Tag Archives: city harvest church scandal

David Baker Discusses The Issues With David Yonggi Cho’s Leadership

07 Friday Mar 2014

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To Our C3 Member Readership…

… We have a number of articles lined up for you to print and pass around your friends, families and cell groups.

The scandal of Yonggi Cho is raising serious discussions among popular Christian reporters, writers, teachers and so-called Christian leaders.

While we do not agree with every theological point in this article, Baker’s overall advice should be considered as a direct warning to the unrepentant sins of Phil Pringle and his C3 movement. Following on from our previous articles, can you see the issues we may disagree within this article?

1. What similarities do you see in Yoido Full Gospel Church leadership that is also evident in your C3 Church leadership?

2. How would you deal with these issues if they happened at C3 Church?

3. Would you encourage your cell group members to stand and endorse David Yonggi Cho?

4. What do you think Phil Pringle should biblically do?

David Baker from the Christian Post reports,

David Yonggi Cho: Money, sex, power and the perils of church leadership

It doesn’t look like good news for the gospel when the senior pastor of one of the world’s largest Christian congregations is convicted of corruption.

As this website has reported, David Yonggi Cho, founder of the million-strong Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul, South Korea, has been found guilty of embezzling $12 million in church funds. He was sentenced to three years in prison – suspended for five years – and ordered to pay $4.67 million in fines.

As a report by the Gospel Herald put it, the news “spread like wildfire among global Christian communities, where followers of the disgraced South Korean mega-church pastor searched for an explanation of how their spiritual leader became entangled in the crime”.

Perhaps, however, we should not be so surprised. Christian leaders are no more immune from temptation than anyone else – and it is often money, sex or power which trips them up. Yet the New Testament sets a high standard for those who aspire to have oversight of congregations, declaring that they “must be blameless – not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, and not pursuing dishonest gain,” as Paul puts it in his Epistle to Titus. Rather, they must be “hospitable, love what is good… [and] self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined”. (Titus 1v7-8)

Nonetheless, Paul himself was the first to admit that sin was an ongoing struggle for him: “I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out,” he laments in Romans 7. “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” Although some have argued he was speaking about his experience before becoming a Christian, the majority of Bible scholars – from Augustine through to the Reformation and beyond – agree that he was writing about his ongoing post-conversion struggle against sin. More recently, when Pope Francis was asked to define himself, he replied: “I am a sinner. This is the most accurate definition. It is not a figure of speech, a literary genre. I am a sinner.”

Church leaders are not expected to be perfect – but they are expected to be living in daily repentance and faith. The problem for them comes when the daily battle against sin is abandoned, when it remains unconfessed to God, and when sin makes it impossible for them to discharge the duties of their ministry or brings the gospel into public disgrace.

In the case of David Yonggi Cho, one of his church elders has said: “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.”

Sometimes, on the other hand, ministers are brought down by untrue accusations – or the misdeeds of others. Again, Paul wrote of experiencing “glory and dishonour, bad report and good report” and of his mission team being “genuine, yet regarded as impostors,” (2 Corinthians 6v7-9). In Cho’s case, one American minister and friend, Bob Rodgers, has suggested his downfall was at least in part due to naïvety in signing financial papers prepared by others without reading them properly.

Either way, the loneliness and lack of accountability which many church leaders experience makes them even more vulnerable to the temptations of Satan who is – after all – constantly seeking their downfall. Who are your church ministers? What could you pray for them each day? And what words of encouragement could you offer them today?

Source: By David Baker, The Christian Post, http://www.christiantoday.com/article/david.yonggi.cho.money.sex.power.and.the.perils.of.church.leadership/36083.htm, Published 4 March 2014. (Accessed 05/03/2014.)

