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Sun Ho Hopes She Is The First “Asian crossover artist to come into the United States”

28 Saturday Sep 2013

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PR.com had the following interview with Sun Ho. 

Sun Rising – Asia’s Pop Music Princess, Sun Ho, Prepares to Conquer America

I first met Asian mega recording artist, Sun, at photographer Patrick McMullan’s birthday party in Southampton in August. She was the guest of honor and doing press to promote her impending crossover into English music. Her first crossover effort to debut in early 2007 will be a single called “China Wine,” a duet with Wyclef Jean and written and produced by Wyclef Jean.

Sun, whose full name is Ho Yeow Sun or Sun Ho as they call her in some countries, began her career as a counselor and social worker of sorts and was discovered in her native Singapore while singing to clients as a form of therapy. She was offered a recording contract on the spot and has since taken the entire region by storm with a multi platinum recording career that has swept across Asia. Sun has become not only a music superstar in her part of the world, but a fashion icon as well whose every look is mimicked by millions of fans. This led to four clothing boutiques in Singapore and the exclusive rights to distribute the Los Angeles based clothing label, Ed Hardy, for which she is also their Asian spokesperson. Adding an unusual twist to her career, Sun keeps up with her counseling responsibilities, counseling people who are in need and referred to her from wherever she happens to be traveling.

When we spoke, she had just arrived in Las Vegas from New York and was on her way to Singapore, then to Beijing and finally Tokyo. All the while I marveled at the schedules that some of these people keep and became exhausted just listening to it. However, I was excited to be speaking with a woman who will likely pioneer a new cultural invasion of music into the United States, an Asian flavor, similar to the Latin music boom of the late nineties.

PR.com (Allison Kugel): I’ve been listening to your single, “Gone.” I got the CD at your party, and I love it!

Sun Ho: Thank you. How do you feel about it compared to “Without Love?” Do you feel like it’s better?

PR.com: The first version of “Gone” that I listened to was one of the dance mixes, before I heard the ballad. It has a bit of a different sound. It’s very beautiful and even though it’s about losing someone, it’s actually kind of an uplifting song in a strange way. The tone of your voice is very soothing.

Sun Ho: I wish to do that through my voice and my music. Everybody goes through that (losing someone), so…

PR.com: I noticed that you have a huge fan base in Asia and in other parts of the world and now for the last few years, you’ve been crossing over into English language music and breaking into the U.S. and you seem to be doing it through the dance charts rather then the pop charts. Was that something that was deliberate, to do dance music?

Sun Ho: I think personally, I enjoy dance music a lot. Actually, people ask me, what is my music style? I think it’s um… I really appreciate Madonna for bringing back the dance music recently. I would say that my music is very eclectic; so when Justin, my manager, and Tas and the whole team suggested that maybe I should work on the dance music first, I was very much for it. It’s kind of planned but it suits me perfectly, because I love it and I feel like it represents me very well at the same time.

PR.com: You have a very interesting story, because you started off… you went to Bible College and you became a pastor… did you found the church that you currently run?

Sun Ho: (Laughs) Actually, no. I’m not a pastor, pastor. I’m a counselor. I work voluntarily in the church of an organization. I am very passionate in working with kids. So that is what I was doing. And actually how I was found by the record executive was I was in Taiwan counseling these people and usually I use music at the same time when I meet up with them because I really love singing. So he heard my singing and then he came to me and he thought that I could make it as a singer and asked me, was I interested? And everything else was history after that. So, I’m not, like, a preacher.

PR.com: (Laughs) Ok. I’m reading all this stuff about you and there’s a church called City Harvest in Singapore…

Sun Ho: Yes, that’s the church I’m affiliated [with].

PR.com: And I read that when you are touring the world, you try to email or text message people to give them counseling in between concert gigs? How does that work?

Sun Ho: These are the people that I counsel, because I feel like I can’t just stop. I used to be able to counsel eight people a day, but since I started my singing career, it was cut majorly to maybe one person in two or three months. And the organization, they don’t refer anyone to me unless they feel like this is a case that I really have to take. When I take a case, it doesn’t matter where I am. I will text message them or call them just to make sure that I’m there for them when they need me.

PR.com: It’s an interesting combination of careers.

Sun Ho: I know! But I just feel like I really love people and I can’t stop. I love the idea that, actually being a singer now, because they know my background. Like, in Asia, I go to radio stations and I do counseling live. And magazines, they give me columns. I write columns, where I give people advice… so I love doing that too, but I still love the one on one. Whenever I can do it, I still do as much as I can.

PR.com: And you didn’t grow up Christian, correct?

Sun Ho: No I didn’t. I come from a Buddhist family…

PR.com: What made you decide to become Christian?

Sun Ho: Actually, when I was sixteen, I kind of went through a period, maybe like Christina Aguilera, I was really searching myself… for love and stuff… I was kind of messed up emotionally… it was these volunteer workers that actually helped me and counseled me and brought a major change in my life. They gave me great values that I can anchor my life to, so after that, at the University and so on, I took up counseling.

PR.com: And you’re married and you have a little boy, right?

Sun Ho: Yes, I have a little boy, Dayen. Dayen is with me. He travels with me. Actually, he’s running a fever now. I just brought him to the hospital last night because it was like 104 degrees [temperature].

PR.com: So they were in New York with you and now Vegas and then you’re all going back to Singapore?

Sun Ho: Exactly, and then from Singapore we are going to Beijing and then to Tokyo and then to fashion week also… in thirty eight days.

PR.com: How do you stay balanced and how do you manage to be constantly on airplanes and constantly traveling from city to city and country to country? Does it ever take a toll on you or make you feel anxious or disconnected from your home base?

Sun Ho: It does actually affect me, and then when Dayen is sick, I get really distraught. But I think I stay balanced by being focused, like positive self-talk and I surround myself with good friends. Some of them travel with me, like my nanny is someone who I grew up with. They always remind me that I am doing what I love. I really love what I’m doing. I just have to work hard… you know, like everybody else. So the times that I get really down, I hit the gym and I chill out with my friends and they talk to me.

