Once again, David Yonggi Cho is under investigation for financial mismanagement.
David Yonggi Cho under investigation, suspected of embezzling US$67 million of funds
David Yonngi Cho is recognised in the New Apostolic Reformation cult as an International “Apostle”. He is Phil Pringle and Kong Hee’s personal mentor and recently spoke last month at Phil Pringle’s C3 Church in Sydney, Australia.
The National Tax Service (NTS) is set to audit the Yoido Full Gospel Church, targeting pastor David Yonggi Cho who is suspected of embezzling 80 billion won ($67 million) of funds, said officials of the church on Monday.
They said that the church’s pastor Lee Young-hoon told elders Sunday to prepare a room on the 11th floor of the Kookmin Ilbo’s main office in Yeouido, Seoul because the NTS will soon begin a tax audit against the world’s largest church. Kookmin is a daily newspaper run by the church.
“We will face the tax audit soon. That is the fact,” said an official of the church, asking not to be named.
The official admitted that the problem in the church is well-known to the public.
The NTS refused to comment on the issue, referring to privacy concerns for taxpayers. This is the first time that the tax authorities will have conducted an audit of the megachurch.
The announcement came while the prosecutors’ office is investigating Cho’s aides over allegedly embezzling church funds. He allegedly took 60 billion won of funds intended for overseas mission projects as well as an additional 20 billion won as severance pay without approval from the church.
The Seoul Central District Court sentenced the 80-year-old pastor to two and half years in jail with four years of suspension for inflicting 13.1 billion won of losses to the church and tax evasion worth 3.5 billion won by ordering church officials to buy stocks in his son’s company with church funds at a rate more expensive than the market price. His son Hee-joon was arrested after being sentenced to three years in prison.
Critics say that the collapse of Pastor Cho illustrates how deeply corrupt Korea’s megachurches are, after a rapid growth during the last few decades. A few years ago, SaRang Community Church, a Presbyterian church, drew criticism for establishing a luxury 14-story church building in the lucrative southern Seoul district of Seocho, spending 300 billion won.
The church’s pastor Oh Jung-hyun was also suspended from his job for six months in 2012 for plagiarizing his Ph.D thesis from the Potchefstroom University in South Africa. He was also accused of embezzling church funds during the construction of the new building. The church’s congregation has been split since then by those supporting Oh and those opposing him.
Alex Farncomb – trying not to be a fish out of water.
In the introduction to his program “Fighting For The Faith”, Chris Rosebrough took some time outlining his thoughts about Alex Farncomb’s sermon “I’m Happy Without Jesus” in the lead-up to reviewing the segment.
Chris Rosebrough states:
“We’re going to be listening to a sermon from a young guy there at c3 Church, from their Summer Series…I’ll describe what it is we’re going to be listening to here. This is a gentleman who clearly is, let’s put it this way, he’s reading. He’s reading theology, he’s wrestling with theology and I am convinced that this young man is very close to having a crisis of conscience. And the reason why is because true, good, solid biblical doctrine and theology is not going to do him well at C3 Church and ultimately he’s heading towards a collision. A collision, and the collision is going to be between what he’s seeing in God’s Word, what he’s wrestling with, and what’s happening there at C3 Church with men like Phil Pringle.
And so we’re going to listen to his sermon and we’re going to spend some time working with it and kind of showing what’s missing, because with his sermon , there’s some things that are ok, and then there’s some stuff that’s like ‘hmmm’. And then there’s some stuff that makes you go, ok, he’s reading, he’s got something, he’s got a bee in his bonnet….he’s theologically working with stuff and he’s actually wresting with it and so we’re going to provide, if you would, a friendly sermon review and I mean this. He’s not way, way far out there on the lunatic fringe. No, this is a guy, who theologically sounds like he’s becoming a fish out of water.
