CALVARY TODAY HITS 100,000

Calvary Today has surpassed the 100,000 hits on its blog pages this morning. For this we have to give our awesome God all the Glory and Honour for indeed He has guided us and given us wisdom since CT's inception to reach where CT is today. "For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourself fighting against God." (Acts 5:38-39)

It has been an amazing run since CT's birth less than 5 months ago. When CT was prayerfully and officially launched on 6 September 2008 in the "Upper Room" in the presence of 40-odd Calvary Church members, little did any one present then, imagined that this humble blog will be read, not only by Calvary Church members but the Christian community within and without Malaysia.

As many of you know, CT was actually born out of necessity. Prior to the start-up of CT by the core TTG members, the church members were kept informed of the developments in church via emails. As the mailing list swelled over time, it became tedious and time consuming to dispatch information through email. This is because the emails have to be sent out in small numbers to avoid ending up in spam folders, commonly featured in email programmes. The idea of a blog was the result of much brain-storming, debates and prayers among the core TTG members. "For the Lord gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, He is a sheild to those whose walk is blameless, and He guards the course of the just and protects the way of His faithful ones." (Proverbs 2:6-8)

Whilst we are aware that the identity and credibility of the people behind any blog is of utmost importance, this was not an area of concern in the case of CT. Many, if not all, of its readers from Calvary Church know who the core TTG members are. Even the pastors and deacons know who they are. They were the ones who spoke out in AGMs and EGMs, the ones who wrote to the pastors and deacons, the ones who held discussions with the deacons and the ones who penned most of the posts (not comments) on this blog. Contrary to CT’s critics, the people behind CT are not unidentified dubious characters but long-serving Church leaders, teachers, professionals and people of standing in the corporate world and above all, people who have nothing personal to gain from all this.

The CT blog has also evolved from a simple amateurish blog in its early days into a seemingly professional website today, all without any professional help. For this, the group gives all glory to God for He has made this possible despite the fact that none of the group members are real IT savvy people.

CT is here to stay and will continue until such time God tells the core TTG group to stop. When the online debates heated up feverishly in mid-December with the publishing of the 2-part interview with Dr Lum, the group started on plans to cool things down to prepare for a peaceful Christmas, followed by a prayerful January.

However, things do not always turn out the way we plan. Thanks, largely to Why So Long and Charles who both came out with their own copycat blogs, CT’s hits counter went ‘red-hot’. All non-followers of CT, who logged into Why So Long and Charles’ blogs, also went into CT to read for themselves “the other side of the story”. This resulted in one of the highest hit rates ever recorded in the 5-month history of CT.

When the two copycat blogs were being publicized via emails, many Calvarites voiced their concerns to the core TTG members regarding the real intentions of the said two individuals, who hitherto, still remains unidentified but who proclaims to advocate transparency! Concerns were whether these individuals were indeed Calvarites or outsiders trying to split our church or some religious guys with sinister motives or merely just a couple of retirees with too much time on their hands. Of course, there were also much talk that they are a pair of siblings working for the church.

Anyway, it does not matter for our God is Great! He certainly knows how to turn a ‘concerned’ situation around for His children. Like PG has preached before, the King has one more move. And so, our hit counter continues to turn.

So has CT achieved its purpose? We leave it to you to decide. But it has certainly played a role in bringing RM1.1m in CIM and another RM0.4m in CARED back to the Missions Fund. It has helped many Calvarites become better stewards of God’s financial blessings and many in the missions field and many poor and needy have been blessed by the generosity of Calvarites who have taken up the temporary role of being their own Missions Directors.

It has awaken many up and coming pastors out there and their deacons as well that they need to keep guard of their own spiritual lives and be transparent in all they do. As someone said, Calvary Church has become a fountainhead church of sorts in that what has happened in Calvary Church, is a lesson to all pastors to be righteous and upright in the area of transparency and governance in their own churches and lives. It is also a reminder to men and women who are elected by church members to represent them that they must execute their duties with integrity, always endeavouring to fear God and not fear the men of God.

