Pringle has an unhealthy obsession with money and making up fables.
He clearly does not put his faith in God. Rather, Pringle puts faith in his works and finances. Question Pringle’s prosperity gospel and there is a good chance you will be labeled, criticised, ostracised, demonised or even isolated by the leadership. The tithe doctrine specifically is Pringle’s golden calf. In the past, the tithe has been called by C3 leadership the “foundation” or “cornerstone” to every believers life.
This false doctrine is both binding and destructive. This keeps poor Christians in C3 stuck in their poverty. This false doctrine has divided families and churches. Still, Phil Pringle conveniently refuses to examine the historicity and the biblical truth of the tithe. This doctrine helps no one except the false and deceptive ministry of Phil Pringle. Yet he insists Christians must tithe.
In a Sunday night sermon titled ‘Financial Excellence Part 2’ (22/05/2011), Phil Pringle slandered (blasphemed) God. He did so by putting words in God’s mouth. Pringle unashamedly went out of his way to mislead his congregation on his false tithe doctrine. Phil Pringle invented his own theology to convince and intimidate his congregation to continually financially support his ministry.
Before you read and listen to this segment of Phil Pringle, we wish to warn you of following deceptive methods false teachers like himself use on Christians.
WARNING 1: Always hold the pastor accountable to the words he uses. If he his playing with words, DO NOT LISTEN TO HIM.
WARNING 2: If a pastor is wrongfully confusing what God is saying to what he is saying, DO NOT LISTEN TO HIM.
WARNING 3: If a pastor does not read the biblical text to justify his claims, DO NOT LISTEN TO HIM. (i.e., if he tells you a biblical story and hi-jacks the biblical narrative for his own means.).
WARNING 4: Always check what the pastor is saying in the NAME of God to what God actually says in His Word.
WARNING 5: Always make sure that the Pastor is using biblical reasoning to teach you and NOT emotional manipulation (e.g., guilt, group intimidation).
Below, Pringle breaks all the rules of how a pastor should teach, behave and rightly approach biblical texts.
PRINGLE PLAYING WITH WORDS
In the below transcript you will see Pringle mislead the congregation by calling his financial insights to the bible a “bible study”. How can Pringle call what he taught a “bible study” when he never read the texts in Joshua and Genesis? He never even gave biblical references. This was not a bible study. (A bible study actually involves the pastor explaining what the bible means by reading it and handling the contexts of what is said correctly.)
Throughout the below segment, Pringle kept redefining what the tithe was in very obscure ways. He does this to convince Christians that the tithe is biblical. Ask yourself: is the tithe continually defined by Pringle as ‘a tenth’ or something else? Does it keep changing itself meaning to suit Pringle’s theology or agenda?
PRINGLE PLAYING ‘GOD-AND-SWITCH’ AS IN ‘BAIT-AND-SWITCH’
To actually grasp what Pringle is doing in this segment of teaching, please watch the video at the bottom of this article (one minute in).
Good preachers clearly distinguish when God is speaking through the scriptures. They make sure that their voice is separate from God’s so no man is confused between a man’s words and God’s Word. Not so with Pringle. Pringle at one point speaks as though God is saying something through the scriptures. However, the listener can get easily confused over either God or Pringle speaking to you.
It was incredibly difficult to transcribe this video. In particularly when Pringle said,
“If you give me that [Jericho] then the rest of the land is yours. That’s the first fruits, that’s the tithe. That’s the tree in the garden for Adam.”
Was Pringle telling us this or was he telling us this is what God was saying in the book of Joshua?
PRINGLE AVOIDING THE BIBLE AT ALL COST
Using the books of Genesis and Joshua, Pringle starts arguing his case for the tithe. He AVOIDS reading these texts to support his argument. Instead, Pringle hi-jacks the narrative, lies about God saying things He never said and makes stuff up according to his personal pet theories.
If Pringle read out Genesis 2-3 or Joshua 6-8, then any hearer would realise that the tithe is not even mentioned in these ancient documents. You don’t think Pringle knows this? And what he says isn’t new. The sermon ‘Financial Excellence’ is based off his book ‘Keys To Financial Excellence’. His teaching has been expanded and extracted from his book ‘Keys To Financial Excellence’:
Phil Pringle not only makes up his own theology in regards to the city of Jericho being a tithe, he also teaches that the Tree of Knowledge of Good and evil is the tithe. Once again, if anyone was reading Genesis 2-3, they would see that Pringle is not honest in handling the God’s Word.