PR.com: I need to get that, because I know the gym is a great de-stressor and I just don’t have the discipline for it.

Sun Ho: I know. It’s so hard. Even for me. I love exercising, but traveling from one place to another, it’s so hard. But it really works. When I drag my butt out of bed, it works for me (Laughs).

PR.com: Are you touring right now, promoting your crossover music?

Sun Ho: We haven’t really started to promote yet. I’m really looking forward to starting it. Especially when Wyclef [Jean] is ready with the album. We co-wrote a song together for my album and he feels like he wants to add the magic to it, which I’m really, really excited about!

PR.com: And this is for your debut English language album?

Sun Ho: Yes. We’re talking about launching it the first quarter of next year (2007), so I would think that the touring and everything would start maybe in December of this year. Now I’m still finishing with the promotion of my Chinese album. I have to go to Beijing to do the promotion. I just finished Southeast Asia.

PR.com: With your English language album that’s coming out in the beginning of 2007, tell me about some of the producers you’re working with. Tell me about the song you co-wrote with Wyclef Jean and tell me what we can expect with your crossover album…

Sun Ho: I’m really excited about this album, because I feel like it really represents me even though it’s in English. Like, the first time I went into the studio to meet with Wyclef Jean, I was actually a little bit nervous, because these are people that I really admire and that I think are so talented. Finally I’m meeting them and getting a chance to work with them and to write with them. Wyclef was so amazing! He would pick up his guitar and we started just writing the song and we call it “China Wine.” I always feel like America has so many fantastic artists, and why do they need another singer? But I feel like… I do good music! I want to bring that Asian touch to it. I just feel like America is a melting pot for different cultures and styles and music. And Americans are always so ready for something that’s different. Even though I’m singing in English, I just feel like that touch is going to be different. So Wyclef [Jean] totally understands that and in “China Wine” you will actually hear me singing in English and actually in Chinese too, at the same time. So it’s going to be really interesting, and he was learning Mandarin too, with me and really having fun. And I was dancing during “China Wine” in the studio, and he started dancing too. I’m really looking forward to how it will actually affect the audience and of course working with Diane Warren. Her ballads blow me away. She wrote two songs for me called “What Kind of World?” and “One Day You Will.”

PR.com: You’ve done a lot with Asian MTV. Are you planning to do music videos for MTV in the United States?

Sun Ho: I can’t wait for that! I keep asking, “When are we going to shoot for MTV?” Recently I watched Justin Timberlake and I watched Christina Aguilera, and Beyonce’s. I would have to say that it’s different from what we do in Asia. I keep telling Tas (her manager) “Tas, you’ve gotta prepare me for that! I have to be more sexy!!” (Laughs)
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 and [tell me] how they feel about my music. I feel like this is the only way an artist can grow.

PR.com: Over the last several years there’s been a Latin music explosion in the United States. Is that something you are looking to model your career path after, but with Asian culture?

Sun Ho: Yeah. Someone like Shakira… I followed her from day one, when she did the crossover [into English language music] and now with “Hips Don’t Lie” and she’s doing so well. I really hope that I’ll be able to do that. To me, it’s just that growing process. Personally, it’s normal because English is our medium of education [in Singapore]. So I listen to a lot of American music and female musicians especially like Kelly Clarkson, Madonna, Gwen Stefani, Christina Aguilera… these are people that I really love. For me to be able to be given that opportunity now, to learn, to grow, to follow in their footsteps, it’s just amazing to me. I feel like here in America, with the producers and the environment, it’s just going to bring me so much further, musically.

PR.com: Are you the very first Asian crossover artist to come into the United States?

Sun Ho: I hope so…

PR.com: Because I was just thinking, I don’t think that there ever has been another. I think that you are the first.

Sun Ho: That is what everybody is telling me… that this is like, the first of the Asian Invasion. They use that [phrase] and I really love it….

PR.com: I like that!

Sun Ho: Yeah, I love that! When they told me, I was like, “What? Say it again? Asian Invasion?!” In terms of the music industry, there isn’t any Asian presence at this moment. So if I could be the first one, I would love to do that.

PR.com: What does it feel like to be so mega famous in one part of the world and then to come to the United States and be up and coming? Is it surreal to be an icon in one place and then less known in another place as you travel around the world?

Sun Ho: To me, it’s all about the music. I just have to stay focused. I look at the long term and I totally am enjoying my working experience. I just feel like, “What the heck?” You just have to make the plunge when given the chance. So I’m making that plunge! I know that in no time they will know me. But sometimes, when I look at it, it’s kind of fun to walk the street where people don’t know you. It’s a kind of freedom…

PR.com: Right, that’s what I’m saying, because you may only have that freedom for a small window of time. For now, you can escape that. You can come here and walk down the street. It must be a strange feeling that in one place you can’t, and in another place you can. But yet you’re the same person. You know what I mean? You’re still you, but you’re in one environment and people are going nuts and then you’re in another environment and… you know what I mean? That must be strange!

Sun Ho: It is strange but it’s interesting and refreshing at the same time.

PR.com: I went to your official website and I was listening to your music in Chinese, and I finally understood why people in other countries don’t mind going to a concert for an American artist, even if they don’t necessarily know the words. Listening to your music, obviously I don’t know one word of Chinese, but the music was very enjoyable, regardless. You can feel the emotion.

Sun Ho: You must come to Asia when I have a concert. It’s kind of fun… my Chinese concerts.

PR.com: You know what I think would be really cool? Are you planning to put one Chinese ballad on your English album?

Sun Ho: Wow, I have never thought of that! I think it would be amazing! Do you think the people will love it??

PR.com: Yeah, because if you put one track that is in your native language, I think that could be really beautiful. You’re just sharing a part of your culture with your English speaking fans. So 99% of the album is in English and then you have this one song that’s like “Ok, I want to share this with you.” I think that that would be really cool.