Related articles:

Charismatic Leader Steven Lambert Versus Charismatic Leader David Yonggi Cho

David Yonggi Cho Scandal Paralleled To The Kong Hee Scandal

ChristianToday Reports On The David Yonggi Cho Scandal

Christian Post Reports On Bob Rodgers Defense Of David Yonggi Cho

Operation Wolf Pack: David Yonggi Cho Damage Control

Charisma Covering Cho’s Woes

CHC Publishes Yoido Full Gospel Church Statement

Christianity Today & Huffington Post Report On Yonggi Cho Scandal

CHC Stands With The Convicted David Yonggi Cho: “We Stand By Him In This Time Of Need”

Cho’s Woes

Kong Hee & Phil Pringle’s Mentor David Yonggi Cho Convicted For Tax Evasion

Ps David Yonggi Cho of Yoido Full Gospel Church Sentenced “Three Years In Prison, Suspended For Five Years, And … To Pay 5 billion Won”

Apprising Tackles Pringle, Houston, Kong & Giglio At Global Presence Conference 2014

14 Tuesday Jan 2014

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Apprising reports,

LOUIS GIGLIO STANDS WITH PHIL PRINGLE, BRIAN HOUSTON, AND KONG HEE AT C3 CHURCH

By  on Jan 9, 2014 in AM Missives, Current Issues, Features

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Apprising Ministries continues with our documenting for you The Falling Away Of The Evangelical Church. Even a few years ago who would have thought Word Faith Heretics Like Creflo Dollar Draw Nearer To Evangelical Acceptance. Yet the apostasy has continued to grow.

We’ve reached the point where we even see Francis Chan Has Endorsed New Apostolic Teacher Mike Bickle. Now I’ll point out to you that Louis Giglio will be sharing the platform with blatant Word Faith preacher Phil Pringle of the C 3 Church (C3) movement in April.

As is typical of Word Faith (WF) organizations, Scripture is ignored and C3 is led by pastor Phil along with his wife pastrix Chris aka Mama Chris:

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(source)

It would seem Louis Giglio doesn’t have a problem with women acting as elders as he’s had Beth Moorepreach a Sunday morning service at his own church.1 The fact is, Giglio is set to be one of the “voices” for Phil Pringle’s C3 Church Presence Conference 2014 (C3 2014) this coming April 22-25.

As you can see, Louis Giglio is set to be on the platform at C3 2014 along with WF preachers like Pringle, Brian Houston, and Kong Hee:

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(source)

However, we’re really not surprised because this isn’t the first time Giglio has shared the platform with WF preachers; he was already at Houston’s infamous annual Hillsong Conference back in 2012:

Evangelist Louie Giglio, speaking during the last day of the Hillsong Conference in Sydney Friday, shared about how he was lifted by God’s grace from a more than two-month struggle with the physical and emotional symptoms of stress and depression. (source)

Looks like that message would fit in just fine at a self help-style WF conference. Another time we’ll look further at Brian Houston; however, for our purposes here, you should know that Houston is the ring leader of the nefarious WF Hillsong Church, Australia.

In fact, Houston’s lead pastor along with his wife pastrix Bobbie; and two years ago we even saw Beth Moore To Speak For Hillsong Church. Houston’s also growing in stature with the burgeoning Evangelical Ecumenical Magisterium (EEM) as well.

This is evidenced e.g. in this tweet from EEM leader Mark Driscoll back on May 5 of 2012:

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(source)

You may also recall that EEM junior member Judah Smith regularly preaches for Brian Houston’s HC conferences. And you need to know that now Houston’s even got the kind of clout necessary within the apostatizing visible church to land two of the biggest names in Christendom for HC’s 2013 conference.

Notice that Smith shared the podium with EEM godfather Rick Warren and Word Faith self help guru Joel Osteen as I previously showd you in Joel Osteen Moving One Step Closer To Mainstream Evangelicalism:

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(source)

Rick Warren was there at HC as far back as 2006 and he returned the favor a couple of years ago with Word Faith Preacher Brian Houston Of Hillsong Australia Speaking At Saddleback Church. By the way HC Conference 2013 also featured Word Faith mogul T.D. Jakes.2

Now consider that Phil Pringle has been able to land both Brian Houston and Louis Giglio; and so it seems that Pringle himself is now moving more into the mainstream. 2012 appears a busy one for this cross pollination of theology; and sure enough, Pringle’s move would begin that year as well.

It happened when he brought in highly influential EEM prophet-pastor Steven Furtick to his C3 2012 conference:

What I am trying to do here is to help you see that there’s a real convergence of evangelicalism with the biggest names in the Word Faith movement; Giglio standing with such as these will now serve to further align his Passion/268 Jesus Generation movement with their own WF movements.

