“For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest…” (Part 2)

08 Monday Sep 2014

Posted by churchwatcher in C3 & Pringles Associations

Tags

c3, C3 Balmain, c3 balmain scandal, c3 church oxford falls, C3 Church Rozelle, C3 Church Rozelle scandal, C3 Rozelle, C3 Rozelle scandal, CHC, chc scandal, Christian City Church, City Harvest Church, kong, Kong Hee, Lucas, Macken, Paul Macken, Phil Pringle, Pringle, scandal, Ward Lucas

Ps Kong Hee and Ps Phil Pringle

TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY AND GOVERNANCE – WHERE IS IT?

“… nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.” – Jesus, Luke 8:17

The context of the above scripture has Jesus explaining how we should listen. What I have been seeing at C3 church is a lack of the leaders hearing the words of Jesus and instead hide things in secret so they do not get caught. After reading various articles on this site, researching C3 church further on the web and attending C3 Conferences, I feel compelled to share some thoughts and information with you in this article. As a Christian attending a C3 church over some year, I believe what I have seen and heard in C3 needs to be examined further. After reading this article you will see why.

COMPARING KONG HEE’S CHC TO PHIL PRINGLE’S C3…

Before reading any further, please read my first article here:

“For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest…” (Part 1)

The above heading is slightly altered from Tom Adam’s website that tackled the scandal his family was involved in at C3 Balmain. He has updated the information on his website. This section of his website should get everyone’s attention (emphasis mine):

The Mystery of the Disappearing Cash

When I had left C3 Church Balmain/C3 Church Rozelle, I was so disbelieving that the senior pastor Ward Lucas’s ‘love’ for us could have resulted in such an outcome that I kept asking questions about finances. I only wanted to know what had happened to the large sums of money given into their control by my wife and I and others, just to make sure our expulsion hadn’t been some kind of grotesque cover-up. At first I was met with fob offs, then silence. So I went as far as to start court proceedings, thinking perhaps they were just being difficult because they could and they ‘loved’ us so. They’d thrown me out for ‘pretending’ that they were not accountable, surely they’d have no problem providing proper financial accounts to me then? On the contrary, they went on to prove during a four year court process that as well as making sure they’ve set themselves up to avoid any legal obligation to provide financial information to church goers, they’re also prepared to spend signficant time and money in litigation to avoid it. They did all this with the energetic assistance of Mr Paul Macken Solicitor, of C3 Church Oxford Falls.

The actual reasons for this painful display only became clear at the death, after years of ducking and weaving. C3 Church Balmain/C3 Church Rozelle had taken $20K I had given them specifically to be used for a building fund, that came from my late father’s estate, and tipped it into something else. At one point according to my forensic accountant, the money seemed to spend some quality time in an C3 Church bank account called ‘pastoral account’, that was apparently used for pastor Lucas’s expenses. This was written up by the church accountant as a mistake. And although I clearly recall specifically telling pastor Lucas what the money was to be used for, he signed an affidavit sworn on the bible saying I did not give the money to be used for a building fund, I was making that up. Odd, because when C3 Church Balmain/C3 Church Rozelle got the money they wrote on the cheque the words ‘building fund’, and put it into an account where it remained for years labelled ‘building fund’. According to pastor Lucas, notwithstanding the church’s own records, the truth was that I had given it to them to use for a later fund that did not come into existence until years later, one that was used for things that included buying chairs, musical equipment, paying insurance and accountants fees.

But then, at the door of the court, after the years of ducking and weaving, faced with a judge who might actually consider things like the church’s own records, C3 Church Balmain/C3 Church Rozelle decided they didn’t want to roll the dice on that yarn, and paid all the money back to me. Which reveals the truth of the matter more succintly than anything I can say. So test the claims. Jesus is not reported of speaking of an unforgivable sin of asking about money, questioning or disagreeing with religious leaders. Instead, he blasted religious leaders who neglected justice and mercy and threw those making money out of the temple. And then those same religious leaders killed him for it.

Senior pastor Ward Lucas worked diligently to remove my family and I in 2008, well aware of the issues with the cash that we had started asking about. His assistant pastor Anthony Grant, who also often claimed to ‘love’ us, helped put it into effect. The ‘love’ proclaimed by them so often before we asked about their use of other people’s money had become something else entirely. I’ve had more genuine enemies, who at least didn’t pretend for years to ‘love’ me. The C3 Church Oxford Falls overseers, Steve Janes and Mark Kelsey, who knew all about the circumstances backed pastor Lucas to the hilt. They didn’t even speak to us before reportedly judging us to be liars based only on the say so of pastor Lucas, and recommending our forced removal.

No one protected us, or our kids. So why would they protect you?

Source: Tom Adam, Important Information about C3 Church Balmain/C3 Church Rozelle, http://www.christianchurchbalmain.info/. (Accessed 02/09/2014.)

As Tom Adam explained on his website, it appears C3 settled with him on the Supreme court steps early this year. Being a solicitor with a strong family history of members involved in Law, he was a very brave person to threaten them and win.

Obviously, Phil Pringle didn’t want the scandal to be made public. I believe very few people at C3 overseas and in Australia know anything about what happened to Tom Adams and other church members at C3 Balmain.

HOW DEEP DOES THE RABBIT HOLE GO?

For more information on the C3 Balmain scandal, click on the link below and go right to the bottom of the page and click on the subpages to follow on.

C3 Church Balmain/C3 Church Rozelle Review Page

Below is a blog stating that the Attorney General’s Department was also involved in the Supreme Court action against C3 Balmain. It discloses some details on the structure of the C3 Church which their Lawyers uncovered. It appears the person who wrote on this blog as “Dave” is Dave Adams, Tom Adam’s Brother. I understand he and other family members were expelled from C3 Balmain. Here are the comments I thought were worth reporting from David Adams:

Hi, Specks,
What you say is right on the money.

Seven members of my family were expelled by force from C3 Balmain after asking to see properly kept accounts of the church’s Rise and Buile fund to which they had given more than $100,000.

The story is told on this web site:
http://sites.google.com/site/c3churchbalmainreviewpage/

It’s worth a look.

The church leaders are now in the Australian Supreme Court defending themselves against among others our Attorney General’s Department.

The money has vanished.

C3 Church Balmain is set up so that there is no independent oversight whatever of the use of funds donated to it.

What strikes me is that these guys convince you to give money to them by telling you if you give to God, you’ll prosper.

They are the ones who gain out of that arrangement.

The lawyers in my family’s case have found everywhere in the C3 movement dodgy private companies; dodgy incorporated associations; and church’s with massive assets that are not actually owned by the church community, but effectively by five or ten people–the Pringles of the world.

Keep protesting is all I can say!

Source: David, C3 ‘Vision Builders’ Pamphlet for ‘Rise & Build’, Signposts02, https://signposts02.wordpress.com/2010/06/23/c3-%E2%80%98vision-builders%E2%80%99-pamphlet-for-%E2%80%98rise-build%E2%80%99/, September 5, 2010 at 9:19 pm. (Accessed 20/06/2014.)

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G’day Specks.

The fault doesn’t lie in any particular company (as in say such and such company is alleged to be skimming money).

The problem lies in this (this is what has got the Attorney General interested).
If you’re a not-for-profit you’re supposed to be set up so that you have enough formal members to have an independent majority ensuring that you don’t misuse funds, and that you are looking after those regularly involved in your organisation.
C3 churches appear to set themselves up so that the legal entity behind them has a handful of members. In which case there is no independent majority overseeing the finances and protection of ordinary attendees as required under the Charitable Fundraising Act.

The short version!

At this stage white Horse hasn’t been mentioned, although I’ve read about it.
God speed one and all!

Source: David, C3 ‘Vision Builders’ Pamphlet for ‘Rise & Build’, Signposts02, https://signposts02.wordpress.com/2010/06/23/c3-%e2%80%98vision-builders%e2%80%99-pamphlet-for-%e2%80%98rise-build%e2%80%99/#comment-13214, September 5, 2010 at 11:33 pm. (Accessed 20/06/2014.)

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P.S.

What this means of course is that unless you are a formal member of the association/company that is your C3 church’s legal entity, you in fact have no legal rights as an attendee of the church.

In addition it means that all the assets that look as though they’re owned by your church community (buildings/fittings/land) are effectively owned, not by the church community, but by the five or six formal members of the legal entity.
It also means that the handful of members of the legal entity have iron control of finances. If the majority of them gain financially from the spending of the church’s money (ie because they are employees of the legal entity as well as controlling it), then…?

Be it said significant breaches of the Charitable Fundraising Act make you liable to a jail sentence.

Cheers.

Source: David, C3 ‘Vision Builders’ Pamphlet for ‘Rise & Build’, Signposts02, https://signposts02.wordpress.com/2010/06/23/c3-%e2%80%98vision-builders%e2%80%99-pamphlet-for-%e2%80%98rise-build%e2%80%99/#comment-13215, September 5, 2010 at 11:47 pm. (Accessed 20/06/2014.)

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Cheers, all.

Re C3 Balmain–naturally I can’t go in to any detail that involves the court business.

What I’ve done on my site, and my brother has done on his, has been to confine ourselves to irrefutable facts.

The explicit information contained on those is supported by copious documentation.

That stuff I can chat about.

With respect to Kelsey’s involvement, no-one knows at all what it was. Lucas and Grant apparently said one thing at the time; but as my brother’s site indicates Kelsey, via his lawyer, is so vehement in denying any involvement the literal meaning of his denials seems to be that he has nothing to do at all with C3 Church Balmain, and that he isn’t even a leader in the C3 Church movement.

None of us can make head or tail of that!
Here is my brother’s take on things re Kelsey.

http://www.christianchurchbalmain.info/page8.php

He is the senior lawyer involved in the case against the leaders of C3 Balmain.

Peace be with all!

Source: David, C3 ‘Vision Builders’ Pamphlet for ‘Rise & Build’, Signposts02, https://signposts02.wordpress.com/2010/06/23/c3-%e2%80%98vision-builders%e2%80%99-pamphlet-for-%e2%80%98rise-build%e2%80%99/#comment-13223, September 6, 2010 at 9:34 am. (Accessed 20/06/2014.)

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Hi, all,

Thank you for your kind thoughts. There is so much here, I can’t reply in detail to it; but I appreciate your remarks. I will try in later posts to come back to anything you’ve written, if it seems good to.

In the light of the posts that have followed mine I thought it most important to clarify my own position about a few things.

I co-led an independent church for ten years. I founded a not-for-profit organisation working with victims of domestic violence. I wrote its constitution so that it complied with our laws. So I know from that point of view what our laws require both in founding and administering this kind of group.

