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Former members say Covenant Fellowship Church has reneged on its vows to investigate allegations of sexual and spiritual abuse. In May 2021, CFC cut ties with him. Moreover, for the sake of god, Min Chung had carried out various beneficial things for the duration of . We exist to build a church that connects our world to Jesus and leads them to become like Him. Home; About; Gallery; Blog; Shop; Contact; My Account; Resources To Contact Tad: #860-634-7949. Former members of Covenant Fellowship Church say Chungs abuse is part of a larger pattern of abuse and silencing at CFC and affiliated ministries. I went to my head pastor and I was emotionally distressed, she said. cfc church scandal pastor min. The lawsuit alleges Pastor Moses Masitha grabbed JanetRussell, sliding his hands down her back and squeezing her rear end.. Christian Fellowship Church is a non-denominational church body located in Evansville, IN. I didn't know what to do. Janet attended the church for eight years. cfc church scandal pastor min. In January of 2020, CFC transitioned from being under the leadership of Reverend Min Chung to a team leadership model. CFC also agreed to her request for reimbursement of counseling expenses. Theres a picnic. I am truly sorry and deeply repentant, Courson said. At that meeting, however, the KCP instead considered a motion to rescind the April 2021 judgment and to hold a retrial, according to a July 15, 2021, statement from the presbytery. 01 1401 - 23:19 . Even the friend in whom the victim confided feared she would be cursed by God if she spoke against Chung. Wade Morris, Popular Baptist Youth Speaker, Dies After COVID-19 Hospitalization. Despite the procedural errors, the SJC also declared the case would effectively be terminated and not sent back to the KCP to be retried. Hi. Conversations about sex, including consent, are taboo. trugrade fuel pump. However, we hope you will support our work with your prayers and financial gifts. Russell says looking back, there were other signs that something was wrong. It has seen only statements from three individuals in a recent newspaper article. The Church participates in periodic compensation reviews conducted by an outside, independent law firm that specializes in executive and non-profit compensation. by National Public Radio station WBEZ in Chicago, Covenant Fellowship Church and its former head pastor Min Joshua Chung for years fostered a misogynistic environment that included sexual mistreatment and oppression of women. FEDERAL WAY, Wash. Another lawsuit was filed Friday against a megachurch in Federal Way. . For Janet Park and other members of the group that filed the initial allegations against Chung and the CFC pastors, the GRACE termination felt like a particularly painful blow. (Images via Facebook) Applegate elders were made aware of two of the womens accounts following an elders meeting in June. "Thats why we're coming forward. Additionally, the former elders added that Jon Courson Coursons father and Applegate founder and other elders kept Courson on staff under a different title instead of telling him to resign. Any of our worship services are ideal for anyone to discover what church is about. Covenant Fellowship Church is nondenominational, has no elders, and is not a PCA member. The Roys Report seeks to foster thoughtful and respectful dialogue. VanRaden was employed as an assistant pastor and youth pastor at Faith Baptist Church, 4601 N . He added that the Book of Church Order wasnt designed to protect victims of abuse, and that the PCA should consider amendments to the book to help make the judicial process less cumbersome for lay members. 500K PCA and other conservative denominations. According to the report, Kim was initially more interested in stopping the spread of gossip and keeping Chungs sexual misconduct private than holding Chung accountable or protecting victims. . The allegations in the lawsuit accuses other members of the Treat family as well. He was released from jail Monday after posting $7,500 cash and told to be back in court Jan. 21. That process is currently underway. I'm trying to give the voice to the other women who are still out there, who are still figuring out how to heal, JanetRussell said. Preteen Discipleship; . CFC came under fire last summer for its alleged mishandling of sexual misconduct by church founder and former head pastor Min Joshua Chung. Chung, who founded the church in 1990 on the University of Illinois-Champaign Urbana campus, announced in the summer of 2019 that he would transition out of the head pastor role and a team of associate pastors would lead the church. While it was always consensual, and there was never sex outside of marriagethere was never adulterystill, we let things go beyond what God requires of a relationship., When it comes to this area of women, I take full responsibility and I am truly sorry to our church community, he continued. "Because of the history of the church. Sorry, the underlying pathology of people who act out this way takes more than a few of your cronies to meet at some hotel resort and call that Restoration. Furthermore, what is actually done to assist the victims and their families through this process? WBEZ first reported the allegations against Chung and the crisis unfolding at CFC as the victims of sexual and spiritual abuse shared their stories online. As outlined in WBEZs initial report, in April 2021, the KCP a regional presbytery of the PCA to which Kim, Chung and other former CFC pastors belong had found Chung guilty of his admitted sexual harassment for inappropriately touching a female congregant in 2001 (instead of a more serious form of misconduct). Furthermore, in recent weeks, it has become public knowledge that Min Chung was found guilty by the Korean Central Presbytery (KCP). Over the years, Chung rebuked whistleblowers who tried to confront him for causing dissension in the church. They either left or were forced to leave by the leadership they loved, the report states. The political influence of the Senior Pastor in most independent churches is always a problem but in a denomination the hope is that people with oversight can minimize the political influence I guess not. The victim was terrified and did whatever she was told, the report states. Along with her husband Theo, Pastor Beverley co-founded Christian Family Church International in September 1979. Follow her on Twitter @WBEZeducation and @soosieon. WBEZ confirmed with Justin Coverstone, the stated clerk of the Presbytery of Northern Illinois, that CFC was in the process of joining that regional body as of early September. During that time they have served in many areas of ministry including Life Group leaders for 14 years, joined the Worship Team in 1998, and have been a part of Children's Ministry since 2003. A post shared by Scottie Scheffler (@scottie.scheffler), A Covenant Fellowship Church service. January 24, 2018. cfc church scandal illinoiserror: unexpected symbol in ggplot. I myself, talk about the abuse I faced in CFC especially on worship team and after my mugging in October 2015 which I believe CFC was responsible for.letters_from_rahab:https://www.instagram.com/letters_from_rahab/My insta:https://www.instagram.com/timma1/0:53 Pastor Min Chung \u0026 what happened:3:23 Letters from Rahab \u0026 abuse victim stories:6:42 What change people want:9:46 Chris Yoon10:20 How can I and others recover?11:51 CFC worship team and the negativity16:56 Legal action soon And this past November, news broke that former Hillsong Church Pastor Carl Lentz was fired for "leadership issues and moral failures" after one of several extramarital affairs became public. Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive a copy of "Escaping the Maze of Spiritual Abuse" by Dr. Lisa Oakley and Justin Humphreys. CFCs breach includes, but is not limited to, Caleb Treat, Tasha Treat, and Moses Masitha exploiting parishioners and employees for their own personal sexual gratification and empowerment, the complaint reads. He also contended that any innuendoes or accusations heard beyond the video were unfounded and untrue. In closing, Courson asked for prayers as he will take a six-month leave of absence from his pastoral duties and will not be taking any salary from the church. After the passage of many years, CFC recently received two written complaints concerning the same CFC employee. The churchs website says that as of July 2021, CFC is under the leadership of Reverend KJ Kim and a lay oversight board and is in the process of particularizing or becoming a fully organized church with the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). Why do you think youre staying for so long? . One of those associate pastors was KJ Kim, the new head pastor of CFC. Pacific Gardens Mission Homeless Shelter. The statements included claims of alleged sexual harassment and financial improprieties. A Presbyterian oversight group refused to defrock a Korean American minister following allegations of sexual misconduct, reports Ministry Watch. We remind him to abide by the BCO (Book of Church Order), and we believe that he should return to ministry.. In addition, CFC vowed to be clear and transparent with members by providing regular updates on the probe on its website. Tim is not only the Pastor, he is also the Missions Team leader. , . The KCP ruled only on the sexual assault allegation, calling it sexual harassment. They determined that Chung was guilty but has done enough for restoration to ministry. Service Times. But a vote on the matter failed to achieve the necessary two-thirds majority, meaning Chung remains a minister, WBEZ reported. Experts say the scandal and subsequent backsliding at CFC illustrates how many churches and their governing bodies are ill-equipped to address allegations of abuse. Article Images Copyright Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Kyle Carnahan. In the recently concluded lawsuit, Ms. Massey had alleged that she was harassed by Caleb Treat, the adult son of Casey and Wendy Treat. Chung began private counseling sessions with the victim, using that time to urge her to keep silent about the assault, the report states. Rev. I'm very concerned that he could be doing this to other women still,Russell said. This new, latest lawsuit also accuses the CFC and founders of misusing the tithes from parishioners. Russell said when she saw Masitha still preaching in the fall, she and her husband couldnt bear it any longer and left the church in late September. Former members of Covenant Fellowship Church (CFC) of Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, where Chung pastored, say the whole church system breeds abuse. Heres the CFCs full statement as of Friday afternoon: CFC has not been provided with a copy of the Complaint. Those who looked deeper discovered sexual misconduct and abuse of power by Chung, former long-term church members, pastors, and leaders state in a 67-page report released to The Roys Report (TRR). 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Send us an email at investigate@kiro7.com, Multiple western Washington residents indicted in connection to coast-to-coast drug ring, Bank accidentally left unlocked in Fresno, police say, Powerball jackpot winner identified as longtime Boeing employee, Big snake: Officials discover 14-foot python in New York, Court finds Federal Way gun store in contempt of court. The events referenced in the complaints appeared to have occurred long ago. We'd love to meet you! A July 13 vote narrowly missed that threshold, with 22 in favor of rescinding the decision, 12 against, and one abstaining. Sept. 22, 2022, 1:46 p.m. CT Last summer, hundreds of accounts surfaced online criticizing Covenant Fellowship Church for mishandling alleged incidents of sexual abuse committed by church. After being raped repeatedly by her boyfriend, Lin reached out to one of CFC's area pastors associate or assistant pastors who oversaw different parts of the UIUC campus. Keep in touch with Julie and get updates in your inbox! Rebecca Hopkins is a journalist based in Colorado. During that time, he pastored the church, served on several ministry boards, and taught at the seminary. cfc church scandal pastor min. He still preaches as a member in good standing. 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Hope City Church in Houston, Texas once touted as the "fastest-growing church in American history" announced earlier this month that its pastor, Jeremy Foster, has resigned due to an adulterous affair.. Foster's resignation is the latest in a series of scandals linked to the Association of Related Churches. It was just like, Why, why did we do this all in vain? Park said. They may get along with that for a long time but somewhere along the way, the rot will show, and it will end up destroying them.. Bob Smietana, Emily McFarlan Miller. UIUC officials told WBEZ that CFC has chosen not to renew its status as a registered student organization for the coming year, meaning it cannot recruit new students at a back-to-school event or reserve space on the campus for meetings. We continue to seek the Lord for His leading in this season of ministry, he said. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. . He also referred WBEZ to Tim LeCroy, a pastor who chaired the PCAs committee that wrote the domestic and sexual abuse report. Victims of abuse who express their grievances on social media, who protest, who take their stories to the media theyre like that woman in that parable, LeCroy said. The 21st Show A Reckoning At Covenant Fellowship Church August 19, 2021 Ryan Andrew Wilde Anna Rhee was sexually abused by another attendee of CFC. Joshua Generation, commonly called J-Gen, a ministry for high schoolers that Chung founded, also severed ties with Chung.