So, what happened to the CAD's investigation on City Harvest?

Haagen Diaz

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Kong Hee charged – updated* | Group Sects


The Straits Times reports…

“Nine executive members of City Harvest Church have been asked to voluntarily extend their suspensions over a multimillion-dollar corruption case or risk being removed from their posts.

The Sunday Times understands that they have each received a letter from the Commissioner of Charities requesting that they remain away from their posts for longer than a year – which is the maximum that it can impose by law.

This is because their suspensions are due to be lifted this June, before the trial ends.

But some of them are understood to be refusing to agree to an extension because they are keen to return to their posts.

The case began in June last year when six of the church’s key ministry leaders were charged with conspiring to cheat it of millions of dollars.

Kong Hee, Tan Ye Peng, Sharon Tan, Chew Eng Han, Serina Wee and John Lam Leng Hung are alleged to have put $24 million into sham bond investments in order to conceal funds channelled to further the music career of Kong’s pop singer-wife Ho Yeow Sun.

Another $26.6 million of church money was then said to have been misappropriated to cover up the initial sum.

The six were suspended on the day of their arrest, along with Ms Ho, Mr Kelvin Teo Meng How and Ms Jacqueline Tan Su Pheng.

The commissioner’s office then said its inquiry had revealed “misconduct and mismanagement in the administration of the charity”.

This was “particularly in relation to the funds that were in the Building Fund which had been raised and earmarked for specific purposes”.

It added that it would “consider taking further courses of action under the Charities Act against these individuals in order to protect the charitable property of the Charity”.

The commissioner’s office is understood to have completed the first stage of its independent inquiry into the church’s finances.

Under Section 25 of the Charities Act, it can suspend any “trustee, governing board member, officer, agent, or employee” of a charity once it has begun an inquiry.

But the suspensions cannot exceed 12 months, which is why it is understood to have asked that they be voluntarily extended until six months after the end of the trial.

If they do not agree, it will have to proceed with the next stage of its inquiry – meaning, removing them from their posts permanently.

The Sunday Times understands that some of the nine were unwilling to agree to the extension, as they had been previously employed by the church and wanted their jobs back.

A source close to them told The Sunday Times that they felt that they had “no right to defence”, as many of the issues raised by the commissioner’s office are not part of the charges brought against the six accused.

“So these issues will not be heard at the trial, and there will be no opportunity to challenge the correctness of the Commissioner of Charities’ judgment,” said the long-time church member.

He added that the nine would have little chance of getting their positions back after the trial, as the court is not likely to rule on many of the issues involving them.

This means the commissioner’s office has “effectively given its final verdict through the removal process”.

So far, the deadline for the nine to give their written consent is understood to have been extended twice.

The case is expected to go to trial at the end of April, with the first tranche of hearings likely to last approximately four weeks, and the second expected to go on for another four weeks from the end of August.

The trial date may still be affected by an application for a Queen’s Counsel filed by Chew last month.

A full-day hearing is scheduled for March 4.

Chew had originally hired law firm Rajah and Tann, but it was discharged from representing him in court in October, as it was one of the companies involving in drawing up the original documents for bond investments involved in the case.

The other five defendants from the 23,000-strong church are being represented by Senior Counsel – the Singaporean equivalent of Queen’s Counsel.

The commissioner’s office declined to comment when contacted.”
 

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:: City Harvest Church (2013) ::


These two words encapsulate the crux of Kong Hee's life-transforming message to the masses: "Loving God Wholeheartedly and Loving People Fervently."

There is much value in the simplicity of this maxim that effectively demonstrates the vertical aspect of the Cross—having a deep relationship and reverence for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; as well as the horizontal aspect—stepping out of the confines of our personal needs to meet the needs of others.

Preaching the gospel of Christ in a manner that is both progressive and heartfelt, Kong is a highly sought-after conference speaker worldwide, and his messages reach out to touch and minister to millions of lives through many multimedia platforms. Kong's revelatory emphasis of the Great Commandment, the Great Commission and the Cultural Mandate resonates powerfully within 21st Century Christianity by inspiring believers everywhere to take on the mantle of Kingdom ambassadorship. Not just within the four walls of the church or within full-time ministry, but in whichever areas of society God has placed them in.

Kong encourages his listeners to "engage culture" with the same servant heart that Jesus showed during His time on earth, and as a result, exact change on the norms, values and belief systems of our world today. This Cultural Mandate message has burned deep particularly within believers who are successful in the business arena and the entertainment world, giving them a Kingdom vision and purpose for the influence and voice that they have achieved in their respective communities. Many successful businesspeople and celebrities have discovered a newfound passion for their secular endeavors, having gained from Kong the revelation that their success can empower them to be a more effective voice of influence—the "salt and light"—to a lost and dying world.

In the cosmopolitan nation of Singapore, Kong is the founder and senior pastor of City Harvest Church—a thriving, contemporary congregation in the heart of the city that actively impacts the marketplace and contributes to the well-being of society.

"Kong, raise up a new generation of believers that will take the nations by storm!" It was this word from God that seized Kong's heart for ministry, and in 1989, with barely a dollar to his name and just 20 youths on fire for Jesus, the City Harvest Church story began unfolding.

