THE FACTS OF YONGGI CHO’S DANGEROUS BEHAVIOUR
David Yonggi Cho has recently spoken at C3 Church Oxford Falls. What makes his invitation so scandalous is how C3 leadership are deliberately lying to their congregation in their attempt to cover up the fact that Yonggi Cho is a convicted criminal.
“Cho was charged with causing around 13.1 billion won in damages to his church and evading approximately 3.5 billion won in taxes in the process (embezzlement as defined in the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes). In addition, Pastor Cho’s oldest son Cho Hee-jun, 49, former chairman of the Yeongsan Christian Culture Center, was given a three-year prison sentence and taken into custody.” [Source]
Because of this, he is disqualified to pastor at all, ever again because of his criminal record, his unruly son, his public reputation and his love for money (Read 1&2 Timothy). We also consider Yoido Full Gospel Church a cult, considering “International Apostle” Cho is accountable to no one – not even his elders who tried to blow the whistle on his crimes:
“Yoido Full Gospel Church has suspended or expelled 28 elders for not withdrawing legal accusations against senior pastor David Yonggi Cho, 77.
The punishments are a form of retaliation for blowing the whistle on alleged misdeeds by Cho and his son Hee-jun, 48.” [Source] [Emphasis ours]
Yonggi’s disciple, Phil Pringle, has no allowing this cult leader, criminal and illegal pastor to speak at his church. Instead, Pringle recently stated on Instagram that Yonggi Cho has “Faced many challenges and has remained true”.
True to what Pringle?
C3 LEADERS WORSHIPING PRINGLE’S CRIMINAL MENTOR
Christian McCudden wrote on Instagram,
Amazing night in Sydney with Ps @philpringle and Dr Youngi Cho, amazing download of wisdom, faith and inspiration. #gratefulforourleaders
Source: Christian McCudden, Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/p/BCKgWA7LWxN6Yd42p8Gdsgiyw19JAWtg9AmMro0/, Published 24/02/2016. (Accessed 25/02/2016.)
Pringle put this out on Instagram,
Loved #Leaderstablesessions yesterday with Dr David Yonggi Cho from Seoul, who has led an 800,000 people congregation for many years. Faced many challenges and has remained true. 80th birthday. Thanks@john_pearce for hosting#superpastorsday @C3OF#powerofdreamsandvision Dr Cho speaks again tonight 7pm C3 Oxford Falls. All welcome. #seeyouinchurch
Source: Phil Pringle, Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/p/BCL-srgNP16/, Published 25/02/2016. (Accessed 25/02/2016.)
[More C3 hero worship will be posted here as they surface.]
Categories: C3 Church, Yoido Full Gospel Church
Thank you for sharing. I am wondering how much worse it is going to get before Jesus returns. Fasting and praying today. In Christ, Charlotte Gulley
*Charlotte Gulley* *Solo Scriptura*
On Thu, Feb 25, 2016 at 1:52 AM, churchwatch central wrote:
> churchwatcher posted: “David Yonggi Cho has recently spoken at C3 Church > Oxford Falls. What makes his invitation so scandalous is how C3 leadership > are deliberately lying to their congregation in their attempt to cover up > the fact that Yonggi Cho is a convicted criminal. “Cho w” >
I am a born again Christian and I love Jesus. I live in England and recently returned from a wonderful holiday in Sydney. My grandchildren attend the Oxford Falls Grammar School. A highlight of my visit was going to the 3C church with my grandson who is 12 years old. My son and daughter-in-law are not church goers but took me and my grandson to the church for 3 Sundays. It was very special for me to be able to witness to my grandson about our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. A few days ago I received a phone call from my grandson. He was very excited and asked me had I ever heard of Dr.Yonggi Cho? Because this amazing preacher, he said, had spoken in the church auditorium. He was clearly overwhelmed after seeing and listening to Dr Cho. I certainly had heard of him, and when I became a Christian over 30 years ago, his was a name that was being much referred to. To refresh my memory of Dr Cho I decided to GOOGLE his name and have now been horrified by the details given regarding his criminal activities! And further, the criticisms aimed at the 3C church. On my visits to the church, I loved the praise and worship and the message of faith in Christ, through the Holy Spirit, given by competent, excellent speakers convinced me my grandson (and indeed his parents as my prayer is one day they would join in that praise and worship) was in a good place. I am totally shattered by the revelations now being exposed about Dr Yonggi Cho. I know there is only one Perfect Man, and I also know that church leaders do fall short because of their imperfectness. Even the Pope was recently quoted as saying “I am a sinner”! What do I now tell my grandson? If anything? And where does the C3 church go from here? My grandson loves Youth Church and is in the youth band.
