Tag Archives: Christian Post

Convicted felon Kong Hee claims convicted felon Yonggi Cho is his ‘Spiritual Father’

11 Thursday Feb 2016

Posted by in C3 Ministry, C3 Singapore Scandal

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In spite of their lies, blasphemies and crimes, pulpit criminals like Kong Hee and David Yonggi Cho still choose to stick together. Before reading the Christian Post article, we would like to highlight some of the things Kong Hee mentioned in this piece.

1. “Cho’s teaching on the Holy Spirit and the Fourth Dimension has been nothing short of transformative in our generation”

“Transformative” Kong? Yes. But for the better? No.

Yonggi Cho’s Fourth Dimension are founded on his pagan background, his fascination with the Soka Gakkai, his influences with the NAR, the demonic encounters he claims to be the Holy Spirit teaching him about the ‘Fourth Dimension’. You can learn more about his theology from our review of his ‘Fourth Dimension’ teaching on Yoido Full Gospel Church Watch.com.

2. “Kong has also praised the major growth of Christian megachurches in South Korea during his recent trip to the country, noting that it has seen “one of the greatest revivals in the last 100 years” of Christianity occur there.”

This is a lie. This article exposes the fact that David Yonggi Cho’s church is an utter failure and that the churches of Korea long for the days of the early martyred missionaries who brought revival and the Word of God.

Lamenting the infiltration of “secularization and pervasive mammonism” into the Korean church…

These men continue to deceitfully praise each other’s false works in their attempt to stengthen each other’s credibility and profit from the gullible “Christians” in their Prosperity cults. They refuse to accept the fact that their friends are guilty before God and before their earthly courts of law.

 

The Christian Post reports,

Kong Hee Says His ‘Spiritual Father’ Is Pastor David Yonggi Cho of Yoido Full Gospel Church

Singapore’s City Harvest Church pastor Kong Hee has praised Pastor David Yonggi Cho and Grace Kim Sunghae of Yoido Full Gospel Church, the largest Pentecostal Church in the world, as being “one of the most amazing couples in the history of Christendom.”

Kong also said that Cho, who founded Yoido in 1958 and saw it grow into a congregation of 830,000 members, has accomplished “things of biblical proportions very few could imagine possible.”

The CHC pastor explained in a detailed post on Facebook some of the history behind South Korea’s Yoido, noting that Cho, who is now its pastor emeritus, also founded several other Christian institutions, including Church Growth International, Elim Welfare Town, Hansei University, the International Theological Institute, and the Kookmin Daily newspaper.

“Cho’s teaching on the Holy Spirit and the Fourth Dimension has been nothing short of transformative in our generation,” Kong wrote.

He added that Kim has also accomplished a great deal helping her husband in five decades of ministry, noting that she is an accomplished concert pianist, educator and ordained minister of the Gospel, along with the current president of Hansei University.

“Most of all, she is a ‘mother’ to hundreds of pastors, missionaries and churches in Korea and around the world,” Kong wrote.

“Sun [Ho] and I are blessed to have Cho and Kim as our spiritual parents. Cho is our pastor and discipler, and Kim our encourager and intercessor,” he continued.

“During our recent trip to Seoul, we were honored again to spend private, quality time with both of them, and also with some of their closest disciples. I was given the privilege to preach at the 40,000-member Nowon Full Gospel Church, as well as the famous Gangnam Full Gospel Church, a congregation fervent in prayer and intercession.”

Kong has also praised the major growth of Christian megachurches in South Korea during his recent trip to the country, noting that it has seen “one of the greatest revivals in the last 100 years” of Christianity occur there.

“They have been consistently baptizing 1,000 new converts every month! If you ask any Korean church what is the key to their success, the answer is unanimous — PRAYER!” he wrote last week, referring to Yoido’s success.

Both Kong and Cho have faced controversies and their own separate court battles, however. Kong was convicted and sentenced to eight years in prison last year along with five other CHC members of misusing millions of church donations for the popstar career of Ho, an accusation which he denied and has appealed against.

Cho, on the other hand, was sentenced to three years in prison in 2014 for embezzling church funds, concerning church officials buying stocks owned by his eldest son, which resulted in $12 million in losses to the church.

