Scriptures say to those who put a price on the Holy Spirit:
“May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.” - Apostle Peter, Acts 8:20-24
Mark Kelsey says,
“Obvously ‘Every Woman’ is coming up in a couple of weeks time in ‘Every Woman’s Conference’. And ah- you can also- oh! We want you to register. Men, register for your women. Women, register for yourself and buy a ticket for someone else. And why don’t you- do that? Like the staff did, buy a ticket to someone who can’t afford to go. Who thinks that?
Who thinks there are women out there who want and need revival but maybe can’t afford it- so we can be that to them as well? – Which is great!” – Mark Kelsey, Phil & Chris Pringle – Mars & Venus Part 1, http://www2.myc3church.net/videos/phil-chris-pringle-mars-venus-part-1, Sunday, 10am, 14/10/2012.
What is revival? According to Pringle a revival can be manufactured. When people are in this C3-type-of ‘revival’ they can control people where they sit, shame people into worship, con people to empty their wallets and get them emotionally manipulated.
This is not Christianity. This is a disgraceful sham. Why would C3 encourage Christian’s to ‘buy’ revival for victims who “can’t afford” to be involved in a financial scam? How is scamming people loving? Will they get someone like Kong Hee or Phil Pringle to encourage those who can’t afford revival to empty their bank accounts?
From ‘Fighting For the Faith’, Chris Rosebrough reviewed another sermon of Phil Pringle in late 2010. Tune in to the start of the review after the first hour in.
NOVEMBER 29, 2010
TWILIGHT ZONE MARATHON EPISODE
• Granger says Healthy Churches Grow But….
• Patricia King’s Chia Pet Prophecy
• Melissa Fisher says God Believes in You
• 3rd Eagle Claims WWIII Has Begun
• Sermon Review by Phil Pringle, C3 Church, Sydney Australia
This is the backlash Christianity gets from unbelievers when the church allows false teachers peddle false doctrine and monetary scams. Comments like this only prove that C3 does not care about upholding the true ministry and message of Christianity. Yet C3 insists they are effectively wining the City for Jesus.
“Christian City Church “Presence” conference April 2010
Hi, Firstly my names Phil and I’m a new member here. Greetings all.
I went to the above mentioned “conference” last night with some (unforunately religious) freinds and I feel so overwhelmed by the nonsense that I just have to tell someone about it.
Held in several (very large) arenas at Sydney’s (very expensive) exhibition centre, this event had it all including:
- “Miracle” healings (among others, someone with Kidney failure was supposedly healed).
- “The Offering” (basically the traditional church collection plate multiplied by about 200 but with the plates replaced with deep storage containers and the convenience of wireless credit card and eftpos facilities and forms on each seat for direct debit or cheque offerings).
- Prayer (with fancy mood lighting and humming, hypnotic style background music to get you in the spirit).
- Musical features (apparently gets you closer to god with everyone clapping and waving their arms around to “touch the lord”).
The main thing that made me feel sick was the way the “Offering” was staged. They started off with some short video clips about where “some” of the money goes. These included a mother of four who was raising a son with mental health problems who required her constant care. This son was two years older than any of her other children, so I couldn’t help wondering why she continued to have three more children?
There was also one on raising money for medical equipment for pre-mature babys.
I did ask my freinds why they didn’t just do some miracle healings as a solution to both these issues but didn’t get any straight answers.
Then when the collection “plate” for my row (there’s one per row) went past, I couldn’t help peering in and, despite having only passed five people so far, there were already three $50 notes, 1 $20 and a bunch of gold coins!
Throughout this, the pastor on stage kept saying you will feel the “power” from “giving to the lord”. Again I asked my freinds why we should give up our money whilst their pastor drove a $300,000 car and his visiting conference speakers stayed in 5 star Hotels but got the usual hollow answers.
AHHHHHHHHHH!!! I just want to scream. They had about 15,000 or more people through there. How can so many people be so stupid? I felt like I was in a mental asylum!”
We now wish to inform you of a group called Pathfinders.
Pathfinders says about itself:
“Pathfinders is the marketplace ministry arm of C3 Church. Equipping our people to thrive in the marketplace is one of the core strands of the C3 Church DNA. This includes people in business, professions, government, education, the arts, sports and entertainment.
Our objectives in Pathfinders are that all of our marketplace people:
1. prosper in their career or business,
2. bring light and life to their work and business environment,
3. bring Godly wisdom and influence to change their corner of the world for God” - http://www.pathfinders.org.au/#/about-us, (Accessed 28/08/2012.)
In C3 Presence Conference this year, it is important to know that C3 targets the rich in their church and financially manipulates them to financially invest in the C3 movement. Strong words? Then you need to watch how cunning Pringle is when he chooses to target people to give money for the building fund here. This link will play this video. (Transcript below.)