Relationship and discipleship has always been Kong's focal aspect in the DNA of this ministry, and as he encouraged the congregation to reach out to the unchurched with the love of God, the lost began to find salvation in Christ and a church family in CHC. Through radical worship and Kong's anointed preaching, CHC has grown from its humble beginnings to what it is today: it has branch and affiliate churches, Bible schools, community and humanitarian agencies, and mission outreaches throughout the Asia-Pacific region. The church is recognized by many as one of the largest, most vibrant and influential congregations in Asia today.

In spite of all the busyness and ever-expanding work of his ministry, Kong continues to focus on the things that matter most in his heart—his wife Sun and his boy Dayan, and above all, his deep love and gratitude toward Jesus Christ. It is this deep and authentic relationship with his Abba Father that makes him more than a preacher, but a spiritual model to many of what it means to lay down your life and follow Christ.
 

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TUV2008

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Court hears City Harvest Church member's application to hire QC - Channel NewsAsia

juz guessing dat this chew fellow delaying the case. wonder y his situation so special dat he can't engage a local sc like the rest of the accused four (congee not included) and wanna hire ang moh qc? :s22:

I bet the hearing will not start as schedule in early may... This chew guy is asking delaying the trial... Looks like they want to go for a June summer holiday before the hearings.
 

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Cheers up!! There is a justice after all. God really exists after all. He will judge all of us after our death ---> heaven and hell. Amen. Trust in His goodness and mercy and justice.

If God really exists, then this kind of thing should not happen at all !
Unless this God is using a very x86 old processor.
 
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I bet the hearing will not start as schedule in early may... This chew guy is asking delaying the trial... Looks like they want to go for a June summer holiday before the hearings.

wat to do. these rich ppl know how 2 play the game. the longer they drag, it gives them more time to plan in case things don't go their way.
 

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According to Chew he has requested for the date of 20 May for the trial to begin but turn down by the prosecutor.

I just checked the Chinese lunar calendar , 20 May is an auspicious date for court case.

How come he also believe such thing ? Is he a christian also ?
 

Haagen Diaz

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According to Chew he has requested for the date of 20 May for the trial to begin but turn down by the prosecutor.

I just checked the Chinese lunar calendar , 20 May is an auspicious date for court case.

How come he also believe such thing ? Is he a christian also ?

20 May is auspicious? How do you know?
 

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Official Statements Surrounding The City Harvest Church Crisis | C3 Church Watch


A STATEMENT FROM CITY HARVEST CHURCH

Dear Church Family,

This morning, Pastor Kong Hee, Pastor Tan Ye Peng, John Lam, Chew Eng Han and Sharon Tan were informed to attend court tomorrow.

There is no case that is being brought against the Church.

The CHC Advisory Committee, comprising Dr Phil Pringle, founder and Senior Minister of Christian City Church in Sydney and Dr A R Bernard, founder and CEO of Christian Cultural Centre in New York, will continue to provide spiritual leadership. Both pastors were appointed advisory senior pastors over CHC.

The Church Management Board continues to provide guidance on the running of the church.

Church operations and cell group meetings will continue as usual, including all weekend services at Singapore Expo and Jurong West.

In the meantime, do keep the church, our pastors, leaders and their families in prayer.

Yours faithfully,
Rev Aries Zulkarnain
Executive Pastor
City Harvest Church


It’s worth noting that that City Harvest Church’s statement is misleading. It is not true that, “Pastor Kong Hee, Pastor Tan Ye Peng, John Lam, Chew Eng Han and Sharon Tan were informed to attend court tomorrow” that morning. They were ARRESTED that morning. That’s quite a convenient thing they left out of their statement, don’t you think?

This statement can also be found on City Harvest Church’s Facebook wall.

(A STATEMENT FROM CITY HARVEST CHURCH, by City Harvest Church (Official), A STATEMENT FROM CITY HARVEST CHURCH (26 June 2012) | Facebook, Tuesday, 26/06/2012. (Accessed 27/06/2012.))
 

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China Boy & China Wine | C3 Church Watch


Kong Hee invited his wife Sun Hee up to the stage at Presence Conference 2012. He introduced themselves as “China Boy and Chine Wine”.


Sun Hee said in front of everyone ‘I know that I represent City Harvest Church.‘ However, Kong Hee alluded to his celebrity wife’s controversial, worldly music video ‘China Wine’.

(Warning: content of video may be considered highly inappropriate for Christian viewers.)


As you could probably guess, pastors criticised Kong & Sun Hee for this. The below article is worth reading to see how Kong Hee justifies his wife performing the song ‘China Wine’. While reading this article please consider the following questions. Does he have double standards?

Has he changed his standards? Don’t forget that Kong Hee highly regards his wife and says that, “Sun is my wisdom“. (Accessed 19/04/2012)

Which type of wisdom? Godly wisdom or worldly wisdom? James 1:5-8 comes to mind:

“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” – James 1:5-8

By promoting himself and his wife as “China Boy and Chine Wine”, what is he saying about Presence Conference 2012? Does Kong Hee rightly handle the scriptures?