Yoido remains the largest megachurch in South Korea despite the controversy, however.

In his Facebook post, Kong noted that Cho will be celebrating his 80th birthday later in February, and said that he sends his prayers “for this dear man of God on his special milestone.”

Source: By Stoyan Zaimov, Kong Hee Says His ‘Spiritual Father’ Is Pastor David Yonggi Cho of Yoido Full Gospel Church, Christian Post, http://www.christianpost.com/news/pastor-david-yonggi-cho-yoido-full-gospel-pentecostal-church-spiritual-father-kong-hee-156662/Published 03/02/2016. (Accessed 08/02/2016.)

Christian Post Reports On Bob Rodgers Defense Of David Yonggi Cho

05 Wednesday Mar 2014

Posted by in C3 & Pringles Associations

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It appeared that the Christian Post thought Bob Rodgers peculiar defense for David Yonggi Cho was worth reporting on. They seem to detect that something is not right with Rodger’s defense.

David Yonggi Cho of South Korean Megachurch Supported by American Pastor Bob Rodgers After $12M Embezzlement Conviction

American megachurch pastor, Bob Rodgers, has defended Pastor David Yonggi Cho after the pastor of Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul, South Korea, was convicted last week of embezzling $12 million of the church’s funds.

Cho, 78, was sentenced to three years in prison after he was convicted of directing officials to buy stocks from his son at four times the market price. The church subsequently lost U.S. $12 million, according to The Gospel Herald. Hee-jun, Cho’s oldest son, the former CEO of the media company, Kookmin Ilbo, was also sentenced last week to three years in prison for his participation in the embezzlement scheme.

Bob Rodgers, the senior Pastor of Evangel World Prayer Center, released a nearly 500 word statement on Wednesday defending Cho, whom he referred to as a “personal friend of our family,” and stated that he and his father had served on the board of Cho’s Assemblies of God-affiliated church for a combined 38 years.

According to Rodgers, Cho did not purposely sabotage his church, but rather, his son “purposely defrauded” him.

“Cho testified that he trusted his elders and son and didn’t check and read the thousands of pages of paperwork, which was prepared for him to sign. Because Cho relied upon the direction of his choice elders and son, he signed the papers. He never received any monies from the transaction,” Rodgers wrote.

Rodgers also noted that unlike his two brothers, who both worked in ministry, Hee-jun “has been the prodigal,” noting his four marriages and “sexual scandals with national personalities.” Further, Hee-jun has previously “served prison time for investment scams and embezzlement.”

Further, Rodgers suggested Cho was being punished by association and quoted the presiding judge, who reportedly said, “The court considered that even though Pastor Cho had the final say in the church, he never took the lead in any of the crimes, including tax evasion, committed on the suggestion of the accounting firm.”

Rodgers, who said he decided to speak up for Cho, because of concerns of “the slant of some of the media reports,” suggested that he could offer more context about the case because he was “present in Seoul during much of the trial.”

He also added that “there was also information disclosed during closed-door meetings which has not yet been made public,” which presumably he had insight about.

Rodgers also defended Cho’s reputation against those who had criticized him for promoting and leading an opulent lifestyle.

“Even though Cho established the world’s largest church, with more than 1 million members, he lives a simple life in a 1,000-square-foot church apartment. Neither does he own a car. Cho has raised and given personally to the church more than $170 million,” he wrote.

Rodgers added that Cho is likely to avoid prison time but instead will be placed on probation.

Rodger’s interpretation of Cho’s trial contrasts with the account of former elder, Ha Sang-ok, who said in November that he had attempted unsuccessfully to convince the pastor to end his unethical ways.

“A sect leader might violate the commandments and do as he wishes, but a pastor cannot do that,” Ha said, as reported in The Hanyoreah. “Over the past 14 years, I have met with Rev. Cho many times to try to persuade him to repent and return to being a great pastor, but the corruption has continued. That’s why I had no choice but to disclose it to the outside world.”

A biography of Cho on the English version of the Yoido Full Gospel Church website says that the pastor, who came to faith after attending a crusade led by American missionary Ken Tines, met Jesus in a vision one night while he was fasting and was baptized in the Holy Spirit.

