FORMER CHC MEMBER: MORE CHURCH LEADERS AND WORKERS HAVE ENRICHED THEMSELVES WITH CHURCH FUNDS

Dear Editor,

I cannot say that I am without sin and I am definitely in a position where I am personally in need of God's grace and mercy. But I do feel a need to speak up and comment on the responses and reaction of many of my former CHC friends after the judge's verdict was read in court. I am coming from an angle of love and truth, not with a malicious and judgmental spirit, so I hope that CHC members will read this with an open heart and mind.

Until now, even after all the accused were found guilty of their charges, the CHC leaders and members are still in strong denial of the crime that had been committed. They are adamant that they have done no wrong, committed no crime but merely facing severe persecution from the local authority which happens to have laws that are very different from the United States. They firmly believe that should this have happened elsewhere in the world like in America, then they would have walked free and be found blameless. They are even getting support from A. R. Bernard and Phil Pringle. Really? Are the supporters as blind or as selective in what they chose to see and believe? Did they truly understand the gravity of the six's actions? Or did they selectively tune out and focus only on the justification that all was carried out and done in the name of evangelism?

I am not well versed in matters of the law but as an ordinary man/ woman in the streets, I can't miss and ignore their blatant intent and carefully crafted plan to mislead and deceive the majority of the CHC members. CHC leaders and die-hard KH fans, if you're reading this, please enlighten me:

1) Why is there a need to resort to being so secretive and complex when evangelizing for Christ? Do you mean God alone for who He is; is not enough to draw all men unto Him? He needs a sneaky cover (some sexually provocative music videos or crap singing, etc) to help Him win souls? You're greatly mistaken. The lost are not drawn to more filth, more confusion or darkness in order to know God. Quite the contrary, they need God's light & purity to shine into their lost world. The light alone draws them unto Him.

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:13-16 In these verses alone, we know that God's purpose or intention for us is never to act in sneaky ways or be an undercover evangelist. If, as His followers, we have to deviously hide our deeds and deceive even our own brothers and sisters in the House, an alarm should go off that something is very wrong and it is definitely not coming from God?

2) Why is there a need for church leaders and church workers to keep up with the Jones? And bring this to the extreme? No individual gains? Really? You know who you are. Besides the 6 convicted, how many MORE others have conveniently been enriched along the way as CHC grew/ "prospered" through the years (thanks to the generous giving of sacrificial church members)?

How sensitive can you get when you're living it up while the majority of the ordinary church members scrimped and saved every penny to give sacrificially to the Arise and Build, building fund tirelessly year after year? Let's put the SGD 50 million aside. How much more of the building fund collected over the past decade has been carelessly and senselessly spent? I shall not name the private birthday parties, personal grooming items, clothes, shoes, properties, and assistants who share our MPs salaries, etc.

YET, you guys insist right down to your last breath that all was done for the purpose and glory of God? How so? Please, I cannot get it no matter how hard I tried to make justifications for all of you because each time I attempted to, the Holy Spirit brings up Mother Theresa to mind and all the evangelical works she had done in her monetary poor life time. Yet, her works live on today and many lives were truly transformed.

Now that reminds me on your other claim that many lives were touched and souls were saved by the so-called Cross over project. Really? Are these "souls" for real or again, are they but some made-up numbers like you did with the church's attendance? How about the many existing church members you have stumbled, hurt and confused? The huge damage you've done to the Christian community? The potentially unsaved souls who are now made more wary and repulsive towards Christ? Have you also considered the harm done to the poor families especially the young kids of the convicted? BUT YET, you insist that it is all worth it (I'm quoting some of you) and you're adamant on the Cross Over. Can't these same souls whom you claimed to have touched, be won over by God's simple message of love and no pretense? Without spending that obscene amount of money on fake stardom and enriching some church staff to live like the Jones?

I am so sick of hearing the absurd reasoning and justification that many godly and biblical characters went to jail too, for crimes that they did not commit. But the FACT is, the six found guilty DID commit a crime! I love God and Christianity but I must say objectively that the long standing trial has been very fair and in no way were the authorities persecuting the Christians at all; but the deceiving actions and schemes of the six with EVERY intent to hide, deceive and mislead the church cannot be ignored or justified no matter what the mission of the church is.

We will continue to pray for the six convicted and their families. They are still our family in Christ and we do care about them. It's also a time to check our own lives.

Former CHC member