City Harvest Church
Encyclopedia
City Harvest Church or CHC is a non-denominational megachurch
in Singapore
with an average of 23,256 attendees in the month of December 2010.
Founded in 1989 by Kong Hee
, the church officially bases its values on Charismatic
and Pentecostal
teachings, with emphases on such "doctrines" as "the Great Commandment", "the Great Commission" and "the Cultural Mandate". However, CHC has faced controversy in the public and the press over its perceived extravagance. CHC was part of an academic case study Religious Commodifications in Asia conducted by a Purdue University
and National University of Singapore
sociology
researcher Joy Tong, where it was considered as an example of "McDonaldization
of religion
".
City Harvest Church is a member of several interchurch organisations, including the National Council of Churches of Singapore, Evangelical Fellowship of Singapore, and Festival of Praise Fellowship. Services are held at its church building in Jurong West and the Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre. CHC has affiliate churches in the region, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan and Australia.
and his wife Sun Ho
on 7 May 1989, and held its first service at Peace Centre. It first functioned as “Ekklesia Ministry,” a youth department under the legal covering of Bethany Christian Centre, an Assemblies of God church. On 21 December 1992, City Harvest Church was set up as a society. It was registered under the Charities Act on 16 October 1993.
In its early days, CHC had to move through different venues to accommodate its growing congregation. Past venues include the Bible House, Katong Park Hotel, World Trade Centre, DBS, Auditorium, PUB Auditorium, NTUC Auditorium, Ministry of Environment Building, National Productivity Board Auditorium, Hotel Grand Central, Orchard Hotel, and the Westin Hotel. In six years, CHC grew from 20 to 1,319 in its average monthly attendance.
On 4 June 1995, CHC leased the former Hollywood Theatre at Tanjong Katong Road and held its services there for another six years. By 2001, the church had grown to 10,310 and was conducting up to 15 services every weekend.
On 15 December 2001, the church moved to its permanent 2,300-seater venue at Jurong West Street 91. On 11 December 2005, CHC rented another worship site at Singapore Expo for its weekend English congregations.
From 2002, Kong began to teach on the Cultural Mandate and encourage the church members to excel in the marketplace. On 1 November 2005, Kong withdrew himself from the staff payroll and he now serves the church as an honorary founder/senior pastor.
magazine as "one of the largest congregations in Asia." It had an average of 23,256 attendees in 2010. 47.3% of members in City Harvest Church are below the age of 25 years and the average age of the congregation is 24. The majority of the church "are young professional
s aged 25 to 35" and the church endeavours to build an "ultra-modern, energetic and upwardly-mobile image".
The church holds different weekly services in English
, Mandarin
, Hokkien
, Cantonese
, and Indonesian
. It also has weekly services for children as well as for handicapped people.
construction was part of a trend of larger churches in Singapore to go for "clean lines, stainless steel
, titanium
facades" for their architecture in place of "stained glass
and steeple
s" in an effort modernise
their religious services. Costing $48 million (SGD) for its entire construction, the building has a $583,000 fountain and an 18300 square foot auditorium
. A CHC spokesman said the building is "reflective of the personality of our congregation — ultra-modern, contemporary and ultra-mobile". The building occupies almost 38000 sq ft (3,530.3 m²) on a 30-year leasehold land and its main hall seats up to 2,300 attendees and has two 250-seat halls. The toilets are by the church's own admission, "the very meaning of style".
On 15 December 2005, CHC began renting Hall 8 of Singapore Expo as an additional worship venue with a seating configuration that accommodates a maximum of 8,200 attendees.
Since 19 March 2011, CHC has moved to the Suntec International Convention and Exhibition Centre. The initial plan for a 12,000-seat auditorium to be built has been shelved due to a new guideline released in July 2010 by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). The new plan is to seat 7,500 in compliance with the new rule that restricts the use of commercial buildings for religious purposes.
Strikeforce performed at Singapore’s National Day Parade in 2006 and 2009. The group also performed at the NDP Appreciation dinners hosted by the Minister of Defence and the Chief of Defence force, as well as the Chingay Parade.