We should also find it of interest to note that Hillsong United, which originated at Houston’s HC, is slated to entertain the young at Giglio’s upcoming Passion 2014; and in addition, former Hillsong pastrixChristine Caine will also once again share the podium with Louis Giglio there at Passion.3

Are we really to think that all of this interbreeding is truly happening by some sheer coincidence? Finally, Giglio will be at Phil Pringle’s C3 2014 with Kong Hee, an up and coming WF pastor. You may recall that name from Rising Word Faith Pastor Kong Hee Arrested For Alleged Misuse Of Church Funds.

Then there was the disturbing idolatry of CHC Youth Worship Of Kong Hee And His CHC? Therein I informed you that Hee is founder of the largest church in Singapore, City Harvest Church, where he is pastor along with his wife pastrix Ho Yeow Sun, also known in the pop music world as Sun Ho.

Below Kong Hee compares himself to Jesus Christ and shares some direct revelation where Hee claims God actually thanks him for going through his trial and even apologizes to Hee that, like Jesus, he has to bear it alone:

Here’s the bottom line: Louis Giglio has considerable credibility within evangelicalism, New Calvinism, and with the young, restless, and reformed. Yet it’s this kind of spiritual lunacy in the Lord’s Name that he decides to lend his credibility to; and now that I have dared to be critical of Phil Pringle, let me quickly close.

For you see, I guess I’d better be afraid…be very afraid,,,because apparently, according to Pringle, God might actually kill me for opposing his spiritually bankrupt WF fables.4 But this is what the Lord says to Pringle et al:

2  false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 

2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. (2 Peter 2:1-3)

…

Endnotes

  1. http://bit.ly/1cD52sk, accessed 1/9/14. ↩
  2. http://bit.ly/19VpNSs, accessed 1/9/14. ↩
  3. http://268generation.com/passion2014/atl/who/, accessed 1/9/14. ↩
  4. http://bit.ly/1lROAX8, accessed 1/9/14. ↩

Source: Ken Silva, Louis Giglio Stands With Phil Pringle, Brian Houston, And Kong Hee At C3 Church, Apprising Ministries, http://apprising.org/2014/01/09/louis-giglio-stands-with-phil-pringle-brian-houston-and-kong-hee-at-c3-church/, 09/01/2014. (Accessed 12/01/2014.)

The House Of The Rising Sun

24 Saturday Aug 2013

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Although this is an older article, people have been enquiring where they can find information on Sun Ho’s Hollywood Mansion. So we thought it was important for people to read it on C3 Church Watch.

Transitioning reports,

Sun Ho Lives In $28,000-a-month rented Hollywood Mansion

City Harvest co-founder living it up in L.A.

By Ion Danker – June 20th, 2010

Imagine living in a S$28,000-a-month rented estate where famous Hollywood celebrities such as Paris Hilton’s sister Nicky, “Ugly Betty” star America Ferrera and British singer Leona Lewis are your neighbours.

If luck is on your side, you could even cross paths with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, who are also said to own a property in the vicinity.

Sounds too good to be true?

The Hollywood Hills estate is the place singer Ho Yeow Sun, 40, popularly known as Sun Ho, calls home since she moved to Los Angeles for her music career.

She is the wife of Reverend Kong Hee, 45, and co-founder of City Harvest Churchand has been commuting between Singapore and the U.S. since 2003.

According to The New Paper, the Hollywood mansion Ho has been renting for the past year is listed for sale at S$7.7 million. It’s reported that Ho lives there with her 5-year-old son, Dayan, an assistant, a nanny and her relatives.

The profile of residents in the neighbourhood is said to comprise millionaires and high-profile businessmen who like the quiet, peaceful and well-policed area with a low crime rate.

The report’s detailed description also indicates that the dark green Spanish Mediterranean-style building Ho is renting stands out from the rest of the properties in the area due to its large size.

The estate stands on 29,000 sq ft of land or about a third of a football field. It’s made up of a main house, three self-contained structures, with quarters for a butler, nanny and maid. Not only does it boast a swimming pool, a sundeck and a two-car garage, its driveway still has space for another 9 cars.

The total built-up area of the estate is 6,766 sq ft or about the size of 5 five-room HDB flats, while the 4,135 sq ft main house has four bedrooms.

The paper also said the housing agent in charge of the property described Kong Hee’s wife as “Singapore’s top singer and entertainer” while a neighbour said she was very “sophisticated and seems traditional” as she often hosts gatherings during special occasions like Chinese New Year.

Back in Singapore, the couple also made some big property moves through the years.

