Yong-gi Cho, Pastor of World’s Largest Megachurch Sentenced To Prison For Embezzlement
The founder and pastor of one of the largest Pentecostal churches in
South Korea, Cho Yong-gi, has been sentenced to three years in
prison for embezzling church funds.
According to reports, Pastor Cho of Yoido Full Gospel Church in
Seoul, was found guilty of causing $12 million in losses to the church by
having officials in 2002 buy stocks owned by his eldest son, Cho Hee-jun, at
four times the market value.
The church was founded in 1958.
Christian Post reports:
The 78-year-old pastor, who founded the church in 1958, will also have to
pay about $4.6 million in fines. The junior Cho will also be serving a
three-year prison term for colluding with his father, the Seoul Central
District Court ruled.
According to The Gospel Herald, Cho was also found to have been evading 35 billion won (US $3.3 million)
in taxes. The elderly pastor first came under investigation in 2011 when he
was accused by 29 church elders of embezzling church funds and privatizing church assets.
Cho was apparently given a light sentence by the Seoul court because of his
long-standing contributions to society, and will have a five-year stay of
execution.
A biography of Cho on the English version of the Yoido Full Gospel Church website
says that the pastor, who came to faith after attending a crusade led by
American missionary Ken Tines, met Jesus in a vision one night while he was
fasting and was baptized in the Holy Spirit.
“Pastor Cho gives thanks to the Lord for his 47 years of ministry, and has
been sincerely serving 750,000 church members,” the biography states. “In
the early 21st century, the church’s goals for next 10 years are to build
500 prayer houses and 5,000 satellite churches in Korea, and to expand
global mission through internet broadcasting, and to enlarge overseas
mission to the third world countries, including North Korea.”
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