For those of you who are wondering where all these is leading to or when this madness is going to end, we want to say that God is in control of the situation in our church. He sees all your hurts and your pain, He will put right where there is wrong, He will restore and heal our church. And His name will be glorified! Ecclesiastes 3 teaches us that “there is a time for everything and a season for every activity under Heaven”. Romans 8.28 tells us that “in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose”.

For the rest of you who are concerned about the current "quietness" and seeming inactivity on the part of the TTG group, be assured that the group has not abandoned the cause. Several prophecies have been given to the group to "take up the role of Mary and abandon the role of Martha". The Lord has assured the group that this is His battle and we are now to allow Him to take control of the situation for the time being. This is so that when this whole saga is over, all glory and honour goes to God and to no one else.

So, let us just be still and know that He is God! :)

The TTG Group

Be Still and Know...

Happy New Year to all our Brothers & Sisters in Christ,

We have been seeking God for His wisdom and guidance for the past few weeks leading to Christmas and New Year. The Lord has been good and He has been so faithful to us individually.

As we all contemplated and reflected on 2008, we cannot help but be amazed at what our God has done for us and through us in so many ways. We were led to start off the year as a team, with praising and worshipping God for His goodness and mercy upon us throughout 2008. "God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation...Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done, and proclaim that His name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for He has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world." (Isaiah 12:2-5)

God is so merciful and loving to all of us. He has spoken to us individually and confirmed His Word to us, through different prayer warriors. He is coming soon and He is more interested in us preparing ourselves as individuals to meet with Him. God has allowed our beloved church to experience this unplesant saga as a wake up call to all of us as individual Christians, to seek God with all our hearts, look to Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, and to depend on the Holy Spirit's leading and direction for our own lives.

We have sought the Lord and cried out to Him for the past few months, like Jehoshaphat who prayed, "O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You." (2 Chronicles 20:12) The Lord's answer to us is, "Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's". (2 Chronicles 10:15)

In obedience to Him, we have decided to set aside ONE WEEK OF FASTING AND PRAYER to seek to know God more, to love others more through the love that Jesus Christ has first shown us and to be sentitive to the leading and prompting of the Holy Spirit in our lives individually as Christians. So we shall begin our week of fast, on SUNDAY, 11 JANUARY 2009 till 17 JANUARY 2009.

We have put together a simple guide to help us in preparing ourselves to fast and pray.


WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO FAST & PRAY?

1. To fast is to abstain from certain foods and/or drinks for a specific period of time.

2. Fasting is a tool by which we humble ourselves before God, by subjugating the flesh's will to the spirit's will in reverence to God.

3. Having a dedicated time of prayer and fasting is not a way of manipulating God into doing what we desire. Rather, it is simply dedicating ourselves to focus and rely on God for the strength, provision, and wisdom we need.


WHY DO WE FAST & PRAY?

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk…” (Isaiah 58:6-9)This passage of scripture tells us that we fast to seek the Lord;
1. To loosen the chains of injustice,
2. To undo the strings that tie us to heavy burdens,
3. To let the oppressed go free,
4. To break every bondage,
5. To receive a heart of compassion for the poor and needy,
6. To bring about healing
7. To restore family relationships.


WHAT JESUS SAID ABOUT FASTING?

1. Jesus demonstrated the importance of fasting when he fasted for 40 days in the wilderness prior to facing the devil in temptation. “After fasting for forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.” (Matthew 4:2)
2. He warned us against the abuse of fasting. “When you fast, do not look sombre as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.” (Matthew 6:16)
3. He gave us instructions regarding proper fasting. “But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6: 17-18)

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FAST?
1. A Regular Fast - means refraining from eating all food. Most people still drink water or juice during a regular fast. When Jesus fasted in the desert, the Bible says, "After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry." (Matthew 4:2) This verse does not mention Jesus being thirsty.