This is an interesting sermon. The reason why I say that, Alex is a smart guy, he’s been reading, he’s been studying and he doesn’t quite understand it yet, that his study of God’s Word, in trying to get it, understand it in depth is going to cause a major collision with what is actually happening and being taught at C3 Church and this should be an interesting sermon because clearly the guy is wrestling, but at the same time he’s also a bundle of really bad theology and doctrines.”
PROGRAM SEGMENTS: 00:10:31 – Vicar Nicky Gumbel Declares 2016 The Year of Jubilee
00:20:43 – Tavner Smith Says It is Illegal for God to Operate in the Earth
00:37:30 – Perry Noble Twist Scripture to Defend Driscoll
00:56:14 – Joel Osteen Gets Grilled by Stephen Colbert
01:14:19 – Sermon Review: I’m Happy Without Jesus by Alex Farncomb
Source: Chris Rosebrough, Perry Noble Twists Scripture to Defend Driscoll, Fighting for the Faith, http://www.piratechristian.com/fightingforthefaith/2016/2/perry-noble-twist-scripture-to-defend-driscoll, Published 03/03/2016. (Accessed 07/02/2016.)
David Yonggi Cho has recently spoken at C3 Church Oxford Falls. What makes his invitation so scandalous is how C3 leadership are deliberately lying to their congregation in their attempt to cover up the fact that Yonggi Cho is a convicted criminal.
“Cho was charged with causing around 13.1 billion won in damages to his church and evading approximately 3.5 billion won in taxes in the process (embezzlement as defined in the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes). In addition, Pastor Cho’s oldest son Cho Hee-jun, 49, former chairman of the Yeongsan Christian Culture Center, was given a three-year prison sentence and taken into custody.” [Source]
Because of this, he is disqualified to pastor at all, ever again because of his criminal record, his unruly son, his public reputation and his love for money (Read 1&2 Timothy). We also consider Yoido Full Gospel Church a cult, considering “International Apostle” Cho is accountable to no one – not even his elders who tried to blow the whistle on his crimes:
“Yoido Full Gospel Church has suspended or expelled 28 elders for not withdrawing legal accusations against senior pastor David Yonggi Cho, 77.
The punishments are a form of retaliation for blowing the whistle on alleged misdeeds by Cho and his son Hee-jun, 48.” [Source] [Emphasis ours]
Yonggi’s disciple, Phil Pringle, has no allowing this cult leader, criminal and illegal pastor to speak at his church. Instead, Pringle recently stated on Instagram that Yonggi Cho has “Faced many challenges and has remained true”.
True to what Pringle?
C3 LEADERS WORSHIPING PRINGLE’S CRIMINAL MENTOR
Christian McCudden wrote on Instagram,
Amazing night in Sydney with Ps @philpringle and Dr Youngi Cho, amazing download of wisdom, faith and inspiration. #gratefulforourleaders
Source: Christian McCudden, Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/p/BCKgWA7LWxN6Yd42p8Gdsgiyw19JAWtg9AmMro0/, Published 24/02/2016. (Accessed 25/02/2016.)
Pringle put this out on Instagram,
Loved #Leaderstablesessions yesterday with Dr David Yonggi Cho from Seoul, who has led an 800,000 people congregation for many years. Faced many challenges and has remained true. 80th birthday. Thanks@john_pearce for hosting#superpastorsday@C3OF#powerofdreamsandvision Dr Cho speaks again tonight 7pm C3 Oxford Falls. All welcome. #seeyouinchurch
Source: Phil Pringle, Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/p/BCL-srgNP16/, Published 25/02/2016. (Accessed 25/02/2016.)
[More C3 hero worship will be posted here as they surface.]
Recently we recorded Channel NewsAsia reporting the following (emphasis ours):
“[…] In his oral grounds, the judge accepted that there was a plan to move
money from the church’s Building Fund to Xtron Productions and glassware firm
Firna (or PT The First National Glassware), for the purpose of funding Ms
Ho’s singing career.
The court accepted that there is evidence to show that the monies were moved
from the church to the various firms to generate a false appearance that the
church’s investments were redeemed.