The following is ultimately my reason for writing my own web site, and for being on this page. As it happens, this is what Tom and I both really care about.
The failure to provide explicit constitutional protection to attendees of C3 churches is a profound evil. It is a massive scandal in waiting. Why deny them these rights?

These are rights that are supposed, under Australian law, to be extended by every social organisation formed here to every person who can fairly be said to belong to that organisation.

If you do not comply exactly with the relevant government department’s instructions in setting up a not-for-profit organisation, and if you do not comply exactly with its rules thereafter, you break the law. And you break it over and over in the ordinary running of your organisation.

As well, even if you do not allow church attendees to become members of your church’s legal entity, you are required to extend the basic principles of your association’s constitution to every person who comes under your care. If you do not—you break the law.

Serious breaches of the Charitable Fundraising Act make you liable to a lengthy prison sentence.

No rigorous scrutiny is presently carried out by the NSW Government, to check whether not-for-profits in practice set themselves up in compliance with instructions. Nor are the financial documents submitted to government departments by not-for-profits here rigorously scrutinised.

The idea that a not-for-profit is probably on the up and up because it is allowed to come into existence, and because it later submits the requisite financial documents to the relevant government department without trouble arising, is false.

This lack of scrutiny is in part where the problem lies.

It is the way C3 Balmain is set up that has led to a situation in which the only way Tom can learn where his inheritance from Grandad went is to through a Supreme Court decision. If the church were set up properly, there would be properly kept accounts. If there were no accounts there would be a procedure for handling the matter internally, that would involve trouble for anyone failing in their accounting measures. Tom wouldn’t be blamed for asking, and insisting; those who would not answer would have to face the music. There would be music to face. Should the internal procedures in place fail the minister for Liquor, Gaming and Racing could intervene.

Without these things…it’s as you see. Lucas and Grant face five years of nerve-racking court proceedings, with who knows what for them at the end.
With respect to the way not-for-profits are supposed to be set up and run, don’t ask your pastor, and don’t accept my views either. I suggest you call the relevant government department, and get the bundle of information that is given out to those who wish to start such an organisation. Then read it.
Or search the web. Here is a good place to begin.

http://www.olgr.nsw.gov.au/pdfs/starting_a_charity.pdf

It is plainly taken for granted by this document that not-for-profit organisations (a) will allow all people working in them to possess full membership of the organisation; (b) will have a properly written and binding constitution that applies to all these members; and (c) will be governed by a board voted into office by a body of members that extends to all workers in the charity.

It is also plainly the case that the rules applying to members of the organisation will automatically apply to anyone whatsoever who works in the charity.
It is plainly not expected that your not-for-profit with fifty people active in its running will have five legally recognised members.
It is plainly not expected that employees of the charity will be paying themselves from donations because they form the majority of the organisation’s membership.
It is plainly not expected that members of a not-for-profit which is set up bodgily are within their rights to apply the constitution only to themselves, and not to everyone else working in some capacity in it.
The whole purpose you’re allowed to form a legal entity of the kind talked about here is that you are thereby going to be able to give legal protections and standards of behaviour to all persons involved in your charitable work.
This document is obviously not written so that a religiously minded person who is a good salesmen can create an authoritarian system of religious government in a church, and thereby come into joint possession of large assets with five friends (or worse family members)—much of it bought by other workers in the charity.
C3 Balmain is definitely not set up in compliance with the expectations of the document in question. And how far in the C3 movement does the same thing run?
Eventually the Tax Commissioner and the Minister for Liquor, Gaming and Racing will work out what is going on, and then….

Source: David, C3 ‘Vision Builders’ Pamphlet for ‘Rise & Build’, Signposts02, https://signposts02.wordpress.com/2010/06/23/c3-%e2%80%98vision-builders%e2%80%99-pamphlet-for-%e2%80%98rise-build%e2%80%99/#comment-13264, September 7, 2010 at 6:32 pm. (Accessed 20/06/2014.)

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The burning questions are, do C3 churches as a matter of fact set themselves up with dummy constitutions to please the Department of Gaming and Racing, etc? (ie Constitutions whose content bears no resemblance to the church’s actual workings?) And do they then systematically operate in a manner that, if it had been revealed to the authorities from the beginning, would have meant that they would have never been allowed to exist in the first place?

If the answers to these questions is yes, then the C3 movement in NSW is apparently guilty of a widespread and deliberate fraud.

Source: David, C3 ‘Vision Builders’ Pamphlet for ‘Rise & Build’, Signposts02, https://signposts02.wordpress.com/2010/06/23/c3-%e2%80%98vision-builders%e2%80%99-pamphlet-for-%e2%80%98rise-build%e2%80%99/#comment-13339, September 9, 2010 at 12:34 pm. (Accessed 20/06/2014.)

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G’day, Teddy…just had a spare moment.

The money was donated to the Rise and Build Fund of C3 Balmain.

Lucas and Grant can’t or won’t produce a properly kept accounting of the use to which the money was put.

(As soon as they did, the court case as things stand would be at an end.)
So we have no idea where it has ended up. Apparently, it might take a forensic accountant to discover its whereabouts (ie whose account it is in, what is was spent on, whatever)–and even then there is uncertainty whether such a person would find it.

We have never heard that Grandad’s money might have gone to Oxford Falls. If that really is where it has gone, what motive could Lucas and Grant have for not saying straight out where is was? Most confusing….

Source: David, C3 ‘Vision Builders’ Pamphlet for ‘Rise & Build’, Signposts02, https://signposts02.wordpress.com/2010/06/23/c3-%e2%80%98vision-builders%e2%80%99-pamphlet-for-%e2%80%98rise-build%e2%80%99/#comment-13341, September 9, 2010 at 1:51 pm. (Accessed 20/06/2014.)

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Hi, all,

I’m enjoying following the conversation. Tom is, too, and I’m sure he’s finding the aspects relating to his stuff encouraging.

RP, thanks for your kind thoughts.

Teddy, this is my church background (thanks for asking)–Dad was a Prezzy minister; Mum was a missionary. I went to the Prezzies till my mid-twenties; then I went to a cell church for ten years. Then a C3 Balmain/other churches mix for eighteen months. Then the Anglicans for a few years; but its youth work collapsed (I have young kids). At present we go the the local Baptist Church, which has an excellent youth program.

With respect to C3 Balmain, (I noticed some confusion about this, so it’s good to clear it up), I went there occasionally over about 6 years, and fairly regularly for a while. However, I was never convinced, so I moved on. I wasn’t going there when Tom etc were thrown out.

The help I’m giving Tom, apart from fraternal support, is much more to do with my particular experiences and training than with my intimate knowledge of the church’s workings. (Apart from the things I’ve already mentioned, I worked as a social worker for a number of years. Another one of my areas of expertise both in and out of my current studies is the language-use of criminal tyrants–ie domestic violence perps, religious leaders in breach of the principle of natural justice etc..

If you’re good at that kind of thing, you can spot a criminal tyrant five or ten minutes after they start talking–and of course very quickly from their written work also.)

That being said, Tom was extremely wise in his dealings with Lucas and Grant. About a year before he was chuckled out, he noticed problems with the legal set up of the church.

He pointed them out to Lucas and Grant, thinking these problems had arisen by mistake.

He was not encouraged by their response. So from that time on he had (if memory is correct) one private conversation with Lucas about anything significant. And there were two witnesses present at that conversation.
Otherwise he conducted all meaningful communications with Lucas and his superiors in writing. In other words, there is a permanent record of basically all his actual behaviour in his treatment of Lucas over a long period–a period which began before he and Lucas were in dispute.

I’ve read all the documents available–apart from the most damning one with respect to Lucas’s own personal integrity, which Tom has never shown me, although I know its contents.

The speculations about Tom’s behaviour towards Lucas are understandable–but the worst he can possibly be accused of doing is writing him a moderately ill-mannered letter. And really, the tone of his communications is pretty good.
In my view, his greatest fault in Lucas and Grant’s eyes was that he kept quizzing them about whatever legal problems he perceived. Not long before he was thrown out, he pointed out to them that lawyers have to reveal legal problems, or they face being disbarred (of course what else could he do?) In my opinion this was as much of a problem as the issue of Grandad’s money. To me, it was that which broke the camel’s back–Lucas and Grant had a lawyer with a conscience in their midst, and a set up whose legality was…highly dubious.

Peace be on the heads of all!

Source: David, C3 ‘Vision Builders’ Pamphlet for ‘Rise & Build’, Signposts02, https://signposts02.wordpress.com/2010/06/23/c3-%e2%80%98vision-builders%e2%80%99-pamphlet-for-%e2%80%98rise-build%e2%80%99/#comment-13354, September 9, 2010 at 5:13 pm. (Accessed 20/06/2014.)

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Once again, I’ve enjoyed reading people’s remarks.

Re the exemption of religious organisations.

This is my view (and Tom’s).

(1) The Charitable Fundraising Act is a codification of already existing laws that apply to all groups existing for charitable purposes. It adds no new laws; it codifies what is already there. Its substance applies to all groups of this kind, regardless of the exemption.

(2) According to the Hansard documents, the exemption was only given to religious organisations because those with a good reputation–ie the mainstream churches–already complied fully in their running to these laws…so for instance the laws were already accommodated by the churches’ constitutions, and these churches were properly complying with their constitutions.

(3) The Charitable Fundraising Act empowers the minister to remove this exemption from any religious group deemed to be failing in its keeping of the laws codified by the Act. That is to say, despite the exemption it is expected that religious groups will nonetheless do what the Act says–seeing that if they don’t their conduct will be policed via the removal of the exemption in their case, and the application of the details of the Act to their actions.

(4) The upshot? The exemption doesn’t mean religious groups are exempt from the law–it is on the contrary a nod to the integrity of the mainstream churches, who don’t need the code provided by the Act because they were already complying with its substance, still do that and presumably always will.

The crucial point here is not exactly which act, and which minister, and so on, though.

The crucial point is, do C3 Church’s set themselves up in contradiction of NSW law by adopting a democratic etc constitution according to its requirements, with every intention thereafter of ramming in practice an authoritarian system of government down the throat of those laws?

It doesn’t really matter how many Acts of Parliament don’t apply to the C3 church. Ultimately the illegality of their behaviour (should it be illegal) will not be affected.

The question, ‘Which sentence of which Act?’ is not really relevant–other than in settling on the precise sentences, clauses etc of NSW law that may have been broken.

Source: David, C3 ‘Vision Builders’ Pamphlet for ‘Rise & Build’, Signposts02, https://signposts02.wordpress.com/2010/06/23/c3-%e2%80%98vision-builders%e2%80%99-pamphlet-for-%e2%80%98rise-build%e2%80%99/#comment-13381, September 10, 2010 at 9:45 am. (Accessed 20/06/2014.)