2. A Partial Fast - refers to omitting a specific meal from your diet or refraining from certain types of foods. Daniel 10:2-3 says, "At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over." In Daniel 1:12, they restricted their diet to vegetables and water: "Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink."
3. A Full Fast - usually means no food and no drink. Acts 9:9 describes when Paul went on a full fast for three days following his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus: "For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything."

Esther also called for this type of fast in Esther 4:15-16: "Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 'Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.'" It is recommended that this type of fast be done with extreme caution and not for extended periods of time.

4. An Activity Fast - Although not mentioned in the Bible, Christians today commit to fasting from other activities as well, such as TV or movies, playing games or surfing on the computer to concentrate on prayer.


HOW TO START FASTING – WHERE DO I BEGIN?
1. Begin by preparing our mind, heart, spirit, and body. It is important to have a clear purpose for fasting and what we hope to gain from our fast.

2. Pray to the Lord and ask Him to reveal the motives of our heart, any unconfessed sin, and areas in our life that He desires to change.

3. To prepare our spirit for our fast, draw close to God through prayer and worship. Let God reveal Himself to us. The key to any spiritual preparation is intimacy with Jesus. John 15:7 says, "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you."
4. Planning ahead to prepare our body for the fast. A few days before we start, get our body ready by reducing our food intake, eating raw fruits and vegetables, and avoiding foods high in sugar and fat.

5. Decide on the type of fast and the duration of the fast we will be doing. This will help us to adjust our activities to ensure that we will persevere through the fast.

6. Always remember, fasting is about focusing on Jesus, not about abstaining from food.


WHAT ARE WE TO PRAY FOR?
A. God's Sovereign Power & Rule over Calvary Church
1. That truth be revealed and established and all deceit, lies and deceptions to be bound in Jesus' Name.
2. To loose and release the spirit of Truth and Righteousness in the Church.
3. That only Jesus be lifted up in our midst, not anyone else.
4. That God's will be done in our church on earth as it is in heaven.

B. God's Control Over the all Church Services.1. Pray for the presence and control of the Holy Spirit over the Church services.
2. That all believers will behave rightly and righteously reflecting Jesus in each of our lives and submitting ourselves to the control of the Holy Spirit.

C. God's Restoration for Calvary Church
1. That God will restore and revive Calvary Church to fulfill what God has planned for us.
2. God has called us to humble ourselves before Him - to confess our sins, to repent, and ask for forgiveness from God and seek restoration for ourselves individually and collectively as a Body.
3. That God will convict our hearts to pursue our first love for God again.
4. To cleanse us from all our sins: pride, anger, bitterness, covetousness, self-righteousness, deception, lying spirit, blindness and vengeance.
5. Instead we are to ask God for a pure heart, desire for the truth, honesty, integrity, accountability, love, humility, servanthood, sacrifice, gentleness and godliness.
6. Reconciliation of members in the spirit of truth, honesty, forgiveness and love in Christ again.
7. That once again all His people whether Pastors, Deacons, leaders and members alike, young and old can grow together and to worship with one voice and in unity and harmony again.

As we humbly come before His throne of grace in prayer during this time of need we believe our Heavenly Father, will answer our prayers so that we can once again arise and do the Lord's bidding. Yes, let us unite our hearts and commit ourselves to pray in different times for the items as listed above. You may have more items which the Lord may lay upon your hearts. Most importantly, let us all pray that 2009 will be a year where we all will have a desire to know God more intimately, the follow after Jesus more faithfully and to be attentive the Holy Spirit's guidance more closely.

Our God is Good!


The notes above have been compiled from materials taken from the book, "Fasting and Prayer" by Jean Lim and from http://www.allaboutprayer.org/ and http://www.thecarpentershouse.com/

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ANNOUNCEMENT ON COMMENTS

The recent spate of irresponsible blogging by a few new anonymous visitors has caused much concern to our regular blog readers. The malicious and condemning remarks of these new visitors have irked both TTG and PG supporters. CT has, since, deleted some of the inappropriate comments. As this coming week has been set aside for a time of prayer and fasting, CT has decided to disable the "comments" option for all the previous posts. Only prayers, testimonies and scriptures will be allowed to be posted under the latest post. Any other comments during this coming week will be deleted.

