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Coffeeshop Chit Chat - CHC member: I will fast for Pastor Kong</TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=msgtable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"> </TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead vAlign=top><TD class=msgF width="1%" noWrap align=right>From: </TD><TD class=msgFname width="68%" noWrap>kojakbt_89 <NOBR></NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate width="30%" noWrap align=right>Jun-3 3:12 am </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT height=20 width="1%" noWrap align=right>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname width="68%" noWrap>ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> (1 of 42) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft rowSpan=4 width="1%"> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>34053.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt>Jun 3, 2010
City Harvest activities not affected by investigations
<!-- by line -->By Liew Hanqing, Carolyn Quek & Melissa Sim
ACTIVITIES at City Harvest Church will continue as planned this weekend despite an ongoing probe involving individuals and companies linked to it.
In what it said was a response to e-mails and kind words of encouragement from members, the church posted a notice on its website yesterday evening that was signed by executive pastor Derek Dunn.
In it, Mr Dunn said the church was unable to furnish the congregation with any updates on the probe as police investigations were continuing.
He added: 'Nevertheless, we would like to assure you that our church has cooperated and will continue to cooperate fully with the authorities, and the investigations are in no way affecting our church activities.'
Church members contacted by The Straits Times said they remained unfazed by the probe and were solidly behind their leaders.
Some have formed an online prayer group on social networking site Facebook and have also posted encouraging messages on the church leaders' Facebook and Twitter pages.
Several also said they had grown accustomed to the controversy that has swirled around the church in recent months, especially after news broke earlier this year it had acquired a $310 million stake in Suntec City.
Sales manager David Tan, 29, echoed the views of many when he said: 'I strongly support the church leaders; I am not worried at all.'
Saying he was fasting and praying for the church and its leaders, he added: 'I think many of us are used to the church being subjected to controversy.'
Another churchgoer, Mr Daniel Au, the managing director of car distributor Harvest Automobile, said he believed Senior Pastor Kong Hee, City Harvest's founder and one of those involved in the probe, would give details of what happened eventually.
'I believe he will be upfront, like with the purchase of Suntec...they may speak about it at the service this week or maybe a few months down the road. I am not in a rush, they can take their time,' the 32-year-old said.
He added that because of its high profile - City Harvest has more than 30,000 members, and is one of the so-called mega-churches in Singapore - the organisation was bound to attract attention.
'But if they come out of the storm, what people have been saying about the church would be utter rubbish. It could be a blessing in disguise,' he said.
On Monday, police revealed that Mr Kong and 16 other people were being investigated for allegedly misusing church funds.
Since then, there has been some speculation on the others involved, and although churchgoers have backed those being questioned, some have also said that the lack of information from the church and others has been unsettling.
Mr Simon Teoh, 36, an investment banker, is among them. He said he had asked his cell group leader for more information, but drew a blank.
The 36-year-old also e-mailed one of the senior pastors of the church to publish its audited accounts online 'so people can see it is transparent and has nothing to hide'.
He added that he wanted to know more about the probe because 'the issue deals with members' money, and I am a member who has contributed funds'.
Another member, Miss Sam Tay, 24, said she has approached her cell group leader and church friends for more information about the probe, but is none the wiser.
When contacted, a spokesman for the church said the management and staff of the church had been advised not to grant any interviews to the media 'to avoid any misunderstandings' or to 'avoid prejudging any issues'.
In a statement on Tuesday, police said it was inappropriate to comment further at this point because of the ongoing investigations.
Attempts by The Straits Times to contact Mr Kong have been unsuccessful.
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City Harvest activities not affected by investigations
<!-- by line -->By Liew Hanqing, Carolyn Quek & Melissa Sim
ACTIVITIES at City Harvest Church will continue as planned this weekend despite an ongoing probe involving individuals and companies linked to it.
In what it said was a response to e-mails and kind words of encouragement from members, the church posted a notice on its website yesterday evening that was signed by executive pastor Derek Dunn.
In it, Mr Dunn said the church was unable to furnish the congregation with any updates on the probe as police investigations were continuing.
He added: 'Nevertheless, we would like to assure you that our church has cooperated and will continue to cooperate fully with the authorities, and the investigations are in no way affecting our church activities.'
Church members contacted by The Straits Times said they remained unfazed by the probe and were solidly behind their leaders.
Some have formed an online prayer group on social networking site Facebook and have also posted encouraging messages on the church leaders' Facebook and Twitter pages.
Several also said they had grown accustomed to the controversy that has swirled around the church in recent months, especially after news broke earlier this year it had acquired a $310 million stake in Suntec City.
Sales manager David Tan, 29, echoed the views of many when he said: 'I strongly support the church leaders; I am not worried at all.'
Saying he was fasting and praying for the church and its leaders, he added: 'I think many of us are used to the church being subjected to controversy.'
Another churchgoer, Mr Daniel Au, the managing director of car distributor Harvest Automobile, said he believed Senior Pastor Kong Hee, City Harvest's founder and one of those involved in the probe, would give details of what happened eventually.
'I believe he will be upfront, like with the purchase of Suntec...they may speak about it at the service this week or maybe a few months down the road. I am not in a rush, they can take their time,' the 32-year-old said.
He added that because of its high profile - City Harvest has more than 30,000 members, and is one of the so-called mega-churches in Singapore - the organisation was bound to attract attention.
'But if they come out of the storm, what people have been saying about the church would be utter rubbish. It could be a blessing in disguise,' he said.
On Monday, police revealed that Mr Kong and 16 other people were being investigated for allegedly misusing church funds.
Since then, there has been some speculation on the others involved, and although churchgoers have backed those being questioned, some have also said that the lack of information from the church and others has been unsettling.
Mr Simon Teoh, 36, an investment banker, is among them. He said he had asked his cell group leader for more information, but drew a blank.
The 36-year-old also e-mailed one of the senior pastors of the church to publish its audited accounts online 'so people can see it is transparent and has nothing to hide'.
He added that he wanted to know more about the probe because 'the issue deals with members' money, and I am a member who has contributed funds'.
Another member, Miss Sam Tay, 24, said she has approached her cell group leader and church friends for more information about the probe, but is none the wiser.
When contacted, a spokesman for the church said the management and staff of the church had been advised not to grant any interviews to the media 'to avoid any misunderstandings' or to 'avoid prejudging any issues'.
In a statement on Tuesday, police said it was inappropriate to comment further at this point because of the ongoing investigations.
Attempts by The Straits Times to contact Mr Kong have been unsuccessful.
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