They say the clever thief will scream 'THIEF!' first.
In the midst of the firestorm that is the CAD probe into CHC, NCC Management decided to take the initiative & start telling their folks about their commercial companies (see below).
Transparency ? hee hee As the jester used to day, what they reveal is interesting, what they still conceal lagi more fascinating.
Better to score PR points by being first to tell your story out loud ...
Ah Prince 1 Ah Kong 0 ......
Reported in TODAY Mon 7 Jun 2010
New Creation Church opens up
It explains its five businesses to its congregation
SINGAPORE - A week after it emerged that 17 members of City Harvest Church had been called up for investigations into alleged misuse of funds, another mega church, New Creation Church, spent time during each of its four services yesterday to talk about its five affiliated companies.
According to its church goers, New Creation pioneer leader and deacon Jack Ho said it was a "good time to let members understand more about these businesses".
This would help them "answer with more certainty" if they were asked about the companies, which are fully-owned by the church.
MediaCorp understands he spent about 30 minutes listing the five companies, among them BrightStar Child Development Centre, Omega Tours and Travel and Rock Productions.
He disclosed how each was started and who the seven directors of these businesses are. Mr Ho, who is also general manager of Rock Productions, said these directors - including some of the church's pastors - are not paid fees and bonuses, but act only as trustees.
He also told members that Senior Pastor Joseph Prince is now a volunteer at the church and has not received any salary since late last year.
Since 2004, Mr Prince, one of the church's founders, had asked New Creation to stop paying him but council members rejected the request until last year.
A statement of yesterday's clarifications will be posted on the church's website by tomorrow evening, Mr Ho added.
Assistant marketing manager Calvin Lim, who attended one of the services, said: "It's a good time, in light of what has happened at City Harvest recently, for the church to address any concerns any member has."
The 31-year-old, who has been a member for less than two years, said it was especially helpful for newbies like him.
"It's good enough to know the general facts about the companies. I don't feel the need to know the nitty-gritty, like how much was collected or how (the money) is spent because there are people to do that.
"But I was satisfied with the clarifications, and I feel the church has been very open."
Another member, who declined to be named, agreed that the clarification would "help to reassure some people" and recalled that nothing wrong was found when the Commissioner of Charities looked at its books as part of the first "governance review" in October 2007.
The church was one of seven religious groups scrutinised.
That year, New Creation, which has 17,000 followers, announced that its business arm Rock Productions had teamed up with mall developer CapitaMalls Asia to build an "integrated hub" in Buona Vista.
The $1-billion project - half of which the church has invested in - will house shops, a concert hall and a 5,000-seat theatre for services when ready in 2012.
Rock Productions also owns and manages the Rock Auditorium in Suntec City, where services are held now and its adjoining Rock Gifts and Book Centre as well.
It also owns Marine Cove, a recreational and restaurant cluster at East Coast Park, which cost $10 million.
Meanwhile, a 10,000-strong congregation at City Harvest Church's weekend services at Singapore Expo was told that senior pastor Kong Hee, 46, was taking a "needed rest".
Executive pastor Derek Dunn told members the church was cooperating fully with the authorities and, as a result of the ongoing investigations, it was unable to provide further updates.
In the midst of the firestorm that is the CAD probe into CHC, NCC Management decided to take the initiative & start telling their folks about their commercial companies (see below).
Transparency ? hee hee As the jester used to day, what they reveal is interesting, what they still conceal lagi more fascinating.
Better to score PR points by being first to tell your story out loud ...
Ah Prince 1 Ah Kong 0 ......
Reported in TODAY Mon 7 Jun 2010
New Creation Church opens up
It explains its five businesses to its congregation
SINGAPORE - A week after it emerged that 17 members of City Harvest Church had been called up for investigations into alleged misuse of funds, another mega church, New Creation Church, spent time during each of its four services yesterday to talk about its five affiliated companies.
According to its church goers, New Creation pioneer leader and deacon Jack Ho said it was a "good time to let members understand more about these businesses".
This would help them "answer with more certainty" if they were asked about the companies, which are fully-owned by the church.
MediaCorp understands he spent about 30 minutes listing the five companies, among them BrightStar Child Development Centre, Omega Tours and Travel and Rock Productions.
He disclosed how each was started and who the seven directors of these businesses are. Mr Ho, who is also general manager of Rock Productions, said these directors - including some of the church's pastors - are not paid fees and bonuses, but act only as trustees.
He also told members that Senior Pastor Joseph Prince is now a volunteer at the church and has not received any salary since late last year.
Since 2004, Mr Prince, one of the church's founders, had asked New Creation to stop paying him but council members rejected the request until last year.
A statement of yesterday's clarifications will be posted on the church's website by tomorrow evening, Mr Ho added.
Assistant marketing manager Calvin Lim, who attended one of the services, said: "It's a good time, in light of what has happened at City Harvest recently, for the church to address any concerns any member has."
The 31-year-old, who has been a member for less than two years, said it was especially helpful for newbies like him.
"It's good enough to know the general facts about the companies. I don't feel the need to know the nitty-gritty, like how much was collected or how (the money) is spent because there are people to do that.
"But I was satisfied with the clarifications, and I feel the church has been very open."
Another member, who declined to be named, agreed that the clarification would "help to reassure some people" and recalled that nothing wrong was found when the Commissioner of Charities looked at its books as part of the first "governance review" in October 2007.
The church was one of seven religious groups scrutinised.
That year, New Creation, which has 17,000 followers, announced that its business arm Rock Productions had teamed up with mall developer CapitaMalls Asia to build an "integrated hub" in Buona Vista.
The $1-billion project - half of which the church has invested in - will house shops, a concert hall and a 5,000-seat theatre for services when ready in 2012.
Rock Productions also owns and manages the Rock Auditorium in Suntec City, where services are held now and its adjoining Rock Gifts and Book Centre as well.
It also owns Marine Cove, a recreational and restaurant cluster at East Coast Park, which cost $10 million.
Meanwhile, a 10,000-strong congregation at City Harvest Church's weekend services at Singapore Expo was told that senior pastor Kong Hee, 46, was taking a "needed rest".
Executive pastor Derek Dunn told members the church was cooperating fully with the authorities and, as a result of the ongoing investigations, it was unable to provide further updates.
:oIo::oIo::oIo:
