Consolidated questions & revelations by a conscientious CHC insider on Kong & Family & their internal crony practices

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Consolidated questions & revelations by a conscientious CHC insider on Kong & Family & their internal crony practices

Will there be lawsuits for defamation in view of ST online's wide readership?
Source : ST Discussion Board 'CityHarvest questioned' thread.

Originally Posted by sorenk2233

Kudos to City Harvest for being transparent about their financial statements. They have proudly listed it in their website.

However, some things cause alarm bells to ring.
1. The church has spent millions on television, audio, broadcast, and multi-media.
Audio and Light --> $1.256 and $1.1 million during the past two years.
Christian TV, Broadcast --> $793,000 and $1.039 million during the past two years
Church TV --> $2.105 and $1.374 million, during the past two years.
Internet broadcast --> $573,000 and $432,000, during the past two years.

And if you add them up, a total of $8,672,000 has been spent on multi-media related ventures.

Perhaps the CHC might want elaborate why the need for such expenses?
Perhaps they would also like to explain why Rev. Kong Hee has to be featured on Christian television? The reverend does not receive a salary from City Harvest, but by them endorsing him by placing him on Christian television (seen in US), is that not a benefit/ incentive paid by the Church? Would that not be considered a form of payment?

2. Staff salaries are astonishing! A church is liken to a customer care service. And no doubt there is a need to employ members to meet the needs of Church members. However, how transparent would CHC be in disclosing their staff salaries? I would not be surprised that many senior/ executive level staff in CHC's organization may be receiving 5-figured salaries. There is nothing wrong in paying good and qualified workers well. The question is how much is too much? And whether it is justifiable.

3. A further investigation should look into companies often contracted by City Harvest Church. Are those companies funded by church members? What other interests do the companies play in facilitating CHC? Are any of CHC's board members/ executive members shareholders in the companies? If so, then how much have they benefited?

If such a significant amount is spend on audio and lighting, perhaps a thorough investigation ought to be checked on the co-relation between the company and CHC. Is the same company behind Sun Ho's singing career? High probability it could be so. Also, I understand that CHC started a dance studio to get Youths involved in the arts (great avenue to get kids off from drugs and off the streets). However, has this been a personal gain for Sun Ho's entertainment venture?

3. In the early months of 2010, many CHC members went for a study trip to South Korea. The world's largest church is located there. I wonder if the senior/ executive staff had to pay for the "study trip" or if the trip was absorbed by the church. If so, is this a common practice for independent churches?

Why am I writing this and posing though questions with regards to the financial management of City Harvest Church? Partly because I feel the need for religious organizations to come clean about their transactions. Partly because there is too much going on behind the scenes that needs to come to light. Partly because there needs to be checks and balances in independent mega churches.

A religious organization being extravagant in its spending is not the issue. We see cathedrals, mosques and temples made of great extravagance. In many religions, many high ranking officials often wear robes lavished in gold trimmings, fine fabric and intricate detail. Hence, being extravagant and having state of the art technology should not be part of the discussion. What should be of interest is the co-relation to an independent church with its contracted companies?

1. The lighting and audio for City Harvest Church has contracted Xtron Productions Pte Ltd. This coupled together with the fact that this company is one of the management agencies for co-founder and singer, Miss Ho Yeow Sun.

In addition, many of the employees hired by Xtron Productions are members of City Harvest Church. Many of these individuals are members of CHC's television, media and sound ministries. If this does not raise bells, then perhaps one might like to see who are the owners, co-owners and managers of Xtron Productions.

2. City Harvest Church has changed its financial year-end twice in the last few years. The first in 2007, from 31 December to 30 June. The second in 2008, from 30 June to 31 October. Such unexplained change of financial year-end is commonly seen as a red-flag by auditors and regulators. Should we be concerned?

May those who have read my comments and felt there is validity in it share the burden I have. I have been very careful in my choice of words and tone by which I make my comments. I could have given the names of the owners of Xtron Produtions, who are board and executive members. Unfortunately, my position does not permit or grant me the liberty to be a whistle blower.

Please understand that I am caught between a rock and a hard place. In 2003, when Roland Poon pointed out the church's support of Miss Ho's singing career, I witness the ugliness of hate. However, at the same time, I saw the pain in the eyes of church members who were deeply affected by the media slaughter of the church.

Over the course of days, I question if this was the right time to disclose the information that I have given. Why? Because many of the employees of Xtron, City College, Citycare, Little Big, O School, and along with the staff of City Harvest Church are fully aware of what goes on behind the scenes. Many have families with young children and mortgages and car payments to worry about. There are a large number of individuals dependent on how this system works. Sadly, it is snowballing into something monstrous.

3. Miss Ho Yeow Sun's entourage includes two dancers. They can be seen dancing in Miss Ho's recent music video, Fancy Free. These dancers are instructors of O School, which is funded by City College (that gets funds from City Harvest). These dance instructors are residing in the United States, residing in Miss Ho's Los Angeles home. This brings to question if City Harvest is indirectly paying for Miss Ho's dancers.

4. Xtron Productions have several employees who are board and executive members. Several on its payroll hold positions of leadership in the audio, lighting and media ministries. In November 2009, Rev. Kong Hee had a speaking engagement to Sacramento, California, several church employees (worship band, singers, and media personnel) were flown there with all expenses paid by the Church. In addition to that, Xtron employees were involved in the trip. If the speaking engagement was for the benefit of Rev. Kong, the question is, who pays for the cost to fly and accommodate his entourage?

It is known that Rev. Kong is not a salaried employee of City Harvest church. He relies on speaking engagement fees, love gifts and the royalties of his sermons and bible study material. However, how does the church draw the line between his personal speaking engagements and his service on behalf of the church? Also, why the need for Xtron employees to be part of the trip if this was promoted to church members as a missions trip? For many of Rev. Kong's international speaking engagement, there is an employee from Xtron present to take photographs and record videos. Is City Harvest Church paying for the services or is the Reverend absorbing the costs?

May those who have read my comments and felt there is validity in it share the burden I have. I have been very careful in my choice of words and tone by which I make my comments. I could have given the names of the owners of Xtron Produtions, who are board and executive members. Unfortunately, my position does not permit or grant me the liberty to be a whistle blower.

Please understand that I am caught between a rock and a hard place. In 2003, when Roland Poon pointed out the church's support of Miss Ho's singing career, I witness the ugliness of hate. However, at the same time, I saw the pain in the eyes of church members who were deeply affected by the media slaughter of the church.

Over the course of days, I question if this was the right time to disclose the information that I have given. Why? Because many of the employees of Xtron, City College, Citycare, Little Big, O School, and along with the staff of City Harvest Church are fully aware of what goes on behind the scenes. Many have families with young children and mortgages and car payments to worry about. There are a large number of individuals dependent on how this system works. Sadly, it is snowballing into something monstrous.

From my heart,
Soren