“Pastor Cho gives thanks to the Lord for his 47 years of ministry, and has been sincerely serving 750,000 church members,” the biography states. “In the early 21st century, the church’s goals for next 10 years are to build 500 prayer houses and 5,000 satellite churches in Korea, and to expand global mission through internet broadcasting, and to enlarge overseas mission to the third world countries, including North Korea.”

Approximately one million people claim membership at the South Korea church, which is affiliated with the Assemblies of God denomination. The AG is the world’s largest Pentecostal denomination and boasts 66 million members.

Rodger’s church is based out of Louisville, Ky., and boasts a membership of over 9,000 people.

Source: By Morgan Lee, David Yonggi Cho of South Korean Megachurch Supported by American Pastor Bob Rodgers After $12M Embezzlement Conviction, Christian Post, http://www.christianpost.com/news/david-yonggi-cho-of-south-korean-megachurch-supported-by-american-pastor-bob-rodgers-after-12m-embezzlement-conviction-115267/, Published 26/02/2014. (Accessed 01/03/2014.)

News Articles Reporting On Charged Member Leaving CHC

26 Wednesday Jun 2013

Posted by in C3 & Pringles Associations

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What is the media saying about the controversial dialogue between Chew Eng Han and City Harvest Church?

The Star provided readers with this article,

City Harvest Church stalwart Chew queries leadership

THE rift between City Harvest Church stalwart Chew Eng Han and the church leadership has become more apparent after the two sides were involved in a telling online exchange over the last few days.

It started after Chew announced last Friday that he had decided to leave the church after 17 years.

His departure came as a surprise to many not only because he had been integral to the church’s leadership, but also because he did so in the middle of a high-profile corruption trial involving him and five other church leaders.

But those in the know said that Chew, who was once on the church’s board and was also its fund manager, had been unhappy with his colleagues for some time now.

A day after the church board put up a statement on its website saying while it may not understand or agree with his reasons, it wished him well, Chew issued a statement on a blog.

He queried if the board knew about a meeting he and his wife had with church founder Kong Hee and his wife Ho Yeow Sun.

He also asked if the board had read a report by the Commissioner of Charities (COC) detailing apparent misappropriation of church funds.

That investigation led to the Com­missioner suspending the church lea­ders, including Chew and Kong last year, and subsequently moving to discharge them from office.

Chew’s post drew a response from the church yesterday, which said the board had, after “appropriate reviews”, satisfied itself “regarding the allegations of integrity, honesty and lifestyle of the senior leadership”.

Chew faces six charges of criminal breach of trust and four charges of falsification of accounts. The trial resumes in August. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Source: City Harvest Church stalwart Chew queries leadership, http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2013/6/26/asia/13286465&sec=asia, 26/06/2013. (Accessed 27/06/2013.)

The Christian Post reports,

Kong Hee’s Co-Defendant Quits City Harvest Church Due to ‘Spiritual and Moral’ Issues

Megachurch Denies Claims of Dishonesty Among Leadership Amid Financial Fraud Case…

A member of Singapore’s City Harvest Church, led by founder Pastor Kong Hee, announced his resignation from the Pentecostal megachurch as its leadership battles charges of financial fraud in court.

Supporters of City Harvest Church in Singapore appear in an April 2013 public photo on a Facebook page titled "COC Must Not Remove the 8 Leaders of CHC."
Chew Eng Han, 52, shared in a personal statement published online that after 17 years of serving City Harvest Church in various capacities it was now time for him to go.

“The time has come for me to make a major shift in direction for my life. I’ve thought and prayed through this for many months, and on balancing the pros and cons of it, I now have a deep conviction that that (sic) the right thing to do is to depart from City Harvest Church (CHC),” Chew wrote in his statement.

“CHC is my first and only church and in the 17 years there, I have been fed the Word of God and learnt (sic) to grow in spiritual strength and faith. For that, I am deeply grateful. Many members of the church have qualities which are not easily found elsewhere – tenacity, faith, love for people, generosity, perseverance and loyalty. If certain events had not overtaken this wonderful experience, CHC would undoubtedly continue to be my one and only church.”