The judge said the six had been dishonest in the use of the money. […]” [Source]
The last sentence will be the one that keeps Phil Pringle of the C3 Movement et al awake at night: the judge has come right out and stated that the defendants have been dishonest. His judgement re. the “no case to answer” appeal has taken the case exactly where we expected it might – it is now well and truly into “reversal of the onus of proof” territory, and it’s hard to see any of the accused wriggling out of their predicaments. (In addition, if anyone was going to get off due to connections / bribery / corruption of some form or another, this would have been the most likely juncture for it to happen – it now appears that the miscreants are strapped in for the ride, which should be all downhill for them from here).
Now TodayOnline reports,
Judge rejects bid to clear CHC leaders of charges
SINGAPORE — The bid by the City Harvest Church (CHC) leaders facing criminal charges to walk away without mounting a defence has failed, after the courts rejected their contention that prosecutors had not done enough to make a case against them.
Sufficient evidence has been adduced to support every element of the charges of criminal breach of trust and falsification of accounts against the six, presiding judge of the State Courts See Kee Oon ruled yesterday.
“At the close of the prosecution’s case, there is no need for the court to be satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused is guilty. It suffices that a court could reasonably convict on the evidence adduced by the prosecution,” he said.
With Mr See’s decision, the trial will stretch beyond the one-year mark and all six accused — church co-founder Kong Hee, his deputy Tan Ye Peng, Chew Eng Han, John Lam, Serina Wee and Sharon Tan — have indicated they will take the witness stand when hearing resumes, likely in July. Chew, the church’s former investment manager who has since left, added through his lawyer that he intends to call witnesses.
The six had argued to be cleared of their charges without having to enter a defence, contending that the prosecution’s case was “piecemeal” and a “cut-and-paste” job. In rebuttal, prosecutors had asserted that the dots in its case against the church leaders connected in a natural, coherent and powerful manner.
Yesterday, Mr See addressed the points of contention between the defence and prosecution in detail. “Some dots are smaller; some are larger. When attempting to connect them, there may be clusters, trails and other patterns, some less granular and some more clearly discernible. The focus of my enquiry is whether a reasonably coherent picture has emerged thus far in support of all the ingredients of the charges,” the judge said.
Referring to a defence lawyer’s argument that the prosecution’s case has been made up of “emails, emails, emails stitched together”, Mr See said: “I am conscious that a reasonable inference is one that coheres with the totality of the documentary and oral evidence, and not merely with the email itself. I also bear in mind that a single email can generate multiple conflicting reasonable inferences, some favourable and others unfavourable to the prosecution.”
On the prosecution’s charge that the accused engaged in various conspiracies, the judge noted that evidence is “largely documentary rather than oral” and that the involvement of some of the accused is less obvious than that of others. But there is, nonetheless, evidence to support the prosecution’s contention, he said.
On the element of misappropriation, which must be fulfilled for criminal breach of trust, the judge said there is evidence to show that sham, or false, investments took place.
“I should add that, even if one does not use the word ‘sham’, the evidence suggests the so-called investments were not genuine investments, but were merely disguises for something else,” he added.
Source: Judge rejects bid to clear CHC leaders of charges, TodayOnline, http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/judge-rejects-bid-clear-chc-leaders-charges?singlepage=true, PUBLISHED: MAY 6, 4:13 AM, UPDATED: MAY 6, 4:15 AM. (Accessed 06/05/2014.)
This year at the 2013 C3 Global Presence Conference, Kong Hee made the following comment.
“I’ve learnt one thing about Pastor Phil: he’s a prophet of God. He’s very dangerous when he tells you that this building is created for you or built for you or developed for you. Because in 1995, he said the same thing to me. He said, “The SunTec Convention Center is- developed for you”.
And then, I just checked a video a few years- uh, just recently, Pastor Phil. In the year 2000 I think. Or 2001. You spoke to our entire congregation. And you said, “You know what? You guys are going to SunTec Convention Center”. And so we did. And all the troubles began.