How should Hee approach the scriptures John 15:19, 1 John 4:5, 1 John 2:15, John 17:14, James 4:4, 1 John 2:16?

Does he owe an apology to the way he responded to pastors in this article?

Consider this as you read this article. (Emphasis mine in underline.)

(Source: Welcome to Kong Hee Ministries)

Wholesome Shallowness?
In 2007, my wife Sun released a music video of the hit single, “China Wine,” the result of a creative collaboration with reggae wunderkind, Wyclef Jean. That video garnered a lot of attention on YouTube with more than two million hits over two dozen fan sites. It received rave reviews from industry insiders as well as youths who love dance pop the world over. Not surprisingly, the video also raised quite a few eyebrows within the religious fraternity who felt it was inappropriate for a Christian to be featured in a dance video.

Although Sun is married to me, she herself was never formally ordained as a minister. She never felt gifted with a pulpit ministry. But ever since Sun was a child, she had participated in many singing contests and won quite a few of them. As a preacher’s wife, Sun functioned faithfully from behind-the-scenes as my helpmate, becoming an effective counselor and a singer in the church.

At the turn of the millennium, as I began formulating my doctrine on the Cultural Mandate, challenging my generation to come out of isolation and engage the marketplace, I urged Sun to help me embody that message. In 2002, she launched her new career in Taiwan as a pop singer. Since then, she has done very well with more than four million units sold, five multi-platinum records, and over 30 number one songs in five different countries. Today, she is known in the Far East as a bona fide singer, entertainer and humanitarian.

From her royalties, Sun has built eight schools, two orphanages, two medical centers, one rehabilitation clinic, and two housing projects. Through her connections, she has helped with the establishing and fund-raising of four other orphanages, two hospitals, two community services, and one charity foundation. For all these humanitarian achievements, Sun was awarded the Top Outstanding Young Person of the World in 2003, and became China’s Charity Ambassador of Children since 2004. In 2007, she sang the theme song for the Special Olympics at Shanghai. Last year, she sang the 2008 Olympic Anthem during the pre-game launch at Beijing. The unchurched throughout Asia loves Sun and views her as an exemplary model to the youths of society.



Yet, in spite of all her secular and creative achievements, many conservative pastors find it hard to accept Sun in any role outside of church ministry. But the reality is that she is no longer a church staff or a gospel singer. She doesn’t work for any religious organization.

As a professional artist, Sun has to take on many dramatic stage personas. This is what entertainers do. In the “China Wine” video, she happens to be acting in one such role. Fiction must be separated from fact. I think the struggle many pastors have is the difficulty to separate her association with me (as a pastor’ wife) and her career as a singer. I agree that if she is a “pastor” or “preacher,” perhaps the video would have been inappropriate. But Sun is not a pastor. She is an entertainer. All her music videos were not produced by the church but by her secular music label, the company that she is working for.

“China Wine” is a music video about a girl who has to take up an extra job at a nightclub to make ends meet for her family. Some pastors immediately took offense at the club scene and sexy dancers around her. As for her costumes, she wore gym clothes which was not inappropriate for the set she had to act in. At the end of the music video, she caught her boyfriend cheating on her in the night club and confronted him in Mandarin. If you understand what she said, her words were neither crude nor profane at all. She basically shouted at the guy, “Hey, what are you doing with this mistress?” Unfortunately, the video translator subtitled that as “Hey, what are you doing with this b****?” That final b-word caused a further uproar among pastors, who were quick to condemn her for uttering profanities. A few of them wrote me angry emails calling Sun a “*****,” “hooker,” and other nastier, derogatory terms. Some said she was promoting free sex and immorality. But any intelligent, objective viewer would know that the whole drama is not about sex; if anything, it portrays the reality of a fallen secular world.

All these storms in a tea cup set me thinking of a bigger question: Are Christians living a sanitized life? Why have “Christian” productions been so ineffective in their reach to the unchurched, to the extent that even believers are not interested in their products?

In his book, Eyes Wide Open: Looking For God in Popular Culture, author William D. Romanowski talks about a 1993 survey, which reported that over 80 percent of all churchgoing Christians regularly go to the movies. When they were asked what they thought about Christian films, TV productions and Christian Contemporary Music, this was what they said:

1. Christian popular arts are inferior imitations as compared to mainstream culture. To many, Christian music is substandard guitar pop and happy-clappy lyrics about Jesus. This is not surprising as many Christian artists feel that their main job is to preach the gospel and proclaim the faith. As such, artistic quality or creativity is not so important. But what they forget is that when people go to a movie or buy an album, their first desire is to be entertained. If they want to be preached to, they would have gone to church.

2. Christian popular arts are unrealistic, sanitized versions of the real world. Some reviewers even use the phrase “wholesome shallowness" to describe them. Christian entertainment has come to mean movies and music appropriate for “family-only” audiences. That basically means kids-oriented programs or old-time TV reruns for senior citizens. Are Christians that naive and immature, living in a perpetual time warp of a bygone era, that we can’t handle the realities of the 21st century?

As early as 1916, Hollywood had already discovered that 60 percent of theater owners wanted pictures that portray the real world—even if they contained themes on violence, sex and greed. This is because moviegoers want films that honestly and artistically address the issues of life.

