An Interview with Dr Lum Part 2

THIS IS THE 2ND AND FINAL PART OF AN INTERVIEW WITH DR LUM


CT: There was a speculation by someone who posted a comment on the blog that SP earns RM35,000 a month. Is there any truth in the amount speculated? What about the rumour that he gets a huge yearly bonus? Should the SP’s remuneration be made known to the members?

DL: I must clarify that SP alone does not earn that amount but the combined salary with Sis. Petrina's exceeds that amount. SP and his wife gets 13 months salary plus 2 months ex- gratia. Wether that is a considerable amount, I leave it to the members. Yes, my personal opinion is that all pastors’ salaries should be approved by the BOD and made known to the members. In some churches, a member can simply walk into their church office and request to know their pastor's income (stipend). That’s transparency! A pastor must be accountable to his congregation and to God.

CT: On transparency, is there any truth about Missions funds being used to fund SP's children or grandchildren’s education? What about the other pastors and deacons’ children, was any of their education sponsored by the church?

DL: I don’t think any of SP’s children or grandchildren or any pastor's or deacons’ children are sponsored by the church. That is probably just a rumour. But I do know that one of his grandchildren’s airfare and one of the deacons’ son’s airfare was paid by the Missions Dept. This was presented by Pastor Peter Ong to the BOD recently. In fact, SP's grandchild's airfare was approved by the BOD. My opinion is that it is inappropriate to do so. Missions funds are given sacrificially by members to propagate the Gospel and to alleviate suffering of the marginalized, the poor, the widows and the orphans, and NOT for private use.

CT: At the last AGM, someone asked the question whether SP declares the love offerings he receives from the churches where he is invited to minister. His reply was that he is accountable to the BOD. Has he declared such love offerings to the BOD? We know that all the other associate pastors and staff have to declare any gifts received by them to the church.

DL: In my 11 years as a deacon, SP has never once declared to the Board of Deacons the monies received by him in all his local and overseas ministries. But all subordinate pastors and staff are compelled to do so. My seminary lecturer, Dr. Stefan Sos, currently President of the SOS Evangelistic Association in Canada, once shared with the class on the extravagance of many senior pastors in Malaysia and Singapore, who seem to attend nearly every International Christian conference at their church’s expense. When he was the senior pastor of a mega church in Canada, his Board limited him to only 3 conferences a year, to be paid by the church. Beyond this, he had to bear the costs. Any excess funds received by him privately is used as an earnest deposit to help poor Romanian Christians to purchase a home for themselves. He doesn’t keep the love offerings that he receives.

CT: Any other events or matters that you wish to highlight which may be of interest to our members?

DL: The reappointment of SP by the BOD contravenes Rule X1 of the Church Constitution, which demands a ratification by a two-thirds majority vote from the voting members. Failure to ratify has invalidated SP's reappointment.

On the Alliance Bank loan ( RM 35 Million ) for the construction of the Calvary Convention Centre, I had proposed to the BOD that since the loan has not been drawndown, it is imperative that the BOD seek the approval of the congregation for the loan. The BOD must not act independantly as the decision has legal implications. The Church Constitution must be reviewed. Rule XIV must be revoked with immediate effect. Any rule that fails to incorporate or excludes the Body of Christ (the Church members) in Church governance is suspect and theologically imbalanced. The Body of Christ Ministry is of utmost significance.

The Nomination Committee ( for the deacons' nominees ) has failed to act independantly due to the interference of SP in including nominees of his choice after the committee has made their selection. Committee members are then made to sign and endorse SP's nominee (s) as well as theirs, as though the entire selection were theirs. Our current Treasurer was never nominated by the Nomination Committee, who were subjected to fasting and praying for the Holy Spirit's choice of nominees!

I would like to highlight the plight of our Ampang outreach Pastor, Sis. Adeline Koh, a BCM (degree ) graduate. She has been paid by our Church a salary of RM250 a month over the past 7-8 months. Due to this deplorable circumstance, she is forced to live in the store room of the Church! Why bother to impress the world with our missionary giving when we have no love and respect for our own outreach pastors?

I am outraged that Church funds of RM15,000 were used to reimburse SP for his membership fees at the Jackie Chan’s California fitness gym at Mid-Valley. He had claimed and insisted that this was promised to him earlier, by whom, no one knows. None of the deacons could verify his claim.

The love offering collected for Rev. Phil Stevenson, Sr. Pastor of Perth International City Church, Perth, Australia, was never given to him.

The lawyer KK Wong's report and the external forensic auditors’ reports on CIM should be made readily available to all Church members, unconditionally. It is shocking to note that the BOD was given just 20 minutes consecutively to read through both reports! None of the BOD could have a copy of either! It is significant to note that Calvary Church, and not CIM, paid the RM25,000 for the auditors’ report. The lawyer’s report (which was supposed to be M500/hour) was subsequently probono.

It is disheartening to note that the salaries (stipend) of SP's children and their spouses is unknown to the BOD. He evaluates his own family's ( and their spouses' ) appraisal forms (performance ) annually and decides with the deacon for human resource on their salary increments, unknown to the other deacons. There is no existing HR Committee to decide on this. Neither is the grading of their appraisal forms divulged to the other deacons.

CT: Many discussions have been going on about SP’s travel by business class. What are your views on this?

DL: I am not in favour of any minister of God traveling on business class airfares. Business class airfares are 4-5 times the economy class fares. There are no CEOs in the study of Ecclesiology. A pastor has to leave the Church if he aspires to be a CEO. Jesus could have traveled in a chariot and worn affluent apparel but He chose to walk and to ride on a donkey, wore ordinary clothes and mingled with ordinary people. A servant- minister’s lifestyle must be exemplary and not be a stumbling block to others. He must be above reproach.

CT: You may be aware that there is a reasonably big group of our congregation who are unhappy with SP and the lies and half-truths that he has told. Many have left our Church. Do you think it is still tenable for him to continue as the Senior Pastor of Calvary?

DL: No,I don't. I had written to SP to return all monies to the Church and to retire gracefully, with immediate effect. In my opinion, the congregation is hurting and has loss all confidence in him and the BOD. I had also called upon the BOD to resign en bloc, with immediate effect, as they have shown themselves to be ineffective, indecisive and have failed to act independantly. Many current problems could have been prevented had the BOD stood firm. Incidentally, prior to the EGM, lawyer KK Wong ( a Baptist deacon ) had suggested to SP and the BOD that should the congregation members not accept his legal report, the forensic auditors' report and the BOD's explanation, it is best that SP and the BOD resign en-bloc as the congregation has lost their confidence in them!

The declining Church attendance, struggling tithes and offerings collection and low morale is reflective of a weak and deteriorating leadership. A shepherd's heart is always to care, to nurse and to feed his sheep, and not to perpetually beat his sheep with his staff. The good shepherd even smells of his sheep!