PRINGLE’S MESSAGE
Below is part of the transcript we just critiqued and the video.
“So here’s the Lord saying, “You’re robbing”. You’re taking something that belongs to God. It’s the tithe. You’re sticking it in your pocket. [Inaudible] Bless me. It aint gonna happen.
There’s a guy called Achan in the scripture. And look- If I’m stirred up about anything to do with this message, it is this point I’m making right now. Because, here’s the thing, Achan- does anybody know who Achan is? Achan?
Ok. Here’s the picture. Real quick little bible study.
Joshua comes to Jericho. God says, “March around the thing- seven days. Seven days, seven times. Shout. PHEOW! The whole thing will collapse. But,” he says, “that city is the tithe.”
“Don’t touch anything in the city.” It belongs to God. The whole lot. It was ‘under the ban’ was the literal words. Devoted to destruction. “If you give me that then the rest of the land is yours. That’s the firstfruits, that’s the tithe. That’s the tree in the garden for Adam.”
It’s the firstborn of every animal born on the earth. It’s the first. It’s the tithe.
‘kay. So everybody does it.
“Phew! Don’t touch it! Don’t touch!” Achan sees a big lump of gold. He says, “I’ll take that”. Puts in his back pocket. Goes into his tent. Digs a hole. Puts it in. Hides it in a couple of garments. [Inaudible.] Digs a hole. Hides it.
The next- they’re ready to go to the next town, Ai. Little town. A-i. That’s a little name, three thousand people, bam! Just go up there. Josh is- says ‘Oh, we wont even send the whole army up. We’ll kill these guys in no time at all’. Bam! So he goes up. They get defeated.
Israel gets defeated. About thirty seven of their own soldiers die. Achan doesn’t. One of the soldiers. He doesn’t. They come back. Josh is on his face. He says, “God! How did that happen? We took Jericho with big thick walls! Then we got beaten at Ai, by a nobody group!”
God says, “Somebody took the tithe.”
He says, “What do you mean?” He says, “You gotta find out who did this.” So they find out. Do a little investigation.
“Achan. What are you doing?”
“Woah!” … This is why I’m stirred up about it. Because it’s not about just me individually. It’s about the whole church. I’ve a corporate responsibility to the entire Kingdom of God. To the whole body of Christ.” Phil Pringle, Ps Phil Pringle: Financial Excellence Part 2, http://www2.myc3church.net/videos/ps-phil-pringle-financial-excellence-part-2, Sermon (PM), 22/05/2011.
Below you can watch him say this in the snippet about one minute in.
PRINGLE LYING TO PEOPLE ABOUT GOD
Phil Pringle has a shepherds responsibility to handle God’s Word correctly and NOT lie and slander God and His word for financial gain. If anyone did do a “bible study” reading Joshua 6-8 while Pringle preached, they would notice Pringle made up things God never said.
God didn’t say,
“that city [Jericho] is the tithe.”
God did not say,
“If you give me that then the rest of the land is yours. That’s the firstfruits, that’s the tithe. That’s the tree in the garden for Adam. It’s the firstborn of every animal born on the earth. It’s the first. It’s the tithe. ‘kay.”
When Joshua consulted God in regards to his military losing the battle at Ai, God did not say to Joshua,
“Somebody took the tithe.”
Phil Pringle is making God say and teach things God never said. In other words, Phil Pringle is blaspheming by taking the Lord’s name in vain.
Firstly, this false teaching of the tithe goes against the heart of the Father, goes against Jesus and His finished work on Calvary and the Holy Spirit. Why? It is through Christ we find blessing and freedom away from the curse and condemnation of death, God’s Law and His wrath. As Christians we do not receive the Holy Spirit, God’s promise and blessing by our works. The entire letter to the Galatians makes this case. This is blasphemy no matter which way you look at it, again taking the Lord’s name in vain.
PRINGLE USING INTIMIDATION AND CROWD CONTROL
Pringle lets his emotions run in this portion of his talk. His tone is accusative against Christians for not tithing. If you watch further beyond the transcript, he starts personally confessing his works and his faithfulness to the tithe.
This does not stop Pringle teaching to his congregation that if individuals aren’t tithing, they are accused by God of “robbing,” cursed by God Himself and blocking the progress of his C3 church movement. This is This is why he says,
“I’m stirred up about it. Because it’s not about just me individually.”