They started off in a five-room HDB flat in Tampines which was purchased at S$127,000 before selling it for S$420,000. They then moved to a unit at Horizon Towers costing S$1 million in River Valley before selling it off to buy a new apartment at The Suites at Central on Devonshire Road, said to be worth about S$2.6 million.

Ho returned to Singapore last Monday to assist the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) in an investigation into alleged misuse of church funds. She was said to have been grilled by police for more than eight hours.

Her husband, Kong Hee recently explained his silence in a Facebook post that said, “Because we’re in the midst of the investigation, I am unable to provide any details about the progress besides what already has been released by the Singapore Police in their statement to the press.”

“But I would like to assure everyone that I, together with the Management Board of the church, am fully cooperative in providing the necessary information needed for the investigation,” said the Pastor, who himself was recently accused of plagiarising three prominent Christian authors.

The couple and at least 16 others connected to the City Harvest Church are currently assisting the CAD in ongoing investigations.

Source: By Ion Danker, Sun Ho Lives In $28,000-a-month rented Hollywood Mansion, City Harvest co-founder living it up in L.A., http://www.transitioning.org/2010/06/22/sun-ho-lives-in-28000-a-month-rented-hollywood-mansion/, 20/06/2010.

Phil Pringle Sending Out His Son To Bring CHC The Victory Against Their Enemies

27 Monday May 2013

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Scriptures say,

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” – 1 Timothy 2:1-4

“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” – Romans 13:1

From City News,

Pringle said in the above video,

Pringle: “It’s such a pleasure to be here with my son Joseph who’s helping us lead worship this weekend in the great City Harvest Church. Keep praying. We’re believing and expecting nothing less than great victory.

Let’s believe together that the future is going to be better than anything we’ve seen before… Do you know one of the things that they did in the bible was they sent praise and worship out in front of the army?”

Joe: “I know… And that’s what I do. I go out and take all the shots.”

Pringle: “Exactly.”

Source: We Stand By You, City News, citynewssingapore, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOToKFKGpdY, Published on May 19, 2013. (Accessed 22/05/2013.)

What did Pringle mean when he said, “Do you know… they sent praise and worship out in front of the army”?

We’re used to seeing Pringle use specific language for personal results. The above dialogue is no different. Instead of using double-speak or bait and switch techniques, Pringle is using bible-coded language for his CHC audience the average person could miss. It’s hard to notice it at first unless you come from a Word of Faith background.

Chris Rosebrough from Fighting For The Faith has in the past reviewed sermons from Phil Pringle. In reviewing one of Pringle’s sermons, Rosebrough has noticed that Phil Pringle uses this deceptive technique.

Chris Rosebrough Critiquing Phil Pringle At C3 San Diego (12/02/2012)

We have also observed Kong Hee uses the bible-code technique.

How Can Kong Hee Say “I Do Maintain My Integrity”(Part 3)

What Did Phil Pringle Mean?

The only thing that CHC is up against is the court case. Pringle encourages people to “Keep praying. We’re believing and expecting nothing less than great victory”. Does this mean Phil Pringle is encouraging and believing that Kong Hee and all others will come out innocent in the name of victory? Well he gives this away. Yes he does.

It appears that Phil Pringle has brought his son over to Singapore as a ‘spiritual strategy’ to fight for CHC’s cause. It sounds absurd until you start unpacking what Phil Pringle said above in this short snippet.

Why is it not absurd? It is fairly common for Pentecostal or charismastic churches to spiritualise circumstances. Kong Hee’s court case is no different. To combat spiritual ‘principalities and powers’, Phil Pringle is claiming that all of CHC and himself are “believing and expecting…  great victory”. (For with God, all things are possible, right? If God is for us, who can be against us, right?)

CHC members would know exactly what Phil Pringle was talking about when he said, “one of the things that they did in the bible was they sent praise and worship out in front of the army”. But do you know what Phil Pringle was talking about in the above clip?

Below is the scripture story that Pringle is alluding too and twisting to elevate CHC to that of Ancient Israel and to those that ‘oppose them’ as CHC’s enemy:

“And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the LORD to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s. Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the LORD will be with you.”

Then Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshiping the LORD. And the Levites, of the Kohathites and the Korahites, stood up to praise the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

And they rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed.” And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the LORD and praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say,

“Give thanks to the LORD,
for his steadfast love endures forever.”

