Shorty after news broke about an SGH doctor who was charged with assaulting her own father over unpaid church donations, 6 former members of the church have come forward to spill the beans on the alleged malpractices behind the scenes.
According to these anonymous church members, many attendees of the church were forced to sell their homes, close their companies and fork out their entire savings to the church. Many former bosses were even reduced to becoming sales staff for the church, which oddly became involved in selling "health products".
The church, which used to draw up to 40 people a week for services at its peak, now consists of less than 20 attendees. These attendees include businessmen, researchers, civil servants and house wives.
According to the 6 former members, the church is led by a couple, a 62 year-old male who calls himself the "Son of God" and a female pastor, whom the male leader refers to as "God's Helper".
The church came into being in 1991, but was officially registered only in 1995. At that time, the self-proclaimed "Son of God" had told attendees that the Bible required them to sell all their assets and donate them to the church.
One of the informants, a 62 year-old retired businessman, says that he joined the church in 1992 but left after 12 years. He liquidated properties worth over $500,000 and mortgaged his 5 room flat. His wife has not left the church and has been pressurizing him to sell his flat altogether. As he has no savings left, he was unable to send his only son to university.
Another 66 year-old housewife said that she and several other members were instructed since 2005 to start selling dubious health products. She said that at the time, the male pastor had told them selling these health products would reduce their sins and selfish wants, and that selling these products would bring more people to god.
Members were made to sell these products in public places like MRT stations, with each product costing between 70 to 200 dollars. Each member would also have to meet specific sales quotas set by the couple. Astonishingly, each member was forced to spend over $3000 to buy the health products which they were to sell for the church. In the event that they could nomeet their sales targets, the remainder of the stock had to be consumed by the members themselves and their families.
The church lost its registered charity status 10 years ago in 2005, and has been operating out of its Katong office and rebranded itself into a company selling health and medicinal products.
According to the Singapore Charity Portal, the church had been operating out of Tanjong Rhu Road before 2005, prior to moving to its current Katong premises.
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