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On the question of the rights and wrongs of dealing with certain problems outside the church.

I agree with all of you who think that if it’s very serious, you give the church an opportunity to deal with it inside the church. If the church won’t deal with it, then you deal with it in the other places available.
And with many serious problems, you are required by law to report them; and lawyers face being disbarred if they do not report them.

In this situation, it is our opinion that we have no choice but to pursue the course we are following.
It’s worth pondering the fact that at any time C3 could solve the part of the dispute involving Grandad’s money, merely by showing (as is required by charitable laws) a properly kept accounting of the money’s use.
That C3 hasn’t implies, as far as I’m concerned, that the movement is quite happy to ride out financial scandals.

Source: David, C3 ‘Vision Builders’ Pamphlet for ‘Rise & Build’, Signposts02, https://signposts02.wordpress.com/2010/06/23/c3-%e2%80%98vision-builders%e2%80%99-pamphlet-for-%e2%80%98rise-build%e2%80%99/#comment-13420, September 11, 2010 at 7:29 am. (Accessed 20/06/2014.)

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Again, BB, throught the centre of the target.

TVD is the worst advocate for Lucas and Grant and the C3 movement imaginable.

In the short time I’ve been here he has (a) made up NSW law; (b) advocated a dictatorial system of church government that is contrary to charitable laws in NSW, and utterly contrary to the servant model exemplified and commanded by Christ; (c) shown by constant misunderstandings that he can’t read plain English, which means he is not qualified to fulfil one of a pastor’s duties, that being to teach the meaning of the Bible; (d) imputed acts of defamation to Tom and I, which is itself an act of defamation, seeing that he can’t possible prove it; (e)written that he thinks his obligation to uphold fundamental laws applying to him is a ‘vibe’ that he can ignore; shown no meaningful concern for any unjust treatment Tom etc might have received; and so on and so on.

This guy is living proof that our concerns are legitimate.
I’ve been thinking of taking snapshots of his comments, they’re so damaging.
He has basically admitted in writing on this blog that our take on C3 church is spot on.

His utterly dismissive attitude to our charitable law is in my view utterly gross.
The only reason I engage with any of his questions is because the more rope he has, the more enthusiastically he throws himself into the noose!
Does the C3 church know they have this loose cannon blasting wildly in every direction here?

Source: David, C3 ‘Vision Builders’ Pamphlet for ‘Rise & Build’, Signposts02, https://signposts02.wordpress.com/2010/06/23/c3-%e2%80%98vision-builders%e2%80%99-pamphlet-for-%e2%80%98rise-build%e2%80%99/#comment-13421, September 11, 2010 at 7:48 am. (Accessed 20/06/2014.)

CONCLUSION

We have all seen the corruption, deceit and cover-ups within governments, business corporations and religious institutions reported globally daily in the media. Unfortunately many people have experienced it personally. Usually over time the truth always comes to light in some way.

What I have generally noted over many years is that corruption, fraud, deceit and injustice seems to occur when transparency and governance are deficient within the institutions conducting such unacceptable behaviour.

As disclosed above, what has come to light in relation to C3’s treatment of Tom Adams, his family and other C3 Balmain members, was C3’s attempt to hide the scandal from its members and the general public.

The issues that CHC are facing has some similar issues Pringle is facing (which Tom and Dave exposed). This would possibly explain why C3 settled outside of court to hide this fact. It’s even more revealing C3 has “everywhere in the C3 movement dodgy private companies; dodgy incorporated associations; and church’s with massive assets that are not actually owned by the church community”.

This shows that C3 is totally deficient in transparency, governance, and accountability. Is it just a coincidence that it also seems to be the same situation in the other C3 / Phil Pringle associate institutions like Kong Hee’s CHC in Singapore and Yoido Full Gospel Church in South Korea?

You decide.

These issues are what needs to be disclosed, investigated and vigorously discussed in depth. This is to inform others of the deceit and corruption that is going on within these churches out of sight from most honest church members.

Money, mansions & mendacity: Kong’s “integrity” on show

05 Friday Sep 2014

Posted by churchwatcher in C3 & Pringles Associations

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

c3, CHC, chc confessions, Christian City Church, City Harvest Church, confessions, kong, Kong Hee, MPA, multi-purpose account, music career, Phil Pringle, Pringle, Sun Ho, tithe

We wonder what Phil Pringle would make of this. He must be horrified that Kong Hee, his star pupil, has used his “anointing” for evil rather than good. Surely Phil Pringle didn’t pass on all his skills to Kong Hee with this outcome in mind.

It’s not like this is anything Phil Pringle would do, is it?

CHC Confessions writes,

KH, after 4 years where you went on stage to tell the congregation you look forward to telling your side of the story in court, this is what we found out from you so far:

1) You do not know the details
2) You are not aware of everyday on-goings
3) You relied on the advice of professionals
4) You are not schooled on bonds issues
5) You left it to your staff to handle and manage

It can be argued that the above are somewhat acceptable to a certain extent, given that CEOs and Heads of big organisations sees only the big picture and make strategic decisions. Let’s leave the nitpicking for another day.

However, what was shocking are the following:

A) Your wife DOES NOT KNOW how her Hollywood lifestyle is being funded. You said that although she was cc-ed in some email, she may not have seen it.

Comment: Really? You expect anyone (die-hard CHC fans notwithstanding) to believe that? Its like I’m suddenly put in the midst of high-life, high fashion, high society, and I can live for years without ever wondering how am I affording it? Either she is completely dumb and stupid, or you’re lying. Pick one. (Although I’m sure some readers will pick both.)

B) As an “artist” (apologies for the offence caused to real artists for using the same term), she’s getting paid by the church via royalties and bonuses.

Comment: Personal gain and self-gratification aside, it is common knowledge that the X number of years she spent in Hollywood amounted to absolutely nothing. Show your projected album sales to anyone who knows anything about the music industry, and the bunch of you will be thrown out of the door before you can say, “ABBA!”

Artists get paid via album sales, and they are also paid to attend events. The difference here is, your wife gets paid by the church, and she pays others to attend her event. Some kind of artist she is huh? Asian artists who made an impact in the USA are few and far in between (Coco Lee and Rain are 2 that comes to mind). Even with the immense success they had (relative to your wife), they couldn’t afford the lifestyle your wife enjoyed throughout the years. What makes anyone think she can? Now we know, straight from your mouth.

C) You DID NOT TITHE.

Comment: Its not clear whether you did not tithe at all, or stopped tithing after a certain events. What is clear though, is that when asked whether you tithe to the Building Fund, your answer was, “I tithe to the MPA”, which if we can be frank and call a spade a spade, is your personal account.

So for all the drama you’ve showcased onstage, all the challenges you thrown to the floor, all the bible verses quoted, asking people to downgrade their lives, sell their houses, give everything, make painful sacrifices, and all the evidence and testimonies of 30, 60, 100 fold rewards of tithing, you yourself, did not tithe. Instead, you bought yourself a nice house in Sentosa Cove.

For me, the rest of the trial is no longer relevant.

Source: CHC Confessions, FaceBook, https://www.facebook.com/CHCConfessions/posts/859423324077046, Published at 20:54 04/09/2014. (Accessed (05/09/2014.)

Another CityNews interview with CHC Advisory “Pastor” Phil Pringle

14 Thursday Aug 2014

Posted by churchwatcher in C3 & Pringles Associations

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

c3, c3 church, Christian City Church, CityNews, kong, Kong Hee, Phil Pringle, Pringle

The CHC propaganda machine CityNews has published another revealing interview with our beloved “Dr” Phil Pringle.

Some of our observations:

“I certainly congratulate every member on being faithful to bring the church to this point where its legacy, even at this stage, far exceeds what anybody could expect of a local church.”

Please note that Pringle is congratulating people in being “faithful” to the church. Of course he can’t congratulate them on being “faithful” to their God.

“I think moment by moment the Holy Spirit will be available to Pastor Kong and will guide him with wisdom. [Immorally narcigetes.] Pastor Kong is a very diligent, faithful man and he has prepared himself the best he can. Between that and the Holy Spirit, he will find himself navigating this moment. The Lord will be in that courtroom, guiding everything that happens.”

You can tell the Holy Spirit is with Kong Hee in the stand. Read more here.

There are many gems in this article which we are sure our readers may want to explore further in our comment section. His comments on depression, “trusting”, too much preaching on visions, etc. are all worth discussing.

CityNews writes,

An Interview With Phil Pringle: A Prayer For CHC

Phil Pringle, City Harvest Church’s advisory pastor shares his wishes for the church in its 25th year and his prayer in this time of trial.

You’ve been a friend of CHC for such a long time, do you have a message for the congregation in its 25th year?

I certainly congratulate every member on being faithful to bring the church to this point where its legacy, even at this stage, far exceeds what anybody could expect of a local church. I think you’ve had thousands of School of Theology graduates and 300 recently returned to celebrate. So, literally there are thousands and thousands of men and women who have gone from this place, serving God all around the world and doing magnificent things for God. So it’s not just Singapore that has been affected, but all around the world, CHC is having such a powerful impact. So, literally there are hundreds of thousands of people who have been saved, brought out of darkness. It’s because of a faithful congregation. Not all churches can keep going, especially under pressure, like this congregation. I love CHC and I love what they do for God—and the fact that they have had such success in China too, it’s amazing.

Sometimes we forget there is impact around the world.

Yes. Totally.

Pastor Kong takes the stand the next few weeks—from what we have seen, there will be many tough questions asked of him.

I think moment by moment the Holy Spirit will be available to Pastor Kong and will guide him with wisdom. Throughout Scripture, anybody who under the pressure of examination found themselves with answers from the Holy Spirit, able to bring great answers that delivered them from all sorts of problems. Whether it was Daniel with the kings, Belteshazzar and others, whether it was Joseph with his jailors, whether it was Paul with kings or judges or high priests—all these people found in their moment of need, the Holy Spirit was there. Pastor Kong is a very diligent, faithful man and he has prepared himself the best he can. Between that and the Holy Spirit, he will find himself navigating this moment. The Lord will be in that courtroom, guiding everything that happens.

Honestly, there are moments during the case when things look not pretty. Or someone says something on the stand that makes you sit up…

It’s very different being in the armchair than out in the field playing the game. It’s easy when you’re watching a tennis game or football game— “Aw, you shoulda done that!”—but when you’re on the field, doing what you’re doing, it’s not always easy to guard your action. You’ve got to give grace to everybody and allow them breadth of expression. And you know, sometimes we may think the person hasn’t done the right thing but you know you might be surprised: it might be to your advantage as things go on. Plenty of times things look bad, but actually, it’s the best thing that could have happened.

