Tag Archives: kong hee scandal

Scipione & Baird AGAIN speaking at cult that covered up paedophilia

27 Friday Nov 2015

Posted by in C3 Singapore Scandal, Uncategorized

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Despite C3 Church being involved in various scandals and cover-ups over the years, the Premier of New South Wales, Mike Baird and the Commissioner of the New South Wales Police Force, Andrew Scipione continue to share a platform with Phil Pringle.

To this day, Phil Pringle still:

  1. likes to be endorsed by his convicted mentor David Yonggi Cho,
  2. continues to endorse his convicted protege, Kong Hee,
  3. continues to lie about the Singaporean authorities to his church as to why Kong Hee actually went to jail,
  4. continues to cover up a pedophile scandal he was personally involved in,

while taking advantage of the credibility of Andrew Scipione and Mike Baird.

Phil Pringle writes,

philpringle Great #c3Pathfinders full house breakfast with both NSW Premier @mikebairdmp & Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione sharing about leadership, family & their faith. #newdayleaders #C3churchhub

Source: Phil Pringle, Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/p/-hlBZFNP8D/, Accessed 26/11/2015.

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Since its inception,  the C3 movement has been heavily involved in the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) cult and has heavily pushed its agenda around Australian churches. Very similar to a Masonic society, a trait of the NAR is their “organic” networks, one aspect being the Seven Mountain Mandate (7MM). (Kong Hee calls this the seven pillars of society and the cultural mandate.)

The 7MM is all about infiltrating what they call the “market place.” To infiltrate society (to take the city for God), the NAR and C3 teaches that Christians need to conquer the seven mountains of society: Art/Entertainment, Business, Church/Religion, Dissemination/News, Education, Family/Health, Government/Law.

False-Gospel_NAR

This explains Elise Boggs comment below on Phil Pringle’s instagram:

Leadership! My favorite word @philpringle . Thanks for the encouraging shout out at c3 global. Love that C3 has a marketplace ministry. #c3pathfinders #marketplaceinfluence

We speculate that the reason why Phil Pringle had both Baird and Scipione speaking was to demonstrate to his movement that C3 are making “Christian” inroads into the Government/Law mountain in their “marketplace ministry.”

While PathFinders will not specifically teach the 7MM to those who attend, C3 appears to be moulding its members to conform to the philosophies and pagan teachings of the NAR, specifically through its Bible (The Church mountain) and Arts colleges (Arts/Entertainment mountain).

The Seven Mountain Mandate cannot be supported by scripture as it’s an unbiblical system developed by Bill Bright and Loren Cunningham back in 1975. They both claim that God spoke to them.

There is a good chance that Andrew Scipione and Mike Baird may have been accidentally indoctrinated by Hillsong or C3 who have been pushing this anti-Christian, totalitarian doctrine for decades.

It is our hope and prayer that Scipione and Baird are not hoodwinked by these cults and instead start investigating them.

 

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

07 Friday Mar 2014

Posted by in C3 & Pringles Associations

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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”

David Yonggi Cho Church Fraud Investigation? (Part 5) – Sex Scandal Included?

26 Thursday Dec 2013

Posted by in C3 & Pringles Associations

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Phil Pringle’s protege Kong Hee is facing allegations for mishandling church funds of up to US$50 million.

And now for a good while Phil Pringle’s mentor David Yonggi Cho has been under investigation for financial misconduct. Allegations have surfaced from his elders claiming that Yonggi Cho has mishandled church funds of up to US$500 million.

You heard that right. “… elders are accusing the Chos of embezzling as much as US$500 million or more in church money.”

Please read what we have covered on this incident in these previous articles:

David Yonngi Cho Church Fraud Investigation? (Part 1)

David Yonngi Cho Church Fraud Investigation? (Part 2)

David Yonggi Cho Church Fraud Investigation? (Part 3)

David Yonggi Cho Church Fraud Investigation? (Part 4)

Before reading this article, ask yourself this question – who is Kong Hee, Phil Pringle and David Yonggi Cho accountable too?

