Pastor David Yonggi Cho Sentenced to 3 Years for Embezzling $12 Million

David Yonggi Cho, founder of Yoido Full Gospel Church, one of the largest Pentecostal churches in South Korea has been sentenced to three years in prison for embezzling $12 million in church funds. Allegations arose in November of last year when 30 church elders held a press conference accusing Cho and his family of stealing millions in church donations dating back to the 1990s. The elders enumerated multiple instances of Cho's dishonesty that involved him borrowing and never returning funds, acquiring enormous church donations without disclosing what they were being used toward and even taking an $18 million severance pay when he stepped down as head pastor in 2008.

One former church elder, Ha Sang-ok, was present at the press conference and urged Cho to come forward.
“A sect leader might violate the commandments and do as he wishes, but a pastor cannot do that. Over the past 14 years, I have met with Rev. Cho many times to try to persuade him to repent and return to being a great pastor, but the corruption has continued. That's why I had no choice but to disclose it to the outside world.”

On February 21, Seoul Central Court found Cho guilty of embezzlement from encouraging church officials in 2002 to buy stock owned by his son at four times the market value, according to Yohap News Agency. In addition to spending three years in prison, Cho will pay $4.6 million in fines as part of his sentence, though if the church elders were right this is still just a fraction of the total funds he stole.

This is not the first time Cho has been involved in scandal. In 2011, church elders accused the pastor of embezzling $20 milliom and privatizing church assets.

Yoido Full Gospel Church is an Assemblies of God-affiliated congregation and has grown exponentially since 1958 when Cho founded it. The church draws hundreds of thousands of worshipers to every service, according to PBS, making it the largest megachurch in the world.

Despite the recent scandals, Cho, 78, was once a highly respected pastor in Korea and around the world. From PBS:

Pastor Cho is one of the most revered evangelists in Korea. He was a Buddhist until he rejected his religion when he was near death from tuberculosis. He says that’s when Jesus Christ appeared to him in the middle of the night and told him to preach the gospel. So he did. When the country was suffering in poverty and desperation after the Korean War, he preached the gospel of hope through prayer.

Posted: at 26-02-2014 05:10 PM (10 years ago) | Hero

All in d name of making money, calling urcef a man of God.

Posted: at 26-02-2014 07:03 PM (10 years ago) | Hero

His good works swelled his male ego and he thought he was on par with God!

Posted: at 26-02-2014 07:43 PM (10 years ago) | Gistmaniac

*lips sealed*

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Posted: at 26-02-2014 09:31 PM (10 years ago) | Gistmaniac

not all those dat call me lord lord....

Posted: at 26-02-2014 10:26 PM (10 years ago) | Upcoming

Pastor Cho come chop the money, Ha Sang-ok tell am it's not ok, yet Cho chop 18 millions again of pension money now dey sell share for the church.....MAN this is a brouhaha... too complicated, dey should call it a business not a church

Posted: at 27-02-2014 03:07 AM (10 years ago) | Gistmaniac

should that happen in Nigeria naija pastors will face many charges of billions and not millions u know how much a plane cost but one pastor having 4 or 5 privat planes yet many members cannot pay their children sch fees even to chop na wahala in the book of apostles the early church shared things in comon even the tith the pastors are misinterprinting is for the houshold of God and not for one person to seat ontop as a semi god converting it to his account

Posted: at 27-02-2014 05:41 AM (10 years ago) | Upcoming

Open Your Eyes to the Real way of Living (Islam), Religion of Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad etc..... Make research, read Quran, don't be in a Religion bcos your parents are there and don't just accept any religion Dogmatically, Don't also learn about Islam through Media bcos they are all Enemy of Islam... Remember that God will ask you how you spent your life not me nor Your Parents.

Posted: at 27-02-2014 06:01 AM (10 years ago) | Upcoming

That will be nice if such sentence will also take place in Nigeria. The bad pastors a realy dealing with the Nigerian believers.

Posted: at 27-02-2014 07:57 AM (10 years ago) | Gistmaniac

ISLAM D RELIGION OF PEACE

PASTOR U BETA ACCEPT ISLAM TO UR LIFE B4 IF WIL BE TOO LATE


WAT  GOES  AROUND WIL SURELY COMES AROUND

Posted: at 27-02-2014 09:06 AM (10 years ago) | Upcoming