You taught us in your sermon that anger is a barrier to happiness. But, realistically, how do we not be angry when people set out to harm us or our family?

It’s a fair enough question. I’m not sure we’re not meant to be. “Be angry and sin not”, the Bible says (Ephesians 4:26) There is an anger you can hold and still be happy. I think a selfish anger is a wrong anger, but maybe not an anger that is on behalf of others or on behalf of justice. I mean, I’m angry at some people but doesn’t stop me being a happy person. And I don’t nurse that anger and rehearse that anger and constantly have it on my mind.

There are different varieties of anger, but the one that is selfish—you’re angry because you’ve been slighted—is the one that will bring depression. But the anger that is on behalf of justice, as long as it doesn’t fester into bitterness. When I have that sort of anger, I am in control of my spirit, it’s not in control of me. That’s one of the worst conversations I’ve had with people, especially when I’m in control of my emotions. And I’ve done that plenty of times, sit a person down and tell them “What you’ve done here is really, really upsetting. I can’t tell you how disappointed I am in your behavior.” How they react to that—they may break down and cry or they may harden up and say “I think I’m right.” But I think it is right to have an opinion about a person who betrays you. It’s when anger turns to hatred that’s when it becomes wrong. There is a wrong and a right in life and both attract emotions.

But forgiveness is not an option?

Everyday I forgive people. But forgiveness does not mean you trust the person. Jesus never said “Trust everybody.” The Bible says “Prove all things.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21) Jesus committed himself to no man—not that He didn’t trust anybody, but He wasn’t prepared to rest His life on humans who He knew were too frail to entrust one’s life to. So He entrusted it to God. So, I can forgive people if they harm me, but I need to learn. My wisdom will tell me in the future, don’t trust them. Get some evidence or proof of their trustworthiness.

That’s one of the greats difficulties in church life, because you have unscrupulous people who say, “Trust me, I’m a Christian, gimme $100,000, I’ll invest it for you.” So the person gives him $100,000 and he doesn’t invest the money but does something else with it, and then he comes back and says, “I’m sorry, I’ve lost it.” And those people get very hurt and leave the church. As pastors, we say to people, “Whenever you’re doing business together, make sure you’ve got contracts signed.” Don’t just say “He’s a Christian, I’ll trust him.” Some people have no shame. How can you take so much money and lose it, and say you’ll fight the person you owe?

You taught us on the weekend as well about Elijah gaining strength by “eating and drinking”—essentially, going to a quiet place to be with the Lord and read the Word and listen to God. But sometimes, it’s hard to pray. What then?

I think there are times just to get isolated and let solitude and silence be your friend. Sometimes getting more intense doesn’t help the situation. Actually relaxing with friends does. But there are definitely seasons you travel through that are painful and depressing. There’s no quick way out of them. Elijah went through that, I’d say it was about a seven-week process. So many people go through so many difficult things that are actually dark times, but in those dark times, Isaiah says you’ll discover the treasures of darkness (Isaiah 45:3). And it would be trite to say we should always be happy, laughing and joking—life isn’t always going to be like that. But there’s a basic happiness where you’re not what’s called “a miserable person”, “a joyless person”.

How do we balance want with being content?

Being content with what you have—that’s a two-sided message. I usually only give one side coz if you keep qualifying yourself, you’ll never say anything! (laughs) So there is another side. But because there’s so much preaching about “dream the dream, live the life, have a goal, have a vision, you’re going get the new house, new car”, that we’re in danger of creating frustration in people. They didn’t get the house, they didn’t get the car, they didn’t get married, they lost their marriage, their job. And things didn’t work out for them. Then they’re unhappy with God and with their life. We need to be taught to be happy all the time, in whatever state we find ourselves. Whether we’re going up or whether we’re going down; whether we’re winning or losing, that we are okay with that. There’s a contentment in our lives.

Definitely, we should have visions and goals, but we should also be content with what we have. So that tension, even though it may seem hard to synchronize, I’ve always found spiritual truth synchronized between two opposites. To synchronize humility and confidence—that’s challenging. On the one hand we don’t become arrogant, on the other we don’t become servile. But to synthesize confidence and humility in our hearts, to synthesize wisdom and faith. Because wisdom will tell you not to get out of the boat, to get insurance. But faith says, “Get out of the boat, walk on water.”

So to synthesize opposites is a challenging, life-long process; exercising contentment and desire is one of those areas. But it can be done and it should be done. I’d like to think I never want anything. I think there’s a big difference between wanting—the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want—and desiring. The Bible talks about wantonness. But I think there’s a difference between that and “delight yourself in the Lord and He’ll give you the desires of your heart”. Not the wants, but the desires. They’re a cleaner, purer, less selfish area.

What is your prayer for Pastor Kong and the leaders and the church in this period?

My prayer is the same as what Paul asked people to pray for him and for how the early church prayed: always for deliverance and redemption, and that the Gospel and Jesus Christ will be testified of and the witness would remain solid. My prayer is for God’s great vindication, God’s blessing, God’s truth that everybody will learn through the experience. I also pray for the will of God and the purpose of God to come to pass in the life of the church. That Pastor Kong will find himself refreshed and blessed as trial draws to a close. I pray for fearlessness in the church, wisdom and boldness to fill the team, to believe God for a great victory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Source: Phil Pringle, An Interview With Phil Pringle: A Prayer For CHC, CityNews, http://www.citynews.sg/2014/08/an-interview-with-phil-pringle-a-prayer-for-chc/, Updated August 14, 2014 at 1:38 pm. (Accessed 14/08/2014.)

Phil’s phoney friends

05 Tuesday Aug 2014

Posted by churchwatcher in Uncategorized

≈ 15 Comments

Tags

c3 church, CHC, Chew Eng Han, Christian City Church, court, hanafi, kong, Kong Hee, Ms Chionh, Phil Pringle, Pringle, scandal, Sun Ho, Wahju Hanafi, xtron

More disturbing news has surfaced against Kong Hee and his wife. We bring you these two articles that we are sure Phil Pringle does not want you to read.

Channel News Asia reports,

CHC spent half a million dollars buying Sun Ho’s unsold CDs

These and other details surfaced as the prosecution sought to highlight inconsistencies in the testimony of ex-church board member John Lam, who cited Ms Ho’s success as a reason CHC should invest in bonds issued by her artiste management company.

SINGAPORE — Ms Sun Ho was not the successful singer City Harvest Church had made her out to be. Evidence showed that the church had spent about half a million dollars buying her unsold CDs.

The profitability of her artiste management company Xtron was also called into question as the trial involving the church’s leader Kong Hee and his five deputies resumed yesterday.

The six church leaders are accused of misusing more than S$50 million of church funds to buy sham bonds to bankroll Ms Ho’s music career.

Although she had been touted as a big commercial success, lead prosecutor Mavis Chionh said the financial statements told a different story.

In 2004, City Harvest Church spent about half a million dollars buying at least 32,000 of her unsold Mandarin CDs to give to ministries and churches overseas.

These details surfaced as the prosecution sought to highlight inconsistencies in the evidence given by former church board member John Lam.

Lam had cited Ms Ho’s success as a reason for the church’s investment in bonds issued by Xtron. He pointed out that the junk bonds were not necessarily bad ones and added that he had believed Ms Ho’s album sales in the United States would be good enough to cover the obligations of the bond.

However, the prosecution said that as former director of Xtron, Lam would have known it was not a profitable company. For example, its only asset was a laptop and all its other assets were loaned from the church. It did not even have the budget to pay a S$46,000 freight services bill.

The prosecution also pointed out that Xtron was not the independent entity it had been made out to be. For one, Lam and fellow accused Chew Eng Han had agreed to stamps being made of their signatures to be used on Xtron’s invoices.

Ms Chionh said the two were “happy to rubber stamp decisions”, knowing that they were made by Kong and the church and were happy to go along with those decisions.

The court also heard that the bulk of Xtron’s funding came from the church’s members. For example, Indonesian businessman Wahju Hanafi’s donations to the church’s building fund were refunded to him and channelled to Xtron. The building fund pledges and tithes of some other members, including Lam’s, were also diverted to Xtron.

The trial continues.

Source: By Kimberly Spykerman, CHC spent half a million dollars buying Sun Ho’s unsold CDs, Channel News Asia, http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/chc-spent-half-a-million/1296604.html, Published 23:49 AM 04/08/2014. (Accessed 05/08/2014.)

Yahoo! Singapore reports,

City Harvest case resumes: S$500,000 used to buy Sun Ho’s unsold music CDs

City Harvest Church (CHC) spent $500,000 to buy Sun Ho’s unsold CDs. This was revealed in court on Monday as the trial involving the church leaders resumed.

According to Today newspaper, lead prosecutor Mavis Chionh said the financial statements of the church revealed that at least 32,000 of Ms Ho’s unsold music CDs were purchased by the church for a sum of S$500,000 to give away to ministries and churches overseas. Sun Ho is the wife of CHC co-founder and pastor Kong Hee. A former student of Anglican High School and Victoria Junior College, Ho — previously known as Ho Yeow Sun when she was a successful Mandopop singer — began to eye the US pop market in 2003 and had plans to use A-list music stars to launch her career in Hollywood.

Ms Ho’s “commercial success” was also cited as a reason for the church’s investment in Xtron-issued bonds. Xtron was Sun Ho’s artiste management agency although its profitability and who controlled it is currently under question.

Church founder Kong Hee, his wife Sun Ho and former finance manager Serina Wee are among six senior church leaders accused of misappropriating more than S$50 million worth of church fundsto finance Sun Ho’s career as part of a “Crossover Project” — a church mission started in 2002 designed to reach out to non-Christians through music.

Former City Harvest treasurer and board member, John Lam Leng Hung also took the stand on Monday, claiming he had “mistakenly” pumped S$1.2 million into a church-building fund, which was later withdrawn and channeled into funds to develop the musical career of Sun Ho.

Clad in shirt and blazer, Lam, 46, was the first of six leaders to take the stand in the fifth tranche of the mega church’s trial, which resumed on Monday.

During court proceedings, prosecutor Mavis Chionh produced a 2002 email suggesting that Lam’s “error” was part of a deliberate plan to muddy the paperwork trail before the eventual channeling of funds into the Crossover Project.

In the email between Lam and another accused church leader, Chew said, “We will need to do more withdrawals of BF [building fund] (this time, probably Wahju and myself), and put into Xtron, and Pst Kong will put in some personal cash also…”

This “merry go round” funds as claimed by Lam in another email was initially excluded in meeting minutes submitted to auditors because he was “scared” that the public would “object” the withdrawing from the building fund. It was later added into the minutes signed by Lam. In response to this, prosecutors suggested that Lam had “falsified” the document.