The Hankyoreh reports,

Yoido Full Gospel Church elders make explosive allegations of massive corruption

Senior pastor David Yonggi Cho accused of siphoning off millions in church funds; his camp denies the allegations

By Cho Yeon-hyun, religion correspondent

30 elders from Yoido Full Gospel Church, the world’s largest megachurch, held a press conference at the Korea Ecumenical Building in Seoul’s Jongno district on Nov. 14 to allege that senior pastor David Yonggi Cho and his family funneled off hundreds of billions of won from church donations.

Yoido Full Gospel Church (left) and senior pastor David Yonggi Cho

The sheer scale of the amounts alleged by the elders to have been misappropriated is beyond the imagination. The elders made public a report from an investigation into three alleged improprieties by Cho made by a special investigation committee and ethics committee formed within the church last year. This time around, the allegations came from members of a group called the Prayer Meeting for Correcting the Church, including elders Kim Dae-jin and Kim Seok-kyun.

First, they claim that Cho returned only 64.3 billion won (US$60.2 million) of the 163.3 billion won (US$152.9 million) he borrowed from the church while building the CCMM Building between 1992 and 1998, when he was chairman of the church‘s Mission Society. The remaining 99 billion won (US$92.7 million), they say, was never returned.

By the elders’ account, construction payments of 28.5 billion won (US$26.7 million) and 16.6 billion won (US$15.5 million) were made at the time to Next Media Corporation and Facility Management Korea, companies managed by Cho’s eldest son Hee-jun.

It is also being claimed that Cho’s third son Seung-jae’s International Club Management Group bought three floors of the building from the church for 29.5 billion won (US$27.6 million) and sold them back three years later for 37.2 billion won (US$34.8 million) – pocketing the difference of 7.7 billion won (US$7.2 million).

In addition to allegedly appropriating 34.2 billion won (US$32 million) in Kukmin Ilbo newspaper lifetime reader memberships from 50,000 people for stock investments, Cho Hee-jun was also accused by the elders of making off with a total of 240 billion won (US$224.7 million) in assets related to the church.

They also claimed that David Cho’s wife Kim Sung-hae, president of Hansei University, has yet to account for 10.5 billion won (US$9.8 million) paid by the church as support for Bethesda Christian University, an institution she runs in the US. The elders also view US real estate purchased by the university for around US$15 million as having been bought with church money.

In total, the elders are accusing the Chos of embezzling as much as US$500 million or more in church money.

Associates of David Yonggi Cho insisted he had “no connection with any direct exchanges of money.”

Kim Sung-hae’s camp said the details of the Bethesda Christian University situation would be brought to light by prosecutors, who are currently investigating, but added that the elders’ claims were “merely allegations, not facts, and not worth responding to each one.”

The most explosive part of the allegations is the sheer amount of money supposedly received by David Yonggi Cho. The elders claim he received a severance payment of 20 billion won (US$18.7 million) when he stepped down as head pastor in 2008 – and that even that was decided without their knowledge or any voting by major church decision-making bodies. They also said no information was available on the whereabouts of 12 billion won (US$11.2 million) a year paid between 2004 and 2008 – 60 billion won in total – for “special missionary expenses.”

The elders gave a yearly total of 100 billion to 120 billion won (US$93.6-112.3 million) in donations received by the church. This would mean the annual amount taken in by the headquarters dropped by almost half from about 200 billion won a year when Cho spun off the Jisungjun center in downtown Seoul around the time he handed over senior pastor duties to Lee Young-hoon in 2008. Nevertheless, it remains the largest amount received in donations by any religious body in South Korea.

The elders also claim that Cho continued controlling the church even after his “retirement” by making decisions as “governor” – to the point where his successor Lee had difficulty exercising his authority on appointments and finances.

One of the former elders at the press conference, Ha Sang-ok, previously admitted to taking part in giving 1.5 billion won (US$1.4 million) while collecting the book “Madame Butterfly in Paris” from a female vocalist in France named Jeong who anonymously wrote the account about an affair with Cho.