I noticed this post and felt compelled to reply to you, Ruth. It is so difficult to know where to begin in addressing your comment as there are so many issues which need to be addressed.
How delighted you must have been to be able to attend church with your grandson on your recent visit to Sydney. There can be nothing that warms a grandmother’s heart more than such special times shared with a grandchild and your joy at being given an opportunity is clearly evident in your post. However, Ruth, it must be pointed out that seeing that your grandson “loves Youth Church and is in the Youth Band” is NOT what should be the most important thing to you. I am not sure how many times this has to be said before people reading this site and others will “get it”. We do not go to church to enjoy ourselves!!!! We do not go to church to be entertained. We do not go to church to make us feel good. We do not go to church to be motivated. We do not go to church to hear “excellent speakers”…………. as a professed born-again Christian and someone who loves Jesus, you might perhaps see if you can find any Bible verse to substantiate any of those reasons for attending church!
That your grandson enjoys church is commendable but unfortunately this has become the measuring stick by which society has come to judge what is good for children in all things these days. It is fun! I’m afraid, there will be many things in life, Ruth, that your grandson enjoys and many places that he will “love” to go that will not necessarily be good for him unfortunately. This mindset that people in the mega churches have which is so often expressed on this site alone, which indicates that they are going to church because it makes them feel good and they are loving the amusement factor is EXACTLY the the thing which should be alerting everyone that something is very wrong. You say you love Jesus and are a born-again Christian, in which case the Holy Spirit has given you a discerning Spirit. . Despite the constant repetitious platitudes about “Jesus is turning up here today” from these churches, it is simply a lie from the pit of Hell. The Bible tells us that wherever two of more are gathered IN HIS NAME, HE IS THERE!!!! It is not the smoke machine, it is not the “excellent teachers”, it is not the rock band, nor is it the mantras repeated over and over again in songs designed to lull people into a frame of mind which will accept whatever message is about to be preached and it is not the promise of blessings if you “give” that makes Jesus “turn up” to church. If you are truly born-again, Ruth, you will know that only too well as the truth will speak to your heart. If it is the Youth band your grandson is enjoying so much I suggest some other outlet for his musical interest in the community would be a more favourable option. That is not a reason to be satisfied that this is the right church to have him in. Being a Christian and attending church should not be about US!!! And it should not be about us enjoying ourselves despite what the church leaders tell people in order to scratch their itching ears!!! If it is, there is something dangerously wrong with what your grandson is learning. Would he be happy to attend church with you at some little old church down the road , where there is only organ music, a few old and faithful hymns and a preacher calling his flock to repentance?
How you or any Christian could say that they have read the articles on this site and yet STILL be defending these charlatans and wolves is beyond me. Being a Christian for your grandson should NOT be about how much he finds church entertaining but rather about what values he is learning there and about the values of the people to whom he is listening. A 12 year old “overwhelmed after seeing and listening to Dr. Cho”? With the greatest of respect, Ruth, I would suggest that this “overwhelming” feeling was caught from the adults around him and hardly something a 12 year old would feel of his own accord. Dr. Cho is not the sort of speaker who is either engaging or charismatic as far as from the viewpoint of a 12 year old boy goes. Ruth, Yonggi Cho is a CONVICTED CRIMINAL!!!! AN EMBEZZLER! What on earth has so pervaded your thinking that you think he is in any way a person to whom a 12 year old should be listening let alone be held up as the object of admiration?
And, Ruth, the “excellent speakers” you mention in your post. Were these men who called people be convicted of their sin and to REPENT! Or were they motivational speakers who revved up the congregation with empty messages NONE of which can be found Chapter or verse in the Bible?