Chew insisted, however, that all was not as it seemed at City Harvest Church, a charge the megachurch has denied.

“For those who do not know me well and have not heard me out, I hope you will not jump to conclusions about me and the appropriateness of such a move. Those who know me better will understand what I’ve been seeing and tolerating – wrongful labelling (sic), quick to take credit and to pass the buck, betrayal, slander, ingratitude, denial and lies, manipulation and control, greed, pride, hypocrisy, abuse of authority, practice of favoritism and different standards,” Chew added. “It is exacerbated when it is perpetrated by top leaders, including those who taught us that the Word is supreme and that obedience to the Word equals loving God. Leadership cannot be measured by words but by action. Nobody qualifies to lead, or to preach what he cannot practise (sic) in real life. More than anything, these are foremost issues of spiritual and moral significance.”

While City Harvest Church has acknowledge Chew’s departure, the board claimed in a public statement that his remarks amount to nothing more than “personal views” and insisted that the megachurch was operating with integrity.

“The Board has been working with the senior leadership for many years and knows and believes that the senior leadership has always walked in integrity, adhering to Biblical principles through the leading of the Holy Spirit. We maintain our full confidence in the leadership. Over the last 24 years, they have worked hard to maintain and protect the interests of the church and the members, and we trust they will continue to do so,” read the statement attributed to City Harvest Church management board secretary Lee Kiam Hiong.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the Board and the church leadership have always leaned on God for all decisions of the past, and will continue leaning on Him even in this time of difficulty,” Hiong added.

“It is our hope and prayer as the Board that CHC will be even more united in such a time as this, that as a church, every member will put his and her trust in the Lord and remain steadfast in prayer.”

The apparent fallout between Chew and City Harvest Church comes as six of the Singaporean church’s board members stand trial for allegedly embezzling S$24 million ($18.9) from a building fund to support the pop music career of Pastor Kong’s wife, Sun Ho. There was also a second allegation of board members taking another S$26 million ($20.5 million) to help cover up the initial embezzled amount. In addition to Pastor Kong and Chew, who once served as fund manager for City Harvest Church, John Lam, Tan Ye Peng, Serina Wee and Sharon Tan are also defendants in the high-profile criminal case. All served in some capacity on the City Harvest Church board.

Chew issued a further response to CHC’s denial of his claims, revealing that he and his wife had met personally and at length with Pastor Kong and Sun Ho to discuss his departure. He also suggested that current members of the church board were not fully aware of the fraud allegations brought by Singapore’s Commissioner of Charities and the Commercial Affairs Department regarding church funds.

“The board is probably unaware of many other issues, especially those on the pastoral angle, in terms of the manner of conduct of some of their pastors and senior leaders. Without such information, it is not equipped to issue a board statement of confidence,” Chew wrote in his follow-up statement. “The church statement is a mere attempt to unite the church with a spiritual tone, but lacks substance in dealing with the real issues of truth and integrity.”

City Harvest Church has attempted to put an end to the public back-and-forth, issuing “a message from the board” to church members Monday that read in part: “We do not wish to discuss, engage or argue with these allegations at this present time as these matters are before the Court. We would like to advise our members to do likewise. There are two sides to every story and all the evidence will be brought up in due time, and the truth will be revealed.” Concerned congregants were encouraged to contact their pastors personally if any issues remained. According to a previous City Harvest Church news notice, there were 24 pastors and assistant pastors on staff.

Pastor Kong has denied charges of misappropriating church funds and expressed confidence that he and the other defendants will be exonerated. Congregants have stood by CHC’s leadership and enacted prayer campaigns to support them spiritually.

City Harvest Church, founded by Kong Hee and Sun Ho in 1989 as a nonprofit nondenominational evangelical church, is one of Singapore’s largest megachurches. According to its 2011-2012 progress report, City Harvest Church’s congregation size numbered more than 19,000 last year.

Source: By Nicola Menzie, Kong Hee’s Co-Defendant Quits City Harvest Church Due to ‘Spiritual and Moral’ Issues, http://www.christianpost.com/news/kong-hees-co-defendant-quits-city-harvest-church-due-to-spiritual-and-moral-issues-98749/, 25/06/2013.