So it’s all your fault, Pastor!” – Kong Hee, C3 Global Presence Conference, Day 1, Session 1, 2013.
Kong has made it clear that Phil Pringle has been saying that he will own the SunTec Convention Center. So why did Kong Hee mislead his congregation into thinking CHC would be moving into stadiums? Why was he purposely deceiving people rather than stating to his congregation that he had in mind of owning the Convention Center?
Here are some CHC members recalling a specific event where Kong Hee was misleading them into thinking they were going to moving into a future stadium.
“All the figures revealed about the expenditures for “Crossover” project are mind blowing!
What irks me is that Pastor Kong preached that the Arise and Build was for building God a great house, he showed pictures of huge stadiums even just prior to the point of announcing Suntec. And so we gave our best, our bonuses, our savings, our holidays.
Now we hear from their own mouths that all the money went into the Crossover. We’ve been executive members for more than 10 years and this is the first time we hear about our BF money being used for other purposes. We had to hear it from the courts!
To set the record straight, we never knew or even agreed for such use of the BF. We were all hoodwinked. We were all lied to. This is criminal. Since they have already admitted to using our BF in this manner, not for its original intended purpose, we are now considering a class action suit to get our money back plus damages. If Eng Han can get his all back, so should we. We don’t need to wait for the trail to be over. Anyone else with us? Any lawyers here to advise?
Looking at all the finances for the Crossover, something looks fishy. The amounts seems unusually inflated even for Hollywood standards. It obviously included non crossover expenses like Kong’s travel of $700k. I can’t help wonder if the amount paid to the people to work with Sun was exactly as stated or there is a mark up, commissions and middle man fees for a invisible go between, with the money lining the pockets of Kong and his team. They are surely capable of that!”
After Pastor Kong Hee shared last week, about no longer just settling for any ol’ auditorium or concert hall… I think it is in the heart-beat of every City Harvest Church member:
GIVE US THAT STADIUM!!!
Hahaha!!! Especially when Pastor showed us the pictures of all the photos… WOW! It is absolutely mind-boggling & faith-stretching… but at the same time, very exciting!
This is my absolute favourite…
The Allianz Arena in Munich… Just look at the size of that!
So it is time for us all to see the great JOY ahead of us! 🙂
Source: Posted by Sandra, City Harvest Stadium?!?, http://sanses.com/2007/10/city-harvest-stadium-2/,31/10/2007. (Accessed 02/09/2013.)
We think the video we have below is what these commentors may be referring too. (Pay special attention to Kong encouraging people to use the New Age technique of visualisation.)
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?
At his Global Presence Conference 2013, Phil Pringle got thousands of Christians to financially support Kong Hee’s trial back in Singapore. Pringle did not inform those present what the allegations against Kong Hee and his staff were about.
Below is the video and transcript. Here are some of our observations what Pringle said:
Although Pringle did not want to encourage Christians to financially support Kong Hee’s defense lawyers “under any compulsion or pressure” Phil Pringle laid the pressure on people to give.
He manipulated people into giving by censoring the central facts of Kong Hee’s trial and parading him as an innocent and righteous blood-stained martyr in a pagan world. He did this by comparing Kong Hee’s circumstances to John Bunyan’s and the early church Apostles circumstances.
Using cat-fight and division-like tactics, Pringle used defamatory commentary against Christians who are questioning the integrity of Kong Hee, Sun Ho and himself. After slagging off Christians as ‘enemies’, he called for the church to be unified again around Kong Hee and Sun Ho without explaining why they were being charged. (For someone who thinks that Christians “are getting a little numb” to criticisms now, Pringle makes sure to attack them publicly.)
Pringle twists the Apostle Paul’s words so Christians would close their eyes, ears and minds to the truth. When Pringle said, “Don’t be moved as by as a letter as though from us”, he was referring to 2 Thessalonians 2:2. This is why there IS division. Paul wanted the church to avoid men like Pringle that would twist his words.