The onus is on non-tithers to do what Pringle says or else. His lies mixed with his intimidation is in our opinion bullying. It is of our opinion he is using misleading tactics to force non-tithers in his congregation to tithe, using his own congregation against them. Think of it this way. After this sermon, how would members react to people who say they don’t tithe? After this sermon, do you think non-tithers would dispute this teaching against other members? Do you think they will feel isolated and alone in their thoughts on this matter?
Overall, this is a good example how a false teacher would teach and behave behind a pulpit. Phil Pringle’s false message and deceitful methods are clearly evident in this sermon.
When key church conferences or events are weeks away, Phil Pringle executes his teachings in rather peculiar ways. To the average person it sounds like what they are hearing in a Sunday service or bible study is biblical teaching.
Unfortunately this is not the case. It is becoming more evident that C3 members are being seduced by innovative marketing ploys for Phil Pringle’s conferences and events. People need to understand that Phil Pringle can often have a rather different agenda when he is preaching. It is of our opinion that his marketing ploys are becoming more manipulative.
Consider some of these statements he has made in his book, ‘You The Leader’:
“People can become anything under the right conditions.” – Phil Pringle, You The Leader, 2005, pg 267.
“I don’t approach Sundays with an attitude of, “What message shall I preach?” but rather, “What do we want to achieve in our church at this time?” That desired end result determines what and how I preach. Then, within the particular message, I ask myself, “What am I trying to achieve here? What one thing am I attempting to say? What do I want these people to have or do at the end of this time?’
Then I follow the plan.” – Phil Pringle, You The Leader, pg. 234.
“What we preach is what we get. We are farmers sowing seed. If we are unhappy with the harvest we’re reaping, we should sow different seed. If we want different results, we preach different messages.” – Phil Pringle, You The Leader, 2005, pg 215.
It is unsettling to know that a pastor might be using his position and sermon time to manipulate people. This is what we have recorded Phil Pringle doing in the past.
You may be thinking Phil Pringle went through an unusual phase in his ministry. Not so. We have seen him behave like this for a few years now. This year we have seen Pringle misuse his power and position to market his events through his teachings. Specifically this years Presence Conference 2013 and Vision Builders 2013.
In this articles we will not give you a critique of Phil Pringle’s sermons that market people to attend Presence Conference 2013 or Vision Builders 2013. First, we invite you to look at the bizarre C3 Connect Notes study, weeks leading up to Presence Conference 2013. (Emphasis ours in underline.)
35 Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. John 4v35 (all references NIV)
It says: “don’t you have a saying?” We all have a saying.
– We can say one thing, but God says this: we can’t go without the presence of God.
– Moses and the people set out, but they pleaded: “Please God, don’t let us go without your presence.
The presence of God defines who you are. When people meet you they don’t just experience you, they experience God.
The church is a place of the second chance – but the church is also the house of promise.
TALK ABOUT: * Are you ready for the hour we are about to step into? Are you willing give [sic] him all of your life?
Ps Greg French moved extensively in the prophetic after this message. We would like to encourage all leaders to have a special prayer and ministry time in your connect group this week. Remember you are a sufficient minister of the Holy Spirit! ‘..Our competence comes from God. 6 He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit..’ (2 Corin 3:5-6)
Let’s see if Phil Pringle honestly used the single verse in the ‘bible study’ in context. Did he handle the words of Jesus accurately? Does God overwrite all our sayings to correct us? Let’s see what Jesus said:
“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.” John 4:34-38. (Emphasis ours.)
So what has this verse got to do with God’s presence™? It doesn’t. But what is Pringle trying to say? That God will override our sayings to say something else?
Pringle used ONLY John 4:35 to explain that, “We can say one thing, but God says this: we can’t go without the presence”. This could be true BUT Jesus in his next breath says in AGREEMENT that, “the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true“. So… what is going on?
Why did Pringle exclude this? If he kept the scripture in context wouldn’t people be able to see that God can be in agreement with our sayings?
We are assuming he wants people to think like this in the bible study:
As a reader, are you ready for the hour you are about to step into: Presence™ Conference 2013?
How is it possible to give God all your life if you do not go?
Don’t you realise that God is telling you that you can’t go without the Presence™ of God?
Can’t you see that if you say “I might not go to Presence™ Conference”, God might be telling you to do the opposite?
