Pastor Kong Hee refuses to let scandal within the church diminish his passion for spreading the gospel.
The founder of Singapore's City Harvest megachurch continues to minister to churches around the world, taking special note of Oasis Church (OCC) in Los Angeles, California.
"What a privilege to minster at OCC's newly renovated 100-year-old Cathedral that it has recently purchased," Hee wrote on his Twitter page. The pastor also posted a photo and called OCC one of the "greatest churches in L.A." stating that "the sense of unity and community is very strong in this church" and praising it as the "most responsive church I have spoken to at the LA Hollywood area."
Oasis Church, which was started in 1984 by Philip and Holly Wagner, seeks to "Reach unchurched people and lead them to become mature and compassionate followers of Jesus Christ." The church's website reveals that it is a "racially diverse" community known for its local and global outreach to the impoverished.
Hee, who is a highly sought -after conference speaker, founded his church--City Harvest Church-- in Singapore in 1989 with the mission of engaging culture with the servitude Jesus showed to people when He walked the earth. When speaking to audiences around the world, Hee encourages listeners to simply "love God wholeheartedly and love people fervently."
The church is one of the largest and fastest growing in the country, holding a congregation of over 20,000. The nondenominational church also conducts 15 worship services, about 800 cell groups and five support fellowships on a weekly basis. According to The Wall Street Journal, City Harvest's followers are "drawn by its charismatic style of evangelism and teachings that material wealth is compatible with Christian beliefs."
It also boasts of a school of theology which is attended by nearly 6,000 students from over 30 nations.
Currently, Hee is in the middle of a two-year legal drama. A judge ruled that six current and former leaders-including Hee-need to answer allegations that they misused millions in church funds to finance the career of Kong's pop-star wife, Sun Ho.
The other defendants are Pastor Tan Ye Peng, members Chew Eng Han and Lam Leng Hung, and accountants Serina Wee Gek Yin and Sharon Tan Shao Yuen. They all face 10 to 20 years if convicted.
The trial is expected to resume in July.