The above is not an exhaustive analysis of what Pringle said. We encourage readers to examine and discuss the claims we have made above. We are looking at doing a thorough analysis of Pringle’s special offering message at another time. In the mean time, here is Phil Pringle’s message:
“Oh Jesus! Your Presence™ is heaven to us.
You know I- I want to do a couple more things tonight before we finish. If I can have the lights go up a bit.
Uh- I’m hesitant to do this but I just feel we should. And I don’t want you to feel under any compulsion or pressure or anything like this. And I’ve only ever done this once before in a Presence Conference as to add another offering but I know the costs that are involved in Kong Hee making his defense. It’s not small.
It’s not even six figures. It’s seven and it’s multiples of that for the legal defense and for seven people are charged. not just Kong himself. Happily, two weeks ago, Sun was completely exonerated from all charges against her. [Crowds Applause]
You can be seated. Thank you. Just for a second. I know it’s half past time but we’re cool. It’s ANZAC day.
I would like you just to take a card, an envelope if you’ve got one nearby. And if you’d like to participate in this, I’d like you to consider doing that. Whatever you can do it would be helpful, I know, to them. This will all go completely to Pastor Kong to help with his- costs. He has to pay this week $680,000 I think it is, for his legal fees. He’s covering his whole team’s fees. They have to mount a vigorous defense over three years. Those numbers weigh heavily on- on a person and they have prohibited him from asking his own congregation for any help.
He can not use any of his own church funds. They’ve sold there- they sold the unit they were in. Others have moved to help them in other countries and I would like to think that we can be friends to these people in one of their darkest hours.
We do not face this kind of situation. It’s hard to even imagine it or feel it. But I’ve been on the front page of newspapers. And I’ve been on the six o’clock. And I’ve been on a Current Affair when Mr Hinch was around even then. And I was there. “Shame! Shame!”
And uh- and uh- and it’s- it’s a terrible, terrible feeling. But I- you gotta know that the reason we- this- this- none of this comes cheaply. And I’m not talking cash. Nothing of worth is achieved without some opposition. And you can tell the value of a thing you’re trying to achieve by the level of opposition that you’re getting.
And so- there’s a price for the anointing. There’s a price for the growth of the kingdom of God. And when we’re called to come up with that price- whatever it is- there’s not a disciple or an apostle that didn’t go through some immense contradiction in life. To achieve the things, the scriptures that we read, are penned in blood. There are martyrs all through the centuries and persecuted people. John Bunyan was thrown in prison. I think it was eleven times before he wrote ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’. Finally he wrote it.
He figured, “This is why I’m in here”. Hehe! I’m not sure if he ever went back in there but cos he was preaching so ferociously. They just kept throwing him in.
And I think it’s an awesome thing. If one member in the body has suffered. If other members bear the pain as well, a little- and so I would like to do this right now.
One of the things that’s happened- it’s one of the brightest pieces of light in the last three years in this situation- that recently Sun was exonerated because there was insufficient evidence, they said. So there was a public outcry, “Why then in the first place was there any suspension of her office?”
And that was one of the questions asked. And uh- it continues, you know. But that is th- that is a beginning. That is a bright piece of light for- and the press- the last press release I read was uh- halfway positive- and halfway negative. But it uh- it wasn’t as nearly as DAMNING as the others had been.
Let’s pray together and ask God to help us with our giving here to bless our brother. And if you are unable to, pray. If you can, do. Go ahead and let’s uh- be a blessing to Pastor Kong and Sun and the great City Harvest Church. One of the greatest churches in the world without any shadow of a doubt. A church that is changing the ratio of Christian populations in certain countries.
Heavenly father, help us stand with this man and woman you have chosen to serve you and have given you everything. Laid down their lives in so many ways. And Lord we pray as we stand with them here tonight for the blessing of God to rest on our giving, in Jesus name. And every body said, “Amen”. [Camera shot on Kong Hee and Sun Ho praying] Thank you very much. Hallelujah!