“A sect leader might violate the commandments and do as he wishes, but a pastor cannot do that,” Ha 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.”

The elders also made public a statement allegedly made by Cho saying he would give Jeong 1.5 billion won in exchange for her making no future mention of their extramarital relationship, along with copies of receipts for the two transactions totaling 3 billion won.

The church’s public relations office said the claims were “a personal matter that the church has no comment on.”

Lee Won-gun, an elder who functions as Cho’s “chief of staff,” said Cho is “unconcerned with money, to the point where I’ve never once seen him talk about giving money or not giving money to somebody.”

“There will be a response from this side after looking at the elders’ claims,” Lee added.

Cho is currently on trial for alleged causing 15.7 billion won (US$14.7 million) in damages to the church by instructing it to buy 250,000 shares of his eldest son’s stocks at a rate four times market value.

During the press conference, a physical altercation occurred when a number of Cho’s supporters attempted to rush the platform at the press conference and accused the elders of “insulting” the pastor.

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]

From: By Cho Yeon-hyun, Yoido Full Gospel Church elders make explosive allegations of massive corruption, The Hankyoreh, http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/611326.html, Published 15/11/2013. (Accessed 22/12/2013.)

CHC Farewells Charged Member Chew Eng Han

22 Saturday Jun 2013

Posted by in C3 & Pringles Associations

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Just recently Chew Eng Han, (one of the six charged in the Kong Hee scandal), wrote the following statement,

Personal Statement From Chew Eng Han

Dear friends in CHC,

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 the right thing to do is to depart from City Harvest Church (CHC).

CHC is my first and only church and in the 17 years there, I have been fed the Word of God and learnt 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.

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, 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.  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 in real life.  More than anything, these are foremost issues of spiritual and moral significance.

I realize these are strong words, but nevertheless I do believe no one has to be afraid of speaking the truth.  Otherwise we are in bondage to man and their man-made rules.  Jesus Himself did not mince words when dealing and confronting certain issues or persons, because He carried the Spirit of Truth, which we similarly do. We are also given the gift of the Holy Spirit to discern between right and wrong, truth and untruth, and then to take a stand for what is right and true.

Above personal reasons, I firmly believe that everyone is entitled to have a go at knowing and walking in the truth, and those who withhold it from the masses will be held accountable by Him for consensual silence.  I fear God, not man.  Unity is good, but it cannot come at the expense of truth and justice and be imposed for the personal benefit of a few. True unity is linked to the Spirit of God, of Truth and Justice, and edifies all, not a select few.

Hopefully, many will kindly remember me as one who has poured out his whole life and has tirelessly fought for the cause of this church – be it in the property search, the crossover, or the reputation of the leadership.  It takes a lot for me to make a sharp turnaround, but we do have to make difficult decisions at important crossroads of our lives, and this is such a decision.  In the end, principles such as accountability, honesty, fair-dearling, justice and truth will for me take precedence over position, popularity, recognition and acceptance.

My wish for all in CHC is that everyone will focus his eyes and heart on Jesus Christ, who is and can be the only Foundation of the church.  God bless you and be with you all.

“If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end; if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth, only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin, and in the end despair.” CS Lewis

“The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.” Winston Churchill

Source: Personal Statement From Chew Eng Han, Who Is Speaking The Truth?, http://mrslightnfriends.com/personal-statement-from-chew-eng-han,  (Accessed 22/06/2013.)

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CHC responded with the following statement,

DEAR BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

We are saddened by news of Chew Eng Han’s decision to leave City Harvest Church, which he announced yesterday.

Eng Han was a fund manager for and Board Member of CHC, and has been part of the family for 17 years. His children have grown up in this church. He has served in various ministries over the years, such as leading the Business Breakthrough Group. He has contributed in many ways to the vision and mission of CHC, including the Crossover Project.

While we do not fully understand the reasons for his current sentiments, we wish nothing but the best for Eng Han and his family, and thank him for all his contributions.

The Board 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.

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.

