What now for City Harvest?

[jackywongto]

http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/06/02/what-next-for-city-harvest/

First NKF, then Ren Ci, then Youth Challenge. And now City Harvest Church.

The reaction online to our Yahoo! Fit-to-Post story about 17 City Harvest members, including founder Pastor Kong Hee, being investigated for misuse of funds has been nothing short of staggering.

In less than a day, over 2,000 remarks flooded the comments section, many applauding the move to audit the church’s finances.

Some defended the church while proclaiming their faith in its leadership and a rare few were downright nasty and insensitive.

It is obvious the probe has touched a raw nerve, and rightly so, because religion is and always will be a touchy and delicate subject in the multi-racial, multi-faith context of Singapore.

So before I continue, let me first say this — let us not jump to conclusions: Pastor Kong Hee and his staff are innocent until proven otherwise.

But it’s clear something is amiss.

Reports of the largest mega-church in Singapore (over 32,000 members) having amassed millions of dollars in reserves started to raise eyebrows years ago.

From a small church which started in 1989, City Harvest now boasts a 14,000 sq foot office in Suntec and its own $47 million building in Jurong West. It has 45 affiliate churches in Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan and Australia with a total of 48,000 members. It employs 154 full-time staff and has 15 committees overseeing all its operations.

The Straits Times reports that it spent $40 million alone in the last financial year.

Despite the much publicised fact that Kong Hee, 46, hasn’t been paid a salary by the church since 2005, the Pastor and his pop-star wife Sun Ho continue to attract their fair share of detractors.

City Harvest member Wayne Chen, 31, told the same paper that the Pastor is ”humble, caring and family-oriented” and always emphasises “family values and loving God and people”. Yet others criticise his wife for her celebrity lifestyle,

and daring dress sense.

But what the startlingly similar scandals involving the NKF, Ren Ci and Youth Challenge have taught us is that excess often leads to temptation. By all accounts, the leaders of all three non-profit organisations started off humbly and upheld genuinely noble ideals, until money — more than they knew what to do with — quickly led them down the path of greed, materalism and corruption.

In July 2005, CEO of the National Kidney Foundation, T. T. Durai, was arrested for making false declarations on NKF’s accounts. Lurid details of first-class air travel, a fleet of luxury cars at his beck and call, a $600,000 annual salary and even a golden tap in his private office suite emerged. During a much publicised trial, it was revealed in court that NKF had amassed $262 million in reserves.

A year later in 2006, Youth Challenge, which sends students overseas to do humanitarian work, came under fire for poor management practices and was subsequently voted for closure. Its leader, Vincent Lam – a former police officer who set it up in 1985 to keep aimless youths off the streets — was found to have an extravagant annual pay package of nearly $250,000 - 56 % of the charity’s total income. He resigned a year later. In March this year, Youth Challenge folded.

In 2008, Reverend Ming Yi, the chairman of Ren Ci Hospital and Medicare Centre, was charged with forgery, conspiracy and misuse of funds. He allegedly approved million-dollar investments for Ren Ci, but the funds included loans for himself. Stories of BMW cars, lavish condos and excessive splurging were revealed in court with the monk defending his lifestyle as that of “a modern monk”. Just last week, his jail sentence was reduced from 10 months in jail to just six.

And now, City Harvest Church, which recently invested in a whopping S$310 million stake in Suntec City Convention Centre. In its 2009 audit, it was found to have S$103 million in reserves.

From March next year, CHC will be renting a convention hall from Suntec Convention Centre which will include a 12,000-seat main auditorium, 10 meeting rooms, a multi-purpose hall, theatre and concourse on the top floors.

Benjamin Tan, 26, who makes regular contributions to his own church, told Yahoo! Singapore, ”When it comes to religious organisations like City Harvest, the money they receive should be more than enough to cover the maintenance of the church. I see no need for a reserve fund, or the investment of excess.”

“The role of religion is the worship of God, not a tool or vehicle to make money,” he adds.

Another senior church leader agreed, saying the sums of money being reported made him uncomfortable.

“Money is meant to flow through the church. There is no need for it to amass so much money because the Bible teaches us that, at the end of the day, we must have faith that God will provide,” he said.