3. Christian popular arts are limited in content and purpose. If you listen to most CCM, you would think that all Christians do is worship and evangelize 24 hours a day, seven days a week. But people in general, Christians and non-Christians alike, don’t want to be preached to 24/7. They want a pop culture that is fun, entertaining, artistic and innovative. They are also concerned with the issues of life—and they enjoy it when those themes are addressed with artistic flair.

Everybody knows the trials and temptations of daily living. We are not immune to problems and tensions. We are all concerned about love and relationship, life and health, career and finances, the global economy and politics, war and peace, and our future. We are all trying to understand why things happen the way they do and how we can live our lives properly. Pop culture helps us to navigate through all that.

People get inspired and moved by U2, the biggest band in the world today. Their music captures a sense of religious longing and the struggle of living in a world torn by war, injustice and poverty. They enjoy movies like The Matrix, which speaks of an invisible world behind our natural world. They are moved by Schindler’s List (rated R) which touches on courage, sacrifice, and overcoming racism. CHC member, Jack Neo, is arguably the best movie director in Southeast Asia. His films, I Not Stupid I and I Not Stupid II, were box office hits because they realistically deal with the pressures of the rat-race in Asian societies.

Listeners and viewers cry buckets over these powerful songs and films. They may be secular, but people get touched by such productions more so than most Christian ones. If Christian pop culture is artistically inferior, unrealistically sanitized, and limited in content and purpose, is there any surprise that surveys regularly show that even churchgoers are not excited about them? No wonder Christian artists have such a difficult time selling their products beyond small book tables in churches.

The beautiful truth is that God is not against pop culture. There is a section of the Old Testament known as “The Writings,” covering books like Psalms, Job, Proverbs, Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes and Lamentations. Honestly, aren’t they the popular songs, dramas and musicals of biblical times?

  • Psalms are songs of frustration, regret and anger, yet sung with love to a sometimes hidden God. Aren’t they like most tracks on the Billboard Chart?
  • Job deals with the sufferings of life, and the desire to find meaning through them. Isn’t it like the Hollywood hit movie, Forest Gump, or the long-running Korean serial drama, Jewel In The Place?
  • Proverbs deal with the danger of shortcuts, the snares of temptation, and the rewards of honesty. Aren’t they just like the cartoon series, The Simpsons?
  • The Song of Solomon is about the obsession with love and the sensual. Just turn on any pop radio and we have our modern-day Song of Solomon being broadcasted 24/7.
  • Ecclesiastes deal with the weariness of daily living in an imperfect world. Isn’t that portrayed in movies like Signs and The Pianist?
  • Lamentations deal with grief. When one listens to most of Eric Clapton’s songs, aren’t they all about the dealing with grief?

Like the Old Testament writings themselves, pop culture is the collective wisdom of our generation. Popular arts explore social injustice, songs of sorrow, and even tributes to women. Like the Book of Esther, they may not even mention the name of God. Like Ecclesiastes, they suggest that in this life, bad things do happen to good people. Or like the Song of Solomon, they may celebrate romance and sex. These songs and movies may not have a salvational purpose, but nonetheless, they offer us the essential comfort and wisdom for living. As such, pop culture represents a powerful means of communicating to us what the real world is like, and how to live in it.

We are all products of our personal theological persuasions and convictions. Pop culture affects the lifestyles of the masses. Venturing into the realm of secular culture is certainly not for the weak or the fainthearted. What Sun is seeking to do is to show us how to be a modern-day Daniel or Joseph to our contemporary Babylon and Egypt. Daniel took on Babylon’s language, education, fashion, name and persona, and yet he didn’t compromise his own value system. According to the New Bible Commentary, Joseph was thoroughly “Egyptianized,” and yet he lived a great life of purpose. Esther, the super celebrity, was also similar. Sun simply wants to emulate these heroes of faith.

Can you remember John the Baptist questioning the authenticity of Jesus’ ministry when he heard about the latter’s working style? Jesus had become widely known as a friend of sinners, tax collectors, prostitutes and drunkards. He was even seen going to parties and events that the Pharisees themselves wouldn’t set foot in. John the Baptist was concerned that Jesus was becoming worldly, immoral and compromising—a bad example to the disciples. Our Lord’s reply to him was simply this: “Look at My fruits. Look at how the gospel is preached. ‘And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me’” (Matt. 11:6). The Greek word for “offended” is scandalizo, which means “to trip up, stumble, or be enticed to sin.” I would say the same to those religious critics who may be offended by Sun.

The “China Wine” music video was never meant for a church event. Neither was it ever intended to be an evangelism tool or a gospel video. It is simply pop entertainment. People watching the video and regarding it as just that will never get offended or stumbled, which explains the millions of hits and thousands of good reviews on YouTube.

So to the religious and conservatives who have used nasty, derogatory and expletive terms to describe Sun, my parting shot are the words of Jesus Christ from Matthew 21:31, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.”

Quick observation. If Sun is Kong Hee’s wisdom, why was his ‘parting shot’ (aimed at ‘religious and conservatives’) any better? If pastors were using ‘derogatory and expletive terms to describe Sun’, then why does Kong Hee refer to his own wife as a ‘prostitute’, ‘entering the kingdom of God’ ahead of them?