We take comfort in the fact that in the Bible, even colleagues in the ministry, such as Paul and Barnabas, had parted ways, only for the glory of God and the furtherance of the Gospel.

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.

Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. (2 Cor 13:11, NKJV)

In Christ,

Lee Kiam Hiong
Secretary
2013/2014 CHC Management Board
City Harvest Church

Source: Lee Kiam Hiong, http://www.chc.org.sg/#!a-leadership-update-from-the-chc-board-22-jun-2013, Updated as at 22 June 2013. (Accessed 22/06/2013.)

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[Edit 23/06/2013]

The Straits Times Reports,

One of the City Harvest leader on trial for embezzlement leaves church

By Tan Dawn Wei Assistant News Editor

ONE of the six City Harvest Church leaders on trial for allegedly embezzling millions of church funds has quit the church.

Chew Eng Han, 52, the church’s former investment manager, issued a lengthy statement on a blog yesterday which alluded to the fact that he could not see eye to eye with the leadership of the church.

When contacted, he told The Straits Times that his move was prompted by “a collision of primarily spiritual and moral principles”. He said he had not been in touch with the other leaders, and was unaware of how they felt about his departure. He also said he no longer had any ties with City Harvest and had no immediate plans to find another church.

Chew faces six charges of criminal breach of trust and four charges of falsification of accounts in a high-profile trial involving the megachurch. He was arrested last year along with church founder Kong Hee and charged over funnelling $24 million of the church’s funds into sham bond investments to further the career of Kong’s wife Ho Yeow Sun.

Source: Tan Dawn, One of the City Harvest leader on trial for embezzlement leaves church, The Straits Times, http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/one-the-city-harvest-leader-trial-embezzlement-leaves-church-20130622, Published on Jun 22, 2013  8:40 AM. (Accessed 23/06/2013.)

Channel News Asia reports,

City Harvest says it does not fully understand Chew Eng Han’s reasons for leaving

The board of City Harvest Church (CHC), six of whose leaders are involved in a court trial over alleged misuse of millions of church building funds, said it is saddened by the news of Chew Eng Han leaving.

SINGAPORE: The board of City Harvest Church (CHC), six of whose leaders are involved in a court trial over alleged misuse of millions of church building funds, said it is saddened by the news of Chew Eng Han leaving.

Chew is one of the six CHC leaders facing trial on the misuse of funds, and was a board member as well as a fund manager for the church.

He announced his decision to leave his church of 17 years in his blog on Friday, citing differences in opinions with the church leadership.

The church board responded to the announcement with a posting at the CHC website past midnight. It said it did not fully understand the reasons for his current sentiments but wished him well.

Besides Chew, CHC founder Kong Hee, along with John Lam, Tan Ye Peng, Serina Wee and Sharon Tan, are involved in the trial over the alleged misuse of funds.

Source:  City Harvest says it does not fully understand Chew Eng Han’s reasons for leaving, Channel News Asia, http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/city-harvest-says-it-does/720516.html, 22 Jun 2013 10:25 AM. (Accessed 23/06/2013.)

The Star Online reports,

City Harvest leader on trial quits church

ONE of the six City Harvest Church leaders on trial for allegedly embezzling millions of church funds has quit the church.

Chew Eng Han, 52, the church’s former investment manager, issued a lengthy statement on a blog yesterday which alluded to the fact that he could not see eye to eye with the leadership of the church.

When contacted, he said that his move was prompted by “a collision of primarily spiritual and moral principles”.

He said he had not been in touch with the other leaders and was unaware of how they felt about his departure.

He also said he no longer had any ties with City Harvest and had no immediate plans to find another church.

Chew faces six charges of criminal breach of trust and four charges of falsification of accounts in a high-profile trial involving the megachurch.

He was arrested last year along with church founder Kong Hee and charged over funnelling S$24mil (RM60mil) of the church’s funds into sham bond investments to further the career of Kong’s wife Ho Yeow Sun.

They were also said to have tried to cover that up by devising transactions of S$26.6mil (RM66.5mil), known as “round-tripping”.