The missions department organizes conferences and seminars throughout the year, strengthening CHC’s affiliate churches. Many of the church members are also involved in humanitarian causes, such as, disaster relief work and medical aid to countries like China, Indonesia, Taiwan, Honduras, and more recently, Haiti.
" and tithe
to compel its higher-income members to give prolifically and "lavishly". The church has "severe teachings" against gossip
and slander which according to Tong has been used to prohibit members from talking about negative feelings or reservations held felt against church leaders or church policies; one such prohibition was outlined in an article called "Gossip — Satan
's lethal weapon" in the CHC publication Harvest Times. According to Tong, peer pressure and church leaders' supervision of church groups promote an atmosphere of conformity. A "proper" way of worship and "proper" responses to sermons, e.g. echoing a unified "Yeah!" when the speaker says something remarkable, are taught.
According to informants to Tong, disciplinary actions are taken by church leaders to "punish uncooperative attitudes" as an "effective way of regulating its huge membership". One informant was formally censured for "her disagreement" with the church's programme of "miraculous healing"
, especially when it on a number of occasions hosted controversial healing evangelist
Benny Hinn
to conduct miracle healing sessions. In the public eye, while some Singaporeans criticized the invitations due to Hinn's controversial reputation, the church dismissed the criticism.
Students in The School of Theology (formerly known as City Harvest Bible Training Centre) are also required to "address all pastors by their proper titles whenever they meet ... failure to do so will bring about disciplinary action."
sp;
concert, and pushing her dress style to become more fashionable. He concluded with the question, "Am I not changing her life?", and pushed his "mission" to transform older church members' dress styles to thunderous applause from CHC's young audience. She argues CHC has pushed its members into buying into "a corporate image" that involves acquiring certain goods that are both "functional" and at the same time a symbol for the "conspicuous display of style or taste". By following these transformations church members could see CHC's "promise of a new [church-given] life" fulfilled.
's abundant love" has both material and spiritual payoffs. "Conspicuous success", i.e. being prosperous, is presented as a desirable goal of the congregation. One informant who responded to Tong gave his explanation of church doctrine as follows:
Hard work is exhorted as important for the church members' success, but "equally important" is to give generous offerings, in order to receive "divine blessing"; by giving to God as much as possible in their tithe
, members can "reap the fruits of their investment as higher returns". According to the Straits Times, these messages are part of a belief in a "prosperity gospel" endemic not only to CHC but other megachurches like New Creation Church (NCC) and Faith Community Baptist Church (FCBC).. Tong cites that plenty of messages have been based on the concept of a prosperity gospel, reinforcing the idea with testimonies of successful businesses, successful relationships and successful academics. By equating worldly gains with the blessings of God, CHC validates the values of its middle class
congregation who are "keen [on] accumulating material and cultural assets" as part of their identity.
CHC's teachings are quick to encourage empowerment and a "forward-looking mentality", avoiding the conservative themes of "Sinners in the hands of an angry God
" frequently found in other churches. According to Tong, while the church authorities deserve full submission, CHC's teachings promote freedom from legalism
and traditionalism
; individualism
and "differentiated taste" are embraced. The message to be "True to Yourself" is frequently delivered. Kong Hee explained that the church does not give its religious opinions on consumer tastes such music, clothing, housing or cars: "These are not issues of right or wrong, sin
or righteousness
. They are simply matters of personal preference!" Such a message is "liberating and comforting" for a congregation part of a consumer society. According to Tong, Kong has thus unwittingly given spiritual endorsement for consumer culture and "liberal and trendy Christianity".
and a wide range of musical instruments. It also has a strong drama team for its stage productions.
of its worship services reached approximately 366,143 viewers from 104 countries, or 6,929 viewers per weekend.
In addition, City News, which is a Christian news portal managed by the church, was established in 2008 to publish its Christian newspaper.