Is Sun Hee actually Kong Hee’s worldly wisdom? How is Kong Hee obeying God’s word by flaunting his ‘China Wine’ wife at Presence Conference 2012? Isn’t that promoting Christian men to stumble in worldly sin? As John writes,

“Do not love the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” - 1 John 2:15-17 (KJV)

NOTE: ALL SCREEN GRABS WERE TAKEN BEFORE 20/04/2012.
 
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Haagen Diaz

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The Pirate, The Presence & The Peddlers | C3 Church Watch


This article will provide an overview of the C3 Presence 2012 open night. We wish to point out that Chris Rosebrough from ‘Fighting For the Faith’ (Pirate Christian Radio) has started his critique of the Presence Conference 2012.

On Open Night, C3 opened up with worship. At EXACTLY ten minutes in, a silent passion narrative took place. Red cloth rolled out from Jesus’ hands out to the far reaches of the Sydney Convention Center to represent Jesus’ blood covering people. This was all done close to two minutes.


A silent portrayal of the crucifixion 10mins in.

The lights dropped and the screen read,

… the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Matthew 12:39-40

What followed was an ambiguous special effects narrative showing light, smoke and darkness. A key drops. A sphere of light covers part of planet earth. The sphere of light shoots up like a fire work and explodes the word ‘VICTORY’. This was all done close to two minutes. The precise timing of these events is important.

This was followed with more worship. But what did that cross story mean? Christians and non-Christians clearly saw Christ portrayed crucified. Would this be explained?

After worship, Kong Hee was introduced to… preach an offering message. C3 thought a GIVING sermon was the next most important thing to schedule after this ambiguous passion narrative.

Kong Hee is the pastor of City Harvest Church, Singapore. Chris Rosebough from ‘Fighting For the Faith’ reviewed this giving sermon here at 38 minutes into his program:

April 14, 2012
Kong Hee’s Fleecing of the Masses


• Email
• Presence Conference 2012: Kong Hee’s Fleecing of the Masses
• 3 More Great Easter Sermons by George Borghardt, Brent Kuhlman and Jeff Ware

Chris Rosebrough was not impressed by how brazen Kong Hee was in his false teaching. Chris Rosebrough commented before Kong Hee gave this talk,

“Here is Kong Hee from the first night of Presence Conference out there in Sydney Australia. That this guy can talk like this without hanging his head in utter shame is beyond me.” (39:28)

It should be worth noting that the way Presence 2012 treated Jesus at the start. Kong Hee’s money sermon seemed to completely disregard the passion narrative of it’s significance as he talked about his life and how God wants to bless us when we give sacrificially. Why didn’t he explain the importance of Jesus’ sacrifice? Isn’t that the whole point of a Christianity? To preach Christ and Him crucified? (1 Cor 1:23)

Ten minutes in at the C3 Presence conference, Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. Kong Hee came in and taught Christians that by observing the Law (tithe and firstfruits) and by our sacrificial giving we can attain our desires by human effort, God being the means.

Why did Kong Hee teach Christians that they could get miracles if they observed the Law and ‘principles’ of giving? We need to heed this exact warning from God:

“You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? Have you suffered so much for nothing—if it really was for nothing? Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?” - Galatians 3:1-5

While Kong Hee was teaching on the types of giving, Chris Rosebrough slammed Kong Hee’s teaching.

“I cannot believe I am looking at the video on this and people are sitting rather than standing up and walking out in protest. Unbelievable! Do they not know they are being fleeced [swindled great deals of money]?” (43:53)

“Notice! Everything is a quid pro-quo. You’re BUYING from God. This is a multiplication scam. A ponzy scheme blamed on God.” (46:18)

To summarise the four types of giving Kong Hee taught, Rosebrough reports:

“See if you give money to them [C3 Church], God’s going to be moved and he’s going to “explode prsoperity” into your life. This is not what the bible teaches. This is shameful.”(47:40)

Kong Hee then read out 2 Corinthians 9:6-8. Rosebrough teaches how this biblical passage condemned Kong Hee’s entire giving message:

“It’s funny. Do those words mean anything to you Kong, as you’re reading them? “Don’t give under compulsion.” You’re basically saying people have to give under compulsion. You’re turning God into a Mafia-don.

“We’ll if you don’t give the tithe- well then the destroyer gonna come and destroy you. Yeah you gotta give. Yeah! You gotta give! Give! Give! Give! Give! Oh and then you plant the seed and God will, y’know, explode prosperity.” This isn’t what the bible teaches at all. This turns God into a slot machine or a genie.” (48:12)

Rosebrough continues his criticism while Kong Hee started suggesting people empty their bank accounts.

