Despite looming legal woes, City Harvest Church Pastor Kong Hee continues to minister around the world, recently spending the Chinese New Year in Malaysia with his family and mission team.
On Wednesday, the 51-year-old pastor shared a photo of himself and his mission team members along with Dr. William & Lorna Vun and their staff: "I am now ministering at Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia," he captioned the photo.
A week earlier, Kong shared a video of himself and his wife and fellow pastor, pop singer Sun Ho, cheerfully wishing CHC members a happy Chinese New Year.
"Sun and I want to wish all of you a very happy and blessed Chinese New Year," he said in the video. "The epistle of John chapter 2 says, 'Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.'"
Added Sun Ho, "Psalm 65:11 says that God will crown our year with his goodness and our paths drip with abundance."
The couple went on to wish congregants a number of blessings, including prosperity, happiness and good health in 2016 -- the "year of the monkey."
A month earlier, the couple traveled to South Korea to minister and visit Pastor David Yonggi Cho and Grace Kim Sunghae of Yoido Full Gospel Church, the largest Pentecostal Church in the world.
"During our recent trip to Seoul, we were honored again to spend private, quality time with both of them, and also with some of their closest disciples," Kong wrote in a Facebook update. "I was given the privilege to preach at the 40,000-member Nowon Full Gospel Church, as well as the famous Gangnam Full Gospel Church, a congregation fervent in prayer and intercession."
Despite his optimistic demeanour, Kong is currently facing a number of legal woes after being convicted and sentenced to eight years in prison last year along with five other CHC members. All six ministry leaders allegedly misused millions of church donations for the popstar career of Ho, an accusation which Kong denied.
At the time, Kong said that he respects the court's decision, but found points that are "erroneous and warrant appeal."
"I will therefore be preparing to file an appeal against both my conviction and sentence. Earlier today, I was informed that the prosecution has also filed an appeal against the sentence imposed by the court," the pastor said in a statement. "My lawyers will also address the prosecution's appeal at the appropriate time. I sincerely need your prayers during this process for a favorable outcome. The road ahead is long and arduous, but God's grace is sufficient for me," he added.
However, the prosecution has also appealed, asking that the convicted be given harsher punishments.
A separate statement on the City Harvest Church website has asked members to "continue to pray earnestly for the six and their families that God will grant them wisdom, protection and grace during this challenging time."
