Wondering what’s happening? Everyone’s discussing this. Just this morning, there was a mini discussion with the public calling in to share their views.

Here’s what I’ve gathered:

• City Harvest purchased a S$310 million stake in Suntec City Convention Centre. Singaporeans who questioned if registered charities should be allowed to go into business and if the income collected by CHC through its Suntec rentals would be taxed.
• Members of the church are being investigated for the misuse of funds. The Office of the Commissioner of Charities (COC) and the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) is looking into some financial transactions involving several individuals and companies related or connected to the church.
  
  31 May 2010 – 17 people (including Kong Hee) was ‘picked up’ to assist with investigations. Financial records and computers were taken away from home and offices of the people involved.
• Singapore’s City Harvest Church founder Kong Hee and wife Ho Yeow Sun owns two companies. One is International Harvest, which according to company records is a provider of corporate training services and motivational courses. Another is Skin Couture, a fashion company with 3 boutiques in Singapore – Ed Hardy at Heeren, Skin at Great World City and Christian Audigier at Ion.
• According to what I read online, members pay (donate) 10% of their salary and senior members pay 20% or more. Someone please verify this.
• Earlier this year - Kong Hee is now being accused of plagiarism in his books and website. He copied two author’s’ works without due credit in two books he published – Renewing Your Spiritual Enegery in 90 Days’ Volumes I and II.

  12 Jun 2010 – Kong Hee used materials from Leadership Bible, written by three Americans, without crediting any source. StraitsTimes

The Church

• Has over 32,000 members.
• Has 14,000 sq foot office in Suntec and its own SGD$47 million building in Jurong West.
• Has 45 affiliate churches in Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan and Australia with a total of 48,000 members.
• Employs 154 full-time staff and has 15 committees overseeing all its operations.
• Spent SGD$40 million in the last financial year.
• The church has SGD$103 million in reserves – 2009’s audit

Ho Yeow Sun

• Rents a mansion in Hollywood Hills for S$28,000 a month. Source
• Last album released – Fancy Free EP (2009-11-16). Sales values of EP unknown.

The above is what I’ve tabulated.

Some say the church is going down, some say that there will still be loyal churchgoers. Now it’s your turn to share with us what you have and know and your thoughts.