And let us turn our attention to the “leaders” of this church. (And do keep in mind that the fish rots from the head down.) Are these people those whom you really want having any input whatsoever into the life of your precious grandson? If you you have availed yourself of all the information on this site you cannot surely be still defending this shabby lot of fakes and con men. Everything on this site, as far as I can see, is carefully sourced and documented, but as a discerning Christian you would surely want to follow up these sources of your own accord.and I DO speak from experience, Ruth. The story of C3 disgusting treatment of my family and Phil Pringle’s disgraceful and concerning behaviour is well documented here.
It is to be hoped that your grandson is never in need of any decent advice or assistance from the founder of this church, Ruth. Because God help him if he is! When my own son was raped continually since the age of 9 years he went to C3 Pastors for assistance. Now LISTEN IF YOU HAVE EARS TO HEAR RUTH! They told him he must have led his rapist on, that he was partly to blame and he must pray for forgiveness! They then put him in a car with his rapist and sent him home to a house where there were four other vulnerable children! They then COVERED UP THE CRIME for years and didn’t even inform the mother of the crime. THEY DID NOT INFORM THE POLICE OR ANY OTHER AUTHORITY! When their complicity was finally exposed they refused to assist the police in their investigations!. They refused to co-operate with the legal process in any way even ignoring subpoenas. But when the perpetrator finally pleaded guilty to the crimes of which he had been accused, one of these foul C3 Pastors turned up to court – NOT to give evidence on behalf of the child but to give a character reference for the rapist! The C3 Pastor said in court, under oath that he felt he had no moral obligation to inform anybody of this crime!!! One of the Pastors involved is STILL a Pastor in the C3 organisation.
When C3 founder Phil Pringle was begged for assistance to bring his Pastors into line and get them to co-operate with police he refused, saying that he had no power over his subordinate Pastors as “they were a law unto themselves”!!! In a cowardly display, he refused to speak to the victim and his mother without “back-up” and instead he fraudulently presented a friend of his (now also a C3 Pastor) to the victim and his mother, as the church’s legal adviser. The two salaciously listened to all the details of the crime and then dismissed the victim from his presence WITHOUT EVEN A PRAYER!. There was no attempt to assist the victim and no offer of counseling and not even the offer of a PRAYER. Are you getting this yet, Ruth? Subsequent correspondence from the victim’s mother went unanswered!
God forbid if your own grandson was ever to be needing assistance in such dire circumstances as this, are you quite certain that this is the sort of outcome you would accept from this church your grandson “loves’ so much?
Please refer to the video piece of Phil Pringle himself speaking IN HIS OWN WORDS when he admits to not having an empathetic bone in his body which can be found on this site!!!!! I can attest to the truthfulness of this claim from personal experience! And please note that on these videos, Pringle’s “audience”, the CONGREGATION OF C3, cheered and applauded his comments! Are these the values you want your grandson to learn? Am I getting through to you YET, Ruth? This is the sort of man who is the founder and leader of the C3 movement! (And rest assured it is a movement and NOT a church!) What would Jesus have to say about the sentiments preached by Pringle regarding his lack of empathy? And moreover what we Jesus say about the people who sat and listened and cheered him on and applauded his words? That’s the sort of organisation which is influencing your precious grandson, Ruth.
Source: Phil Pringle, “Find Your Flavor” // Phil Pringle // 03.16.14, Vimeo,
Sermon time: 10:40, Preached 16/03/2014, Uploaded 09/032014 at 10:49 AM. (Accessed 28/07/2015.)
These are not isolated incidents you read about Ruth, but prolific behaviour exhibited by this church over and over again. There are many stories which have not yet come into the public arena. Damaged people who are still recovering from the abuse of these churches even years after they have left.
If you carefully read and choose to ignore the carefully sourced and documented articles on this site then that is entirely up to you. But if you believe that your defence of this church is in any way justified, you are, I’m afraid, sadly deluded and all the “peppy talk” in the world will not change what is true. The “nobody’s perfect” excuse is one dragged out to excuse the poor behavour of every church leader who exhibits his true colours and is exposed. Nobody’s perfect indeed ….. BUT the Bible gives us a standard by which to live and the fact that church leaders behave badly is NOT an alibi or “get out jail free” card. The Bible tells us that they will be held to a higher account than anyone.(James3:1)
Your quoting even the Pope as having said “I am a sinner” is totally irrelevant in this issue, Ruth. WE ARE ALL SINNERS so that is no great revelation or any reason for praise. It is fruitless to try to grasp at any argument possible to justify the behaviour of this church and these men. Just how much are you suggesting we lower our standards of behavour we should expect in the leaders of our churches? To be delighted that your grandson was so impressed with such a crook and and fraud as Yongghi Cho and Pringle who continues to support him and bring him into his church to address the congregation is just sad beyond words, Ruth. No amount of words or “C3 motivational speak” will change what is the truth. It’s hard to admit to ourselves that we are more intent on satisfying our carnal desires and doing what gives us pleasure than we are following God’s Word.