Sun Ho: I would love to do that! Tas, are you listening? (To her manager)

PR.com: And the four clothing boutiques that you own in Asia, where are they located?

Sun Ho: They’re in Singapore. I have an Ed Hardy flagship store and then three other boutiques that are multi label. I bring down True Religion, Antique Denim… all the L.A. designer brands. When I started coming [to the United States] I got hooked up with these designers and they wanted me to bring their stuff to Asia, so I started doing that. And we talked about starting some boutiques in Indonesia and Malaysia too. But I just have to have the time. So I just kind of started in Singapore first.

PR.com: Some of these designers like Ed Hardy and True Religion, they wanted you to help them get their name out or make their product popular in Asia, and so that’s what they did?

Sun Ho: Yeah…

PR.com: So what kind of arrangement do you have with Ed Hardy?

Sun Ho: I have the exclusive rights and I’m also the distributor for Ed Hardy for Singapore and a big part of Asia. In Asia, I’m also very well known for my fashion, so whatever I wear, the fans and the industry are very interested. So when I started telling the reporters in Asia that I found this line and I think it’s really cool… it’s very L.A. street with a touch of glam… they started writing about it and then we had a huge fashion show. The brand just instantly overnight, became very famous. But of course it’s a good brand and it’s a famous brand in L.A. too, so it’s not difficult to do that. In Asia it’s really famous and all the celebrities and everyone just come to the store to buy, and stuff.

PR.com: Well, Ed Hardy was smart. They hooked up with you and they knew you could get the word out.

Sun Ho: I think so. (Laughs) And Christian Audigier (designer of Ed Hardy Clothes) is fantastic. He is really smart. He is very creative with his work and he has done very good for this season, but I think as a businessman he is really smart too.

PR.com: Do you ever wear the shirts that have the tattooed sleeves?

Sun Ho: Yes! Oh I tell you, the first time I wore it in Asia, they kind of freaked out because, in China, they call me the “Ambassador of Love” because I have done so much work among the youth and the children. So when they spotted the tattoos all over my arms, they freaked out! They were like, “What?! You have tatties?!” I said, “No, don’t worry. This is just a T-shirt.” But from a far, it just looks so real, as if you have tattoos all over your arms. It’s kind of skin color, so when you’re wearing it, people can’t really see that you’re wearing it, so it really looks like you have tattoos all over your arms. But in Asia they love it. It’s my best seller! It’s for people who love tattoos but who wouldn’t want to take the risk of having a permanent one.

PR.com: Do you have any tattoos?

Sun Ho: No. I’ve been thinking about it, but I still haven’t really done it yet. But I have friends who love tattoos and they have it all over their body. I love tattoos, but it’s kind of a big commitment. It’s something that you can’t erase.

PR.com: The best way to do it is to get a tattoo that commemorates something special in your life and then you can’t really regret it because it reminds you of a memory. You don’t want to get, like, Mickey Mouse or something. You know what I mean? (Laughs)

Sun Ho: (Laughs) Yeah.

PR.com: Is Sun your birth name?

Sun Ho: Sun is my first name and Ho is my last name. I’m Sun Ho. (Laughs) We call it surname or family name, not last name.

PR.com: How’d you learn to speak English?

Sun Ho: In school. In Singapore we learned all the different subjects in English. We understand and speak English pretty well.

PR.com: Do you ever plan to move to the United States or will Singapore remain home?

Sun Ho: My family is in Singapore, like my dad and mom. I don’t think they would ever move here. But I don’t know. Where is my home now? (Laughs) I travel so much. Like, this year alone, I’m just home for less then ten weeks, of the fifty two weeks of the year. We were talking about buying a property in L.A. because I’m here so much now.

PR.com: Which do you prefer, being in the studio recording music or when you’re performing live onstage?

Sun Ho: They’re so different. I love both. I think in the studio are the times I grow and I try out new things and I learn from the producers and we bounce off each other and be creative. I really love that part of it, but, you know on stage is a different thing. It’s the energy and seeing the people loving your music and grooving to it. I love that side of it. Sometimes I just stand on stage and looking at those people singing along. In Asia, when they like you, they actually memorize your songs, your lyrics from the first word to the last word. And I love your idea. Seriously, if you see a Chinese song on my album, you know that idea came from you. It’s such a great idea.

PR.com: I’ll tell you something, a lot of Latin artists do it. And you’ll be the first major crossover artist from Asia to do it, and this will give you a chance… you’re basically the ambassador for your culture, in the United States. If you can take this and it becomes a pop culture phenomenon, that’s something that… you’ll be the first to have created it in the United States and made people familiar with it. It’s something that you can share in a really big way.

Sun Ho: I’m standing here and I have goose bumps.

Source: Senior Editor: Allison Kugel, Sun Rising – Asia’s Pop Music Princess, Sun Ho, Prepares to Conquer America, pr.com, http://www.pr.com/article/1053, 23/09/2006. (Accessed 27/09/2013.)

Who Is Prophet Kong Hee Accountable To If He Publicly Belittles His CHC Eldership?

29 Monday Jul 2013

Posted by in C3 & Pringles Associations

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At Presence Conference 2013, Kong Hee decided to belittle many of his “elders” in front of thousands of Christians. It appears Kong Hee only gets orders from Yonggi Cho (who is also currently under investugation for mishandling church finances) and Phil Pringle. Is this the way a ‘pastor’ should behave? Who is Kong Hee accountable too? Is he accountable to only Phil Pringle and Yonggi Cho?

Kong Hee also claimed that God spoke to him about Hebrews 13:5-6. This is what the passage actually says in it’s greater context:

“Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say,

“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear;
what can man do to me?”

Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings…” Hebrews 13:4-6

Consider Sun Ho’s sexually immoral ‘China Wine’ music video. Consider all of Kong Hee’s obsessive sermons on the topic of money. Does Kong Hee teach his members to “be content with what you have”? Isn’t it convenient for Kong Hee’s “God” to twist the scriptures to elevate the man Kong Hee? If an elder of his church came up and tried to correct Kong Hee, would Kong make fun of that elder at another church conference elsewhere around the world? As a leader of CHC, should we consider the outcome of Kong Hee’s way of life and imitate his faith?