Terrence [To audience]: “… But one thing we [C3] are about, (and which I’m sure you know), we’re all about the market place. Now there’s certain people in the House of God which fund the House of God because they do so well and they’re so successful in business that they have the mulah to be able to fund the Kingdom. And one of those kings we have right here is Mr Andrew Tyndale. Come and join us Andrew! How are you today?”
Emma: “We love you Andrew.”
Tyndale: “I’m sure I’m here under false pretences but that’s all right.”
Terrence: “There’s no false pretences here at all. Now Andrew, you look after and head up Pathfinders. Can you tell us a little bit about what Pathfinders is, for those who may not know.”
Tyndale: “Sure! Well Pathfinders is one of the three DNA strands that we have. So we have community partnerships- sorry. Kingdom partnerships, community heroes and the marketplace. So Pathfinders is our marketplace ministry. So that serves people in business skills. It serves them with ah, success skills and empowerment for their job, their career, their- and to make a difference in their world.”
Terrence: “Ooo we like that. So it’s building people up so they can go and make a difference in the community and also in church in their business. Yeah?
Tyndale: “Absolutely! So firstly so that they can thrive. Secondly, so that they can touch people who will never otherwise come to church. And thirdly, so that they can use their influence to change the world for the better.”
Terrence: “Ooh! We like that! So we just had a Pathfinders Conference ah- well you can say meeting just before. Can you tell those who are watching, maybe they’re watching from overseas, and would like to implement a sort of business meeting in their church; how can they get involved with a Pathfinders? Or kick off something like Pathfinders?”
Tyndale: “Well we would encourage everybody in the C3 movement to have a Pathfinders group; a Pathfinders program. And Pastor Phil in fact laid out a program where each pastor who doesn’t yet have a Pathfinders could- should start a business connect group. Start a connect group of business people and really speak into their worlds. Just as a start. And let that kick it off and roll. We have a whole series of programs we’d be very pleased to share. So anybody who’s actually out there in the world watching this, we’d be delighted to share with other churches and really roll the programs out throughout the network.” . . .
Terrence: “Fantastic. Now. I want to inspire people. Cos we normally don’t talk- I mean when we have our business- ah sorry- our building fund, we sort of talk about the numbers that people give to the church. Can you talk about some of the people that come to Pathfinders and how much they contribute to the house of God. Just to inspire people what’s possible?”
Tyndale: “I would but I’d have to kill you.”
Terrence: “Oh Lord! Don’t do that!”
Tyndale: “Look. It’s clear that the largest givers in any building program are the business people, in most cases. And they’re the people who both- both give to begin with and grow in their giving as their career prospers as a result of the giving. So it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. A self-sustaining cycle so that ah- it ultimately- then you get leaders who are drawing other peoples- ah examples for other people to draw them through. And the cycle continues. But ah- for those who are running building programs, you’re business people are the core and the key to it.”
So what’s this got to do with Kong Hee?
Here is a photo of Kong Hee with guest speaker Marcos Witt in Presence Conference 2011. It seems innocent enough.
Until the photographer takes another photo further back. This time Phil Pringle is with the other two.
What was talked about? We don’t know. Going on what Tyndale stated above, there is a good chance Kong Hee would have talked about peoples “success skills and empowerment for their job, their career… and to make a difference in their world.” If this is true then readers need to be concerned that C3 is targeting “people in business, professions, government.” Especially since The Hon. Andrew Stoner MP (Minister for Trade and Investment), is involved with C3 and their Presence Conferences.
Pringle’s behaviour from the beginning of Kong Hee’s investigations to now raises some hairy questions.
If Stoner attended the Pathfinders meeting(s), did Pringle honestly inform Stoner the current status of Kong Hee?
Because we don’t know what was said at the Pathfinders event at Presence, did Pringle state the current circumstances about Kong Hee honestly to those attending? But did Kong Hee speak at Pathfinders in Presence Conference 2010? Did Kong Hee speak at Pathfinders in Presence Conference 2012? Did Pringle honestly give people the facts then at these events if Kong Hee spoke?
Is it possible that people in the Australian government were not aware that Pringle invited a man that was under investigation by Singaporeon authorities for the possible mishandling of about fifty million dollars?
NOTE: ALL SCREEN GRABS WERE TAKEN ON THE 28/08/2012.
C3ChurchWatch only exists to examine the C3 Movement, its pastors and it’s head mover and shaker: Phil Pringle. We do not oversee “good practices at Christian organizations globally”. We do not know where this article got this information.
The BikyaMasr reports,
Singapore church controversy continues as new pastor under watchdog scrutiny…
City Harvest Church facing corruption, misuse of funds charges.
KUALA LUMPUR: Singapore’s City Harvest Church has a new pastor, but not without controversy. Last week, as the church was charged with misusing some $50 million of church money, they appointed New Zealand’s Reverend Phil Pringle and Reverend A.R. Bernard to function as advisory pastors in order to maintain services for worshipers without break.