And when they began to sing and praise, the LORD set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed. For the men of Ammon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction, and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they all helped to destroy one another.

When Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness, they looked toward the horde, and behold, there were dead bodies lying on the ground; none had escaped… Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat at their head, returning to Jerusalem with joy, for the LORD had made them rejoice over their enemies.” – 2 Chronicles 20:15-24, 27

Let’s look at the parallel’s Pringle is drawing on:

What came against Israel? An enemy against them and their God.

What came against CHC? The court case.

What was Israel believing? That God would give them victory over their enemies.

What is Pringle and CHC believing in? “We’re believing and expecting nothing less than great victory.”

How did Jehoshaphat respond to the army? “He appointed those who were to sing to the LORD and praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army.”

How did Pringle respond to the upcoming case? “He appointed [his son] to sing to the LORD and praise him in holy attire, as [he] went before CHC.

By bringing his son Joseph into the equation, Phil Pringle is personally employing a spiritual strategy for “great victory” against the trial. This was stupid for Pringle to do as he now made his son’s very presence a symbol of war against the authorities coming against CHC.

On a more absurd note, does this mean Phil Pringle is Jehoshaphat? Oddly enough, going by what we’ve observed Phil Pringle say about himself in the past, it is highly probable he believes that he is a Jehoshaphat of some sort delivering God’s people.

Is C3ChurchWatch Reading Into This A Bit Too Much?

You may be thinking we are reading into what Phil Pringle is saying. You may be thinking that no one would extrapolate this nonsense from what Phil Pringle said. But when Joe Pringle opened his mouth, he confirmed what we believed to be true. He knew what his father was saying on both the ‘biblical’ level and in the current circumstances that CHC was facing. And Joe is right. He is now copping it from us.

“I know… And that’s what I do. I go out and take all the shots.”

This sinister and false biblical idea is re-inforced in the minds of Pringle’s listeners. The idea is this: CHC members and leaders are God’s chosen people and those outside of CHC are Gods enemies worthy of destruction.

Overall, to use the scriptures and God to elevate CHC and to insinuate that anyone who is ‘against’ them is an enemy of God is simply appalling on Pringle’s behalf.

Guilty Through Evasion

In the clip, Phil Pringle did not turn to the camera and speak directly to CHC the following, “Do you know one of the things that they did in the bible was they sent praise and worship out in front of the army?”

This would look as though he is directly telling CHC members to rally “praise and worship out in front of the [CHC] army” to confront their enemy.

Instead, he spoke to CHC by turning to his son and saying, “Do you know one of the things that they did in the bible was they sent praise and worship out in front of the army?”

What we are seeing is Pringle use indirect communication to Joe so that CHC receives what Phil Pringle says directly. This is evasion. And because Pringle results to using it, he knows what he is saying in this clip is essentially out of line.

We have Andrew Kubala resulting in the same type of indirect conversation when he was exposed by accident as a fraudulent healer.

C3 “Healing” Service (Andrew Kubalah Style)

Kubala claimed that a woman was healed. However she didn’t get healed. So he had to try to not look heartless towards her by diagnosing that she wasn’t letting go of the problem to receive her healing. Instead, he would turn from her to the audience, switching the words ‘your’ and ‘our’ to teach that it is our/her mind that is preventing us/her from our/her healing. He was using indirect communication to not offend her. What Andrew Kubala did then is what Phil Pringle is doing here.

This movement is a sign that both Pringle and Kubala know they can’t say certain things directly without facing possible consequences from their listener. That is why we are prepared to say that Pringle knew he was crossing the line when he alluded to the story of Jehoshaphat as a spiritual tactic to claim CHCs victory. He couldn’t follow through speaking directly to CHC. Instead he used his son indirectly to do this.

This entire clip was a very cunning maneuver on Pringle’s behalf. It is our desire to inform readers that this is not the way a Christian Pastor should behave. Can you imagine Jesus’ Apostle’s behaving like this?

Christianity is not a religion that is against governments. Christians are called to submit and faithfully pray for those that rule them whether they agree with them or not.

So why is Pringle behaving as though he is above God’s Word and able to lay these false insinuations on Singaporean authorities?

Well Jesus labels false teachers ‘Lawless Ones’. (Matt 7:15-23.) Why? Observing how Pringle is pitting the church against those Jesus says we need to honour and respect, we think we’re now beginning to understand why.