Blessed Christmas!

BLESSED CHRISTMAS!
Calvary Today wishes all Calvarites and friends a Blessed Christmas!
Christmas reminds us of God’s greatest gift to man in the form of Jesus. It was a fulfillment of a promise God made to Israel, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel”. (Isaiah 7:14)

They saw the fulfillment of this promise some 700 years later, “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel – which means ‘God with us’.” (Matthew 1:22)
It may seem an awful long time for God to fulfill His promise but time is relative to God. The important thing to remember is that God keeps His promises.
When we started our quest to re-establish truth, transparency, good governance and accountability in our church, it was not because we had nothing better to do. The Bible teaches us to be good stewards of everything He blesses us with and that includes finances. It is our responsibility to ensure that our church practices good stewardship. We cannot pass the buck to the pastors and deacons alone. God holds us individually equally accountable.
Since our little teh tarik group started before the AGM in March this year, God has, time and again, answered our prayers. Promises have been fulfilled. God never fails.
We are aware that many of you are getting weary after 8 months of enduring the ‘nonsense’ that we have seen or personally experienced in our struggle to see a change in our church. Let us not give up but have faith in God and believe that victory is just round the corner. The Bible says, “ Now faith is the substance of things hope for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).
Let us all enjoy this Christmas by reflecting on God’s goodness and mercy to us this entire year. We have many things to rejoice and be grateful to God for. So for the next few days, we hope that all of us will set aside our differences and unite in our spirits to celebrate Christmas with Joy. We are dedicating this post for all to put in:

1. A Prayer for the new year.
2. A Christmas greeting
3. A Testimony of God’s blessings and goodness in your lives.
Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!
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This is a testimony written by KC Lim.

Not too long ago, while my simple housewife was driving along the Penchala Link, God showed her the rainbow which ended just in front of her car. (Read her post on 18 October) She had been seeking God about the situation in our church and He answered with that rainbow, giving her the comfort that He will deliver us out of our situation. Rainbow, as you know, is a reminder of His promises.

Last Saturday, while my family and I were flying back from Cairo, where we had been touring, another ‘miracle’ of sorts happened. About an hour or so after our plane took off from Mumbai, India after a short transit, one fellow passenger seated at the window lifted the window shade. Instantly, the beautiful colors of the rainbow flashed across the aisle right in front of my wife who was seated in the middle row. She stretched out her hands and the rainbow colors rested on the palm of her hands. See the photos below.








The phenomenon, regardless of whether it was caused by a natural rainbow across the sky then or something else, is a reminder to her (and to all of us) that indeed, victory is already in our hands. We just have to exercise faith and claim the victory He has promised.

During our trip, we were reminded that God delivered the Israelites out of the land of Egypt, out of slavery into the Promised Land and we were asking God when He is going to deliver us out of the crisis our church is in. My wife, being the more “holy’ one was prayerful throughout the trip and on the plane. And God answered with the rainbow again.

Campaign for a Special Audit

To ALL Calvarites who seek after truth,

It does not matter if you are pro-SP or pro-TTG. Or if you are sitting on the fence or do not want to be involved. You still need to know the truth. All of us want the truth. Truth and righteousness are the hallmarks of Christians. The only way for the truth to be established is for a special audit to be done on the specific events and/or transactions mentioned by Dr Lum and others in the blog.

Below is my letter to our two auditors requesting for a special audit. If you seek after truth, if you are not afraid of the truth, if the truth will set you free then please join me in this request to our auditors. The greater the support from the people of Calvary Church the greater shall be the encouragement and motivation for the auditors to act. Please get all your friends in the Church to support this demand for truth and transparency. If they cannot email, please do it for them.