A total of 8,830 youth leaders and delegates from 16 nations attended the last Emerge Conference from 31 May to 3 June 2007. The opening night meeting was broadcast “live” on GODTV to 122 million homes in more than 200 nations and territories.
CHC also co-hosts Emerge conferences overseas with its affiliate churches in Malaysia and Taiwan.
The Commissioner of Charities (COC) sought clarifications on the transaction. The church stated it was under a non-disclosure agreement
which required the details of the transaction to remain confidential, but explained that the investment was made through a holding company that is not a charity organization and does not enjoy tax breaks; and had disclosed details of the deal to the COC as well as the Urban Redevelopment Authority upon request. The church also said that there was a "strong and unfounded allegation" floating online that the Management Board and Kong were "deliberately concealing a number of embarrassing facts from its members" with regard to the Suntec investment, saying that the allegation was "furthest from the truth", and later released a notice stating that Charities and foundations often use donor funds to invest and generate sustainable income for their intended causes.
of the Singapore Police announced that 17 individuals linked to the City Harvest Church, including church founder Pastor Kong Hee and his deputy, Pastor Tan Ye Peng, were under investigation after complaints alleging the misuse of church funds. The joint press statement stressed that the investigations are neither linked nor initiated from its acquisition of a stake in the Suntec Convention Centre The police also visited the offices and homes of these individuals and brought back computers and financial records for investigations. The police were looking into some financial transactions among these individuals and related companies, involving the possible falsification of accounts and criminal breach of trust amounting to millions of dollars which dated back a number of years. The authorities said that regular church activities and services for the congregation need not be disrupted during ongoing investigations, which is expected to take several months.
The investigation followed requests by church members for the COC to review the church's constitution, which denied ordinary members the chance to attend general meetings, or be privy to its annual reports and financial statements. Some members felt that the church board had utilised the church's building fund and committed it to "future liabilities" without consulting members at its latest AGM.
On 2 April 2011, The Straits Times article reported that CHC actively planned to improve its image and reputation in the congregation and public through corporate crisis management and working with cell group leaders and pastors. The church encouraged the cell leaders and pastors to talk with members and public openly, clarifying about inquires about the fund probe.
, 18 months since, the investigations are said to be ongoing.
1.343041°N 103.691915°W
Megachurch
A megachurch is a church having 2,000 or more in average weekend attendance. The Hartford Institute's database lists more than 1,300 such Protestant churches in the United States. According to that data, approximately 50 churches on the list have attendance ranging from 10,000 to 47,000...
in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
with an average of 23,256 attendees in the month of December 2010.
Founded in 1989 by Kong Hee
Kong Hee
Kong Hee is the founder, honorary and volunteer senior pastor of City Harvest Church in Singapore. Kong is a Christian in the Charismatic Movement, with a philosophy of ministry that emphasizes the Great Commandment, Great Commission, and Cultural Mandate. City Harvest Church has an average of...
, the church officially bases its values on Charismatic
Charismatic movement
The term charismatic movement is used in varying senses to describe 20th century developments in various Christian denominations. It describes an ongoing international, cross-denominational/non-denominational Christian movement in which individual, historically mainstream congregations adopt...
and Pentecostal
Pentecostalism
Pentecostalism is a diverse and complex movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on a direct personal experience of God through the baptism in the Holy Spirit, has an eschatological focus, and is an experiential religion. The term Pentecostal is derived from Pentecost, the Greek...
teachings, with emphases on such "doctrines" as "the Great Commandment", "the Great Commission" and "the Cultural Mandate". However, CHC has faced controversy in the public and the press over its perceived extravagance. CHC was part of an academic case study Religious Commodifications in Asia conducted by a Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
and National University of Singapore
National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore is Singapore's oldest university. It is the largest university in the country in terms of student enrollment and curriculum offered....
sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
researcher Joy Tong, where it was considered as an example of "McDonaldization
McDonaldization
McDonaldization is a term used by sociologist George Ritzer in his book The McDonaldization of Society . He explains it occurs when a culture possesses the characteristics of a fast-food restaurant. McDonaldization is a reconceptualization of rationalization, or moving from traditional to rational...
of religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
".