May I be so bold as to make the observation that you say your son and daughter-in-law are not churchgoers and they send their son to Oxford Falls Grammar School which is run by the C3 church. Therefore, as non-churchgoers, they may not be entirely involved enough in the life of the church to be able to discern what is really going on at C3 and may be just happy to have their child attend school and get a reasonable education. We can only hope that your grandson learns the qualities of Jesus somewhere else because he is hardly going to learn them by playing in a youth band at C3church.
I pray that the blind will be given eyes to see…… and that your family never has the misfortune to suffer a family crisis which requires wise and strong counsel and the character of Jesus to handle it!
Ruth – Attending Oxford Falls Grammar School is not a badge of honour. If you have the money, your kids/Grand kids can attend and in turn, parents assist to grow the C3 Church Empire whilst C3 grab tightly to the hearts and minds of the children, as evidence in your post.
You say that on your visits to the C3 Church, YOU loved the praise and worship. Ruth, I can’t believe you said that! I have always offered my praise and worship to my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Himself, never realising that I and others in the Congregation, were being judged on some kind of performance rating by the attending mortals for whom it was never intended or offered!! It’s good you enjoyed it Ruth, but surely it was never intended for you to like or judge. You appear voyeuristic and intrusive on the personal relationship between God and his children! And . . . therein lies the problem. Music is powerful and influential and C3 Churches know the value of hard sell and eventually, the persuasion. C3 present their music for the PEOPLE, to capture them and make them exultant and ecstatic, and very, very malleable. The music is thrust out as you arrive on the premises! Dear Jesus never gets a look-in and you said as much yourself . . . “I loved the praise and worship”. All good and well Ruth, however it was supposedly never meant for YOU (ah, but C3 know full well for whom it was intended and you proved them right Ruth!). You proved their modus operandi!
I believe God has his hand on your son and daughter-in-law and that THEY are the ones in a good place Ruth. They are removed from the C3 Empire and as it strikes at your Grandson and tries to rob him of his heart and mind and fill him with dazzle and lies, they can be his leveller and dispel the indoctrination. Your Grandson now needs to be told of Yonggi Cho and he needs to be told gently and truthfully, by his parents. You cannot leave the parents deceived, mislead, duped and deluded. Ruth, I implore you to do that. Inject some measure of truth into the life of your Grandson! Please. He too is ‘in love’ with ‘activities’ and music and is in the school Youth Band. Ah, yes, they get them in and now you don’t want to crush your Grandson with the truth, Ruth?
Truth is something from which you run in fear of hurting the deceived and yet truth, is the greatest gift you can offer your Grandson Ruth. IF the School and the C3 Church are doing such a mighty job as you claim, then your Grandson with have the coping skills to survive. You have an obligation Ruth. This has all not occurred by coincidence but by GOD-incidence. Do the right thing, I implore you.
You write: “and the message of faith in Christ, through the Holy Spirit, given by competent, excellent speakers convinced me”. You were once convinced by Yonggi Cho Ruth only to discover as we all now know, has been engaging in Criminal activities. I know you want to believe the very best, but your misplaced faith in MEN is of great concern to me and I’m sure, other readers. Your judgment is off-center and perhaps it’s because you yourself remain unaware that you want to attend Church for the glitter and for the odd dynamic speaker (who could also turn out to be another Criminal!). In your post you mention the Pope. I will address that shortly.
For 3 Sundays you went to a C3 Church, Ruth.
3 Sundays in a C3 Church – sounds like a good Book title!!
In those 3 Sundays, you have decided all is well, carry on lads, full steam ahead. You gave it 3 Sundays and now you want to rate the C3 experience? You ask where the 3C Church goes from here. Ruth, let me advise you that they are not impeded by opinion because they are far too lofty, arrogant and supercilious for that! Don’t worry about them Ruth because frankly, they don’t know or care that you even exist. So fret not for them. Ruth, fret only for your Grandson in that School. They have his heart and mind each and every day and candidly, I would call it Child Maltreatment! However, that’s a matter for his parents and it’s a parental decision NOT and Grandmother’s decision. You must go to your son and daughter-in-law and tell them what you know. Tell them about Yonggi Cho and the C3 Church expose`. It is their decision to make not yours Ruth!! In order for your son and his wife to make a valued and informed decision, you must now outline to them all the facts of the substance, as you know it.
Now to your comment regarding the Pope. . . “Even the Pope was recently quoted as saying I am a sinner”! EVEN the Pope, you say? Clearly you believe he is without sin, like Jesus! Hello?? You sound so surprised by his comment, that he indeed is a sinner. Well Ruth, he is. Indeed, we are all sinners Ruth and we all fall short, including the Pope. Omission and leaving out facts pertinent to your Grandson’s well-being, is also a sin. Ruth and you must now go to your son and daughter-in-law and inform them of the facts . . pray and thank God that you have information concerning the precious life of your Grandson. The choice remains yours.
I am also a Grandmother (5 wonderful Grandchildren in fact). I was in a prominent Position at a C3 Church for years and years and years and I saw goings-on that I will never forget. I saw lives and families destroyed and scarred forever. I witnessed the sacking of a Pastor & his wife for discreditable and scandalous behaviour & I have long since been made aware that they commenced a “new work” under another banner and continued to rake in the money and build another Empire, all the while deliberately concealing their past behaviours. There’s no stopping these people with a penchant to be wealthy and lead a lazy, comfortable (even luxurious) lifestyle. What else can they do in life to earn an honest living, short of winning a Lottery to bolster their coffers? They are not trained to turn their hand to something beneficial so they decide they will call themselves Pastors. They begin by renting a cheap Hall or premises and away they go! Their whole purpose being to build a lucrative Empire. We give of our hard-earned dollars to feather their nest and expand. We in fact, enable their deceit and devious methods. We are told to test all things and sadly, we forget that! Sadly, “giving to God” is the dishonest cry from the PULL- PIT. No Ruth. God has nothing to do with their voracious and rapacious behaviour.
Thankfully, I am set free. I have forgiven the Pastor and his wife and the Assistant Pastor and also his wife. In spite of this, I haven’t forgotten the lies, the pain, the tears, the deceit, and the con-games of which I was a part by remaining silent. Neither have I forgotten the tender, beautiful but broken lives of entire families destroyed by people misrepresenting to be Pastors and Counsellors and men and women of the Living God. Charlatans they are and that doesn’t go half way to describing the C3 experience in my past.
Ruth, I implore you to not allow your Grandson’s life to become a free fall – a parapet leap without parachute. Be that parachute Ruth – please, will you go to his parents?
You want to stand immoveable and shield and defend the indefensible Ruth. Your Grandson at the tender age of twelve years of age deserves to be shielded and he is deserving of the truth that only his parent can bring. Nevertheless, you must first inform his parents and allow them to take him aside, as only they know how to do, and erase all illusions and replace them with the truth to set him free from the deceit in his young life. Already, this lot have messed with him and I am angry. How dare they!! How dare you hesitate for a moment!!! You are wasting valuable time writing here and defending the convicted Criminal Yonggi Cho, the C3 Empire and Oxford Falls Grammar School and your Grandson’s love for a school Youth Band!!!!!! Demons are reaching for his soul and you should know better Ruth.
As children, we can’t comprehend or fully realise the meaning of a Grandmother’s love. How wise she is, how much patience she has, or how much guidance she gives us by her example and by her helpful caring ways. Years go by before we know and understand the depth of her concern and the love in her protectiveness. But as we mature we do finally understand and we can look back and see through older eyes and wiser hearts, her unconditional love, devotion, and family loyalty. It’s these and many other things that make us realise how blessed we have been and how blessed we are to have this amazing woman – our Grandmother – as the centred root of strength and love in our life. Give your Grandson the gift of being able, in many years to come, to pay such a tribute to you Ruth. God bless you.
If I have been forthright and thereby have pained you in any way, please forgive me. If I have been of any miniscule benefit what-so-ever, please thank God.