The court also heard that the bulk of Xtron’s funds came from City Harvest church members.

For example, the $1.2 million in question was donated by church member, Wahju Hanafi, the owner of company Attributes Pte Ltd. Lam had initially explained that he had made an “error” when depositing $1.2 million worth of donations, which was originally intended for Sun Ho’s career from the start.

Lam allowed rubber stamping of his signatures

Lam also admitted to allowing stamps to be made of his signature for invoices under Xtron as he would not be “the best person” to verify some of them.

He admitted to this after prosecutor Chionh showed an email from the church’s human resource and administration manager Wong Foong Ming requesting to make signature stamps.

Lam added that Wee was in charge of processing those invoices and had trusted her verification.

The trial continues on Tuesday.

Source: By Nurul Azliah Aripin, City Harvest case resumes: S$500,000 used to buy Sun Ho’s unsold music CDs, Yahoo! Singapore, https://sg.news.yahoo.com/city-harvest-church-leader-john-lam-in-spotlight-for-s-1-2-million–error–100459301.html, Published 04/08/2014. (Accessed 05/08/2014.)

EDIT 09/08/2014 Here are more articles relevant to the case:

CHC leaders accused of doctoring paperwork to back investments

But church board member says backdated meeting minutes were ‘a mistake’

SINGAPORE — The leaders of City Harvest Church (CHC) had planned to falsify paperwork and deceive auditors that the church had assessed Xtron’s bonds to be a good investment, charged the prosecution as the high-profile trial resumed yesterday.

Church founder Kong Hee and his five deputies are being accused of using millions in church funds to buy sham bonds from Xtron and Firna in order to bankroll the secular music career of Kong’s wife, Ms Sun Ho.

Yesterday, the prosecution said the leaders doctored documents so auditors would think the church had considered in July 2008 whether the Xtron bonds could be recovered before the auditors raised the issue on Aug 1, 2008.

For example, the minutes of a church board meeting dated Aug 3, 2008, reflected that CHC’s investment committee had already reviewed and approved the Xtron bonds. But the investment committee only met two days later, on Aug 5.

Similarly, the minutes from that investment committee meeting were backdated to July 29.

A spreadsheet reflecting Xtron’s ability to redeem the bonds, which had allegedly been presented at the Aug 5 meeting, was only created a few days later on Aug 8.

When these anomalies were highlighted to one of the accused, former church board member John Lam, who had seen both sets of minutes and signed off on the church board minutes, he said they were simply “a mistake”.

Lead prosecutor Mavis Chionh disputed that and called it a “deliberate act” to present a certain picture to the church’s auditors — that CHC had considered the recoverability of the bonds before the issue was raised.

Lam had been fully aware of the falsification and deception, argued the prosecution.

She also asserted that the church leaders had not always painted a full picture to its executive members and had sometimes given them misleading impressions.

That was because they did not want members to discover that money that had been meant for church-related matters had, instead, been spent on the Crossover Project. Fronted by Ms Ho, the project was the church’s way of evangelising through pop music.

The court also heard that the leaders had not told the church board that proceeds from the Firna bonds would be used to fund the project, leading them to believe that the bonds were genuine investments that were made purely to gain financial returns.

It was clear Firna, like Xtron, was merely a “conduit” to channel funds to the Crossover Project, charged Ms Chionh. CHANNEL NEWSASIA

Source: Today Online, CHC leaders accused of doctoring paperwork to back investments, http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/chc-leaders-accused-doctoring-paperwork-back-investments?singlepage=true, Published 4:03 AM, 07/08/2014. (Accessed 09/08/2014.)

Channel News Asia reports,

Five City Harvest Church leaders on trial met to discuss their defence

An email chain highlighted by the prosecution in court shows five of six church leaders on trial had met to discuss their defence and later raised concerns on whether they were on the same page about round-tripping charges.

SINGAPORE: Five of the six City Harvest Church leaders had met at least once in 2013 to discuss their defence, according to an email chain highlighted by the prosecution in court on Thursday (Aug 7). The court heard that church founder Kong Hee was not present at the meeting. The leaders are accused of using monies from the church’s building fund to buy sham bonds in Xtron and Firna to fund the secular music career of Sun Ho – the wife of church founder Kong Hee.

In an email, the church’s former investment manager and co-accused Chew Eng Han says he is “convinced” that they are not on the same page regarding the substance of their defence and some of them had shifted their position on what the bonds were actually for.

He adds that he is “disturbed” by this, and that these differences should be discussed when they next meet. Chew was also the one who brought the email chain to the court’s attention. It was admitted after a closed-door hearing on Tuesday.

Another email also revealed that his co-accused – John Lam, Serina Wee, and Sharon Tan had also raised concerns about whether they were all on the same page about the round-tripping charges.

In an email to Chew dated Feb 3, 2013, John Lam wrote: “The 2 girls have a concern. If on the bond issue there seem to be a “different page”, how about the round trip? Are we having the different view as well. Obviously we rather not.” He then suggests a meet-up to discuss this. When initially questioned by the prosecution, he had denied talking to the other accused persons about what should be said at trial.

The prosecution then questioned Lam about why – if he was truly honest – would he be worried about his co-accused taking a different view of the charges.

Lead Prosecutor Mavis Chionh asked: “Do you agree that if you are an honest accused person who is going to go to court and tell the truth… you would not be trying to meet up with your co-accused persons and worrying about their taking a different view from yours on the charges?”

In wrapping up her cross-examination on Lam, Ms Chionh also said that Lam had placed the interests of the Crossover Project over and above his duty as a church board member to ensure proper stewardship of the church’s Building Fund. She also pointed out that Lam knew using the Building Fund monies to finance Ms Ho’s career was an unauthorised use of the funds, and that his keen awareness of this was why he had desperately tried to claim ignorance during the trial.

“It is also because of this guilty knowledge that you are now trying to disassociate yourself from the transactions and instead to push the blame to some of your co-accused, from blaming Sharon Tan, for example, for wrongly recording minutes, to blaming Chew Eng Han, whom you say was responsible for feeding you information,” she said.

Ms Chionh also gave a scathing assessment of Lam’s defence saying that it has essentially been one of “I don’t know, nobody told me, and if they did tell me, they didn’t ask me for advice”. She said given his status within the church, financial expertise, and documentary evidence, his defence is not only “untenable” but “deeply cynical”.

Source: By Kimberly Spykerman, Five City Harvest Church leaders on trial met to discuss their defence, Channel News Asia, http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/five-city-harvest-church/1302222.html, Published 07/08/2014 22:25, Updated 07/08/2014 22:26. (Accessed 09/08/2014.)

Judge: “there is evidence to show that sham, or false, investments took place.”

06 Tuesday May 2014

Posted by churchwatcher in C3 & Pringles Associations

≈ 13 Comments

Tags

c3, c3 church, c3 oxford falls, C3OF, ccc, cccof, CHC, city harvest, kong, Kong Hee, Phil Pringle, Pringle, scandal, sham, sham bonds

Recently we recorded Channel NewsAsia reporting the following (emphasis ours):

“[…] In his oral grounds, the judge accepted that there was a plan to move
money from the church’s Building Fund to Xtron Productions and glassware firm
Firna (or PT The First National Glassware), for the purpose of funding Ms
Ho’s singing career.

The court accepted that there is evidence to show that the monies were moved
from the church to the various firms to generate a false appearance that the
church’s investments were redeemed.

The judge said the six had been dishonest in the use of the money. […]” [Source]

The last sentence will be the one that keeps Phil Pringle of the C3 Movement et al awake at night: the judge has come right out and stated that the defendants have been dishonest. His judgement re. the “no case to answer” appeal has taken the case exactly where we expected it might – it is now well and truly into “reversal of the onus of proof” territory, and it’s hard to see any of the accused wriggling out of their predicaments. (In addition, if anyone was going to get off due to connections / bribery / corruption of some form or another, this would have been the most likely juncture for it to happen – it now appears that the miscreants are strapped in for the ride, which should be all downhill for them from here).

Now TodayOnline reports,

Judge rejects bid to clear CHC leaders of charges

SINGAPORE — The bid by the City Harvest Church (CHC) leaders facing criminal charges to walk away without mounting a defence has failed, after the courts rejected their contention that prosecutors had not done enough to make a case against them.

Sufficient evidence has been adduced to support every element of the charges of criminal breach of trust and falsification of accounts against the six, presiding judge of the State Courts See Kee Oon ruled yesterday.

“At the close of the prosecution’s case, there is no need for the court to be satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused is guilty. It suffices that a court could reasonably convict on the evidence adduced by the prosecution,” he said.

With Mr See’s decision, the trial will stretch beyond the one-year mark and all six accused — church co-founder Kong Hee, his deputy Tan Ye Peng, Chew Eng Han, John Lam, Serina Wee and Sharon Tan — have indicated they will take the witness stand when hearing resumes, likely in July. Chew, the church’s former investment manager who has since left, added through his lawyer that he intends to call witnesses.

The six had argued to be cleared of their charges without having to enter a defence, contending that the prosecution’s case was “piecemeal” and a “cut-and-paste” job. In rebuttal, prosecutors had asserted that the dots in its case against the church leaders connected in a natural, coherent and powerful manner.

Yesterday, Mr See addressed the points of contention between the defence and prosecution in detail. “Some dots are smaller; some are larger. When attempting to connect them, there may be clusters, trails and other patterns, some less granular and some more clearly discernible. The focus of my enquiry is whether a reasonably coherent picture has emerged thus far in support of all the ingredients of the charges,” the judge said.

Referring to a defence lawyer’s argument that the prosecution’s case has been made up of “emails, emails, emails stitched together”, Mr See said: “I am conscious that a reasonable inference is one that coheres with the totality of the documentary and oral evidence, and not merely with the email itself. I also bear in mind that a single email can generate multiple conflicting reasonable inferences, some favourable and others unfavourable to the prosecution.”

On the prosecution’s charge that the accused engaged in various conspiracies, the judge noted that evidence is “largely documentary rather than oral” and that the involvement of some of the accused is less obvious than that of others. But there is, nonetheless, evidence to support the prosecution’s contention, he said.

On the element of misappropriation, which must be fulfilled for criminal breach of trust, the judge said there is evidence to show that sham, or false, investments took place.

“I should add that, even if one does not use the word ‘sham’, the evidence suggests the so-called investments were not genuine investments, but were merely disguises for something else,” he added.

Source: Judge rejects bid to clear CHC leaders of charges, TodayOnline, http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/judge-rejects-bid-clear-chc-leaders-charges?singlepage=true, PUBLISHED: MAY 6, 4:13 AM, UPDATED: MAY 6, 4:15 AM. (Accessed 06/05/2014.)