Here is the video and the transcript.

“I came back from Korea and it really was strengthened by my time with Dr Cho and Ps Phil. Pastor Phil kept pumping faith into me. Pumping faith into me. “Come on Kong! Rise up in faith!”

You see for two years, I got to backtrack a little bit, for two years when this whole case happened, I was- I was depressed. I was down. And many of my elders and many of my leaders came to me and said, “Kong! It’s all your fault. Always preaching faith! And you must always have big visions and dreams! Why must you buy SunTec Convention Center? Why don’t you just be a nice- why can’t we be just nice group of people, have a small neighbourhood church- we have ten thousand people. Why don’t we just cruise? Why must you always preach about faith? Can you just stop preaching about faith for a while?”

So I said, “Alright. Let’s choose love.” So I start preaching about love. For two years I preach about love. Dr Cho and Ps Phil say, “Kong, enough about love [Audience laughs]. Get back to faith. Get back to faith. Get back to faith. Hallelujah! [Audience applauses] Have the spirit of faith. C’mon! Give the Lord a big hand.

So I went back to Singapore. I went back to Singapore. I said, “Guys open up your bible. Go with me to Mark 11. Jesus says, “Have faith in God”.  I could see the first row. They got a little nervous.

“What is pastor doing?”

I said, “I’m going to preach about faith!” They almost freak out. “Faith! Again! FAITH!!!”

You know just before I came into the hall, the Lord spoke to me. He spoke to me a verse: Hebrews 13:5 to verse 6.

‘For He himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you”, so we may boldly say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not fear. What can man do to me?” [Crowd applauds]

So I came in. I just preached a sermon like what I just mentioned a moment ago. People in the front row they were a little nervous. But as it gets further back they seemed to be happy. Everyone’s elbowing everyone else, “Pastor is back! Pastor is back! He’s preaching  faith again!” So we had a great service.

And then I got everyone to stand up. And I said, “Come lets lift up our hands and let’s begin to pray”. So they were praying. (Much of what you did earlier when Ps Chris was here.) And then the Holy Spirit said to me- He said, “Kong, do you believe what I just told you: Hebrews 13, that I would never leave you nor forsake you?”

I said, “Jesus, I do believe”.

He says, “So what does the verse say? It says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you so we may boldly say”. Kong I want you to “boldly say” it!”

I said, “I can do that! I think I can do that.” So what is the first line? It says, “The Lord is my helper”. So I was telling the people, “We are having a time of prayer. A time of worship.” And I say, “The Lord just spoke to me. He will never leave us. He will not forsake us”. And there was a huge roar.

“Woahhh! Jesus we love you! Jesus you’ll not leave us forsake us.” So I’m gonna say it! So everyone was waiting for me. I say, “The Lord is my helper!” Big roar from the back to the front, “Woaaaah!”

Front people still getting nervous. [Audience laughs] So the Holy Spirit say, “Good! Good! Continue! Say the next line.” I said, “Okay. I can say that. ‘The Lord is my helper, I will not fear’.”

“Woaaah!” [They] clapped, they were shouting, they were jumping, “We will not be afraid! Hallelujah!” And then Jesus said, ‘Why don’t you finish it’? I said, “Okay. I can do that. ‘The Lord is my helper! I will not fear! What can-‘” [Audience: “Man”]

Wait! What can- [whispers ‘man’]. I said, “Lord! This is live streaming.” I said, “This is Singapore.” I said, “There are a lot of people taking down notes right now.” I said, “If I made a statement like that, would I be misconstrued for being defiant? What happens after the service? What- the next thing- the usual thing happened the next morning- *beepu-beepu*.

“On the TV this morning, mega-church pastor Kong Hee has been called in for making the statement, ‘What can man do to me’.” [Audience laughs]

So I was struggling. I was really struggling. My wife was leading song. “He’s looking at me. Kong what’s wrong? I mean we’ve been singing and prasing. C’mon! Finish what you’ve- lets close the meeting.”

I struggled and I struggled. And I tell you that’s what faith is. When all is said and done are you bold enough to speak out what you believe? Finally, I took up every courage I have saying, “The Lord is my helper. I WILL NOT FEAR. WHAT CAN MAN DO TO ME”. And at that moment it’s like heaven broke open and just an anointing THAT hit our place. And from that day unto today the spirit of faith came upon us. [Crowd applauses] We are not the same church we used to be. Oh come on! Give the Lord a big hand!

Oh! If you want to clap somebody? Give the Lord a clap! Somebody scream! [Crowd screams] Somebody go ‘woooo’! [Crowd: Wooo!] Lets all stand on our feet right now shall we? Let’s all stand up on our feet right now. How many of you want to have some faith in this room this morning? Hallelujah!

I wonder how many of you today you need a miracle in your life. If you need a miracle, just put up your hands. Would you just hold your neighbours hands on your left on your right. Just hold your neighbours hand. Let there be no aisles today. Let’s declare this as loud as we can in Jesus name.

Everybody say with me say, “Lord Jesus Christ, [Audience: Lord Jesus Christ ] I forbid any sickness [Audience: I forbid any sickness ] to dwell in my body [Audience: to dwell in my body]. By your stripes I’m healed [Audience: By your stripes I’m healed]. I’m blessed in my finances [Audience: I’m blessed in my finances]. The money will come [Audience: The money will come]. The business will come! [Audience: The business will come!] I will prosper in all that I do! [Audience: I will prosper in all that I do!] In Jesus name I pray- [Audience: In Jesus name I pray-]

If you believe that give the Lord a clap.” – Kong Hee, Presence Conference, Day 1, Session 1: 01:25:10, 2013.