City Harvest Church is a member of several interchurch organisations, including the National Council of Churches of Singapore, Evangelical Fellowship of Singapore, and Festival of Praise Fellowship. Services are held at its church building in Jurong West and the Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre. CHC has affiliate churches in the region, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan and Australia.
History
The church was founded by Kong HeeKong Hee
Kong Hee is the founder, honorary and volunteer senior pastor of City Harvest Church in Singapore. Kong is a Christian in the Charismatic Movement, with a philosophy of ministry that emphasizes the Great Commandment, Great Commission, and Cultural Mandate. City Harvest Church has an average of...
and his wife Sun Ho
Ho Yeow Sun
Ho Yeow Sun, better known as Sun Ho, is a Singaporean pop music singer. She studied at Anglican High School and Victoria Junior College. Ho is one of the co-founders of City Harvest Church and its community services and is married to Kong Hee Sun started her Mandarin pop singing career in 2002 and...
on 7 May 1989, and held its first service at Peace Centre. It first functioned as “Ekklesia Ministry,” a youth department under the legal covering of Bethany Christian Centre, an Assemblies of God church. On 21 December 1992, City Harvest Church was set up as a society. It was registered under the Charities Act on 16 October 1993.
In its early days, CHC had to move through different venues to accommodate its growing congregation. Past venues include the Bible House, Katong Park Hotel, World Trade Centre, DBS, Auditorium, PUB Auditorium, NTUC Auditorium, Ministry of Environment Building, National Productivity Board Auditorium, Hotel Grand Central, Orchard Hotel, and the Westin Hotel. In six years, CHC grew from 20 to 1,319 in its average monthly attendance.
On 4 June 1995, CHC leased the former Hollywood Theatre at Tanjong Katong Road and held its services there for another six years. By 2001, the church had grown to 10,310 and was conducting up to 15 services every weekend.
On 15 December 2001, the church moved to its permanent 2,300-seater venue at Jurong West Street 91. On 11 December 2005, CHC rented another worship site at Singapore Expo for its weekend English congregations.
From 2002, Kong began to teach on the Cultural Mandate and encourage the church members to excel in the marketplace. On 1 November 2005, Kong withdrew himself from the staff payroll and he now serves the church as an honorary founder/senior pastor.
Branding and demographics
The church has been described by the CharismaCharisma (magazine)
Charisma is a monthly Christian magazine based in Lake Mary, Florida, aimed at Pentecostals and charismatics...
magazine as "one of the largest congregations in Asia." It had an average of 23,256 attendees in 2010. 47.3% of members in City Harvest Church are below the age of 25 years and the average age of the congregation is 24. The majority of the church "are young professional
Young professional
The term young professional generally refers to a young person not in school who is employed in a profession or white-collar occupation. The meaning may be ambiguous and has evolved from its original narrow meaning of a young person in a professional field...
s aged 25 to 35" and the church endeavours to build an "ultra-modern, energetic and upwardly-mobile image".
The church holds different weekly services in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Mandarin
Standard Mandarin
Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Chinese, also known as Mandarin or Putonghua, is the official language of the People's Republic of China and Republic of China , and is one of the four official languages of Singapore....
, Hokkien
Min Nan
The Southern Min languages, or Min Nan , are a family of Chinese languages spoken in southern Fujian, eastern Guangdong, Hainan, Taiwan, and southern Zhejiang provinces of China, and by descendants of emigrants from these areas in diaspora....
, Cantonese
Standard Cantonese
Cantonese, or Standard Cantonese, is a language that originated in the vicinity of Canton in southern China, and is often regarded as the prestige dialect of Yue Chinese....
, and Indonesian
Indonesian language
Indonesian is the official language of Indonesia. Indonesian is a normative form of the Riau Islands dialect of Malay, an Austronesian language which has been used as a lingua franca in the Indonesian archipelago for centuries....
. It also has weekly services for children as well as for handicapped people.