You know uh- I knew when we saw the 2014 line-up of speakers for next year, I thought uh, “Pastor Kong is not there. He’s here every year. So I need to ask him”.
[Kong Hee nods ‘yes’, stands up and salutes Pringle to receive applause] Will you at least do one session for us next year? Please! You know. You must do one session for us. [Crowd applauses.]
And I thought, “I want to do that before the end of the night” because exactly what Son said, “Next year when we are here”. That’s one of the greatest statements of faith you’ve heard in this conference. I don’t expect you to fully understand that but because they are facing two trials. One in may and one in August. In Singapore you will see lots of negative stuff. You will read lots of blogs by Christians as well that are terrible, negative, attacking, all kinds of things and we live in that kind of age.
But I think people are getting a little numb to it now. I saw on some comments on Facebook today about this conference. I’m thinking, “Oh! PLEASE! You know! Get over it in Jesus name! Amen! Get a life! Do something! Win some people to Jesus! You know like- our worst critics and enemies are within our own deal, for goodness sake. Can’t we get it together and discover the things that unite us are far more the things that divide us in Jesus name. Amen!
We’re here to build the church, not tear it down. I’m not gonna get into cat fights with anybody. Amen! I’ll just ignore it, move on. Thank you Jesus. “Try the other cheek!” Amen!
It’s all good. Don’t go out there and be moved by these things. Paul had it all the time. Don’t be moved as by as a letter as though from us. People would fake his signature and write letters about the resurrection being over and criticising him. Ridiculous! It’s always been around.
But things like Joey Bonofacio was saying this afternoon, God allows things to shake us. To shake the things that can be shaken so that we’ll lose them and so that the things that cannot be shaken will remain and get stronger. Amen!
That’s why you get shaken. [Crowds applause] Woah!
But be immovable. Be unshakable. Don’t be shaken in mind or troubled in heart by those sort of things. Stand strong. Know what’s right and do that in Jesus name. Amen!”
Four years ago, Kong Hee wrote an article titled “Wholesome Shallowness?“. In this article Kong Hee verbally bashed pastors who took issue with Sun Ho’s Music video, “China Wine”. He justified their behaviour by claiming that Sun Ho was not a pastor nor did she work for any religious organisation.
“In 2007, my wife Sun released a music video of the hit single, “China Wine,” . . . the video also raised quite a few eyebrows within the religious fraternity who felt it was inappropriate for a Christian to be featured in a dance video.
Although Sun is married to me, she herself was never formally ordained as a minister. She never felt gifted with a pulpit ministry. . . Yet, in spite of all her secular and creative achievements, many conservative pastors find it hard to accept Sun in any role outside of church ministry. But the reality is that she is no longer a church staff or a gospel singer. She doesn’t work for any religious organization.
As a professional artist, Sun has to take on many dramatic stage personas. This is what entertainers do. In the “China Wine” video, she happens to be acting in one such role. . . I think the struggle many pastors have is the difficulty to separate her association with me (as a pastor’ wife) and her career as a singer. I agree that if she is a “pastor” or “preacher,” perhaps the video would have been inappropriate. But Sun is not a pastor.She is an entertainer. All her music videos were not produced by the church but by her secular music label, the company that she is working for.”
We can now safely say this was not true. Kong Hee once again has let everyone know that Sun Ho is indeed a “Pastor”. We could have uploaded the footage we have of Phil Pringle praying over “Pastor” Sun Ho at Presence Conference 2013. Instead, we decided to record Kong Hee’s upload of Phil Pringle praying over “Pastor Sun Ho”.
The censorship and the deceit of Phil Pringle was staggering at Presence Conference. Phil Pringle simply presented that Kong Hee and CHC are being persecuted by the Singaporean authorities. To mislead thousands of Christians and pastors around the world without reporting the facts of Kong Hee’s charges and court case should cause a concern to Christians everywhere. The two-faced nature of this entire scandal is mindblowing.