Chew said leaving was a difficult decision he had thought about and prayed over for months. He joined the church in 1996 and was a member of the church’s board from 1999 to 2007, where he held various positions, including vice-president and treasurer.

He also served on its investment committee, and was the one who registered Xtron Productions, the company that managed Ho’s music career.

In his statement, he said that if “certain events had not overtaken this wonderful experience”, he would have continued to stay with the only church he has known.

“In the end, principles such as accountability, honesty, fair-dealing, justice and truth will for me take precedence over position, popularity, recognition and acceptance,” he wrote.

Source: City Harvest leader on trial quits church, http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2013/6/23/asia/13277222&sec=asia, 23/06/2013. (Accessed 24/06/2013.)

Beyond Words… Pringle Sinks To New Depths At Global Presence Conference 2013

03 Monday Jun 2013

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At his Global Presence Conference 2013, Phil Pringle got thousands of Christians to financially support Kong Hee’s trial back in Singapore. Pringle did not inform those present what the allegations against Kong Hee and his staff were about.

Below is the video and transcript. Here are some of our observations what Pringle said:

  • Although Pringle did not want to encourage Christians to financially support Kong Hee’s defense lawyers “under any compulsion or pressure” Phil Pringle laid the pressure on people to give.
  • He manipulated people into giving by censoring the central facts of Kong Hee’s trial and parading him as an innocent and righteous blood-stained martyr in a pagan world. He did this by comparing Kong Hee’s circumstances to John Bunyan’s and the early church Apostles circumstances.
  • Using cat-fight and division-like tactics, Pringle used defamatory commentary against Christians who are questioning the integrity of Kong Hee, Sun Ho and himself. After slagging off Christians as ‘enemies’, he called for the church to be unified again around Kong Hee and Sun Ho without explaining why they were being charged. (For someone who thinks that Christians “are getting a little numb” to criticisms now, Pringle makes sure to attack them publicly.)
  • Pringle twists the Apostle Paul’s words so Christians would close their eyes, ears and minds to the truth. When Pringle said, “Don’t be moved as by as a letter as though from us”, he was referring to 2 Thessalonians 2:2. This is why there IS division. Paul wanted the church to avoid men like Pringle that would twist his words.

The above is not an exhaustive analysis of what Pringle said. We encourage readers to examine and discuss the claims we have made above. We are looking at doing a thorough analysis of Pringle’s special offering message at another time. In the mean time, here is Phil Pringle’s message:

“Oh Jesus! Your Presence™ is heaven to us.

You know I- I want to do a couple more things tonight before we finish. If I can have the lights go up a bit.

Uh- I’m hesitant to do this but I just feel we should. And I don’t want you to feel under any compulsion or pressure or anything like this. And I’ve only ever done this once before in a Presence Conference as to add another offering but I know the costs that are involved in Kong Hee making his defense. It’s not small.

It’s not even six figures. It’s seven and it’s multiples of that for the legal defense and for seven people are charged. not just Kong himself. Happily, two weeks ago, Sun was completely exonerated from all charges against her. [Crowds Applause]

You can be seated. Thank you. Just for a second. I know it’s half past time but we’re cool. It’s ANZAC day.

I would like you just to take a card, an envelope if you’ve got one nearby. And if you’d like to participate in this, I’d like you to consider doing that. Whatever you can do it would be helpful, I know, to them. This will all go completely to Pastor Kong to help with his- costs. He has to pay this week $680,000 I think it is, for his legal fees. He’s covering his whole team’s fees. They have to mount a vigorous defense over three years. Those numbers weigh heavily on- on a person and they have prohibited him from asking his own congregation for any help.

He can not use any of his own church funds. They’ve sold there- they sold the unit they were in. Others have moved to help them in other countries and I would like to think that we can be friends to these people in one of their darkest hours.

We do not face this kind of situation. It’s hard to even imagine it or feel it. But I’ve been on the front page of newspapers. And I’ve been on the six o’clock. And I’ve been on a Current Affair when Mr Hinch was around even then. And I was there. “Shame! Shame!”