Read our coverage on this here:

1. CHC Farewells Charged Member Chew Eng Han

2. Chew On This: CHC’s Recent Statement Regarding Departure Of Charged Member

3. CHC Discussing Chew Eng Han’s Latest Statement

Christian Post Reports On Kong Hee’s Court Hearing

16 Thursday May 2013

Posted by in C3 & Pringles Associations

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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.)

Hee Might Travel Overseas…

06 Monday Aug 2012

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The Christian Post reports,

Singapore Pastor Kong Hee Granted Permission to Travel Overseas

By Katherine Weber , Christian Post Reporter
July 30, 2012|3:39 pm

Kong Hee, pastor and founder of Singapore’s City Harvest Church, has been granted permission to travel overseas after attending a Subordinate Court hearing Monday, his third hearing in a trial in which he is accused of misusing $18 million of church funds.

Kong reportedly requested permission to travel overseas so he could move around the Southeast Asia region for pastoral engagements.

The pastor of the Singaporean megachurch is currently out on $500,000 bail. He was arrested in June and accused of “dishonestly misappropriating monies” from the church’s building fund to promote and support the pop music career of his wife, Sun Ho, who is in her early 40s.

His charges also include three counts of criminal breach of trust. Kong could face life in prison if found guilty on all three charges.

“I do maintain my integrity, and will rigorously defend that integrity against these charges,” Kong, 47, said July 25, according to Singaporean newswire Today Online.

“Sun and I would like to take this opportunity to thank God for all the people who have blessed us with their love, kindness and prayers during this challenging period of time. We have been tremendously humbled by the support and encouragement from the public, family and friends. We especially thank all those from City Harvest Church and the Christian community at large. They have been a constant source of strength,” the pastor added.

“I respect the Court proceedings which are underway, and will not make any comment about the charges until the appropriate time and forum,” he concluded.

Kong and his wife gained celebrity status in the Southeast Asian country when they founded City Harvest Church in 2001, which has since gained popularity among the country’s evangelical Christian population.

After a two-year investigation, the Commercial Affairs Department, which investigates financial crime, claimed that Kong had allegedly been making “sham transactions” by allocating massive amounts of money to “purported bond investments,” which were then being funneled into Sun’s accounts.

Kong’s fellow ministry leaders Pastor Tan Ye Peng, John Lam, Chew Eng Han and Sharon Tanon have also been charged with three counts of criminal breach of trust, while a sixth church executive, City Harvest Church’s former finance chief Serina Wee, received 10 criminal charges, including six for a criminal breach of trust and four for falsified records for allegedly helping to transfer funds to Kong’s personal accounts.

Kong’s case officially begins Aug. 30.

Source: Katherine Weber, Singapore Pastor Kong Hee Granted Permission to Travel Overseas,   http://www.christianpost.com/news/singapore-pastor-kong-hee-granted-permission-to-travel-overseas-79140/#3iK9rc4UMBLgsJFq.99, July 30/07/2012. (Accessed 02/08/2012.)

Follower of Furtick Says They Were “Consistently Ingesting Spiritual Poison”

20 Monday Feb 2012

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

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We’ve already bought up our concerns regarding Phil Pringle inviting Steve Furtick speaking at Pringle’s C3 Presence Conference 2012. Read the article here:

Phil Pringle Endorsing Problematic Steve Furtick for Presence Conference 2012

Brittany Smith, reporter from the ‘Christian Post’, records a conversation Chandler had with Furtick last year:

“The Reformed community is not a big fan of you,” Chandler told Furtick last year during The Elephant Room, which featured blunt conversations and debates among influential pastors. Chandler had expressed concern that Furtick was rejecting doctrine in the name of outreach.” – Brittany Smith, ‘The Bible Is Not About You,’ Says Young Evangelical, http://www.christianpost.com/news/the-bible-is-not-about-you-says-young-evangelical-67210/, 16/01/2012. (Accessed 20/02/2012)

People also may be critical of Rosebrough’s harsh criticism of Furtick. However, Rosebrough received an email from a member of Steve Furticks church. This member confirmed Chandler, Smith and Rosebrough’s understanding of Furtick. Rosebrough read out the email on his radio program here:

Laying Hold of Eisegetical Nonsense

Chris Rosebrough said,

“Ok. This email comes to us from a man who lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. He and his wife attended Elevation church for five years. However, they will no longer be attending. And – I’m not going to give you his name cos I know how the Elevators will treat him if they heard who this was.” – Chris Rosebrough, Fighting For The Faith, Laying Hold of Eisegetical Nonsense: 21:55, http://www.fightingforthefaith.com/2012/01/laying-hold-of-eisegetical-nonsense-.html, 19/01/2012.