If Christians at Presence Conference 2013 knew that Pastor Sun Ho performed her raunchy video China Wine, would they honestly be united in prayer over this issue? If they knew that Kong Hee was being charged for mishandling millions of dollars to finance her wife’s music career would they be opening up their hearts, minds and spirits to a very dodgy ministry?
Even local Singaporean news found it necessary to point out the fact that Sun Ho is no longer separating her lifestyle from her music activities. The Straits Time reported Sun Ho saying,
“I am very thankful to Jesus that I can resume my executive duties at such a crucial time for City Harvest Church”.
Executive duties? So… Is ‘da dutty China Wine’ now an executive pastor at City Harvest Church?
Do Christians and pastors honestly want to pray and support a worldly pastor that ‘evangelises’ the world as a chinese geisha (prostitute)? Do Christians want to support Kong Hee who belittles pastors and Christians who are upset with his wife? Do Christians want to honestly be in agreement with double-speaking Phil Pringle and Kong Hee?
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” – 1 Timothy 2:1-4
“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.”– Romans 13:1
From City News,
Pringle said in the above video,
Pringle: “It’s such a pleasure to be here with my son Joseph who’s helping us lead worship this weekend in the great City Harvest Church. Keep praying. We’re believing and expecting nothing less than great victory.
Let’s believe together that the future is going to be better than anything we’ve seen before… Do you know one of the things that they did in the bible was they sent praise and worship out in front of the army?”
Joe: “I know… And that’s what I do. I go out and take all the shots.”
Pringle: “Exactly.”
Source: We Stand By You, City News, citynewssingapore, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOToKFKGpdY, Published on May 19, 2013. (Accessed 22/05/2013.)
What did Pringle mean when he said, “Do you know… they sent praise and worship out in front of the army”?
We’re used to seeing Pringle use specific language for personal results. The above dialogue is no different. Instead of using double-speak or bait and switch techniques, Pringle is using bible-coded language for his CHC audience the average person could miss. It’s hard to notice it at first unless you come from a Word of Faith background.
Chris Rosebrough from Fighting For The Faith has in the past reviewed sermons from Phil Pringle. In reviewing one of Pringle’s sermons, Rosebrough has noticed that Phil Pringle uses this deceptive technique.
The only thing that CHC is up against is the court case. Pringle encourages people to “Keep praying. We’re believing and expecting nothing less than great victory”. Does this mean Phil Pringle is encouraging and believing that Kong Hee and all others will come out innocent in the name of victory? Well he gives this away. Yes he does.
It appears that Phil Pringle has brought his son over to Singapore as a ‘spiritual strategy’ to fight for CHC’s cause. It sounds absurd until you start unpacking what Phil Pringle said above in this short snippet.
Why is it not absurd? It is fairly common for Pentecostal or charismastic churches to spiritualise circumstances. Kong Hee’s court case is no different. To combat spiritual ‘principalities and powers’, Phil Pringle is claiming that all of CHC and himself are “believing and expecting… great victory”. (For with God, all things are possible, right? If God is for us, who can be against us, right?)
CHC members would know exactly what Phil Pringle was talking about when he said, “one of the things that they did in the bible was they sent praise and worship out in front of the army”. But do you know what Phil Pringle was talking about in the above clip?
Below is the scripture story that Pringle is alluding too and twisting to elevate CHC to that of Ancient Israel and to those that ‘oppose them’ as CHC’s enemy:
“And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the LORD to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s. Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the LORD will be with you.”
Then Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshiping the LORD. And the Levites, of the Kohathites and the Korahites, stood up to praise the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.
And they rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed.” And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the LORD and praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say,
“Give thanks to the LORD,
for his steadfast love endures forever.”
And when they began to sing and praise, the LORD set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed. For the men of Ammon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction, and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they all helped to destroy one another.
When Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness, they looked toward the horde, and behold, there were dead bodies lying on the ground; none had escaped… Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat at their head, returning to Jerusalem with joy, for the LORD had made them rejoice over their enemies.” – 2 Chronicles 20:15-24, 27
Let’s look at the parallel’s Pringle is drawing on:
What came against Israel? An enemy against them and their God.