“Now this is where he plants the seed of you giving a lot of money in your brain. And you sit there and go, “Oh. Maybe God the Holy Spirit’s telling me to give a big seed too?” By the way, the bible doesn’t teach this the way he’s teaching it. . . So he said that he wants somebody there to give everything they’ve got; give it all to them. They’ll take it. “Thanks! Oh thank you! Thank you for giving everything!” They’ll be happy to take it. . . So this is to plant the seed in their minds that someone there- God’s telling them to give everything. . . Don’t you want to be like Kong hee? Don’t you want to give everything? Maybe God will speak to you the same way He spoke to Kong, right?” (52:45, 53:18, 53:50)

Seeing right through it all, Rosebrough repeats,

“This is a ponzy scheme! This is one of those pyramid schemes, you know. And who’s at the top of the pyramid? Oh Kong Hee, Phil Pringle, Steven Furtick- yeah those guys! They’re at the top of the pyramid. “Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Just give us everything you’ve got! Don’t worry! God knows you need money. And so he’ll put dreams in the heart of other people so they’ll supply your needs.

Why would I need to give everything I have to a church like C3 in Australia where Phil Pringle mangles and twists God’s Word, doesn’t rightly handle the Word? He’s a- I think it can be demonstrated as a false prophet. Why on earth would God want me to give everything to them? Hmm? This is ridiculous. This is not a Christian or biblical teaching regarding giving at all. This is people making merchandise and teaching for shameful gain things they ought not to teach, (using King James language). This is preaching for filthy lucre.” (55:09)

The pirate said of the peddler,

“Yeah, because he [Kong] planted a seed! So you got to plant a seed if you’re in financial trouble! You gotta plant a seed too! And that’s on TOP of your tithe, your firstfruits, and your alms giving. . . Yeah! Tell them a story and they’ll start writing big checks! Isn’t that how it goes?” (56:36, 56:57)

Kong Hee then swayed people emotionally and not with reason. He said,

“Since then, God has taken us from glory to glory. But EVERYTHING, all the blessing, if you asked me, can be traced back to the one night, in a service like this when I didn’t have anything and I have a mountain of debt, newly married, with not much hope and future. I couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. But a simple act of obedience, trusting God by faith and giving my best seed- I got a feeling tongiht pastor phil. I havea feeling tonight that some of you here, who may be in my situation twenty years ago. Maybe you’re newly wed. Maybe you’re stuck with a situation of financial debt. Maybe you have visions and dreams but you’re in so much darkness, you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. ” (57:34)

To which Rosebrough quickly retorted with,

“Don;t worry! We’ll be happy to take everything you got! That’ll clear you right up. . . He’ll supply all your need as long as you give him a LOT of money! . . . Yeah! See you’re buying those blessings.” (01:01:25, 1:01:45, 01:01:53)

Kong Hee then starts brazenly asking people for money, operating in double talk (as Chris Rosebrough pointed out).

“I tell you what. Now I don’t normally do this but I sense faith in this room tonight. And I don’t like to talk about numbers. I don’t like to talk about figures. But maybe tonight, some of you need to give a big seed. A big one.

Maybe some of you need to give a hundred dollars. Maybe some of you need to give five hundred dollars. Maybe some of you need to give a thousand. Maybe, for you, a seed, a huge one, could be two thousand dollars. Maybe some of you, (that could be just one or two couples), that God has something great in store, and maybe tonight the Holy Spirit, already has been speaking to your heart to empty everything you’ve got. In my life, I’ve done it twice. I can tell you – God is not going to short-change you.” (01:01:56)

It’s important to note that when he gave everything to God Kong Hee claimed , “I was never poor again” (56:33). So why does he say that he was currently facing a financial crunch? (01:08:22, 01:01:30) Did Kong Hee lie to his multi-denominational and international audience of thousands?

—–

After the giving sermon, Pringle gives a sermon called ‘Connect’. Pringle’s ‘Connect’ sermon is completely void of the gospel. He spends a large portion of his sermon advertising his church, parading how a part of his movement grew. Many were called up to the stage. When everyone was up on stage Prngle shouted (almost frustratingly),

“Don’t you dare be thinking I can’t grow a church! This is how you grow a church! One person touching another! Connecting! Getting on the same page!” - Phil Pringle, Presence Conference 2012, Open Night.

Part from the fact that Jesus said, “I will build build my church” (Matt 16:18) and that the Lord adds daily people to His church (Acts 2:47), it is wrong to say that you grow a church through “connecting”. While connecting with people is important, what grows the church is the faithful preaching of the Gospel (Christ and Him crucified) and making disciples under the teachings of God. Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ (Romans 10:17), not by “one person touching another”. Pringle could not have been any more wayward with his outburst.

The truth of the gospel and God’s word is what brings the power of salvation, which builds the church through the Spirit of God. Sadly, Pringle at the end of his sermon does an altar call. He does not give the gospel. This is an example of men “holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power” (2 Tim 3:5). All viewing online were able to see Pringle building his ‘church’ his way, not God’s way.

Rosebrough does not examine Pringle’s ‘Connect’ sermon but he does examine Phil Pringle’s Warragambah dam prophecy (1:09:34). This is also worth listening to. More will be written on this later.

C3 Exalts Pringle As Prophet With False Warragamba Dam Prophecy

In closing, Christ was portrayed as crucified at the beginning of the Presence Conference, but swept aside for a show without any explanation what his death and resurrection meant to sinners mean. And remember, this was all orchestrated and perfectly timed. Two minutes for Jesus crucified, two minutes for his resurrection, that’s it. The preachers preached themselves and Mark Kelsey presented the glory of their prophet Phil Pringle for six minutes with Pringle’s prophecy. This is a tragic way to begin a conference and is telling of what was to come. Christianity is about Christ and Christ crucified, not Pringle and Pringle glorified.

