Pastor
Yonggi Cho
Ps 1:1
In the midst of the anti-gay crusade in Singapore by the mega church pastors, making big even the smallest of issues such as the HPB online FAQs, there will be a time when the skeletons of these church pastors will be exposed.
For the House of God is to be Holy reflecting Jesus Christ rather than causing so much pain and harm. When we are law based, ultimately the law will catch up to us. When we are of grace, only grace will follow us.
Feb 20, 2014. Senior Pastor David Yonggi Cho, founder of Yoido Full Gospel Church received a suspended sentence of a three year prison term with a five year probation for cheating USD 21 million and for tax evation. He was fined USD 4.7 million.
His son Hee-Jun was jailed for three years and Cho escaped jail term because he was instrumental in the growth of Christianity in South Korea with his churches having 800k in attendance.
He obviously made a silly error in year 2002 exposing him to persecution. Over the years there were rumours that he benefited in kind over USD 500 million of church money but was never caught red handed as was in this case.
Cheating is against the Ten Commandments made worst because he was taking from his own church. They are using God's name to make themselves rich.
However, what Pastor Cho did was rather norm for mega church pastors who seem to live in a life of glory. It is unusual for conviction as the church board is but close friends and the accounting rather creative and carefully managed. They are brilliant people whilst appearing to be harmless sheep.
Audits are used to potray a sense of legitimacy even though the context is financial accounting rather than discovery of fraud made more difficult by the several holding companies and vague investments. In particular, Pastor Cho was accused of privatising church assets, making it his own business.
Pastor Yonggi Cho only recently celebrated his birthday. He was born 14 Feb 1936 and it 78 years old. He founded the Yoido Full Gospel Church in 1958. He was was very well paid as a pastor. His severance pay in 2008 upon his retirement as the sernior pastor was 18.7 mil USD. It is sad that his whole life's work will be forever marred.
In Singapore, Pastor David Yonggi Cho was much adored by the mega church pastors and Love Singapore. In particular,
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Pastor Kong Hee of City Harvest Church is a board member of Dr. David Yonggi Cho’s Church Growth International (South Korea). Pastor Cho spoke in support of Kong Hee in the on-going trial.
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Pastor Lawrence Khong of FCBC is one of the International Twelve of the G12 movement. Pastor César Castellanos developed the G12 strategy after visiting with Pastor David Yonggi Cho.
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Pastor Yonggi CHo was the keynote speaker of the Festival of Praise in 1999 under founder/president Rev Dr Canon James Wong of the Anglican Church
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Pastor Yonggi CHo visited City Harvest on weekend Apr 15,16, 2012, offering encouragement and support during the CHC trial. He was a dear friend of Pastor Kong.
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Pastor Yonggi Cho was a keynote speaker/host at the Church Growth International - Asia Conference organised by City Harvest in May 2010.
A wind of change is sweeping over Asia where Law minded Pastors are falling from their throne. The move of God has begun. The church needs reviving to enter into God's grace.
On Feb 23, 2014, Pastor Yonggi Cho gave the following reflection after the guilty verdict:-
"Through this suffering, I've learned a homework. An individual shouldn't possess anything,"
"Besides health, status, fame, authority, money... these are all matters that are outside the body and unworthy of any pursuit."
Be Ye Holy, for the Lord God Almighty is Holy. Being Holy is to be separated, to be different in a sense from the world system of status, fame, power/authority and wealth. It is to be separated to worship God, to worship Jesus just as the bride, the church is being set apart for the coming back of Jesus, the bridegroom.