Read a similar story here:

Judge rejects bid to clear CHC leaders of charges

Is Kong Hee gaining financial support for his legal defense through honest means?

18 Friday Apr 2014

Posted by churchwatcher in C3 & Pringles Associations

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

c3, c3 global presence conference, C3 Presence, C3 Presence Conference, CHC, conference, false teachers, financial support, groom, Heaven Meets Earth, kong, Kong Hee, lawyers, legal firm, manipulate, Phil Pringle, Presence, Presence Conference, Presence Conference 2014, Pringle, scam, Singapore, Singapore authorities

HOW IS KONG HEE GAINING FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR HIS LEGAL DEFENSE?

Through the audio we have collected, Pringle has clearly demonstrated how Kong Hee has worked around new Singaporean legislation to solicit financial support for his lawyers and travelling expenses. Please note that the audios, videos or transcripts below may be copied and freely distributed.

PRINGLE MISLEADING THE GENERAL PUBLIC OVER KONG HEE

Since the investigations started back in 2010, it appears Phil Pringle has neglected to inform his church why Kong Hee is under investigation and why Kong Hee is currently in the courts. We are aware that some C3 church leaders do not know why Kong is being investigated, or why he is in court. We have found that if you ask C3 leaders or members what they know about Kong Hee’s case, they will often say that Phil Pringle is defending Kong Hee. However, they often also insist that they know nothing about Kong Hee’s situation, and that they do not feel the need to investigate the ‘pastor’ their leader is defending.

We have recordings of Phil Pringle ostensibly suppressing the serious nature of this scandal to his congregation in his church meetings. In one particular update, Pringle associated the persecutions of Kong Hee to the persecutions of the Apostle Paul. However, the issues could not be more opposite.

It appears to be convenient for Pringle that his church and his leaders do not know what actually transpired in relation to Kong Hee and the City Harvest Church scandal. Why does it seem so necessary for Pringle to try and suppress the details of the case to the thousands of Christians around the world who attend or tune in online to his Conferences?

In 2013, Phil Pringle asked uninformed Christians attending his Global C3 Presence Conference to give sacrificially to financially support Kong Hee’s legal case. Not once was it explained to those who attended why Kong Hee was under investigation.

Here is what Phil Pringle said:

“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 cannot use any of his own church funds. They’ve sold their – 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.” – Phil Pringle, http://www.youtube.com/watch? &v=2g-BB9BF7xk , Presence Conference 2013.

This is not the first time Pringle has failed to inform thousands of Christians about the details of ongoing investigations of Kong Hee and his associates from City Harvest Church. At the Presence Conference 2011, Phil Pringle prophesied over Kong Hee and then encouraged all the churches gathered to financially support Kong Hee. While encouraging people to give, take note of what Pringle says:

“Then, I think it was even more for him. I can’t remember the figures. But I know that for- they had to raise seven million dollars for members of staff and others to travel. That’s just that area. If you’ve ever been to Singapore, you know how expensive this place is. To fight the case he has had to employ a legal firm. And I know what the bills are. They are nearly a million dollars each time they come. Between half a million and a million dollars each time those bills come. His church is not allowed to pay one cent of his personal cost that he is incurring in this battle. He has to find it himself.

He’s sold his house. He has scratched together everything he can. One of the things that I’m doing is going there. I’ve made a commitment to be there once every two weeks. Normally it ends up being once every three weeks because of a variety of commitments that I’ve already got and doing things. But when I’m gone, he’s able to travel. And when I’m there, he’s able to travel and preach and find support amongst Asia and other churches.

Uh- I know that he was finding it hard to put some money together to get a cup of Starbucks at one stage. And uh- it’s a challenge. There’s been new legislation passed on the use of commercial spaces in Singapore since this case has come. So the religio- the restriction on his church is severe, ah, in that area [inaudible] after their purchase, go into co-ownership with ah, SunTec. And we’re in there. I will be speaking there in a couple days time. I will be on Friday to speak there happily.” – Phil Pringle, http://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=uwNignarJCg, Presence Conference 2011.

From the above quotes, what can we ascertain from Pringle’s own words?

1. CHC has to “raise seven million dollars for members of staff and others to travel”. Why?

2. Pringle knows that for Kong Hee “To fight the case he has had to employ a legal firm” that cost “nearly a million dollars each time they come”.

3. Pringle acknowledges that “There’s been new legislation passed on the use of commercial spaces in Singapore since this case has come. So the… restriction on his church is severe “.

4. Pringle concludes that the financial issues Kong Hee faces, ” have prohibited him from asking his own congregation for any help” and that he “cannot use any of his own church funds”.

5. Pringle notes that, “Others have moved to help them in other countries” and that he would like people at the Presence Conference to financially “be friends to these people in one of their darkest hours”.

What “moved others” from “other countries” to support Kong Hee? According to Pringle, it is because:

1. He has “made a commitment to be [at CHC] once every two weeks”. And when Pringle is at CHC, he says Kong Hee is “able to travel and preach and find support amongst Asia and other churches”.

Last year Pringle also stated:

“I was in Singapore last week ah- folks with our good friends Kong and Sun Hee, although they are very rarely there when I am speaking because it gives them a chance to get out amongst the Asian community or various parts around the world and share in churches their burden ‘n what they’re facing and keep support happening and maintain a healthier relationship and communion with the wider body. And so that’s part of the reason why I am able to go there and uh- and they’ve just had ah- one really interesting breakthrough in this last week where the Commission of Charities (that’s the organisation overseeing charities in Singapore) has exonerated Sun from all ah- all charges against her so-“

Source: Phil Pringle, “Awakening — Part 1″ – Phil Pringle, http://www2.myc3church.net/videos/awakening-%E2%80%93-part-1-phil-pringle, Sunday 14th April 2013. (Accessed 15/04/2013.)

Once again Pringle reinforces that:

1. When he is over at Kong Hee’s church it “gives them a chance to get out amongst the Asian community or various parts around the world and share in churches their burden ‘n what they’re facing and keep support happening and maintain a healthier relationship and communion with the wider body”.

The audio provided here clearly demonstrates that Phil Pringle has been allowing Kong Hee to use his C3 Presence Conference to solicit support in bearing his financial “burden” through by giving their “support”.

AN EXAMPLE OF KONG SHARING HIS “BURDEN” AND GETTING “SUPPORT”

To confirm that Kong Hee is gaining “support” from churches outside of Singapore, we can examine him “sharing his burden” and gaining “support” from those who attended Phil Pringle’s Presence Conferences.

In 2012, Kong Hee prayed the following on the first night at Presence Conference 2012 (not the opening night):

“Father I just pray even right now from the front to the back, from the left to the right, that tonight you move in a great way. Lord you know that it’s been a tiring time for the last twenty three months. For every step of the way, you’ve been with me, you’ve been with us. And Lord for all that C3 has poured into City Harvest Church, I pray that you multiply back to them, every church –every leader, thirty fold, sixty fold, a hundred fold for your glory we pray. Amen.” – Kong Hee, Presence Conference 2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeIYljvQ0G0: 18:11, Day 1.

In this prayer, Kong Hee acknowledges that “C3 has poured into City Harvest Church”. By ‘poured’ he means ‘financially poured’. If you are not familiar with the term “thirty fold, sixty fold, a hundred fold”, it is Word of Faith terminology that usually means financial multiplication. The idea is that if you give financially, God will multiply your returns supernaturally. The unusual thing about this prayer is that Kong Hee said C3 poured money into City Harvest Church. But it was Pringle in 2011 that asked everyone at his Conference to give cash directly to Kong Hee and Sun Ho:

“Alrighty. Can I ask you to find your seats again? Is that alright? If you can just return to your seats. I want to let you know about a couple of things.

I’m wondering if- thank you Kari. I’m wondering if i can do something that ah- we don’t do here normally. (And I’ve only got about five minutes because the buses are leaving at ten o’clock.)

I’m wondering, as I was sitting there just wrestling with a thought, because I really ah, appreciate everybody here and their sacrifice in getting here. But I’m feeling like I just would like us to show love in a very real and a practical way for Kong and Sun.

So I’m just going to ask this question. If you would like to help them financially then we’re going to pass the container one more time here. I don’t want you to feel that you have to. I don’t want you to feel that there’s any great drive for this on you at all.

But I just feel that maybe some of you who would like to do this. We normally don’t receive offerings for preachers because it’s a very big conference and it’s a- and we build it into our overall thinking and budget to look after our speakers. But right now, if you need a card and you want to help these guys, just raise your hand.

You need to understand that they- I’m- I’m not quite sure I can say this, are they- are they- they’re gone? Okay. Umm…” – Presence Conference 2011.

Something is amiss with the content of Kong Hee’s prayer. Wasn’t Kong Hee supposed to receive the support directly? In 2011, Phil Pringle specifically asked people to give money directly to fund Kong Hee’s legal battles. It would appear that in 2012 Kong Hee’s prayer was acknowledging that he indeed received this personal financial support, while using his church as a safeguard to hide this fact.

It was at this same conference we also see Kong Hee share his “burden” in more detail.

This sermon not only had the above prayer, but is also is the very sermon that has caused controversy in Singapore where Kong Hee claimed that God apologised to him. This is why we believe some people are outraged with the latest information – they perceive that Kong Hee is distorting the severity of the case for his personal and financial gain. Here again is what Kong Hee said on the first night of Presence Conference 2012:

“And [God the Father] said, ‘My son, I’m so sorry that you need to go through this alone. But you need to die and you need to go through this to be the Saviour of the world!’ And God the Father had broken and He wept as He turned His face, when His son took the sin of the whole world.

I was saying all this and I’m hearing myself behind the pulpit- and I froze. I could not utter another word. And I sobbed and I shook. Because those were my exact sentiments.

“Father, Father! Why? My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me and thrown me to the dogs?”

And for the first time in eight months, I heard the voice. It is not the voice of a strict angry judge that only want me to perform and build a big church and nothing I do is ever good enough for him. No. It’s not a voice of angry judge. It’s not the voice of a slave driver. That just wants to take and take and wring me dry. But it was a voice of a tender, loving, broken-hearted Father.

For the first time in eight months, God – I heard Him crying. And He said, “My son, Kong, thank you! Thank you for going through this. I need you to go through this alone so that you and City Harvest Church can be the man and the ministry I call it to be. I’m so sorry. But you need to go through with this by yourself, to bring a change to your generation”.

Oh come on! Give the Lord a big hand tonight!

I hear God saying for the first time in eight months, “I love you! I love you! I love you!” Waves upon waves of God’s love- the love of the Father, just, saturated me. All I could say was, “Abba! Abba!! AABBAAAA!!! Daddy! ABBA!!!” And I knew, everything was going to be, alright.