Others disagree.

A 22-year-old City Harvest churchgoer, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “Any organisation that wants to do anything on a large scale needs a large amount of finances, be it charity work or even day-to-day administration.”

“City Harvest Church needs such a large amount of funds partly because it runs one of the largest community service organisations in Singapore – City Harvest Community Service Association (CHCSA),” he explains.

The CHCSA sent teams to Banda Aceh after the 2004 tsunami as well as sent medical and relief teams to help in the Haiti earthquake in January this year.

Whatever the reasons behind the financial complications in these organisations, one thing is certain — it is often the needy and those who really depend on them for prayer, food, treatment and life’s basic necessities who suffer the most.

Ren Ci Hospital, for example, suffered a severe plunge in donations from S$9.3 million in 2007 to just S$1.1 million in 2008. A drop in NKF donations also saw the organisation dipping into its reserves to keep its commitments to Singaporeans suffering from kidney failure.

Perhaps even more damaging is that instead of celebrating the many success stories by these charity and religious bodies which so often go un-noticed, the general public begin to question and doubt.

“Do my tithes or donations really help the needy?”

“What’s my money being used for?”

“How much do they already have in their offers?”

So, tell us, just how much money is needed to run a charity or a religious organisation? Is it right that they be run and financed like a private corporation? Or is the concept of a simply-run, no-frills church an out-dated model in this day and age?

[TayHongSiang]

it all started with TT Durai's NKF saga...followed by S'pore Youth founder...then Ren Ci...

i'm glad to say that the garmen has taken an active measure to audit NGOs and non-profitable / charitable organizations... ...Americunts like to call this "check and balance"

From my opinion, if the church leaders are clean and their accounts are properly managed...there is no need for City Harvest to be fearful to allow the auditors to scrutinize their accounts....only the church leaders and the senior pastor knows in their heart, what they have been doing.

Secondly, no church members will whistle-blow to the authorities if they did not smell something fishy...n these information and accusations about the church involving misuse of funds usually comes from insider info....but whether they are just plain accusations or the truth, it will be known once audit is done.

Thirdly, never trust your pastor or church leaders. Afterall, they r humans subject to temptations and mistakes.

Yes, he may be a eloquent speaker on the pulpit every sunday, does not mean he is not subjected to temptations, pride, arrogance, etc...when he sees the huge amount of money in the church's bank acc and afterall, he is the senior pastor and founder,...why can't i touch those money to use it for something else?...

Anyway, i have heard many stories of him from his members...like flying first class when he's on overseas speaking engagement....

I think the morale of the story is...if we are not careful...$$$ can corrupt a person...

[jackywongto]

The author of that article is spot on when he said that these people started off with very humble aspirations.

somehow, through the successes they have and the amount of $ rolling in.... some things becomes a bit more greyish... like I work so hard for the organization, why can't I take 1st class flight when our org can afford it. not that it is wrong .... but it becomes a bit debatable.

[TayHongSiang]

The author of that article is spot on when he said that these people started off with very humble aspirations.

somehow, through the successes they have and the amount of $ rolling in.... some things becomes a bit more greyish... like I work so hard for the organization, why can't I take 1st class flight when our org can afford it. not that it is wrong .... but it becomes a bit debatable.

it's quite sad to have all these scandals involving charitable organizations and churches bcoz it shows a lack of financial control, integrity and impartiality. Pple will lose confidence. Recently, my grandma was asked to "donate" a few grand to a temple...and she literally gave almost all her savings...n only to realise..haiz...

Usually for cheques involving big amounts, u need 2 signatories. So, it takes 2 to be corrupted.

[comycus]

Imho it's a fairly fine line that individuals/organisations can cross when faced with so much $$ and success. Any act, be it right or wrong, can be easily justified when the person committing it believes in it.

Very surprising that after so many similar incidents, we should have already stepped up the disclosure and auditing practices for non profit organisations, especially for large organisations where there are enough resources to meet such requirements.

[TayHongSiang]

Imho it's a fairly fine line that individuals/organisations can cross when faced with so much $$ and success. Any act, be it right or wrong, can be easily justified when the person committing it believes in it.