Pringle is the founder and senior minister of Christian City Church in Sydney, Australia.
But now that he is in Singapore, working for a church embattled with corruption charges, he has become targeted by the Christian watchdog organization C3 Church Watch, which tasks itself with overseeing good practices at Christian organizations globally.
The group’s blog said that it was “designed to watch and monitor C3 Church and its pastors, specifically Phil Pringle.”
It has raised questions about the New Zealand-born pastor’s religious credentials and teachings.
It is the latest in a weeklong battle over embezzlement charges and fears that the situation could potentially see the end of City Harvest, which hosted some 14,000 over the weekend in services.
Controversy
The church’s founder Kong Hee was quick to acknowledge why some 8,000 people had packed into the church on Saturday for his sermon.
“I also know that you are all here tonight to hear something from me.
“As you know, the past few days have been very challenging for me, my family and my team, and many allegations have been made in the media.
“Obviously, as this is an ongoing case, I cannot comment on the details, but please know that there are always two sides to every story. I look forward to the day when I can tell you my side of the story in court,” he said.
Seven minutes into his sermon about a woman who had worshiped Jesus humbly, Kong stopped and told his congregation, “Yes, I do maintain my integrity.”
But it comes on the back of much controversy and uncertainty regarding the church’s future.
Singapore’s City Harvest Church Executive Pastor Aries Zulkarnain said on Thursday evening that he and his Church stand by members accused of embezzling and misusing funds.
He said the Church will maintain support for the accused throughout the court proceedings.
Another pastor from the Church, Bobby Chaw, added that City Harvest has “actively worked to ensure good governance and have complied with codes set by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports.”
Five members of City Harvest Church were charged by a court on Wednesday of corruption, misuse of funds and embezzlement, Channel NewsAsia reported.
The report said the court charged City Harvest Church founder Kong Hee with three charges, while senior pastor Tan Ye Peng faces 10 charges. Finance manager Tan Shao Yuen faces seven charges.
Senior member Chew Eng Han also faces 10 charges and former secretary of the church’s management board Lam Leng Hung faces three charges.
The five allegedly diverted some S$23 million (RM57 million) of the church’s money to fund Ho Yeow Sun’s music career in the United States. Ho is Kong Hee’s wife.
CNA said they were charged for another S$26.6 million (RM66 million) of misappropriated funds, used to redeem “sham bonds” to cover their tracks.
The case was adjourned and the next session will take place in July.
The Straits Times had reported that Kong, Tan Ye Peng and three other church leaders were detained by police at their homes early on Tuesday morning and taken in for questioning over the alleged misuse of church funds as well as alleged “breaches under charity laws.”
This latest development comes two years after the Commercial Affairs Department started a probe into the alleged misuse of church funds in May 2010.
(From: From Alisha Hassan, Singapore church controversy continues as new pastor under watchdog scrutiny, http://www.bikyamasr.com/71527/singapore-church-controversy-continues-as-new-pastor-under-watchdog-scrutiny/, 03/07/2012. (Accessed 03/07/2012.))
OFFICIAL STATEMENTS IN REGARDS TO KONG HEE AND CITY HARVEST CHURCH
The Singapore Government, Ministry of Home Affairs have made the following statements online:
Police has earlier sent a press statement on CAD investigations into persons for criminal breach of trust and false accounting. Below are Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affair’s comments on the case:
I would like to stress that the charges filed by CAD are against 5 individuals from the City Harvest Church (CHC) regarding the use of Church funds. They are not filed against CHC itself. The CHC is free to continue its church services and activities.
CAD carries out investigations when it receives information that a criminal offence may have been committed. CAD had previously investigated the National Kidney Foundation and Ren Ci.
As the matter is now before the courts, we should let the law take its course and avoid speculation or making pre-judgements that may unnecessarily stir up emotions.
Kong Hee’s City Harvest Church issued the following statement,
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.
The Straits Times (ST) also offers insight to Kong Hee and City Harvest Church.
It reports that Kong Hee and “four others from his ministry were arrested by the police in an early dawn raid on Tuesday morning”. The ST states,
“Among other things, the CoC … spokesman said the funds were used with the purported intention to finance the wife of pastor Kong, Ms Ho Yeow Sun’s secular music career to connect with people.
‘There was a concerted effort to conceal this movement of funds from its stakeholders,’ said the CoC spokesman.”2
The ST states the following about the charges,
“A police spokesman said that after a thorough investigation, the five would be charged with being in a conspiracy to commit criminal breach of trust as an agent. If convicted, each of them could be jailed for life and fined.
Mr Tan, Mr Chew and Ms Sharon Tan, will also be charged with conspiracy to falsify accounts. If convicted, each could be jailed up to 10 years and fined. All five will be charged in court on Wednesday.”