Rosebrough protests Pringle’s glorification:

“That’s just to get this into the public arena so the folks who are in Sydney Australia can warn their friends, warn their family members, warn people that they know, co-workers, to let them know that there is a false prophet on the loose who’s real goal is to get into their wallets, to get into their bank accounts, to get – you know – checks and debits off of their credit cards to huge dollar amounts. Cos that’s really what all this is about. Somebody who would promote this guy [Phil Pringle] as a prophet of God? You understand the implications that is? To question him, to challenge him is to actually question and challenge God. Because isn’t that whom he is supposedly and visibly respresentive here on earth of? No. He’s not. He’s not a prophet of God.

He’s a false prophet, a false teacher and a fleecer. This is a show. This is a show designed to get huge, huge bucks. Large sums of money. And to get foolish, unstable, unwise, unlearned people to fork over lots of money. And at the end of it, you know what happens to folks like that? The promised miracle never comes. When that happens, they lose even what little faith they may have. But it’s questionable as to whether or not the faith that they had was actually saving faith in the crucified and risen saviour.” (01:19:47)

Finally, we encourage readers to listen to the preachers at the end of Chris Rosebrough’s podcast and compare how the good preachers Rosebrough reviews, handle God’s Word unlike Kong Hee. You wont be disappointed.
 

Haagen Diaz

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:: City Harvest Church (2013) ::


A STATEMENT FROM CITY HARVEST CHURCH

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

You may have heard about the request by the Commissioner of Charities for the nine suspended City Harvest Church pastors and members to voluntarily extend their suspension beyond the relevant one year period.

City Harvest Church was informed that the COC had requested for the nine to voluntarily extend their suspension until six months after the conclusion of the trial in court.

In connection with the COC's powers under the Charities Act, the suspension of the nine began in June 2012, and is effective for a period of up to 12 months.

We understand that the nine have individually responded to the COC in consultation with their respective legal advisors. Some of them have voluntarily provided their consent on the basis of certain conditions, including that such consent was without admission of any liability and without prejudice to their rights or remedies in connection with the suspension.

It is a very challenging time for our nine suspended pastors, members, their families, and for our church. Let us continue to pray for them and for CHC. Let us remember what Dr AR Bernard has exhorted us to do:

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. (Rom. 12:12 ESV)

Yours in Christ,

Rev. Aries Zulkarnain
Executive Pastor
City Harvest Church
 

Haagen Diaz

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Sg Truth: Pastor Kong Hee and Wife Live like Hollywood Stars



SINGER Ho Yeow Sun, wife of Revrend Kong Hee, of City Harvest Church, who are being probed for alleged misuse of church funds, lives in a $28,000-a-month estate in same exclusive suburb in Los Angeles as Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, reported The New Paper on Sunday.

The pop star, 40, popularly known as Sun Ho, who has been shuttling back and forth between Singapore and the US since 2003, is renting the place at Hollywood Hills, which has four buildings in all. She lives in the sprawling estate - which is listed for sale at US$5.6 million (S$7.7 million) - with her son, an assistant, a nanny and her relatives.

She can boast of having Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt as her neighbours. She is now back in Singapore to help in the investigation of the City Harvest Scandal.

The New Paper on Sunday team, who went to the estate, spotted a black SUV and black Mercedes Benz CLK550 driving in an out of the estate, which has a total built-up area of 6,766 sq ft - or about the size of five five-room HDB flats - a swimming pool, a sun-deck and two-car garage.



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

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

Sounds too good to be true?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The couple and at least 16 others connected to the City Harvest Church are currently assisting the CAD in ongoing investigations.
----------------------------------------------
LEADERSHIP CHANGE
(SINGAPORE) There has been a leadership change at City Harvest Church, which is under investigation by the police.

Its founder has taken a backseat while two pastors, Derek Dunn and Aries Zulkarnain, have been put in charge of running the church. This arrangement will continue until the current investigations are completed.

The founder, Pastor Kong Hee, will however remain the president and chairman of the City Harvest board. He is among the 20-odd church members summoned by the Commercial Affairs Department as part of the probe.

Meanwhile, City Harvest has appointed auditors from RSM Chio Lim to conduct an independent review, Pastor Dunn told The Business Times yesterday.The independent review will examine the church’s corporate governance structure and internal control processes.

‘If the review identifies lapses, the church will take necessary corrective measures recommended by the adviser to prevent such lapses in the future,’ said Pastor Dunn. ‘The church is fully committed to accountability and integrity in the church’s dealings and has taken steps to protect its interest and that of its members.’

He broke the church’s silence for the first time since the probe began.

At the start of this month, the police and the Commissioner of Charities said that they were investigating ‘financial transactions involving several individuals and companies, related or connected to the City Harvest Church’, after the Commissioner’s office received complaints of misuse of church funds.

These related companies under probe include those that are not charities or subsidiaries of the church, the Commissioner’s office said.