Very surprising that after so many similar incidents, we should have already stepped up the disclosure and auditing practices for non profit organisations, especially for large organisations where there are enough resources to meet such requirements.

can't really say it is a fine line...coz the leader knows the money comes from the church members n these r hard earn money....n touching these money to fund his own personal interest or activities that r not related to the church, one will know it's not right already.

imagine a person has been giving a few hundred very month to the church for a few years...and only to realise some of these money has been misappropriately used to set-up companies, lend to business people, invest in shares, venture into private business...

[comycus]

can't really say it is a fine line...coz the leader knows the money comes from the church members n these r hard earn money....n touching these money to fund his own personal interest or activities that r not related to the church, one will know it's not right already.

imagine a person has been giving a few hundred very month to the church for a few years...and only to realise some of these money has been misappropriately used to set-up companies, lend to business people, invest in shares, venture into private business...

That's coz we draw the line v. clearly. I agree with you on this. But not everyone approaches it this way, especially when one are put in the same position. Don't get me wrong, I do not condone such actions, nor do I sympathize with them.

Just that I know for a fact that such actions can be deterred by proper disclosure and audit, because there will always be such cases lurking around the corner. I just don't understand why governance is so poor in Singapore.

[foocha]

whether or not there is foul play in this incident or not, i am already a long standing critic of such 'cults'.

being spiritual but NOT religious, i tink modern religion is fundamentally misleading and based on flawed ideals.

take an eagle eyes view of this city harvest 'church'.

bear in mind that a church is a place for 3 or more followers to sing 'god's praises', nothing more nothing less.

the pastor's wife, also a pastor, is a christina aguilera wannabe........

congregations are held in suntec money that could have been better spent elsewhere ( but i do say, i stroke of genius by the pastor. by making the place of worship in town, he gives his flock what they WANT, especially the younger ones. a cool place to worship, after church activities)

the church spent 40m in a fiscal year..................i really have to ask.... doing what???? 40 MILLION.

they have bought a 300m stake in suntec convention, and have another 100m in reserves. total 400m.......

being a non profit organisation, the money amassed should be from only donations. but realistically, its quite impossible that they amassed 400m from just donations.

WHICH WOULD MEAN that they took donation money and invested it !

SERIOUS BREACH OF :

TRUST

ETHICS

PURPOSE.

there are a hundred other stuff i could say but i shant say no more.

no intention to offend any body, read with a light heart ok ppl !

[jackywongto]

very strong words .... foocha....not very nice... there might be some CH members here that may get offended. My thoughts are:

it is not easy running a church with >32,000 members.How much they spend annual and for what purpose, I think only they themselves would know and the auditors now. All other churches, mosques, temples runs the same way... what happens to the $ collected? not sure if there is any transparency there.

Congregating in city area/ suburb area.... well usually pastors/ church elders would pray over such decisions and God will give them the indications and directions. From their growth from a small church to 32,000 strong, they definitely moved in the right direction. More people got to hear the word of God and sing His praises.

$400 million amassed is not surprising, as they have such a strong number of membership. assuming 32,000 and each member gives an average tithes of $200 per month. That amounts to 6.4 mil a month. 1 year = 76.8 million! These are tithings.. different from donations. I am not sure if religious organizations should be mentioned in the same bracket as charity organizations.

What I do agree with you is on the "christina aguilera wannabe" portion. Totally inappropriate for a pastor's wife/ church councillor.

PS: I posted this article cause I thought it may be more of an interest as most of us are Singaporeans and this is in our daily life. I have no intention of causing any uneasiness to any Christians/ City Harvest members out there. For those who wish to pen their thoughts, please be sensitive on the wordings used. thanks.

[desideria]

One thing I am willing to voice out is that a church or any religeous house is supposed to a place of worship .. not some huge extravagant building with unnecessary adornments outside.. the KISS ( Keep It Simple Stupid) theory. And although I do agree that a big organisation requires reserves but for a religeous/voluntary organisation to have 100m or more worth of reserves begs questions to be answered.

As for HOW they get their donations.. and perhaps someone out there can clarify this for me.. is that a portion of the member's salary is directly deducted to the organistion? Is this true? I vaguely remember hearing of this being claimed in the newspaper or from friends and colleagues who told me about this... any one can verify this claim I heard of?