Fighting For The Faith Weighs In On CHC Controversies

08 Saturday Jun 2013

Posted by in C3 & Pringles Associations

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Chris Rosebrough from Fighting For The Faith has recently examined the bizarre and controversial nature of the Kong Hee and Sun Ho controversy.

June 07, 2013

Pastrix Sun Ho a.k.a. “Geisha”???

Click Here to Download this episode

Program segments:

• Sherly Brady Performs a Narcigesis of the Story of Sarah
• Cindy Jacobs and the Leviathan Spirit?
• Pastrix Sun Ho a.k.a. “Geisha”???
• Good Sermon: The Wages of Sin by Gervase Charmley

Source: Pastrix Sun Ho a.k.a. “Geisha”???, Fighting For The Faith, http://www.fightingforthefaith.com/2013/06/pastrix-sun-ho-aka-geisha.html, 07/06/2013. (Accessed 08/06/2013.)

The segment starts 54 minutes in.

7 News & The West Australian Report On Kong Hee Case

06 Thursday Jun 2013

Posted by in C3 & Pringles Associations

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Christians involved in the C3 cult seem to carry the belief (thanks to Phil Pringle) that Kong and Sun are being persecuted for their beliefs. They have been told that believers or nonbelievers who have an issue with the CHC scandal are critics or enemies and need to be dealt with appropriately.

Well the world still operates with a god-given conscience and media outlets around the world have been reporting the serious nature of this scandal.

It is our goal over the next few weeks to publish many articles from different news sources that report on the issues on the City Harvest Church scandal. Our reason is to convince C3 or CHC church members that the world can see clearly what is wrong with these word of faith cults. We also know that news groups remove articles over time. So we wish to keep all the stories published available to future readers.

Just recently, someone alerted us to Kong Hee and Sun Ho in the news of ‘The West Australian‘ newspaper.  Here is the article: 

The West Australian: Kong Scandal Article

(Click image to read paper article)

The actual report from ‘The West Australian’ is from the Associated press and can also be read on YAHOO! 7 News.

CHURCH ON TRIAL IN POP STAR SCANDAL

Singapore has opened a long-anticipated corruption trial of six church leaders accused of embezzling more than $40 million to fund the pop music career of the wife of their evangelical movement’s founder.

City Harvest Church faithful queued at a Singapore court overnight and packed the public gallery to show support for the accused who prosecutors say diverted the congregation’s funds into “sham” investments to advance the career of aspiring star Ho Yeow Sun, popularly known as Sun Ho.

The church with affiliates in neighboring Malaysia and other countries is one of Singapore’s richest and biggest, with membership of more than 30,000. It is known in the region for staging large-scale, elaborate services resembling pop concerts which are conducted by Ho’s husband, Kong Hee.

Ho is not on trial but turned up in court Wednesday dressed in a black leather jacket, skinny pants, stiletto boots and sporting streaky blonde hair and grey contact lenses. Her husband chatted confidently with his lawyers. Kong is charged with conspiracy to commit criminal breach of trust.

Also charged are church pastor Tan Ye Peng, church members Chew Eng Han and Lam Leng Hung, and accountants Serina Wee Gek Yin and Sharon Tan Shao Yuen. The six, who have yet to say how they will plea, could face prison terms ranging from 10 to 20 years.

The prosecution’s opening statement ridiculed the contention of church leaders that pop music was a tool of evangelism that would help spread God’s message. It said Ho recorded and launched secular music albums to influence people “who would never choose to step foot into a church to listen to a preacher.”

Investments by the church in two companies, Xtron Productions and Firna, were in substance fake transactions that were orchestrated by the accused who were all involved in the planning and financing of Ho’s music career, according to prosecutors.

State media reported that 24 million Singapore dollars ($19 million) was channeled through Xtron and Firna and another S$26 million was misappropriated to cover up the initial sum.

Prosecutors allege that the falsification of church accounts occurred in 2009.

Singapore’s media have painted Ho, who is in her early 40s, as an aspiring superstar who hoped for international fame to help spread her church’s influence. She collaborated on a song and raunchy music video ‘China Wine’ with rapper Wyclef Jean in 2007 and attended the 46th annual Grammy Awards ceremony in 2004. But accusations of impropriety and public disdain have since rained down on Ho, her ambitions and the church.

Ho was reinstated as executive director of City Harvest Church on Monday by the Commissioner of Charities after a review found she had not contributed to mismanagement of the church.

A former church accountant testified Wednesday how she had been instructed to take care of Xtron’s accounts because it didn’t have its own accounting department.

Source: By Heather Tan, Associated Press, CHURCH ON TRIAL IN POP STAR SCANDAL, YAHOO! 7 News, http://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/-/world/17191984/church-on-trial-in-pop-star-scandal/, May 16, 2013, 4:47 pm. (Accessed 06/06/2013.)

We would like to thank all our contributors emailing us photos and media links. If you have any articles, please email them to c3churchwatch@hotmail.com.

Kong Hee Uploads Phil Pringle Praying Over “Pastor Sun Ho”

31 Friday May 2013

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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”.

Kong And Sun In Paper

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?

Christian Post Reports On Kong Hee’s Court Hearing

16 Thursday May 2013

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The Christian Post reports,

Singapore Pastor Kong Hee’s Trial Begins; Prosecution Rejects Evangelism Through Pop Music Argument

The long-awaited trial of Singapore’s popular pastor, Kong Hee of City Harvest Church, began on Wednesday, with a prosecutor stating that the church leader conspired with five others to misuse $41 million in church funds to help promote the career of his pop-star wife, Ho Yeow Sun.

“The evidence will show that the offenses were part of a deliberately planned, meticulously coordinated and carefully executed scheme,” said prosecutor Mavis Chionh, according to Bloomberg.com.

Many from the City Harvest congregation queued up outside the Singapore court house at the start of the trial, the Associated Press reported, showing their support for the troubled pastor. The church and its affiliates are said to have a membership of more than 30,000, making it one of the biggest and richest worship groups in the region.