Staff and committees
The church has 24 pastors and assistant pastors, with eight of them ordained as reverends. The 165 full-time staff work from two locations: the Jurong West premises and the corporate office at Suntec City. Committees report to the main CHC Management Board, whose office bearers are elected annually by its 720 executive members.Architecture and decor
The primary church building is located at Jurong West Street 91, and was completed in 2002. Itsconstruction was part of a trend of larger churches in Singapore to go for "clean lines, stainless steel
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
, titanium
Titanium
Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It has a low density and is a strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant transition metal with a silver color....
facades" for their architecture in place of "stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
and steeple
Steeple (architecture)
A steeple, in architecture, is a tall tower on a building, often topped by a spire. Steeples are very common on Christian churches and cathedrals and the use of the term generally connotes a religious structure...
s" in an effort modernise
Modernization
In the social sciences, modernization or modernisation refers to a model of an evolutionary transition from a 'pre-modern' or 'traditional' to a 'modern' society. The teleology of modernization is described in social evolutionism theories, existing as a template that has been generally followed by...
their religious services. Costing $48 million (SGD) for its entire construction, the building has a $583,000 fountain and an 18300 square foot auditorium
Auditorium
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...
. A CHC spokesman said the building is "reflective of the personality of our congregation — ultra-modern, contemporary and ultra-mobile". The building occupies almost 38000 sq ft (3,530.3 m²) on a 30-year leasehold land and its main hall seats up to 2,300 attendees and has two 250-seat halls. The toilets are by the church's own admission, "the very meaning of style".
On 15 December 2005, CHC began renting Hall 8 of Singapore Expo as an additional worship venue with a seating configuration that accommodates a maximum of 8,200 attendees.
Since 19 March 2011, CHC has moved to the Suntec International Convention and Exhibition Centre. The initial plan for a 12,000-seat auditorium to be built has been shelved due to a new guideline released in July 2010 by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). The new plan is to seat 7,500 in compliance with the new rule that restricts the use of commercial buildings for religious purposes.
Ministries
Almost all functions of CHC's 36 internal ministries are run by church members on a volunteer basis. The church believes that “every member is a minister” with unique gifts, talents and abilities.- Drama Ministry All scripts and music scores used in drama productions are originally written and composed by members of the church.
- Marketplace Ministry This is a ministry outreach to working professionals and business people, whose members meet to study God’s Word as well as to strengthen business networks.
- Nursery Ministry Baby and toddler care is provided while parents attend the worship service.
- The Millennial Orchestra A 40-member orchestra that performs in various church-wide conferences, including the Asia Conference 2008.
- Ministry To The Hearing Impaired This ministry reaches out to hearing-impaired church members. Regular recreational and social activities are also organised to help them adapt better to mainstream society.
- Strikeforce Ministry Strikeforce is part of the church’s creative ministry and its purpose is to “train people to serve God in various expressions of rhythm, movement and drumming.”
Strikeforce performed at Singapore’s National Day Parade in 2006 and 2009. The group also performed at the NDP Appreciation dinners hosted by the Minister of Defence and the Chief of Defence force, as well as the Chingay Parade.
Culture
Technology is extensively used to standardise and regulate the church experience, and to monitor and supervise attendance, offerings, counselling records and conduct other assessments.Cell Groups
Cell groups (CG) are a major part of the church's ministry. Divided into youth and adult cell groups, meetings are mostly led by trained lay members. As with all cell groups, they are meant to help members forge close relationships in a small setting.Missions and church planting
CHC has 47 affiliate churches, with a total membership of 25,506. Apart from these affiliates, CHC also works with many other ministries in the missions field. In 2010, CHC sent out 753 members in 227 teams to 58 cities to help Christian agencies overseas.The missions department organizes conferences and seminars throughout the year, strengthening CHC’s affiliate churches. Many of the church members are also involved in humanitarian causes, such as, disaster relief work and medical aid to countries like China, Indonesia, Taiwan, Honduras, and more recently, Haiti.