Everything was going to be alright.” – Kong Hee, http://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=FKVSXfjhB14, Presence Conference 2012, Night Service, 11/04/2012.

As you can see, you are hearing a very one-sided and propaganda-like presentation of Kong Hee’s situation.

So we are seeing that what Pringle has said about Kong Hee appears be true. Phil Pringle’s Presence Conference was a place Kong Hee felt safe enough to “share… their burden ‘n what they’re facing and keep support happening”. And guess what? Kong can say whatever he wants to whoever he wants… and get away with it. How would Singapore know what his agenda is when he speaks at churches in other countries? Who can keep him accountable for what he says around the world, away from the Singaporean judicial system?

THE FRAUDULENT BEHAVIOUR CONTINUES

In light of the legal investigations underway at the times and the court case, it is scandalous of Pringle to invite Kong Hee to speak at Presence Conference from 2010 to 2013, . Pringle persisted in giving Kong Hee the floor to present his propaganda-like stories, designed to raise financial support for his legal expenses, yet disguised as sermons. Not once did Phil Pringle or Kong Hee give an accurate account as to why Kong Hee was under investigation or why Kong Hee is currently in court. Why is the media failing to expose Phil Pringle and Kong Hee’s fraudulent behaviour in financially misleading thousands of people at these events?

Last year at City Harvest Church, Phil Pringle made a video showing a number of pastors who chose to lend their support to Kong Hee. Kong Hee spoke at Ed Young’s church in 2011.

We’ve also covered Kong Hee speaking recently at Victory Life Centre, providing a very one-sided story of his case back in Singapore:

The Kong job continues (What is Victory Life Centre trying to hide?)

Kong also spoke recently at Ed Young’s C3 2013 Conference:

Kong Hee, Singapore Megachurch Pastor Arrested for Fraud, Visits Ed Young’s C3 2013

Did Kong Hee get love offerings from these churches after spreading more propaganda about his plight against the Singaporean government? Why are pastors like John Bevere, Mark Conner, Casey Treat, David Yonggi Cho and many more allowing Kong Hee to mislead their churches about his case? Were they misled and groomed to financially support Kong Hee’s lawyers as we saw at Presence Conference? Are these the churches that Pringle was alluding to when he said that “others have moved to help them in other countries”?

Leaders like John Bevere, Yonggi Cho, Casey Treat and Ed Young have already been exposed as false Christian teachers. Is it any wonder they would support someone like Kong Hee? Are we seeing a banding of false teachers, each being only accountable to their inner circle rather than the body of Christ?

This scandal needs to be addressed by the universal body of Christ. How far are men like Phil Pringle and Kong Hee allowed to go with this ungodly, manipulative behaviour before the true church starts dealing with such wolves?

David Yonggi Cho Scandal Paralleled To The Kong Hee Scandal

24 Monday Feb 2014

Posted by churchwatcher in C3 & Pringles Associations

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

A. R. Bernard, AR Bernard, Bernard, blame, c3 church, ccc, charged, CHC, Cho, CityNews, convicted, cult, David Yonggi Cho, Dr Cho, kong, Kong Hee, munsey, Phil Pringle, Pringle, steve munsey, WoF, word of faith, word of faith cult

It is of our opinion that one can probably parallel these scandals to some of the scandals in the C3 movement.

The blog ‘Not Under The Table’ writes,

UPDATED 23/2/14: Lessons From the Sentencing of 2 Cho’s – How Christian Leaders Justify Responsibilities

The news broke today in a shocking manner with the following headlines:

1) “David Yonggi Cho, Founder of World’s Largest Church, Found Guilty of Breach of Trust, Corruption” (The Gospel Herald) and

2) “Yoido Full Gospel church leaders found guilty of tax evasion” (The Hankyoreh)

3) “Pastor gets suspended prison term for massive embezzlement” (The Yonhap News Agency)

Dr Yonggi Cho, whom Pastor Kong Hee address to be his “Spiritual Father” and “Senior Pastor” is sentenced to 3-years in jail with 5-year suspension. This means that the jail term is deferred by 5-years and he will go to jail to serve sentence if is found to further misbehave during this 5-year term. It is still a jail sentence.

The court ruled that Dr Cho is guility of the following charges: (1) Tax evasion and (2) causing approximately 13 billion won (US$12 million) worth of losses to Yoido Full Gospel Church by instructing his church officials to buy stocks privately owned by his eldest son priced at 4x higher than market value in 2002.

“The criminal activity would have been impossible without the approval of Pastor Cho, who had ultimate decision-making authority,” the court ruled. “By condoning the documents that were being written while he was the head of the church, he was largely responsible for these crimes.” – The Hankyoreh

Earlier, in a Straits Times coverage of the news when investigations first began into the Korean Mega-pastor, Dr Cho had denied any wrong-doing, and dismissed the allegations as “a smear campaign by a very small group of people in his church” and that “those who filed the complaint will have to take responsibility accordingly” (ST, 22 Sep 2011)

When this article was first published, City Harvest Church also issued a statement regarding this matter (http://www.chc.org.sg/_eng/church/church_statementReYonggiCho.php):

It is not the intention of this blog to judge a great man like Dr Yonggi Cho, who over the past decades had contributed greatly to the growth of Christianity and helped many people. We have our imperfections and do make mistakes, and do eventually pay the price for it.

However, the patterns of denial adopted up to the point of conviction finds close resemblances to what was seen in the “CHC Trial”:

1) Blame Shifting

“While delivering the three-year prison term for the former newspaper chairman, the judge rebuked the younger Cho for attempting to shift the responsibility for his unethical business practices onto his father and other senior church members.” (source)

Church Growth International Korea, the ministry founded by Dr Cho (independent and separate entity from Yoido Full Gospel Church) issued a statement to their Board Members claiming that the Korean judge, Hon. Yongtun Cho said that:

“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.” (source)

“During the investigation, prosecutors also acquired evidence of tax evasion by David Cho. In 2004, when the Seoul regional tax office judged that this stock sale was a gift and ordered that 10.3 billion won (US$9.48 million) of taxes be paid, David Cho enlisted the aid of an accountant and submitted falsified documents to the tax office to disguise the transaction as a normal stock trade, not as a gift, prosecutors confirmed. He is suspected of using this means to only pay 4 billion won (US$3.68 million) in taxes, evading 6 billion won.” (source)

While he may not be the mastermind, he was unfortunately convicted because he allowed it to happen anyway – apparently rubber stamped whatever his son handed him. The key here is that as a leader, you cannot just claim ignorance and hope to get away. Tax evasion charges aside, he unfortunately gave instruction to siphon the money and ordered the stock purchase – resulting in the inevitable CBT charge which is even more damning and inexcusable – impossible to blame shift this.

Is it true that as long as the fault can be pushed away to another party, it would be “all clear” for the accused? Will it change the mindset of logical thinking adults? Or is it done in an attempt to continue to mislead the unknowing members? Throughout the CHC Trial, we have seen the blame pushed to the auditors, the CAD Investigating Officer and other parties including the media (accused to be bias) – me thinks it’s definitely not true, considering the coverage they gave Serina Wee. News is a business to sell more after all.

The CityNews Article (http://www.citynews.sg/2014/02/chc-trial-defense-establishes-that-evidence-cad-failed-to-seize-was-clearly-relevant-to-case/) was plastered on top of the City Harvest Church website (above the “Special Notices” tab). For the blame on the other parties, just refer to the CityNewsSG articles on their website, and my earlier blog articles. We need to be mindful that such articles coming from a church whose leaders are embroiled in a criminal charge do stir emotions and sentiments among the membership as well as members of the public, depending on where you look at it.

2) Threat and Warning

Such uses were probably aimed to threaten people who speak up with defamation lawsuits? Will this work? Considering the first line of defense against any form of defamation is the reporting of verifiable facts/truth, the threat would also fall on deaf grounds, no?

“those who filed the complaint will have to take responsibility accordingly” (ST, 22 Sep 2011)

Didn’t work for you this time Dr Cho. Your 29 elders have the evidence and spoke boldly without fear of your threat.

CHC have used this to their full advantage over a decade ago in silencing businessman Roland Poon who asserted that church funds were used to fund Sun Ho’s Crossover Project. Roland Poon had to issue a public apology. Glad that he is now vindicated for the court has heard that church funds were indeed used to fund Sun Ho’s singing career from as early as 2001, and definitely in 2003.

Similarly, according to online media, Bobby Chaw, a pastor of CHC, also issued a warning about the media “pre-judging” in relation to the suspension of 9 key CHC staff. This was done through the official statement made by the church on 28 June 2012. It should be noted that as a leader, anything said in public has an influence on its followers. The result of such statements (personally, I view it as a threat, so do some other online media), made in a highly sensitive and emotional context resulted in a witch-hunt and name-calling for the COC by members of CHC. Not too nice to plaster more screenshots, but some are found in earlier posts. Me thinks that COC had been too nice; they should just make public it’s findings there and then – and once and for all put an end to all the name calling on the COC.

3) “Did not make any personal gain”

In an updated statement issued on 22 Feb 2014 regarding the sentencing of Dr Cho, the Management Board of CHC cited “very reliable sources that Dr Cho had no personal gain from any of the investments” (source)

One need not look far to find contradicting reports from the 29 elders who lodged the commission’s against Dr Cho. In fact, they have out forward some very serious allegations in their writing, besides those already charged:

“Ha Sang-ok , who was part of the group for nearly two decades, admits to being involved in some fraud : ” In the last 14 years I have seen and done bad things. I tried to convince the pastor to stop, but he paid no attention. His behavior is not that of a Christian, but like that of a guru of a sect“. (source)

“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.

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).

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.” (Source)

In the corporate statement dated 28 June 2012, Pastor Aries Zulkarnain also states that “no profit was gained by the individuals concerned” (source)

Just highlighting the similarities and at the same time wonder how this has got anything to do with the deeds already done. After all, how would these “reliable sources” know, and can we believe a statement based on unnamed “reliable sources”?

4) Complain is only made by the minority

According to the statement made by the CHC Management Board in 2011, the complain was made by 29 of over 800 elders, hence the implied treatment is that to ignore the minority’s view. If this is not a leading symptom of groupthink, I really don’t know what to call it.

Me thinks that when the minority’s alternate opinion is faced with the majority’s, in a highly charged environment with a charismatic leader, there’s no guessing whose opinion – no matter how truthful or factual will be dismissed. Just think Roland Poon.

Monkey See, Monkey Try to Outdo? Or Flocking Together Birds of Same Feather?

