Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to
those who love God, to those who are the called according
to His purpose.
The charges against Pastor Kong and 4 other church leaders of
financial irregularity of at least 23 million has sparked a
defence of their dignity outside the court house trying to
defend Kong and wife from the hordes of happy clicking photo
journalist. It was a news sensation, the church in Singapore
known to be very conservative and anti-gay having its main
leaders being charged. But I wonder why the angst by those not
part of the church. Surely they have no right to comment! unless
they were wronged in some manner.
The accused facing charges (with possible fines and maximum life
sentences) are Kong Hee, Tan Ye Peng, Lam Leng Hung, Chew
Eng Han, Tan Shao Yuen Sharon. It is my prayer that they
do get off lightly since they were not cheating the public but
eating the sheep. The Gentle lamb chops can get quite juicy.
When told that Brother Teo Meng How was also implicated in the
avoidance of disclosure and is now banned from the Board, I was
surprised for he was a good person. Maybe they were all fall
guys.
We were so afraid of the secular versus religious purity and
faith, yet we were so secular.
A Christopher Pang (if he was indeed genuine) even wrote to the
Minister for MCYS claiming that its statement on CHC was
defamatory because the funds were not from the public but from
church members. His claim that the accounts are further audited
and put on the church web site for "transparency and
accountability" is rather amusing since the high level
disclosures were rather vague. Alas, the audit of the financial
statements were to check for compliance to accounting practices
and not proper financial governance.
When we are transcending boundaries into the secular, the
boundaries between the secular and the sacred is also breached
and what was meant for the Kingdom of God become the extension
of one's own Kingdom. Our humanistic instincts took over.
For many years, the term "audited accounts" was continuously
proclaimed by Pastor Kong and the church leaders as proof of
integrity. At CHC, one has to apparently disclosed everything,
your IC, address, how much you earn and how much you tithe. If
one doesn't tithe enough, there would be regular warning
reminders and hounding from the CG leaders.
In the taxi this morning, the taxi driver asked me whether I was
a Christian when I asked him to stop at the Methodist church
near my place. I said I was and he begin to ask me about "the
church in Jurong" ie City Harvest Church. I used the
standard "Christopher Pang" answer that the money was given by
the church members so the church members should decide on his
fate conveniently ignoring that CHC is a registered charity.
Nevertheless, all our donations did not seem to give us
any tax deduction benefits for religious bodies!
The entire church is
under judgement, and not just Kong Hee. We are part of the
prosperity theology and the push for the market place ministry.
We too must prepare a good answer.
Our judgement is made pertinent and sure when we used the
strictest letter of the law to judge gays as sinners. We are
judged four fold in how we have condemned gays as the vilest
sinners but look and behold they were saints compared to many of
us.
When justice comes moving down from the mountain top, it
overflows and breaks the barriers that the church has put up.
The church is under judgement of being immoral, self righteous
and hypocritical. The rivers of justice, took away the headstone
and reveal all the skeletons within.
When we demand gays to be punished and put in jails and even
denied employment, our own fall is near. When we
live by the letter of the law, we shall also die by it. We must
prepare a good answer to the detractors after all we have made
it a good sport to condemn gays for their innate sexual
orientation.
I would like to remember Pastor Sun and Kong Hee singing "Jesus
is the answer for the World today", the days of innocence at
Hollywood threatre at Payar Lebar. Pastor Sun was a good singer
and they didn't need to "crossover" to the market place ministry
or be a Hollywood singing sensation.
When I saw their saddened disposition coming out of the
courthouse, it was so disconcerting. Here was one of the
greatest preachers in Singapore, known throughout Asia and
worshiped as an idol by tens of thousands.
Lord have mercy upon City Harvest Church. Teach us to pray and
break bread together on our knees. Forgive Sun and Kong Hee.
Have mercy on them.
Nothing will and can never replace the thousands of youths who
came to know the saving grace of God through the ministry of
Pastor Kong and Sun.
Some of my best friends and my partner I came to know at City
Harvest. It has been a blessing in my life. I owe City Harvest
alot, even beyond what I gave.
Kong is facing the maximum of life inprisonment (20 years?) and
penalty if found guilty. I wish so much that it would be a
penalty fine and no jail term be faced.
Our spirituality is often found when we are at the end of our
strength. I had to leave CHC to find myself, to be reconciled with
my faith and sexual orientation. It was a life in closet faced
with shame, rejection, loss, and sadness too hard to bear.
The charges against Kong and company may put an end to the market
place ministry, to crossover to influence society. The three
pillars of CHC were:-
1. The Great Commandment (Mat 22:36-40)
2. The Great Commission (Mat 28:18-19)
3. Cultural Mandate (Mat 5:13-16)
In the cultural mandate, they had good intentions, but the ways
were wrong just as the AWARE saga has shown us. The need for
integrity and Righteousness far exceeds the end result. The End
never justifies the means.
We are all part of the body of Christ. We are the body, the body
broken. When Pastor Kong and Sun is broken, we feel their pain
and agony. When the bread is broken at the Communion table, it
talks about our common brokenness in the Lord Jesus.
We need to pray like never before, not only for Kong Hee, but
for the hundred of thousands who are connected to City Harvest
one way or another that they will not loose faith, for our faith
is in Jesus Christ and not men and women.
Pastor Kong and team owe the members and former members of City
Harvest Church an apology and I am sure they will forgive him
for all of us are sinners one way or another needing God's grace
and mercy. This will bring closure to those truly affected and
gave to the building fund and to the church and who had trusted
Pastor Kong and Pastor Sun.