And uh- and uh- and it’s- it’s a terrible, terrible feeling. But I- you gotta know that the reason we- this- this- none of this comes cheaply. And I’m not talking cash. Nothing of worth is achieved without some opposition. And you can tell the value of a thing you’re trying to achieve by the level of opposition that you’re getting.

And so- there’s a price for the anointing. There’s a price for the growth of the kingdom of God. And when we’re called to come up with that price- whatever it is- there’s not a disciple or an apostle that didn’t go through some immense contradiction in life. To achieve the things, the scriptures that we read, are penned in blood. There are martyrs all through the centuries and persecuted people. John Bunyan was thrown in prison. I think it was eleven times before he wrote ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’. Finally he wrote it.

He figured, “This is why I’m in here”. Hehe! I’m not sure if he ever went back in there but cos he was preaching so ferociously. They just kept throwing him in.

And I think it’s an awesome thing. If one member in the body has suffered. If other members bear the pain as well, a little- and so I would like to do this right now.

One of the things that’s happened- it’s one of the brightest pieces of light in the last three years in this situation- that recently Sun was exonerated because there was insufficient evidence, they said. So there was a public outcry, “Why then in the first place was there any suspension of her office?”

And that was one of the questions asked. And uh- it continues, you know. But that is th- that is a beginning. That is a bright piece of light for- and the press- the last press release I read was uh- halfway positive- and halfway negative. But it uh- it wasn’t as nearly as DAMNING as the others had been.

Let’s pray together and ask God to help us with our giving here to bless our brother. And if you are unable to, pray. If you can, do. Go ahead and let’s uh- be a blessing to Pastor Kong and Sun and the great City Harvest Church. One of the greatest churches in the world without any shadow of a doubt. A church that is changing the ratio of Christian populations in certain countries.

Heavenly father, help us stand with this man and woman you have chosen to serve you and have given you everything. Laid down their lives in so many ways. And Lord we pray as we stand with them here tonight for the blessing of God to rest on our giving, in Jesus name. And every body said, “Amen”. [Camera shot on Kong Hee and Sun Ho praying] Thank you very much. Hallelujah!

You know uh- I knew when we saw the 2014 line-up of speakers for next year, I thought uh, “Pastor Kong is not there. He’s here every year. So I need to ask him”.

[Kong Hee nods ‘yes’, stands up and salutes Pringle to receive applause] Will you at least do one session for us next year? Please! You know. You must do one session for us. [Crowd applauses.]

And I thought, “I want to do that before the end of the night” because exactly what Son said, “Next year when we are here”. That’s one of the greatest statements of faith you’ve heard in this conference. I don’t expect you to fully understand that but because they are facing two trials. One in may and one in August. In Singapore you will see lots of negative stuff. You will read lots of blogs by Christians as well that are terrible, negative, attacking, all kinds of things and we live in that kind of age.

But I think people are getting a little numb to it now. I saw on some comments on Facebook today about this conference. I’m thinking, “Oh! PLEASE! You know! Get over it in Jesus name! Amen! Get a life! Do something! Win some people to Jesus! You know like- our worst critics and enemies are within our own deal, for goodness sake. Can’t we get it together and discover the things that unite us are far more the things that divide us in Jesus name. Amen!

We’re here to build the church, not tear it down. I’m not gonna get into cat fights with anybody. Amen! I’ll just ignore it, move on. Thank you Jesus. “Try the other cheek!” Amen!

It’s all good. Don’t go out there and be moved by these things. Paul had it all the time. Don’t be moved as by as a letter as though from us. People would fake his signature and write letters about the resurrection being over and criticising him. Ridiculous! It’s always been around.

But things like Joey Bonofacio was saying this afternoon, God allows things to shake us. To shake the things that can be shaken so that we’ll lose them and so that the things that cannot be shaken will remain and get stronger. Amen!

That’s why you get shaken. [Crowds applause] Woah!

But be immovable. Be unshakable. Don’t be shaken in mind or troubled in heart by those sort of things. Stand strong. Know what’s right and do that in Jesus name. Amen!”