If we examine the associations Pastor Kong Hee has with his group of “spiritual fathers” and good friends (let’s not talk about the advisory pastor pair of Phil Pringle and AR Bernard now – will examine them in due time), it is surprising what we can find:

1) Steve Munsey: Regular weekend service and conference speaker in CHC from 2008 to 2011

– Over-indulgence in personal benefits, while failing to make mortgage repayments, resulting in foreclosure order

List of sources:

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/munster/local-megachurch-navigates-precarious-path/article_2f3b628a-0f42-5355-a8a0-230b1cb1aab8.html

http://www.salon.com/2013/03/05/indiana_mega_church_faces_foreclosure_partner/

http://www.christianpost.com/news/indianas-largest-megachurch-faces-new-foreclosure-proceedings-90769/

2) Abraham Alex Taneseputra: Considered to be another “Spiritual Father” to Pastor Kong

– accused of embezzling approximately USD500million (4.7T INR)

Sources (google-translated from Bahasa Indonesia, so the language syntax might be off – best read from original source language):

http://www.indoboom.com/2013/stories/church-pastor-embezzles-4-7-trillion-from-church-offerings.html

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?id=126527234050583&story_fbid=340150022763459 (contains separate articles)

Kong Hee – The Successor to Abraham Alex and Yonggi Cho

In the May 2010 Asia Conference, Dr Cho have laid hands on Pastor Kong and handed the baton to him. It seems that he is the designated successor to Dr Cho, who prophesied that he will outdo his accomplishments.

In another meeting in Indonesia, Alex Abraham also named Pastor Kong to be his successor and prophesied over him that he will have “full vindication” from the Lord. (video recording of service available upon request – link private after being removed)

What is the outcome of such laying on of hands is still to be seen in the coming months, but if there’s any potential of impartation, then whatever is on the hands of the imparter will certainly go to the impartee – might not be a good thing after all.

Bottom line in the Dr Cho case, is that, in the own words of the Management Board, he is “innocent until proven guilty” and all have waited until “due process of the law is complete”. And sorry to note, their “reliable sources” who claimed that this was a “civil suit” have failed them again – it’s a criminal proceeding.

If past history is a good gauge of future occurrences, then everything that was ever said by them just fell to the ground. This is certainly not a happy day for Christianity in Singapore and the world. They can always blame their sources for misleading them, anyway.

Source: UPDATED 23/2/14: Lessons From the Sentencing of 2 Cho’s – How Christian Leaders Justify Responsibilities, Not Under The Table, http://notunderthetable.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/lessons-from-sentencing-of-2-chos-how.html, Friday, 21 February 2014. (Accessed 24/02/2014.)

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

21 Friday Feb 2014

Posted by churchwatcher in C3 & Pringles Associations

≈ 18 Comments

Tags

c3, c3 church, CHC, Cho, Christian City Church, City Harvest Church, criminal activity, david cho, David Yonggi Cho, fined, fines, guilty, jailed, kong, Kong Hee, Phil Pringle, Pringle, prison, sentenced, Seoul District Court, tax evasion, Yoido Full Gospel, yoido full gospel church

The golden prosperity triangle is falling. While Phil Pringle’s protege Kong Hee is still going through court procedures of mishandling church funds of up to $40 million US, their mentor David Yonggi Cho has been sentenced “to three years in prison, suspended for five years, and ordered… to pay 5 billion won (US$4.67 million) in fines”.

Don’t forget that Cho said earlier in the investigations that he, “denied the allegations, calling them a smear campaign by a very small group of people in his church. ‘The truth will reveal itself during the prosecutors’s investigation. Those who filed the complaint will have to take responsibility accordingly.”

Not only did David Yonggi Cho smear his elders (what Kong Hee and Phil Pringle would call critics), he relies on the courts to reveal “the truth” rather deal with it biblically within the church. We have see this similar behaviour in the C3 movement and CHC. It is of our opinion that events like these reinforce the obvious factor that such men like Phil Pringle, Kong Hee and David Yonggi Cho do not behave honestly in the church.

And for teachers who always teach on faith, where is it now?

The Hankyoreh reports,

Yoido Full Gospel church leaders found guilty of tax evasion

Yoido Full Gospel Church senior pastor David Yonggi Cho is surrounded by supporters and bodyguards as he leaves Seoul District Court in Seocho district after being sentenced to three years in prison, suspended for five years, and ordered him to pay 5 billion won (US$4.67 million) in fines, Feb. 20. Cho’s bodyguards kept reporters away from Cho, struck a female reporter and destroyed a camera belong to KBS. (by Kim Bong-gyu, staff photographer)

Senior pastor David Yonggi Cho gets lighter sentence on account of his religious activities

On Feb. 20, Hon. Cho Yong-hyun with the 23rd criminal division of the Seoul District Court sentenced David Yonggi Cho, 78, senior pastor of Yoido Full Gospel Church, to three years in prison, suspended for five years, and ordered him to pay 5 billion won (US$4.67 million) in fines. Cho was charged with causing around 13.1 billion won in damages to his church and evading approximately 3.5 billion won in taxes in the process (embezzlement as defined in the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes). In addition, Pastor Cho’s oldest son Cho Hee-jun, 49, former chairman of the Yeongsan Christian Culture Center, was given a three-year prison sentence and taken into custody.

The court also took into consideration the fact that Pastor Cho has contributed to social welfare over the years as a religious figure, which it explained as the reason for his lenient sentence.

The court sentenced Cho Hee-jun to actual time in prison, regarding him as the mastermind behind most of the crimes, including dereliction of duty.

Cho was indicted in 2013 on charges of professional negligence and tax evasion. At the request of his son, Cho allegedly had Yoido Full Gospel Church purchase 250,000 shares of stock in I-Service held by the Yeongsan Christian Culture Center at 86,984 won per share, even though the shares were only worth 34,386 won each, resulting in a 13.1 billion won loss for the church. When a gift tax was imposed on the church’s expensive stock purchase, Cho allegedly submitted documents to the tax authorities depicting the transaction as a normal loan, evading 3.5 billion won in taxes.

Source: By Kim Mi-hyang, Senior pastor David Yonggi Cho gets lighter sentence on account of his religious activities, The Hankyoreh, http://www.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/625270.html, 21/02/2014. (Accessed 21/02/2014.)

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)

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

CNA Reports On Current CHC Court Developments

21 Tuesday Jan 2014

Posted by churchwatcher in Uncategorized

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auditor, Channel News Asia, CHC, chc church, Chew Eng Han, City Harvest Church, CNA, Firna, kong, Kong Hee, mr hanafi, Mr Sim, Serina Wee, sham bond investments, Sharon Tan, Tan Ye Peng, xtron

Channel News Asia reports,

CHC trial: Lead auditor takes issue with CHC’s investment in Xtron

SINGAPORE: Some of the financial moves made by the City Harvest Church did not make any sense, said the external lead auditor of the church’s book.

Mr Sim Guan Seng of accountancy firm Baker Tilly took the stand on Monday in the trial of the six church leaders accused of misusing millions of church funds.

Mr Sim said he took issue with the investment in Xtron.

The church had bought S$13 million worth of Xtron bonds initially. This bond subscription agreement was subsequently raised to S$18 million and then to S$25 million.

The revision was to raise enough money for Xtron to purchase a Riverwalk property.

Mr Sim said he thought it was possible for the church to buy the property directly without having to invest in Xtron. He then told the church’s management to check with their lawyers to see if this was possible.

At the time of the purchase, Xtron, which already had S$18 million, borrowed another S$10 million from the bank.

Referring to email exchanges dated August 2008, between accused Serina Wee, Chew Eng Han, Sharon Tan and Tan Ye Peng, the prosecution asked if there was any reason the four would want to hide the bank loan from auditors.

Mr Sim said he was not aware and added that he found it puzzling that Xtron had to borrow money from the bank when it was supposed to have enough cash.

Later in the day, the court heard that the S$13 million had been drawn down before the property was bought.

Earlier on Monday, Mr Sim had told the court he initially had various concerns, chief of which was that Xtron was “not the most financially healthy” company and he wondered why the church would invest in Xtron.

The court also heard that the witness was not aware of several discussions, one of which involves a letter of guarantee made by businessman and former Xtron director Wahju Hanafi, indemnifying Xtron.

Mr Hanafi was in turn indemnified by four others, including church founder Kong Hee and his deputy Tan Ye Peng.

When asked, Mr Sim said he was not aware of these personal guarantees.

He also questioned why these were not disclosed to the auditors.

When told by the prosecution that the guarantee letter was prepared in 2010 but dated 2007, Mr Sim said he was “puzzled by the purpose of this guarantee” when the audit was already over.

Pointing to various documents produced in court, Mr Sim said that it would seem like the bond transactions between the church, Xtron and another firm, Firna, were set up for specific purposes, which would “raise a lot of red flags”.

Firna, a glassware company owned by Mr Hanafi, was allegedly used in what the prosecution calls “sham bond investments”.

Kong and five of his deputies are accused of misusing the church’s building funds through “sham bond investments” to boost the music career of Ms Ho, Kong’s wife.

The trial continues.

Source: By Clair Huang, CHC trial: Lead auditor takes issue with CHC’s investment in Xtron, Channel News Asia, http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/chc-trial-auditor-would/960498.html, 20/01/2014. (Accessed 20/01/2014.)

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

14 Tuesday Jan 2014

Posted by churchwatcher in C3 & Pringles Associations

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2014, 2014 Presence Conference, Apprising, Apprising Ministries, Brian Houston, c3 global presence conference, C3 Global Presence Conference 2014, C3 Presence Conference, C3 Presence Conference 2014, CCC Presence Conference 2014, CCCPresence Conference, CHC, city harvest, City Harvest Church, city harvest church scandal, cultish, cults, dangerous, false, false leader, false leaders, false prophet, false prophets, false teacher, false teachers, felon, Giglio, Global Presence Conference 2014, hillsong, hillsong church, j.john, jjohn., john, Ken Silva, kong, Kong Hee, Louie Giglio, Presence Conference, scandal, Silva, threat, wolves

Apprising reports,

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

By Ken Silva pastor-teacher on Jan 9, 2014 in AM Missives, Current Issues, Features

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:

(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:

(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:

(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:

(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

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

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C3 Church Watch

Tag Archives: kong

“For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest…” (Part 2)

Money, mansions & mendacity: Kong’s “integrity” on show

Another CityNews interview with CHC Advisory “Pastor” Phil Pringle

Phil’s phoney friends

Judge: “there is evidence to show that sham, or false, investments took place.”

Is Kong Hee gaining financial support for his legal defense through honest means?

David Yonggi Cho Scandal Paralleled To The Kong Hee Scandal

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

CNA Reports On Current CHC Court Developments

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

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