Although Ho herself is not on trial, she apparently turned up on Wednesday to support her husband, who is being charged with conspiracy to commit criminal breach of trust. The other five members of City Harvest, who are facing prison terms from 10 to 20 years if convicted, include Pastor Tan Ye Peng, members Chew Eng Han and Lam Leng Hung, and accountants Serina Wee Gek Yin and Sharon Tan Shao Yuen. All have pleaded not guilty.

Kong is arguing that he did not misuse the money, and that his wife’s pop career could be used as a tool of evangelism that could spread the Word of God. The prosecution insisted, however, that the secular music Ho performs, including the music video “China Wine” with rapper Wyclef Jean in 2007, is far from godly music and appeals to people “who would never choose to step foot into a church to listen to a preacher.”

Investigations by the Commercial Affairs Department and Commissioner of Charities found that at least $18 million in funds had been misused and had helped finance the music career of the pastor’s wife.

Since a review found that the singer had not personally contributed to the mismanagement of church money, she was reinstated on Monday as executive director of City Harvest Church by the Commissioner of Charities.

“I am very thankful to Jesus that I can resume my executive duties at such a crucial time for City Harvest Church. I am truly glad that I have been fully vindicated. God’s grace abounds and His faithfulness truly never ends! I want to thank the members of CHC for always standing with our church and our leaders. Your unceasing prayers are moving mountains and are so important to us in the days to come,” Ho wrote after the decision.

Kong, 48, founded City Harvest Church in 1989 as a nonprofit nondenominational evangelical church. Singapore’s Commercial Affairs Department announced in 2012 that it had conducted a two-year inquiry into allegations that Kong and other church members had used church funds to support Ho’s career. Despite the Commissioner of Charities requesting that the accused voluntarily leave their positions until the case is concluded, Kong has insisted that he will remain as pastor.

Earlier in May, before the start of the trial, COC again tried to force Kong to step down from City Harvest, but the pastor was granted an extension and the suspension has been delayed.

“On behalf of the CHC Board, I also want to thank each and every one of you for your steadfast prayers and positive confessions, and for your faith in God,” Executive Pastor of City Harvest the Rev. Aries Zulkarnain said in a statement.

“As the trial begins this Wednesday, I ask you to continue praying for the six and their families, and for our church to stand strong at this time, and be united.”

Source: By Stoyan Zaimov, Singapore Pastor Kong Hee’s Trial Begins; Prosecution Rejects Evangelism Through Pop Music Argument, http://m.global.christianpost.com/news/singapore-pastor-kong-hees-trial-begins-prosecution-rejects-evangelism-through-pop-music-argument–95931/, May 15, 2013 02:42 PM EDT. (Accessed 16/05/2013.)

Do Pastors Really Want To Endorse The Ministry Of Kong Hee & Sun Ho?

01 Wednesday May 2013

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Scriptures say,

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” – Colossians 3:1-10

There are many controversial issues that surround the City Harvest Church scandal.    If you are not familiar with the charges that Kong Hee is facing, please read our articles on Kong Hee here:

C3 Scandals

In this article, we simply wish to focus on the ‘Pastoral’ conduct of Phil Pringle and Kong Hee.

Thanks to CHC’s Advisory Pastor Phil Pringle, this issue is further expanding across into other countries as ‘pastors’ lend their support and praise to Kong Hee and Sun Ho. Just recently, a video surfaced on YouTube that filmed Phil Pringle saying that he “got some pastors from around the world to bring” CHC ‘greetings’. Here is the video.

The pastors who endorse and praise Kong Hee and Sun Ho in this video are:

Jeffrey Rachmat from Jakarta Praise Community Church (Jakarta, Indonesia)

Mark Conner from City Life Church (Melbourne, Australia)

Paul Scanlon from LIFE Church (Bradford, UK)

Casey Treat from Christian Faith Center (Seattle, USA)

John Bevere from Messenger International (USA)

David Yonggi Cho from Yoido Full Gospel Church (Seoul, South Korea)

 The blurb below the video says,

“These are some great leaders from mega churches around the world who know Pastor Kong personally. They are encouraging and praying for Pastor Kong and City Harvest Church during this period of trial. Dr David Yonggi Cho is the founder and Pastor of the world largest church with an overall members of about a million and he is also Pastor and mentor of Pastor Kong.” – Some Pastors From Around the World Bring You Greeting, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkXtWO63C4Q, Published on Apr 14, 2013.

proof_youtube-somepastorsaroundtheworld_28-04-13

In response to the above YouTube clip, a new YouTube video emerged juxtaposing the pastors endorsements against Sun Ho’s music video clip ‘China Wine’. The contrast is stunning and disturbing.

(Warning: content of video may be considered highly inappropriate for Christian viewers.)

What this video did was highlight two things. It exposed the lies and hypocrisy of Kong Hee. With one hand, Kong distanced his wife’s immoral video clips from himself and CHC, claiming she was not a pastor and yet justifying her sinful clips using the scriptures. On the other hand, he would flaunt his wife as China Wine and allow her to speak on behalf of City Harvest Church. For more information on this, read here:

China Boy & China Wine

The second thing this video exposes how ‘Christian Pastors’ are promoting human depravity in the name, glory and Spirit of Jesus Christ. As the parody pits the pastors against the China Wine music video, one can’t help but wonder if Phil Pringle, Kong Hee or Sun Ho have been fully honest with their fellow pastors.

For instance, would John Bevere say that God put scriptures on ‘integrity’ in his heart if he saw Sun Ho dancing erotically in her music video clip China Wine? Would Mark Conner say that his church is “inspired” by Sun Ho and Kong Hee’s “life” if he saw Sun’s music video clip ‘Kill Bill’ that has her singing about murdering her boyfriend?

Finally, we’ve been observing how Phil Pringle has been informing his audiences that when he pastors CHC this gives Kong Hee and Sun Ho the opportunity to travel to “share in churches their burden ‘n what they’re facing and keep support happening”. [Source 1] [Source 2]

Now that Phil Pringle made the video, we should be asking ourselves if the churches of Yonggi Cho, John Bevere, Mark Conner, Jeffrey Rachmat, Paul Scanlon and Casey Treat have given Kong Hee a platform to receive ‘love offerings’ to financially support his case.

