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CHC, City Harvest Church, David Yonggi Cho, elders, scandal, statement, YFGC, yoido full gospel church, yonggi cho
YOIDO FULL GOSPEL CHURCH STATEMENT CRITIQUE
CHC recently published Yoido Full Gospel Church’s official statement about the Yonggi Cho scandal. Before reading their statement, we would like to highlight some concerning elements to our readers in this statement.
Underneath the Yoido Full Gospel Church (YFGC) statement, we will publish the biblical qualifications of Godly leadership. It is important to consider if David Yonggi Cho and his elders fulfill the requirements as we offer our critique.
Snippet 1:
“From this day forward all us who are related to this matter will try our best to prevent something like this from happening again.”
What does this mean? Elders did try “to prevent something like this from happening”. They apparently did the biblical thing behind closed doors with David Yonggi Cho (Matt 18:15-20). They were expelled and made the issues public. They were maligned by David Yonggi Cho but were proven to be right in court. Those apologising appeared to do nothing of the sort. When you read the statement, it does not sound like they are apologising about their complacency.
If they want “to prevent something like this from happening again”, they need to remove Yonggi Cho’s family from leadership and have them counselled under God’s Word.
Snippet 2:
“More than anything, we can’t stop expressing our deepest apologies towards our members and to our spiritual teacher and leader Pastor Yonggi Cho for our inability in properly aiding him.”
Why is YFGC leadership “expressing [their] deepest apologies” to Yonggi Cho for their “inability in properly aiding him”? Like we just said, a cluster of elders did try to aid and correct Yonggi Cho privately and they were expelled from his church.
The comment is disturbing. It sounds rather cultish that they are apologising to their leader when it was their leader was caught committing illegal activity.
Snippet 3:
“We promise to sincerely do our best to ensure that Pastor Cho’s ministry will be carried out well within God’s grace.”
Dear elders: your minister is unqualified to hold a pastoral or leadership position in your church. Not only is he a false teacher, he doesn’t even tick the qualifications to be in ministry. He can’t manage his own family.
Furthermore, Yonggi Cho does not have a ministry. Every Christian is called to uphold Christ’s ministry, not their own (2 Corinthians 5:17-21; 1 Timothy 3:15). However Cho has counterfeited Christ’s ministry by establishing his own ‘ministry’ which is why you see this entire empire as “Cho’s ministry”.
Snippet 4:
“We urge our members to also continue praying for Pastor Cho’s health and ministry.”
Here is the next mistake in their statement. You do not pray God’s blessing over wolves or God’s enemies (Isaiah 5:20; Proverbs 17:13). Instead, we are called to love and pray for them to repent of their wickedness and turn back to God. As we stated before, the elders need to not only pray for Cho, they need to do the following:
“But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.” 1 Corinthians 5:11-12
Snippet 5:
“In light of this incidence, we would like to put our past behind and set our sights on the bright future as we move forward in faith to lead in the sharing and practicing of love.”
This is both foolish and unloving to say the least. YFGC should not “put [their] past behind and set [their] sights on the bright future”. Why? They haven’t learnt from their past mistakes and have only made the same mistake again. The leadership need to examine the beliefs, the practices and the system of Yoido Full Gospel Church.
This statement lacks substance, lacks clarity, lacks meaning, lacks accountability and shows little regard for God and His word. If they can’t discern and articulate what the problem is then what have they learned?
If you feel lead, please pray that Yoido Full Gospel reforms and submits to God’s Word.
YOIDO FULL GOSPEL CHURCH STATEMENT
CHC published the following,
Yoido Full Gospel Church’s Statement To Its Church Members (23 Feb 2014)
To the members of our church
This is to inform you our members concerning the results of the trial pertaining to our church held on February 20 (Thursday).
1. With regard to the documents which were approved a while back, a judgment has been made by the judiciary. We sincerely apologize for bringing anxiety to all of the members who have loved our church and prayed about all of the matters related to this situation. From this day forward all us who are related to this matter will try our best to prevent something like this from happening again.
2. More than anything, we can’t stop expressing our deepest apologies towards our members and to our spiritual teacher and leader Pastor Yonggi Cho for our inability in properly aiding him. We promise to sincerely do our best to ensure that Pastor Cho’s ministry will be carried out well within God’s grace. We urge our members to also continue praying for Pastor Cho’s health and ministry.
3. For the past 56 years, Yoido Full Gospel Church has never ceased its ministry of saving souls by preaching the gospel and helping the poor and needy, despite the many difficulties that the church has been through. In light of this incidence, we would like to put our past behind and set our sights on the bright future as we move forward in faith to lead in the sharing and practicing of love. To accomplish this, we dearly need your prayers. We beseech you to pray for the church more fervently and more earnestly.
February 23, 2014 (Sunday)
Yoido Full Gospel Church Senior Pastor Young-hoon Lee, Pastors and Members of the Board
Source: Yoido Full Gospel Church’s Statement To Its Church Members (23 Feb 2014), http://www.chc.org.sg/#!yoido-full-gospel-churchs-statement-to-its-church-members-23-feb-2014, CHC, Published 23/02/2014. (Accessed 24/02/2014.)
NOTE: SCREEN GRAB WAS TAKEN ON THE 24/02/2014.
The Apostle Paul says to young Timothy,
The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.
Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.
I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:
He was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated by the Spirit,
seen by angels,
proclaimed among the nations,
believed on in the world,
taken up in glory.
1 Timothy 3