There are other aspects of these mega religeous organisations which turn me off but I shan't go into it as it's my own POV. End of the day, we all answer to our maker when we cross over.

Peace.

[jackywongto]

voluntarily tithings.

Members need to give 10% of monthly income to the church.

When in the past, there are these full time church workers who preach God's words and do not earn a living. Each member of that church would then give 10% of their livelihood earnings (most of them are farmers at that time - so we are talking about wheats, drinks, vegetables, meat) to the church. Fast forward to modern days, all of us are not farmers, so members are giving 10% of their month income.

Not sure if they are doing it through Giro deduction already.... a bit far fethced... lol

[pokmingsheng]

voluntarily tithings.

Members need to give 10% of monthly income to the church.

When in the past, there are these full time church workers who preach God's words and do not earn a living. Each member of that church would then give 10% of their livelihood earnings (most of them are farmers at that time - so we are talking about wheats, drinks, vegetables, meat) to the church. Fast forward to modern days, all of us are not farmers, so members are giving 10% of their month income.

Not sure if they are doing it through Giro deduction already.... a bit far fethced... lol

just curious what if members are not willing to contribute that 10%,

are they allowed to stay on?

anyone knows anything about this?

personally i do not want to question too much on their yearly expenses,

but what need is there for them to have $100M of reserves for a non-profit organisation?

what foocha said might be strong and harsh,

but i must agree with him at the part where investing using church donations is wrong...

[yikai]

please keep this thread within your views and try not to go out of line..............

this may b extremely offensive to some members here...

[Nitro]

just curious what if members are not willing to contribute that 10%,

are they allowed to stay on?

anyone knows anything about this?

personally i do not want to question too much on their yearly expenses,

but what need is there for them to have $100M of reserves for a non-profit organisation?

what foocha said might be strong and harsh,

but i must agree with him at the part where investing using church donations is wrong...

There is nothing wrong for a church member not tithing 10%. The 10% tithing (offering as some may called it) is just a principle guide line taught from the bible. In the old Jewish practice, the offering to God is actually more than 10% of one's income. There are "Grain" offering, "Sins" offering etc. so if one adds up all these offerings, it'll be more than 10%. But God didn't state that one must die die give 10%, instead He said one must give with a cheerful heart for God rather have a cheerful giver than a grudging one.

In the olden times, tithes are given to the priest of the temple (church) to be store and also part of it used to pay for the feeding and running of the priests and operations of the temple while the rest are used to feed the fatherless, homeless, widows etc. The actual amount of what is spent on what, I believed can be trace and research on.

To draw a parallel to the modern church... CHC is doing what the temple priests are doing in the olden times. To safe keep the tithes given by members and re-distribute back to the needy and also to the communities and beyond our shores too. I believed in every church of God, no members should be forced to give 10% of their income but to give willingly and cheerfully, even if it's only 1% of one's income, I believed God will still be pleased with that believer.

Another thing is the principle of putting one's talents (gifts, skills or material gains) to good use. The bible also teaches us to multiply our talents for it's foolish to just hid our talents and wait for God to return and said "Here God, this is what You've given me and now I'm returning it back to You." One of the bible story teaches us on one such principle and it was told that a certain servants of a master was given some cash before the master goes away for a biz trip. 2 of the servant invested the cash given and it pleased the master when he returned to know that but for the 1 who hid the cash underground, he was called a fool for not planing to put the cash into good use. This teach us that with proper planning, we should not waste away time and resources on hands when we can in fact make full use of it. Increase it to bless more people! Just like the way our CPF Board is doing, polling the people money and investing it safely and distribute back to the people in due time. Well I'm sure we do that on our personal level too rite? Your investments, bank saving (which for now is miserable!), insurances etc.

Well I'm not a member of CHC but I'm a christian and just see an opportunity to clarify some misunderstanding of the 10% offering ;-)

[albinosage]

just curious what if members are not willing to contribute that 10%,

are they allowed to stay on?

anyone knows anything about this?

"They will cast the demon out of you lor" - Ex CHC member

Hahaha I asked the same thing to my friend.