It’s wrong for Phil Pringle to make Jesus out to be a liar. When you read the verse in its context, the entire bible study is debunked and made pointless. This seems to indicate that Pringle is misleading his entire Connect Group network with this study to try and get people to go to his Presence Conference. Quite frankly this is despicable behaviour coming from a ‘pastor’.
But it get’s worse…
WHAT IS THE C3 VISION BUILDERS DINNER & THE C3 VISION?
Before looking at the Vision Builders marketing ploys Pringle weaves in his teachings, it is important that you understand the ‘Vision Builders’ dinner.
We’ll let C3 explain what it is.
If you do not know what the ‘Vision’ of God is to Phil Pringle, it is this. (Also watch the video via below source link.)
“Our vision for C3 Church is to see 1000 Churches planted by the year 2020 with an average attendance of 500 members.” – 2020 Vision, C3 Church Global, http://c3churchglobal.com/cms/2020-vision. (Accessed 14/06/2013.)
With this in mind, it is time to look at how Phil Pringle convinces people to sign up for the ‘Vision Builders’ dinner so they can make financial pledges to C3 Church’ building initiatives.
VISION BUILDERS MARKETING GIMMICKS
Here is what you will find advertised on the myc3church website. Ask yourself this question: Who “prepares a table” for you? God or C3?
To reduce the size of this article, we will only look at C3’s Vision Builders video and C3’s latest ‘bible study’ Connect Notes.
Here is the video.
The transcript reads:
“What a humbling thing it is to realise that God, the Creator of the universe, maker of heaven and earth, has prepared a table for you. Long before you acknowledged Him, your place had been set, the invitation extended. Taste and see that the Lord is good. It was not a place you could earn or deserve. You were lost. Dead. But now, you are found alive, caught up in his great story. And so before you is a banquet. A feast of provision. That you may play a part in the midst of darkness bringing the light.”
Like other Vision Builders dinner, Pringle encouraged people to bring their wallets to the table and make pledges to the C3 building fund. (Quick reminder: The light is Jesus, not our money.)
There is something seriously wrong with the video presentation. Do you think this advert has gone one step further than worldly marketing? How do you feel when you watch this? Who is really preparing the table? God or Pringle? Who is really asking people to give cash? God or Pringle? Who is asking you to expand in your sacrificial giving? God or Pringle?
The lines were deliberately blurred to entice and pressure C3 members to give sacrificially. But would God really want people to give financially at this event?
C3 BIBLE STUDY CONNECT GROUP NOTES
If that’s not disturbing enough, look how Phil Pringle in the last two weeks planned out the C3 Church bible study connect group notes.
You can see bible passages are being twisted in these Connect Notes when Pringle wants people to ask these questions:
TALK ABOUT:
* Have you ever had a time of stretching with God?
* Are you ever tempted to “bail out” or “dig up the seed” in waiting for God to grow something in you?
* Does it encourage you when God says you shall expand or His people will inherit?
TALK ABOUT:
* What is your part of God’s grand design? Are you looking to the Bible to affirm the plan of God? * Discuss how our church leadership and vision is always exhorting us to expand and look out. * Are you involved in the width, the length, the depth or the height of his plan? Where is God calling you? [Note Pringle’s allusion to * How are you investing in the future of His magnificent house? How can we each step up rather than only attend meetings?
These questions should be properly revealed this way:
* Have you ever had a time of stretching with Phil Pringle pressuring you to give money?
* Are you ever tempted to “bail out” or “dig up the seed” because Phil Pringle keeps telling you, “God [wants] to grow something in you”?
* Does it encourage you when Phil Pringle says you shall expand or His people will inherit?
* What is your part of Phil Pringle’s grand design? Are you looking to the Bible to affirm the plan of Pringle (or testing what He says to what God says)?
* Discuss how our church leadership and vision is always exhorting us to expand and look out.
* Are you involved in the width, the length, the depth or the height of Pringle’s financial plan? What is Pringle calling you to do?
* Discuss how you are investing in the future of Phil Pringle’s ministry? How can we each step up rather than only attend meetings?
What’s the answer to the last question? “How are you investing in the future of His magnificent house? How can we each step up rather than only attend meetings?” Answer: Go to Vision Builders.
Is this biblical? Do people realise they are being financially duped by Phil Pringle? Do they know what they are hearing is not the biblical context but a deceptive marketing scheme? How should members feel if they are being manipulated like this? Is this the way Phil Pringle should run his church?
Please pray that members get wisdom and and understanding so they do not put themselves under financial stress.
