CCC – PG’s Great Folly

What is happening with the Calvary Convention Center (CCC)? 

Why has the construction of the CCC stopped? 

How much have the Church really collected for this project?

How much have actually been spent so far?

Who is responsible for this?

Many Calvarites have asked these questions to PG, the senior pastor of the Church, to some associate pastors and to the BOD. Some members have also written letters to them seeking answers and clarification. The answer given by both PG and his wife to members is that it is the work of Satan through the TTG people and the legal action taken by them. The CCC committee and other church leaders are also mimicking this same reply to members.

On the 4 June 2010, at the Friday night Prayer Meeting, Dato’ JK Han, an ex-deacon, gave a short announcement  on the three options available to the Church on the Calvary Convention Center (CCC).

1.  The Church can abandon the project and lose everything.
2.  The Church can continue with the development at an additional cost of RM36 million to the previously announced RM150 million upping the total construction to RM186 million not including the land cost of RM35 million.
3.  The Church can build the project themselves. We have no idea what he meant by this.

Option 1 and 3 are clearly non-starters so the members were really being told indirectly that the project would now cost a total of at least RM221 million when completed. This is not inclusive of furniture, fittings and AV system.

From past practices the BOD was not seeking for approval from the members on that Friday night.  They just wanted to have the justification, in case they are queried, that they had already informed the members.  

Why not call for an EGM for this to be discussed and approved by the members?  

It is because making an announcement at a prayer meeting is far safer for the BOD than having an EGM.  Members cannot ask questions and there will be no minutes to record what was said at a Prayer Meeting.  

However, at an EGM the BOD is obliged to give a full report on the CCC and would have to answer questions from the members.  They really cannot face the members on this great big fiasco.  So they stick to their usual practice.  Give the members the barest of information and then just carry on, holding members responsible later because they were already informed and they stood in prayer signifying agreement and acceptance of the Church Leadership’s decision. 

To PG and BOD, the members are only required to provide the funding.  They are not to ask any questions.  They must submit to the spiritual authority of PG and the BOD without question. This is the subtle way, the church leaders have always used. At a time when members least expect it, announcements will be made and through non-disclosure of material facts, members are asked to make a quick judgement call which will nonetheless seemed to be approved by the members present then. 

When something goes wrong, they are quick to blame the members (as witnessed by the BOD's reply to questions concerning the CC Constitution at the last year's AGM. Members were reminded that they themselves approved the Constitution back in 1985 so now they have to stick by it) and in the case of CCC now, they put the blame on TTG and the legal action.

This fiasco was not caused by TTG’s action.  The TTG is only asking for truth, transparency and godly governance.  The issue of the CCC was not in any of the TTG’s Resolutions submitted for the past EGM or AGM.  It is also not part of the injunction granted by the High Court.  PG and the BOD cannot blame the TTG for this fiasco.  It is a folly completely of their own making.

Who is the real culprit? 

The project was doomed from the start because it was not God’s vision but PG’s personal glory seeking vision.  Look around the big churches in the Klang Valley.  When inspired by God all the projects went smoothly.  DUMC raised all the RM40+ million through one appeal.  SIB was fully paid for because the senior pastor left the entire project management and fund raising to others in the church.  The same goes for FGA.  PJEFC and GT were fully paid for within a very short time.  The obstacles faced by Metro Tabernacle were overcome through divine intervention.  If it is of God, it will be done and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

What do we know about the CCC now?

The CCC shall continue to be a burden on the Church and the members for many more years to come.  Here are some observations for you to think about.

1. When the land purchase was approved we were told that construction cost would be about RM50 million at the first meeting.  It then escalated to RM80 million at a leaders' meeting and then at RM150 million when finally presented to the members.  Like the frog we were slowly being boiled alive.

2. The design was done by a freemason. Many have seen visions of cobras and other snakes when looking at the design. To some the design resembles the coffin of the pharaoh.

3. Jim Guneratnam was appointed the project director without an ounce of construction or development experience. 

4. The main contractor Nam Fatt was in very poor financial condition at the time when they were appointed. 

5. Nam Fatt had to ask for an advance of RM8 million.  The BOD approved the advance without even looking at Nam Fatt’s audited accounts.

6. The performance bond was secured by a guarantee from Nam Fatt Berhad instead of the usual bank guarantee.  So there is no way for the church to recover anything for non-performance. 

7. The extravagance was not in keeping with principles of Christian stewardship.  For RM200 million it should be a 20,000 seating church not a 5,000 seater only.

8. Work was stopped in April 2009, more than a year ago.  The BOD only informed the members in October 2009 through a short announcement by Steven Kum again at a Friday prayer meeting.  This was only after the contract period ended on 14 October and the BOD had no choice.  Even at the June 2009 AGM the BOD was still bluffing the members and claiming that everything was alright with the project.

As stewards of God’s money, members must ask for an EGM to know what is really going on and hold PG and the BOD accountable for this multi million Ringgit fiasco.