These objections were apart from complaints over the church’s purchase of a minority stake in Suntec Singapore. The acquisition would cost the church $310 million, including expected renovation and equipment expenses, City Harvest announced in March.

Pastor Dunn declined comment on the ongoing police investigations. ‘We are very grateful for and deeply appreciate the strong love, concern and support demonstrated by all of our members as well as those from the Christian community here in Singapore and abroad, during this challenging period,’ he said.

‘The authorities have been more than professional and have extended their utmost courtesy to our members in the investigative process.’

While the two pastors will take charge of ministerial duties at City Harvest, the 10-strong board will continue taking on the management role. The church created a deeper separation between the executive and board roles after a review by the Commissioner of Charities some two years ago, said Pastor Dunn.

Recommendations from the review on City Harvest and six other religious organisations – which were mostly kept private – included cutting the number of pastoral members sitting on the church board. The church currently has 24 pastors.

‘Following the review, the church has reduced the number of pastoral members on the board to three. This allows a greater degree of independence of the board from the church’s spiritual and pastoral leaders,’ said Pastor Dunn.

Previously, pastoral members made up a majority of the board.

‘There is no doubt, however, that it is not practical for a church to effect a complete separation of the leadership of the governing board from its pastoral leadership,’ he added.

The board looks at the daily operations of City Harvest, which entails ensuring that the accounts of the church are properly audited and recorded, as well as managing its investments.

Its other duties extend to administrative matters, which were previously under the purview of the pastoral department.

The board members are nominated by an executive member and voted in by a simple majority. They serve for a year, before being put up for re-election at the church’s annual general meeting (AGM) the next year.

BT understands that there are 750 voting members of the church, who are eligible to vote in board members. These include ordinary members who take on more responsibilities, having been with the church for a longer time and receiving training.

As part of the 2008 review, the Commissioner also asked the church to consider a strategy for board renewal, with ‘particular attention’ to the roles of the chairman and the treasurer, said Pastor Dunn, adding that the plan was put in place by the 2009 AGM.

Investigations into the church and its financial dealings have flung the door open to debate over the segregation of commercial and religious pursuits of the church, which had total funds of $103 million, including a $65 million building fund, for its fiscal 2009.

And what are the church’s views on the comfortable lifestyle enjoyed by Pastor Kong and his wife, Ho Yeow Sun?

Pastor Dunn stressed that claims of extravagance have been exaggerated.

‘Concerning the lifestyle of Rev Kong and his wife, we know them well. Rev Kong is a dedicated and motivated senior pastor of the church. He has been working hard for the past 20 over years and is a renowned and recognised personality on the speaking circuit. His wife is a successful singer,’ he said.

‘While their lifestyle reflects their own accomplishments, we do not see it as lavish or excessive.’
----------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: soc.culture.singapore
From: wiseguy
Subject: Sun Ho: Hollywood Star???
(Fit to Post finds a new home - Yahoo! News Singapore
in-l-a/)

Patrick says:
The fact is, there are way more inconsistencies and suspicious "facts"
regarding Sun's music career that far overshadow any humanitarian work
that Sun has done on behalf of the church.

For one, in Singapore, outside her church followers, she is hardly
considered a pop star or celebrity. At best, she is known for being
the pastor's wife who is trying to be a pop star.

Even though her own websites and wiki suggests she is big, there is
hardly any media who writes about her or reviews her music. Do a
simple Google search and see how little 3rd party info there actually
is. Compare that with if you google "Stephanie Sun" or "J J Lin" who
most Singaporeans will consider bonefide successful Singapore pop
stars. A legit mainstream celebrity should have online mentions beyond
church supporters.

Her "lavish lifestyles" are really no issue if it is her own money.
However, the suspicioon sets in when no actual numbers are available
for the number of albums she has actually sold in Asia. Her supporters
have claimed "millions" have been sold but there is no 3rd party or
documented collaboration.

In addition, she would have no money coming in from her first two
albums since she donated the proceeds of both albums to charity as
reported in The Straits Times.
Poon says sorry; pastor asks church to forgive...

But, what is published fact is that her sole music management company
has lost way more money than record sales have brought in; based on
financial records, as widely reported in the media and available
through ACRA. Latest available FS from 2007 shows in lost S$5.8mil
dollars.

So, any objective person would question where her money comes from?
Her other businesses have made little or no money (based on released
FS) and her husband does not draw a salary as a Pastor. She has not
released a single album in the US so it is unlikely her recording
label will pay $28k a month on her acccomodation when she brings in no
money. Her dance chart hits are not indicators of sales as shown and
she does not tour.

So how does one live it up in Hollywood when there are no indication
of big money rolling in?

These are not accusations but simple questions that have not been
answered yet, which is why there is a police probe in possible misuse
of funds. The unfortunate possibility for her or her husband is that
the CAD have an impeccable conviction rate once they start an official
investigation.

This has nothing to do with pesercution of religion or media-bashing
on Sun. It is the asking of questions that have never been answered.
Because CAD has stepped in, the public, disenchanted members of the
church and ex-church members have seen it appropriate to begin asking
the hard questions and not reply so much on "blind faith".
 
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