If you would like to find this document on the myc3church.com website, scroll over the button at the top of the page titled ‘Community’ and click ‘Vision Builders’.
When the next page loads, scroll down the page until you hit “Download the brochure”.
It will take you to the Vision Builders pdf.
Our first article on C3 Church Watch was pointing out Phil Pringle’s Vision Builders Campaign was exploiting C3’s poorest members. Sadly, this hasn’t changed.
In our third article ever on C3 ChurchWatch we raised our concern with ‘Christians Against Poverty’ (CAP) working alongside the immoral nature of the C3 cult. We do admire the work CAP does in people’s lives. However, we would strongly suggest that CAP would distance themselves from Christian City Church Oxford Falls. Why?
In the 2013 ‘Vision Builders’ brochure, C3 writes about their achievements through CAP. They now consider CAP’s achievements as their own.
“Christians Against Poverty
Last year, 100 families struggling financially were assisted through our 2 centres. As a result, many people received Christ for the first time. In
January we launched our new City Campus CAP Centre, with Monica Olander as the Manager.Since beginning our ministry with CAP we have assisted 490 families, and have seen 130 decisions for Christ.”
So CAP has led 130 people to Christ? What’s wrong with CAP doing this? Nothing is wrong if members of the CAP are genuinely concerned leading people to Jesus Christ. However, they are leading these people into a Word of Faith cult that scams people of the little money they have. This is tragic.
We have enough evidence to say that the C3 institution preaches a different gospel and binds people to give sacrificial financial offerings so God can bless them materially. As Dr Choo said about CHC, so too are his words applicable to C3 Oxford Falls: “This is not Christianity. This is not the gospel. This is a SCAM.” Since when is it right to exploit people who are in “out-of-control” debt?
Sadly, this undoes the wonderful work of CAP. The CAP are only furthering the support of destroying people’s financial future by working with the C3 cult. The proof of this is in this Vision Builder 2013 booklet. C3 writes,
“I am in significant debt, should I pay off my debts or give to Vision Builders?
If you are in ‘out of control’ debt, after your tithe the debt should be your next priority. Reducing the debt to a manageable amount (or even clearing it completely) should be attempted as you also make a manageable gift to Vision Builders. Remember no amount is insignificant.”
So why would the CAP endorse a cult that teaches it’s members to give money they don’t have to ‘the vision’ of Phil Pringle? The idea behind giving money to Phil Pringle’s prophetic vision is that God will materially bless the giver. You will not find this ‘Christian’ teaching anyway in scripture and is nothing more than a financial con job.
This is not the first time the C3 cult has decided to financially exploit it’s poorest members. This is the fourth year the C3 cult has had this information in it’s Vision Builders campaign material. You’d think by this stage they would have removed it.
Instead we have continually recorded C3 Church exploiting their financially struggling members in their heavily marketed Vision Builders campaigns.
Why are Christians in C3 Church not concerned about this? Why is CAP supporting C3 Church? Are they not aware that the people they are taking out of poverty are bought back into poverty when they are introduced to the C3 cult? Why is Phil Pringle exploiting the poorest people in his congregation?
“Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:
“‘You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.
For this people’s heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.’
“But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” Matthew 13:10-17
Who do think this passage is about? If you think this passage is about Jesus talking about himself, you are right. Jesus was the Messiah “many prophets and righteous people longed to see”. None else.
This prophecy Jesus spoke of was also against Israel. The disciples were truly blessed unlike Israel for they did not receive dull hearts, dull hearing or closed eyes. They were given the knowledge from Jesus to interpret what they were hearing. This is why the disciples were blessed to truly see and truly hear the words of Christ – Israel’s Messiah. The Incarnate Word of God. The one who the Law and the Prophets prophesied about it and longed to see.
However, you are about to hear Jabin Chavez misuse these verses and claim that Jesus is prophesying this about Phil and Chris Pringle,
“But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”
Now our question to readers is this: Did Jesus really say the above about Phil and Chris Pringle ? Does Christ exalt them above his divine authority and Messiahship? Well if you think they’re not, take this issue up with Jabin Chavez and the Pringle’s. Hear what Jabin Chavez has to say:
Read Chavez’ liturgy of blasphemous flattery:
“Why don’t you just stay standing for a moment. Just want to sing a bit. Prepare our hearts. Um. I don’t know if you know how blessed you are to be in this church. Um. Jesus said that you’re blessed because of what you’ve seen and what you’ve heard. And ah- you have two pastors that, number one- you can see their life and be absolutely blessed because of who they are and the integrity and the faithfulness- I don’t know if you know: Happy birthday.