[TayHongSiang]

i typed a long explanation just now n accidentally pressed the wrong key and everything i wrote gone...

anyway, this is practise in CHC where members can opt for Giro for monthly 10% or more for monthly tithing....

from my opinion, i kinda disgreement with this method though the purpose is to provide convenience...

[comycus]

Quite frankly, I don't agree with many of the practices of CHC, tt's why I don't go there. But if the other 32k members are ok with their church practices and choose voluntary tithing, whatever rocks their boat

Was arguing with my godpa last week over this and he was of the opinion that it's their church, their $$, their choice. At the end of the day, accountability lies between the church and it's members. Yes sometimes we feel anger or even outrage when we think of their practices, but let's take a step back. A lot of these church members are smart, successful ppl. Even before this mini saga, the church has always been a centre of controversies.

Now that the authorities are looking into it, I'm really waiting to see how the situation unfolds. It's interesting to note that Pastor Kong Hee is taking a 'much needed rest'.

[TayHongSiang]

Quite frankly, I don't agree with many of the practices of CHC, tt's why I don't go there. But if the other 32k members are ok with their church practices and choose voluntary tithing, whatever rocks their boat

Was arguing with my godpa last week over this and he was of the opinion that it's their church, their $$, their choice. At the end of the day, accountability lies between the church and it's members. Yes sometimes we feel anger or even outrage when we think of their practices, but let's take a step back. A lot of these church members are smart, successful ppl. Even before this mini saga, the church has always been a centre of controversies.

Now that the authorities are looking into it, I'm really waiting to see how the situation unfolds. It's interesting to note that Pastor Kong Hee is taking a 'much needed rest'.

our authorities will not come in for thorough investigation if they r unsure...or there r no evidences for whistle-blowing from within...u nvr know whether your colleague / babe sitting beside u is from cpib...

[raydiative]

guys try not to stray off point.. this topics really very very touchy..

I was from city harvest and i must say i do not agree with many of the "practices" that they have.. however, tithing is not just a city harvest thing.. thus i shall refrain from posting any comments other then this.. lol..

[Nitro]

Quite frankly, I don't agree with many of the practices of CHC, tt's why I don't go there. But if the other 32k members are ok with their church practices and choose voluntary tithing, whatever rocks their boat

Was arguing with my godpa last week over this and he was of the opinion that it's their church, their $$, their choice. At the end of the day, accountability lies between the church and it's members. Yes sometimes we feel anger or even outrage when we think of their practices, but let's take a step back. A lot of these church members are smart, successful ppl. Even before this mini saga, the church has always been a centre of controversies.

Now that the authorities are looking into it, I'm really waiting to see how the situation unfolds. It's interesting to note that Pastor Kong Hee is taking a 'much needed rest'.

Well ppl, dun't be too harsh, hard or even disappointed with incident such as this or even like NKF or Ren Ci. For if their efforts are of man and not of God, all that they had done will come to nothing. But if they had done according to God's plan, in due time it shall be reveal and they'll be find blameless.

So I encouraged all christian, CHC members or not... dun be dishearten or angry and for non-christian, pls be forgiving and magnanimous and have patience with us christian as we're still learning how to best serve and love the world as Jesus had taught us.

[albinosage]

Well said

[MOssrope]

Hi there.. KY 1st timer here.

Hmmm i studied quite a bit about every religion in my free time.. maybe thats the reason i have no religion.

not aiming at religion in particular but in general account...if i can get a few million just by climbing down suntec towers.. hell yeah i will do it.

then maybe i will place a waterfall(saltwater mind you) in front of my house.

and maybe modify dialysis machines to suit my sump's as the 5th filtration compartment.

[pokmingsheng]

some updates...

quoted from Yahoo! News http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/06/02/what-next-for-city-harvest/

Pastor Kong Hee accused of plagiarism

By Angela Lim – June 2nd, 2010Email Facebook Twitter Print

The hits just keep on coming for City Harvest founder, Pastor Kong Hee.

Two weeks after it was revealed that the 46-year-old is among a group of 17 church members being investigated for misuse of funds, Kong Hee is now being accused of plagiarism in his books and website.

The Straits Times reports that two American authors of a Christian study book have accused him of using their work without proper credit or permission.