Teachings on tithes, worship and discipline
CHC requires its members "to commit themselves to the church's teachings" by attending "equipping class" regularly, where the church has emphasised "the reward of offeringAlms
Alms or almsgiving is a religious rite which, in general, involves giving materially to another as an act of religious virtue.It exists in a number of religions. In Philippine Regions, alms are given as charity to benefit the poor. In Buddhism, alms are given by lay people to monks and nuns to...
" and tithe
Tithe
A tithe is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash, cheques, or stocks, whereas historically tithes were required and paid in kind, such as agricultural products...
to compel its higher-income members to give prolifically and "lavishly". The church has "severe teachings" against gossip
Gossip
Gossip is idle talk or rumour, especially about the personal or private affairs of others, It is one of the oldest and most common means of sharing facts and views, but also has a reputation for the introduction of errors and variations into the information transmitted...
and slander which according to Tong has been used to prohibit members from talking about negative feelings or reservations held felt against church leaders or church policies; one such prohibition was outlined in an article called "Gossip — Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
's lethal weapon" in the CHC publication Harvest Times. According to Tong, peer pressure and church leaders' supervision of church groups promote an atmosphere of conformity. A "proper" way of worship and "proper" responses to sermons, e.g. echoing a unified "Yeah!" when the speaker says something remarkable, are taught.
According to informants to Tong, disciplinary actions are taken by church leaders to "punish uncooperative attitudes" as an "effective way of regulating its huge membership". One informant was formally censured for "her disagreement" with the church's programme of "miraculous healing"
Faith healing
Faith healing is healing through spiritual means. The healing of a person is brought about by religious faith through prayer and/or rituals that, according to adherents, stimulate a divine presence and power toward correcting disease and disability. Belief in divine intervention in illness or...
, especially when it on a number of occasions hosted controversial healing evangelist
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
Benny Hinn
Benny Hinn
Toufik Benedictus "Benny" Hinn הין; born December 3, 1952) is a televangelist, best known for his regular "Miracle Crusades" – revival meeting/faith healing summits that are usually held in large stadiums in major cities, which are later broadcast worldwide on his television program, This Is Your...
to conduct miracle healing sessions. In the public eye, while some Singaporeans criticized the invitations due to Hinn's controversial reputation, the church dismissed the criticism.
Students in The School of Theology (formerly known as City Harvest Bible Training Centre) are also required to "address all pastors by their proper titles whenever they meet ... failure to do so will bring about disciplinary action."
sp;
Transformative and conspicuous lifestyle
Tong's study observed that people "are encouraged to spend money on appearance and lifestyle" as part of a "subjective identification" to "distinguish the church's members from others". This distinction "inevitably involves various kinds of consumption". In a service in 2005, a pastor gave an anecdote about his bringing his mother-in-law to Disneyland, giving her a ticket to an EsplanadeEsplanade
An esplanade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The original meaning of esplanade was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide clear fields of fire for the fortress' guns...
concert, and pushing her dress style to become more fashionable. He concluded with the question, "Am I not changing her life?", and pushed his "mission" to transform older church members' dress styles to thunderous applause from CHC's young audience. She argues CHC has pushed its members into buying into "a corporate image" that involves acquiring certain goods that are both "functional" and at the same time a symbol for the "conspicuous display of style or taste". By following these transformations church members could see CHC's "promise of a new [church-given] life" fulfilled.
Views on wealth, freedom and success
Success and freedom, according to Tong's study, are the two most outstanding values that are not merely "advocated to back up the church's agenda" but are "presented as virtues in themselves", often using quotations from Bible verses in the process. According to church doctrine, "GodGod
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
's abundant love" has both material and spiritual payoffs. "Conspicuous success", i.e. being prosperous, is presented as a desirable goal of the congregation. One informant who responded to Tong gave his explanation of church doctrine as follows:
Hard work is exhorted as important for the church members' success, but "equally important" is to give generous offerings, in order to receive "divine blessing"; by giving to God as much as possible in their tithe
Tithe
A tithe is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash, cheques, or stocks, whereas historically tithes were required and paid in kind, such as agricultural products...