This scandal needs to be a prayer issue for Christians everywhere. Please pray that Christians have their eyes opened to the immoral conduct of these pastors. Pray that no more Christians are “snookered” by their own “idolatrous notions” regarding the behaviour of Kong Hee, Sun Ho, Phil Pringle and other ‘ministers’ who endorse the moral conduct of these ministries.

Pray that Christians everywhere have their eyes opened to the whole truth about the ongoing pastoral and legal issues involved around Kong Hee AND David Yonggi Cho.

China Boy & China Wine

19 Thursday Apr 2012

Posted by in C3 & Pringles Associations, Pringle's Issues/Events

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Kong Hee invited his wife Sun Hee up to the stage at Presence Conference 2012. He introduced themselves as “China Boy and Chine Wine”.

Sun Hee said in front of everyone ‘I know that I represent City Harvest Church.‘ However, Kong Hee alluded to his celebrity wife’s controversial, worldly music video ‘China Wine’.

(Warning: content of video may be considered highly inappropriate for Christian viewers.)

As you could probably guess, pastors criticised Kong & Sun Hee for this. The below article is worth reading to see how Kong Hee justifies his wife performing the song ‘China Wine’. While reading this article please consider the following questions. Does he have double standards?

Has he changed his standards? Don’t forget that Kong Hee highly regards his wife and says that, “Sun is my wisdom“. (Accessed 19/04/2012)

Which type of wisdom? Godly wisdom or worldly wisdom? James 1:5-8 comes to mind:

“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” – James 1:5-8

By promoting himself and his wife as “China Boy and Chine Wine”, what is he saying about Presence Conference 2012? Does Kong Hee rightly handle the scriptures?

How should Hee approach the scriptures John 15:19, 1 John 4:5, 1 John 2:15, John 17:14, James 4:4, 1 John 2:16?

Does he owe an apology to the way he responded to pastors in this article?

Consider this as you read this article. (Emphasis mine in underline.)

(Source: http://www.konghee.com/www/2009/09/wholesome-shallowness/)

Wholesome Shallowness?

In 2007, my wife Sun released a music video of the hit single, “China Wine,” the result of a creative collaboration with reggae wunderkind, Wyclef Jean. That video garnered a lot of attention on YouTube with more than two million hits over two dozen fan sites. It received rave reviews from industry insiders as well as youths who love dance pop the world over. Not surprisingly, 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. But ever since Sun was a child, she had participated in many singing contests and won quite a few of them. As a preacher’s wife, Sun functioned faithfully from behind-the-scenes as my helpmate, becoming an effective counselor and a singer in the church.

At the turn of the millennium, as I began formulating my doctrine on the Cultural Mandate, challenging my generation to come out of isolation and engage the marketplace, I urged Sun to help me embody that message. In 2002, she launched her new career in Taiwan as a pop singer. Since then, she has done very well with more than four million units sold, five multi-platinum records, and over 30 number one songs in five different countries. Today, she is known in the Far East as a bona fide singer, entertainer and humanitarian.

From her royalties, Sun has built eight schools, two orphanages, two medical centers, one rehabilitation clinic, and two housing projects. Through her connections, she has helped with the establishing and fund-raising of four other orphanages, two hospitals, two community services, and one charity foundation. For all these humanitarian achievements, Sun was awarded the Top Outstanding Young Person of the World in 2003, and became China’s Charity Ambassador of Children since 2004. In 2007, she sang the theme song for the Special Olympics at Shanghai. Last year, she sang the 2008 Olympic Anthem during the pre-game launch at Beijing. The unchurched throughout Asia loves Sun and views her as an exemplary model to the youths of society.

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. Fiction must be separated from fact. 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.

“China Wine” is a music video about a girl who has to take up an extra job at a nightclub to make ends meet for her family. Some pastors immediately took offense at the club scene and sexy dancers around her. As for her costumes, she wore gym clothes which was not inappropriate for the set she had to act in. At the end of the music video, she caught her boyfriend cheating on her in the night club and confronted him in Mandarin. If you understand what she said, her words were neither crude nor profane at all. She basically shouted at the guy, “Hey, what are you doing with this mistress?” Unfortunately, the video translator subtitled that as “Hey, what are you doing with this b****?” That final b-word caused a further uproar among pastors, who were quick to condemn her for uttering profanities. A few of them wrote me angry emails calling Sun a “whore,” “hooker,” and other nastier, derogatory terms. Some said she was promoting free sex and immorality. But any intelligent, objective viewer would know that the whole drama is not about sex; if anything, it portrays the reality of a fallen secular world.

All these storms in a tea cup set me thinking of a bigger question: Are Christians living a sanitized life? Why have “Christian” productions been so ineffective in their reach to the unchurched, to the extent that even believers are not interested in their products?

In his book, Eyes Wide Open: Looking For God in Popular Culture, author William D. Romanowski talks about a 1993 survey, which reported that over 80 percent of all churchgoing Christians regularly go to the movies. When they were asked what they thought about Christian films, TV productions and Christian Contemporary Music, this was what they said:

1. Christian popular arts are inferior imitations as compared to mainstream culture. To many, Christian music is substandard guitar pop and happy-clappy lyrics about Jesus. This is not surprising as many Christian artists feel that their main job is to preach the gospel and proclaim the faith. As such, artistic quality or creativity is not so important. But what they forget is that when people go to a movie or buy an album, their first desire is to be entertained. If they want to be preached to, they would have gone to church.

2. Christian popular arts are unrealistic, sanitized versions of the real world. Some reviewers even use the phrase “wholesome shallowness” to describe them. Christian entertainment has come to mean movies and music appropriate for “family-only” audiences. That basically means kids-oriented programs or old-time TV reruns for senior citizens. Are Christians that naive and immature, living in a perpetual time warp of a bygone era, that we can’t handle the realities of the 21st century?