Although Professor Sid Buzzell and Dr Kenneth Boa say they will take no legal action on Kong Hee, both have asked the Pastor to stop using their material immediately. Otherwise, Professor Buzzell would “threaten him with exposure to his church”.

Kong Hee had copied the authors’ work without due credit in two books he published entitled ‘Renewing Your Spiritual Enegery in 90 Days’ Volumes I and II. Both books are still available at major Christian bookstores from $15 to $18.90.

Apart from the two books, Kong Hee had also been using the American authors’ material for daily posts on his personal website. His last entry in his blog ‘Daily Devotion’ was posted last Monday and it included a note which said, “We could have been more careful to credit any source of inspiration used.”

News of Kong Hee’s plagiarism was first exposed by Singaporean blogger Tee Kay Hetch, who then alerted the American authors.

The latest news comes after the recent announcement by City Harvest that its leader and founder was taking a “well-needed break”.

He has so far refrained from making any public appearance since news broke of the investigation regarding the misuse of church funds.

Reaction to the investigation has sparked a huge debate, with many Singaporeans weighing in on the issue. Close to a staggering 7,500 comments can be found at the end of this post alone.

Some have defended the church while proclaiming their faith in its leadership while others applaud the move to audit the church’s finances.

It is obvious the probe has touched a raw nerve, and rightly so, because religion is and always will be a touchy and delicate subject in the multi-racial, multi-faith context of Singapore.

And while we must not jump to conclusions – Pastor Kong Hee and his staff are innocent until proven otherwise – it’s clear something is amiss.

Reports of the largest mega-church in Singapore (over 32,000 members) having amassed millions of dollars in reserves started to raise eyebrows years ago.

From a small church which started in 1989, City Harvest now boasts a 14,000 sq foot office in Suntec and its own $47 million building in Jurong West. It has 45 affiliate churches in Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan and Australia with a total of 48,000 members. It employs 154 full-time staff and has 15 committees overseeing all its operations.

$40 million alone was spent in the last financial year.

Despite the much publicised fact that Kong Hee, 46, hasn’t been paid a salary by the church since 2005, the Pastor and his pop-star wife Sun Ho continue to attract their fair share of detractors. In particular, many others have criticised his wife for her celebrity lifestyle, raunchy music videos and daring dress sense. She has also made no comment since the investigation started.

But what the startlingly similar scandals involving the NKF, Ren Ci and Youth Challenge have taught us is that excess often leads to temptation. By all accounts, the leaders of all three non-profit organisations started off humbly and upheld genuinely noble ideals, until money — more than they knew what to do with — quickly led them down the path of greed, materalism and corruption.

In July 2005, CEO of the National Kidney Foundation, T. T. Durai, was arrested for making false declarations on NKF’s accounts. Lurid details of first-class air travel, a fleet of luxury cars at his beck and call, a $600,000 annual salary and even a golden tap in his private office suite emerged. During a much publicised trial, it was revealed in court that NKF had amassed $262 million in reserves.

A year later in 2006, Youth Challenge, which sends students overseas to do humanitarian work, came under fire for poor management practices and was subsequently voted for closure. Its leader, Vincent Lam – a former police officer who set it up in 1985 to keep aimless youths off the streets — was found to have an extravagant annual pay package of nearly $250,000 - 56 % of the charity’s total income. He resigned a year later. In March this year, Youth Challenge folded.

In 2008, Reverend Ming Yi, the chairman of Ren Ci Hospital and Medicare Centre, was charged with forgery, conspiracy and misuse of funds. He allegedly approved million-dollar investments for Ren Ci, but the funds included loans for himself. Stories of BMW cars, lavish condos and excessive splurging were revealed in court with the monk defending his lifestyle as that of “a modern monk”. Just last week, his jail sentence was reduced from 10 months in jail to just six.

And now, City Harvest Church, which recently invested in a whopping S$310 million stake in Suntec City Convention Centre. In its 2009 audit, it was found to have S$103 million in reserves.

From March next year, CHC will be renting a convention hall from Suntec Convention Centre which will include a 12,000-seat main auditorium, 10 meeting rooms, a multi-purpose hall, theatre and concourse on the top floors.