ST reports that the “inquiry revealed misconduct and mismanagement in the administration of the church, particularly in relation to the funds that were in the Building Fund which had been raised and earmarked for specific purposes”.
Chong Chee Kin writes, “executive members Ho Yeow Sun, Kelvin Teo Meng How and Tan Su Pheng Jacqueline… will be prohibited from taking part or being involved in managing the church, representing it in any matters, or attending any of its Annual General Meetings, Extraordinary General Meetings and Board meetings”.
(NOTE: Snippets from are from the Straits Times article by Chong Chee Kin: City Harvest’s Kong Hee and 4 others to be charged on Wednesday, http://www.straitstimes.com/The-Big-Story/The-Big-Story-1/Story/STIStory_815169.html, 26/06/2012. (Accessed 26/06/2012.))
We would like to ask people from C3 Church Watch to PLEASE pray for Phil Pringle in regards to this event.
There is no question that Phil Pringle has always been a close friends with Kong and Sun Hee. Pringle has stated,
“I always felt a great affinity with Kong and Sun. There are some relationships that God joins together, and you’ve got to recognize, respect and nurture those relationships, no matter what. I believe that those relationships that are divinely arranged, you need to stay together, because all of us have a piece of each other’s destiny inside of us, and in that relationship, destiny unfolds.”
Since Kong Hee has been under investigation, Phil Pringle has given up countless time and effort to help Kong Hee’s church. This is somewhat admirable. However, if his commitment to Kong Hee is a true sign of how he upholds his friendship with him, this is a serious blow to Pringle’s personal world. We know this further undoes his credibility as a prophet, leader and teacher. However, please keep him in your prayers as he deals with this personal affair. This close betrayal would have surely shaken him. Pray that it shakes him the right way and that he sorts through this okay.
This year, C3′s prophet Phil Pringle invited Kong Hee to speak at their C3 Presence 2012 Conference. Because the Singaporean authorities were still investigating Hee, Kong was only present in Australia for half the conference.
Today, Channel News Asia reported the following in regards to the ongoing investigations of Kong Hee:
City Harvest’s founder Kong Hee & 4 others arrested
Posted: 26 June 2012 1447 hrs
SINGAPORE: Five members of City Harvest Church (CHC), including its founder Pastor Kong Hee, have been arrested for alleged criminal breach of trust and falsification of accounts of the church.
The other four members are John Tan Yee Peng, Lam Leng Ham, Chew Eng Ham and Sharon Tan.
The five were questioned by the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) on Tuesday.
Kong Hee was seen leaving the Police Cantonment Complex at 4pm.
The five will be charged in court on Wednesday.
CAD said it commenced an investigation on 31 May 2010 into certain financial transactions of CHC after receiving information of misuse of church funds.
The Commissioner of Charities (COC) began its inquiry into the charity on the same day under the Charities Act over alleged misconduct and mismanagement of the building fund which had been raised and earmarked for specific purposes.
The COC said financial irregularities of at least S$23 million from the charity’s funds had been discovered. These funds were used with the purported intention to finance the music career of Ho Yeow Sun, who is Pastor Kong’s wife and co-founder of the church.
The COC found that there was a concerted effort to conceal this movement of funds from the charity’s stakeholders, saying it is concerned about the misconduct and mismanagement in the administration of the charity.
With the consent of the Attorney General, the COC has suspended eight persons, including the five arrested on Tuesday, from the exercise of their office or employment as governing board members.
The other three are Ho Yeow Sun, Kelvin Teo Meng How and Tan Su Pheng Jacqueline.
All eight have been suspended from their executive memberships in the charity with immediate effect.
The COC said it will also consider taking further courses of action against these individuals in order to protect the charity. This may include the removal of these persons from their office as trustee, governing board members, officers, agents or employees of the charity.
With the suspension, the eight persons will be prohibited from taking part or being involved in managing or representing the charity on any matters, or attending any of the charity’s Annual General Meetings, Extraordinary General Meetings and Board Meetings.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Teo Chee Hean has stressed that the charges filed by CAD are against the five individuals from the City Harvest Church regarding the use of church funds.
He said the charges are not filed against CHC itself and the church is free to continue its church services and activities.
Mr Teo added that CAD carries out investigations when it receives information that a criminal offence may have been committed.
CAD had previously investigated the National Kidney Foundation and Ren Ci.
As the matter is now before the courts, Mr Teo said the law should be allowed to take its course and the public should avoid speculation or making pre-judgements that may unnecessarily stir up emotions.
We have a made this copy available in case C3 Church takes it down from the internet. On page 10, there is instructions telling people who have no money to give money.
We have a made this copy available in case C3 Church takes it down from the internet. On page 15, there is instructions telling people who have no money to give money.