As early as 1916, Hollywood had already discovered that 60 percent of theater owners wanted pictures that portray the real world—even if they contained themes on violence, sex and greed. This is because moviegoers want films that honestly and artistically address the issues of life.

3. Christian popular arts are limited in content and purpose. If you listen to most CCM, you would think that all Christians do is worship and evangelize 24 hours a day, seven days a week. But people in general, Christians and non-Christians alike, don’t want to be preached to 24/7. They want a pop culture that is fun, entertaining, artistic and innovative. They are also concerned with the issues of life—and they enjoy it when those themes are addressed with artistic flair.

Everybody knows the trials and temptations of daily living. We are not immune to problems and tensions. We are all concerned about love and relationship, life and health, career and finances, the global economy and politics, war and peace, and our future. We are all trying to understand why things happen the way they do and how we can live our lives properly. Pop culture helps us to navigate through all that.

People get inspired and moved by U2, the biggest band in the world today. Their music captures a sense of religious longing and the struggle of living in a world torn by war, injustice and poverty. They enjoy movies like The Matrix, which speaks of an invisible world behind our natural world. They are moved by Schindler’s List (rated R) which touches on courage, sacrifice, and overcoming racism. CHC member, Jack Neo, is arguably the best movie director in Southeast Asia. His films, I Not Stupid I and I Not Stupid II, were box office hits because they realistically deal with the pressures of the rat-race in Asian societies.

Listeners and viewers cry buckets over these powerful songs and films. They may be secular, but people get touched by such productions more so than most Christian ones. If Christian pop culture is artistically inferior, unrealistically sanitized, and limited in content and purpose, is there any surprise that surveys regularly show that even churchgoers are not excited about them? No wonder Christian artists have such a difficult time selling their products beyond small book tables in churches.

The beautiful truth is that God is not against pop culture. There is a section of the Old Testament known as “The Writings,” covering books like Psalms, Job, Proverbs, Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes and Lamentations. Honestly, aren’t they the popular songs, dramas and musicals of biblical times?

  • Psalms are songs of frustration, regret and anger, yet sung with love to a sometimes hidden God. Aren’t they like most tracks on the Billboard Chart?
  • Job deals with the sufferings of life, and the desire to find meaning through them. Isn’t it like the Hollywood hit movie, Forest Gump, or the long-running Korean serial drama, Jewel In The Place?
  • Proverbs deal with the danger of shortcuts, the snares of temptation, and the rewards of honesty. Aren’t they just like the cartoon series, The Simpsons?
  • The Song of Solomon is about the obsession with love and the sensual. Just turn on any pop radio and we have our modern-day Song of Solomon being broadcasted 24/7.
  • Ecclesiastes deal with the weariness of daily living in an imperfect world. Isn’t that portrayed in movies like Signs and The Pianist?
  • Lamentations deal with grief. When one listens to most of Eric Clapton’s songs, aren’t they all about the dealing with grief?

Like the Old Testament writings themselves, pop culture is the collective wisdom of our generation. Popular arts explore social injustice, songs of sorrow, and even tributes to women. Like the Book of Esther, they may not even mention the name of God. Like Ecclesiastes, they suggest that in this life, bad things do happen to good people. Or like the Song of Solomon, they may celebrate romance and sex. These songs and movies may not have a salvational purpose, but nonetheless, they offer us the essential comfort and wisdom for living. As such, pop culture represents a powerful means of communicating to us what the real world is like, and how to live in it.

We are all products of our personal theological persuasions and convictions. Pop culture affects the lifestyles of the masses. Venturing into the realm of secular culture is certainly not for the weak or the fainthearted. What Sun is seeking to do is to show us how to be a modern-day Daniel or Joseph to our contemporary Babylon and Egypt. Daniel took on Babylon’s language, education, fashion, name and persona, and yet he didn’t compromise his own value system. According to the New Bible Commentary, Joseph was thoroughly “Egyptianized,” and yet he lived a great life of purpose. Esther, the super celebrity, was also similar. Sun simply wants to emulate these heroes of faith.

Can you remember John the Baptist questioning the authenticity of Jesus’ ministry when he heard about the latter’s working style? Jesus had become widely known as a friend of sinners, tax collectors, prostitutes and drunkards. He was even seen going to parties and events that the Pharisees themselves wouldn’t set foot in. John the Baptist was concerned that Jesus was becoming worldly, immoral and compromising—a bad example to the disciples. Our Lord’s reply to him was simply this: “Look at My fruits. Look at how the gospel is preached. ‘And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me’” (Matt. 11:6). The Greek word for “offended” is scandalizo, which means “to trip up, stumble, or be enticed to sin.” I would say the same to those religious critics who may be offended by Sun.

The “China Wine” music video was never meant for a church event. Neither was it ever intended to be an evangelism tool or a gospel video. It is simply pop entertainment. People watching the video and regarding it as just that will never get offended or stumbled, which explains the millions of hits and thousands of good reviews on YouTube.

So to the religious and conservatives who have used nasty, derogatory and expletive terms to describe Sun, my parting shot are the words of Jesus Christ from Matthew 21:31, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.”

Quick observation. If Sun is Kong Hee’s wisdom, why was his ‘parting shot’ (aimed at ‘religious and conservatives’) any better? If pastors were using ‘derogatory and expletive terms to describe Sun’, then why does Kong Hee refer to his own wife as a ‘prostitute’, ‘entering the kingdom of God’ ahead of them?

Is Sun Hee actually Kong Hee’s worldly wisdom? How is Kong Hee obeying God’s word by flaunting his ‘China Wine’ wife at Presence Conference 2012? Isn’t that promoting Christian men to stumble in worldly sin? As John writes,

“Do not love the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” – 1 John 2:15-17 (KJV)

NOTE: ALL SCREEN GRABS WERE TAKEN BEFORE 20/04/2012.