What came against CHC? The court case.
What was Israel believing? That God would give them victory over their enemies.
What is Pringle and CHC believing in? “We’re believing and expecting nothing less than great victory.”
How did Jehoshaphat respond to the army? “He appointed those who were to sing to the LORD and praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army.”
How did Pringle respond to the upcoming case? “He appointed [his son] to sing to the LORD and praise him in holy attire, as [he] went before CHC.
By bringing his son Joseph into the equation, Phil Pringle is personally employing a spiritual strategy for “great victory” against the trial. This was stupid for Pringle to do as he now made his son’s very presence a symbol of war against the authorities coming against CHC.
On a more absurd note, does this mean Phil Pringle is Jehoshaphat? Oddly enough, going by what we’ve observed Phil Pringle say about himself in the past, it is highly probable he believes that he is a Jehoshaphat of some sort delivering God’s people.
Is C3ChurchWatch Reading Into This A Bit Too Much?
You may be thinking we are reading into what Phil Pringle is saying. You may be thinking that no one would extrapolate this nonsense from what Phil Pringle said. But when Joe Pringle opened his mouth, he confirmed what we believed to be true. He knew what his father was saying on both the ‘biblical’ level and in the current circumstances that CHC was facing. And Joe is right. He is now copping it from us.
“I know… And that’s what I do. I go out and take all the shots.”
This sinister and false biblical idea is re-inforced in the minds of Pringle’s listeners. The idea is this: CHC members and leaders are God’s chosen people and those outside of CHC are Gods enemies worthy of destruction.
Overall, to use the scriptures and God to elevate CHC and to insinuate that anyone who is ‘against’ them is an enemy of God is simply appalling on Pringle’s behalf.
Guilty Through Evasion
In the clip, Phil Pringle did not turn to the camera and speak directly to CHC the following, “Do you know one of the things that they did in the bible was they sent praise and worship out in front of the army?”
This would look as though he is directly telling CHC members to rally “praise and worship out in front of the [CHC] army” to confront their enemy.
Instead, he spoke to CHC by turning to his son and saying, “Do you know one of the things that they did in the bible was they sent praise and worship out in front of the army?”
What we are seeing is Pringle use indirect communication to Joe so that CHC receives what Phil Pringle says directly. This is evasion. And because Pringle results to using it, he knows what he is saying in this clip is essentially out of line.
We have Andrew Kubala resulting in the same type of indirect conversation when he was exposed by accident as a fraudulent healer.
Kubala claimed that a woman was healed. However she didn’t get healed. So he had to try to not look heartless towards her by diagnosing that she wasn’t letting go of the problem to receive her healing. Instead, he would turn from her to the audience, switching the words ‘your’ and ‘our’ to teach that it is our/her mind that is preventing us/her from our/her healing. He was using indirect communication to not offend her. What Andrew Kubala did then is what Phil Pringle is doing here.
This movement is a sign that both Pringle and Kubala know they can’t say certain things directly without facing possible consequences from their listener. That is why we are prepared to say that Pringle knew he was crossing the line when he alluded to the story of Jehoshaphat as a spiritual tactic to claim CHCs victory. He couldn’t follow through speaking directly to CHC. Instead he used his son indirectly to do this.
This entire clip was a very cunning maneuver on Pringle’s behalf. It is our desire to inform readers that this is not the way a Christian Pastor should behave. Can you imagine Jesus’ Apostle’s behaving like this?
Christianity is not a religion that is against governments. Christians are called to submit and faithfully pray for those that rule them whether they agree with them or not.
So why is Pringle behaving as though he is above God’s Word and able to lay these false insinuations on Singaporean authorities?
Well Jesus labels false teachers ‘Lawless Ones’. (Matt 7:15-23.) Why? Observing how Pringle is pitting the church against those Jesus says we need to honour and respect, we think we’re now beginning to understand why.
C3 Church Watch 