This email gives us good insight to Elevation and Furtick. The ex-Elevation member wrote to Chris,

“I just wanted to thank you for your ministry. I’ve been extremely blessed by it in the past few days as I’ve listened to your archives learning about discernment and all of the tricks used by false teachers. I had been going to Elevation Church for the past five years every single week until very recently. I have been feeling unrest for many months, considering leaving the church, sensing much ego on Furtick’s part amongst many other things…

But I was held back by the lies taught every week thinking, ‘Surely, for the church to be flourishing the way it is, it must be God, right?’. Boy was I wrong.

I also want to point out  that despite daily prayer and reading of the Word, I have been unable to grow spiritually, bound by the completely backward, narcissistic eisegesis, teaching at Elevation church. After Matt Chandler’s unbelievable message, and much that I had learned listening to your podcasts, I now know why I haven’t been able to grow spiritually. I have been consistently ingesting spiritual poison and have been reading the bible completely wrong.

I feel like my eyes have been opened and I have had difficulty understanding how I could listen to that, week-in and week-out. But I am just glad that I have escaped that trap. Looking back at all of the people there and how it kept me from growing or even learning anything about Jesus, I have the very uneasy feeling Elevation is being used as an extraordinary cunning tool of evil used to ensnare people. A masterfully orchestrated show, designed to manipulate emotion!” – Chris Rosebrough, Fighting For The Faith, Laying Hold of Eisegetical Nonsense: 22:47-24:41, http://www.fightingforthefaith.com/2012/01/laying-hold-of-eisegetical-nonsense-.html, 19/01/2012.

The letter goes on,

“I want to point out a couple of observations that I found interesting from Matt Chandlers sermon.

  1. He seems to be looking and preaching directly to Furtick to his left much of the sermon. Especially when he makes points of the bible ‘not being about you’.
  2. He repeatedly says, ‘Look at me’, before saying an important point. Could he be saying that to Furtick?

The cameramen tended to show the crowd and those on stage whenever the audience was clapping. So I scrubbed through the sermon and watched every time it happened, watching Furtick, who did not clap once or even appeared to be paying any attention to Chandler. He was slumped back like a teenager with an attitude. I was especially unnerved when Matt Chandler proclaimed that He doesn’t want Matt glorified. He [God] wants to be glorified in, and everyone applauded except for Furtick. When Chandler says, ‘You are not the centre of the universe’, he looks directly at Furtick. To proclaim that and stare at him in the face when he is clearly despising everything Chandler is saying is so unbelievably bold. He says, ‘There is no sin in your life past, present or future that has more power than the cross of Jesus Christ. None’. That’s forty one minutes into the sermon to applause and amens, accept for Furticks, who at that point is leaning on his fist, presumably glaring at Chandler. He’s normally unbelievably energetic, jumping around, raising his hands, amening pastors off the stage. I don’t want to extract meaning that isn’t there but why won’t he acknowledge the cross of Christ when he so exuberantly acknowledges every other thing uttered by guest preachers?

I’ve watched him for years and I have never seen him behave that way. Thanks again. My wife and I spent hours upon hours, listening to you show learning discernment and being encouraged.” – Chris Rosebrough, Fighting For The Faith, Laying Hold of Eisegetical Nonsense: 26:50-29:01, http://www.fightingforthefaith.com/2012/01/laying-hold-of-eisegetical-nonsense-.html, 19/01/2012.

We must ask the question, why on earth would Pringle invite such a dangerous teacher to speak to thousands of Christians? Does Pringle not care of his spiritual duties as a pastor?