Pastor Derek Hong contradicts himself in his statement on Aware connection

Pastor Derek Hong contradicts himself in his statement on Aware connection

In the statement from Church of Our Savior on Aware connection released on 30 April 2009, Pastor Derek Hong blamed the media “creating the perception” that his church was behind the move to take over AWARE.

He claimed that “Church of Our Saviour did not initiate or instigate any campaign to take over the leadership of AWARE.”

However, it was widely known and acknowledged that it was Dr Thio Su Mien, the “feminist mentor” from COOS who sent out emails attached with the AWARE application form a few weeks beforethe AGM on 28 March 2009 imploring fellow Christians to sign up for its membership and cast a vote to change its direction.

It is not a surprise that 6 of the office holders of AWARE are from COOS. In fact, many of the new members who voted at the AGM for the first time might be from COOS too.

Is Dr Thio getting in her own individual capacity as a “concerned” parent or is she receiving tacit support from the church?

If COOS is not involved in the leadership grab in Aware, Pastor Hong should have distanced himself from the actions of Josie Lau and her team. Instead, he called on his congregation during a sermon last Saturday to lend support to them:

“We are in a season where things are being shaken. As a church, we believe in what the ladies are doing and Alan of course is part of the process as well and so we want to just lift them up for what the Devil is trying to do, God will turn it in the glory of its name.” (read full article here)

Obviously Pastor Hong believed in and supported the take over of Aware. It’s hard to believe that he has no prior knowledge of the plan hatched by members of COOS to seize control of the organization to push its own religious agenda into mainstream society.

Pastor Hong denied that that “the exco is a pawn of the church or that it has intentions to turn it into a religious organization”.

If this is indeed the case, why is he, as a non-member of Aware, interfering in its EGM by encouraging people to join Aware to support the new team?

In a weekend sermon posted on its website, Pastor Derek Hong urged the women in his flock to ‘be engaged’ and support Ms Lau and ‘her sisters’ at Aware. (read article here)

Isn’t asking COOS members to join Aware en masse with the sole intention of supporting Josie Lau tantamount to converting it to a pseudo-religious organization which is closely affliated to COOS?

During the same sermon last Saturday, he told a crowd of 5,000, he compared homosexuals to thiefs, drunkards and liars:

“No where in the bible is homosexuality condoned. Every time the practice of homosexuality is mentioned, there is strong prohibition and judgement, right through the bible. At the same time, it is very clear that homosexual practice is not seen as the worst kind of sin, in fact God doesn’t grade sins, all sin is sin. So homosexuality is like other wrongdoings like idolators, thiefs, drunkards, liars are included in the same breath as homosexual offenders.”

In fact, he had lashed out against homosexuals and the “agenda” of gay activists several times in the past to the extent of demonizing them as being “used by Satan” to destroy the Church which contradicts his statement that his church has no agenda against homosexuals (listen to his speeches here)

Pastor Hong promised that he will not allow his pulpit to be used to intentionally teach anything that would arouse social tensions, divisions and unrest.

Unfortunately, his open call to stop Singapore from “crossing the line drawn by God” is discomforting and intimidating to those who do not share his belief:

“It’s not a crusade against the people but there’s a line that God has drawn for us, and we don’t want our nation crossing that line.”

Does Pastor Hong know that Singapore is a multi-racial and multi-cultural country and the “line” God has drawn for Christians does apply to non-believers? So how can he use the name of Singapore to defend his “crusade” against the sexual minorities?

There are many Singaporeans out there who do not share his views that homosexuality is a sin which must be corrected at all cost.

If Pastor Hong is really sincere in keeping COOS out of Aware’s internal affairs, he should issue the following statements to publicly dissociate the church from Aware and its new exco:

1. COOS does not support or endorse the actions of its members, namely Josie Lau and the other 5 exco members of Aware.

2. While COOS remain steadfast in its belief on homosexuality based on the Bible, it will not seek to impose or propagate it in mainstream society.

3. COOS members should sign up for Aware membership at their own discretion. The Church does not encourage or discourage members from serving in secular NGOs.

The official statement from COOS is in reality a hollow statement bereft of any meaning or importance until COOS stop mobilizing its members to influence the outcome of Aware’s EGM.

It is nothing more than another ploy of Pastor Hong to deflect intense public pressure from COOS and to buy himself some precious time.

The target audience of his message is not the public, but the authorities to allay their suspicions and concerns of his real motives.

Perhaps Pastor Hong is aware of Chapter XV of the Penal Code:

Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion or race and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony
298A. Whoever ––

(a) by words, either spoken or written, or by signs or by visible representations or otherwise, knowingly promotes or attempts to promote, on grounds of religion or race, disharmony or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will between different religious or racial groups; or

(b) commits any act which he knows is prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony between different religious or racial groups and which disturbs or is likely to disturb the public tranquility,



shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 3 years, or with fine, or with both.

[source: Statues]

Pastor Hong is running on borrowed time and this latest PR stunt may prove too late to convince the public that he is no threat to Singapore’s multi-racial and multi-religious society.

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