This is your thirty-third year as a church. Isn’t this incredible?
Three hundred campuses, a hundred thousand people at C3 all over the world. You’re blessed because of what you’ve seen.
And number two, you are blessed because of what you’ve heard. I don’t know if there are two greater teachers and preachers than Pastor Phil and Chris Pringle…
And honestly one of the number one things I thought right away is, “I really want to meet her pastor”. And so wisdom is proved right by her children. The bible says Jesus said that. And so- ah, that’s really a by-product of Pastor Chris and your gift and your grace on your life.” – Jabin Chavez, “Mt2M” – Jabin Chavez, http://www2.myc3church.net/videos/mt2m-jabin-chavez, 31/03/2013. (Accessed 13/04/2013.)
Jesus did say that “Wisdom is proved right by her children”. However, Chris Pringle is NOT “Wisdom”. Christ is. Christ is the Incarnate Word/Logos of God, the Power and Wisdom of God. Jesus was the fulfillment of Cultural Wisdom and Counter-Cultural Wisdom in the Old Testament Literature. His children are those that have heard the gospel, repented from their sins and were baptised. Luke is clearly making this point in his gospel. This is what Jesus said in context:
“When John’s messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are dressed in splendid clothing and live in luxury are in kings’ courts. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written,
“‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.’
I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” (When all the people heard this, and the tax collectors too, they declared God just, having been baptized with the baptism of John, but the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.)
“To what then shall I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another,
“‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’
For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by all her children.” Luke 7:24-35
If Phil Pringle and Chris Pringle do not want their movement to now be labeled a cult, they must respond immediately to the blasphemous claims of Jabin Chavez that they are ‘Messiahs’ and ‘Wisdom’. To shamelessly do this on Resurrection Sunday is simply disgraceful.
Looking back on the creepy cults of the 70s and the self-indulgent excesses of the televangelists of the 80s can be a little like watching an episode of some ghastly ‘reality TV show’: as the freaks and frauds parade on the television screen, that subtle sentiment of “I thank thee Lord that I am not like other men” is never far from the surface.
When it comes to cults and televangelists, of course, evangelical Protestants have an obvious foundation for assuming their superiority to the wild-eyed megalomaniacs and the superannuated mullet-haired mountebanks of the TV revival brigade: orthodox theology. The scoundrels are all deviant or downright heretical. We have the right theology, so we cannot be cultists or corrupt, can we? Sadly, that is not so.
In fact, as Paul himself makes clear, the gospel – the true gospel – can be peddled for power and for profit. To borrow Lutheran terminology, just because the product being sold is the theology of the cross does not mean that the salesman is not a theologian of glory. Cults and corruption are reflections of certain cultures, not of confessions. They can be as orthodox on paper as the Chalcedonian Definition but as perverted in their practices as a poker game run by a man called ‘Honest John.’ So just because somebody preaches the gospel, uses the name of Jesus every other sentence and cries when they talk about the lost does not guarantee that they are not a cult leader or simply in it for what they can get out of it.
The key is the culture. One must ask cultural questions of such men, not simply doctrinal ones. Is the culture of their church or organisation transparent? Are there clear lines of accountability which flow both ways, from the leadership to the grassroots and from the grassroots to the leadership? Is opposition to leadership decisions addressed in an open fashion or via thuggish backroom manoeuvres and public derision and isolation of critics? And one interesting question which I remember a pastor once asking in a pulpit when I was a college student: how far above the average economic level of the congregation or funding constituency does the leadership live? That little old lady putting her ten dollars in the plate each Sunday or sending in her pledge — is she funding a lifestyle for functionally unaccountable leaders which is lavish beyond words and built on gospel rhetoric, on not-for-profit tax breaks and on an overwheening sense of entitlement? That can be quite an interesting gauge of whether the church or ministry takes seriously its role as steward of the money it receives. It is, after all, easy to prostitute yourself to the prosperity gospel when your own prophecies of material wealth are effectively underwritten by the desperate dreams of the poor and destitute which you yourself have helped to create and upon which you prey with a depraved and insatiable hunger.
Cultists and con-men are identifiable only by their culture, not by their confessions.
Source: Carl Trueman, The Culture’s the Thing!, 08/10/2012. (Accessed 19/11/2012.)
C3 Church Watch 