, members can "reap the fruits of their investment as higher returns". According to the Straits Times, these messages are part of a belief in a "prosperity gospel" endemic not only to CHC but other megachurches like New Creation Church (NCC) and Faith Community Baptist Church (FCBC).. Tong cites that plenty of messages have been based on the concept of a prosperity gospel, reinforcing the idea with testimonies of successful businesses, successful relationships and successful academics. By equating worldly gains with the blessings of God, CHC validates the values of its middle class
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
congregation who are "keen [on] accumulating material and cultural assets" as part of their identity.
CHC's teachings are quick to encourage empowerment and a "forward-looking mentality", avoiding the conservative themes of "Sinners in the hands of an angry God
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is a sermon written by American Christian theologian Jonathan Edwards, preached on July 8, 1741 in Enfield, Connecticut. Like Edwards' other sermons and writings, it combines vivid imagery of Hell with observations of the world and citations of scripture...
" frequently found in other churches. According to Tong, while the church authorities deserve full submission, CHC's teachings promote freedom from legalism
Legalism (theology)
Legalism, in Christian theology, is a sometimes-pejorative term referring to an over-emphasis on discipline of conduct, or legal ideas, usually implying an allegation of misguided rigour, pride, superficiality, the neglect of mercy, and ignorance of the grace of God or emphasizing the letter of...
and traditionalism
Traditionalism (religion)
Traditionalism in religious contexts can refer to traditional, orthodox doctrines.In the Roman Catholic Church, traditionalism is the doctrine that Sacred Tradition holds equal authority to Holy Scripture. In the Orthodox Church, scripture is considered to be the core constituent of a larger...
; individualism
Individualism
Individualism is the moral stance, political philosophy, ideology, or social outlook that stresses "the moral worth of the individual". Individualists promote the exercise of one's goals and desires and so value independence and self-reliance while opposing most external interference upon one's own...
and "differentiated taste" are embraced. The message to be "True to Yourself" is frequently delivered. Kong Hee explained that the church does not give its religious opinions on consumer tastes such music, clothing, housing or cars: "These are not issues of right or wrong, sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
or righteousness
Righteousness
Righteousness is an important theological concept in Zoroastrianism, Hinduism , Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
. They are simply matters of personal preference!" Such a message is "liberating and comforting" for a congregation part of a consumer society. According to Tong, Kong has thus unwittingly given spiritual endorsement for consumer culture and "liberal and trendy Christianity".
Recordings and stage productions
Like most Charismatic churches, CHC uses contemporary music and settings for praise and worship, including a choirChoir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
and a wide range of musical instruments. It also has a strong drama team for its stage productions.
Broadcasting
The church has a 30-minute television broadcast program Harvest Time, which is televised on 8 Cable Television Networks and satellites. Harvest Time has a potential viewership of about 837.9 million, and is available in its original English-language or Mandarin, Korean and Japanese translations, depending on the broadcast station. In 2010, the church’s webcastWebcast
A webcast is a media presentation distributed over the Internet using streaming media technology to distribute a single content source to many simultaneous listeners/viewers. A webcast may either be distributed live or on demand...
of its worship services reached approximately 366,143 viewers from 104 countries, or 6,929 viewers per weekend.
Publications
The church previously published a magazine known as Harvest Times (founded in 1999), with a readership of 60,000. In 2006, a Chinese version of Harvest Times - Chinese Harvest Times was started and had a readership of 45,000. On 1 April 2009, Harvest Times magazine ceased its print edition.In addition, City News, which is a Christian news portal managed by the church, was established in 2008 to publish its Christian newspaper.
School of Theology
The School of Theology (formerly known as City Harvest Bible Training Center) was started on 18 January 1994 with the purpose of training up pastors, missionaries and church workers for the establishing of local churches in Asia. It conducts a six-month, full-time program offering an Advanced Certificate of Theology. In the past 16 years Since 2009, 4,323 graduates from 32 countries have graduated from its courses.City Harvest Community Services Association
Emerge Conference
Emerge is a youth conference organized for youths and young adults from 13 to 25 years old.A total of 8,830 youth leaders and delegates from 16 nations attended the last Emerge Conference from 31 May to 3 June 2007. The opening night meeting was broadcast “live” on GODTV to 122 million homes in more than 200 nations and territories.
CHC also co-hosts Emerge conferences overseas with its affiliate churches in Malaysia and Taiwan.
Asia Conference
Asia Conference is a biennial conference bringing together pastors, Bible teachers, worship leaders, and Christian artists to educate, equip and empower Christians. Asia Conference event provides the plenary sessions and elective workshops for the delegates.S$310 million Suntec investment
On 6 March 2010, City Harvest Church announced that it has purchased a significant stake in Suntec Convention Centre and will be using its facilities for church services, the project will cost an estimated S$310 million, including shares acquisition, renovation and rental costs. Church founder Kong Hee said in a statement that the move "allows [the church] to move from a present expensive rental model to a more financially sustainable ownership model for the long term". However, some brought up the point that as a registered charity, CHC's income - expected to include profits and dividends from space rental and tenant leases in Suntec Singapore in the future - is non-taxable. The church has clarified that the investment is indirect, through a wholly owned subsidiary for the purpose of taxation and separate accounting. Questions surfaced among the public whether religious organisations, which are registered as charities, should be allowed to go into business using what are essentially donor funds.The Commissioner of Charities (COC) sought clarifications on the transaction. The church stated it was under a non-disclosure agreement
Non-disclosure agreement
A non-disclosure agreement , also known as a confidentiality agreement , confidential disclosure agreement , proprietary information agreement , or secrecy agreement, is a legal contract between at least two parties that outlines confidential material, knowledge, or information that the parties...
which required the details of the transaction to remain confidential, but explained that the investment was made through a holding company that is not a charity organization and does not enjoy tax breaks; and had disclosed details of the deal to the COC as well as the Urban Redevelopment Authority upon request. The church also said that there was a "strong and unfounded allegation" floating online that the Management Board and Kong were "deliberately concealing a number of embarrassing facts from its members" with regard to the Suntec investment, saying that the allegation was "furthest from the truth", and later released a notice stating that Charities and foundations often use donor funds to invest and generate sustainable income for their intended causes.
Fund probe
On 31 May 2010, the Office of the Commissioner of Charities and the Commercial Affairs DepartmentCommercial Affairs Department
The Commercial Affairs Department is a staff department of the Singapore Police Force and is previously known as the Commercial Crime Department....
of the Singapore Police announced that 17 individuals linked to the City Harvest Church, including church founder Pastor Kong Hee and his deputy, Pastor Tan Ye Peng, were under investigation after complaints alleging the misuse of church funds. The joint press statement stressed that the investigations are neither linked nor initiated from its acquisition of a stake in the Suntec Convention Centre The police also visited the offices and homes of these individuals and brought back computers and financial records for investigations. The police were looking into some financial transactions among these individuals and related companies, involving the possible falsification of accounts and criminal breach of trust amounting to millions of dollars which dated back a number of years. The authorities said that regular church activities and services for the congregation need not be disrupted during ongoing investigations, which is expected to take several months.
The investigation followed requests by church members for the COC to review the church's constitution, which denied ordinary members the chance to attend general meetings, or be privy to its annual reports and financial statements. Some members felt that the church board had utilised the church's building fund and committed it to "future liabilities" without consulting members at its latest AGM.
On 2 April 2011, The Straits Times article reported that CHC actively planned to improve its image and reputation in the congregation and public through corporate crisis management and working with cell group leaders and pastors. The church encouraged the cell leaders and pastors to talk with members and public openly, clarifying about inquires about the fund probe.
, 18 months since, the investigations are said to be ongoing.
External links
- City Harvest Church Live Webcast
- City Harvest Community Services Association
- City News
- Attributes Online
- Harvest Times Online
- Asia Conference
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