Please email the following short message to:
Bro Tam Kok Meng at tamkm@adventconsulting.com.my and
Bro Chow Sang Hoe at sanghoechow@gmail.com with
cc to Calvary Today at calvarytoday@gmail.com
(cc to Calvary Today is merely to facilitate the counting of the support as the Campaign progresses)
"Subject: Special audit of specific events and/or transactions in Calvary Church

I endorse and fully support the request of Bro Wong Hong Meng for a special audit on the specific events and/or transactions listed in his letter to you of 20th December 2008.

(Your Name)
(Voting member/associate member/regular worshipper)
Calvary Church”
Calvary Today would keep your name confidential. It would not be posted on the blog. Please do this for the sake of truth and righteousness.

Please identify with truth and righteousness by wearing a white top this Sunday.

With His love and blessings,
Hong Meng

_____________________________________________________________

To: Bro Chow Sang Hoe, Calvary Church auditor
Bro Tam Kok Meng, Calvary Church auditor
cc: Rev Ong Sek Leang, General Superintendent, AOG Malaysia
From: Wong Hong Meng
Date: 20th December 2008
Re: Special audit of specific events and/or transactions
I take comfort that both of you are members of MIA and hold audit licences from the Minister of Finance. You were elected by the members as auditors for Calvary Church at the last AGM in March 2008. You are therefore, jointly and severally, responsible and accountable to the members at general meetings for the audit on the entire church and all its activities including but not limited to the Missions Department, the extended ministries, the auxiliary ministries and the outreaches. I have confirmed with the technical partner of a firm of public accountants that it is right and proper for me, as a member of the Church, to request that certain specific events and/or transactions be subject to a special audit including those that happened or purported to have happened in past years. This is particularly so when there are speculations among members of the Church that these events and/or transactions may not have been properly authorized and/or could be in violation of Church policies or generally accepted accounting principles. I humbly request that you undertake this special audit expeditiously and report your findings to the members in writing by way of a special audit report. You do not need approval from Senior Pastor or the Board of Deacons to do this audit. You are independent, elected by the members and responsible to the members.

Some of these events and/or transactions were alluded to by Dr Lum Siew Heng, the deacon who recently resigned from the Board, in his interview with Calvary Today. Attached are the two parts of the interview posted on Calvary Today for your reference. The revelations by Dr Lum must be given very serious consideration as they came from a Board member directly involved in the discussion on the events and/or transactions. Other events and/or transactions had been alluded to in the comments to the blog postings. I am in no way asserting that the allegations are true. The purpose of my request is for the truth to be established on these purported events and/or transactions so that speculation can stop. As duly elected auditors you have the authority and responsibility to establish the truth through a special audit on behalf of the members of the Church. No restriction or limitation can be placed upon you by Senior Pastor or the Board in the fulfillment of your role as duly elected auditors. If the Board or the Senior Pastor places any restriction on you or if they refuse to answer your questions, you must report the same to the members accordingly.
The following are the events and/or transactions which must be subject to the special audit:
1. That a love gift of USD10,000 was given by Senior Pastor to Pastor Delmer Guynes when he came to chair the EGM on 15 August 2008. This love gift was only informed to the Board and post-fact approval sought two months after the event.

• Please report back to the members if this is true. I am not questioning the quantum but the payment and approval process.
• If true, how was the payment made to Pastor Guynes at the time of disbursement? Was the payment in cash and in what currency?
• Does the Senior Pastor have the authority to approve such a large love gift?
• Was the post-fact approval minuted by the Board?
• Was Dr Lum’s objection minuted?
• Did Pastor Guynes acknowledge receipt?
• Who financed the payment if it was not paid from the Church petty cash?
• If a cheque was issued and then encashed, who signed the cheque? A cheque of more than RM5,000 requires one of the signatories to be the Church Secretary or Treasurer or another deacon.
• If one of them had signed the cheque before Board approval, would this be a violation of the By-Laws of the Church as well as their cheque signing mandate?
• Would you as auditors deem such a practice as acceptable?
• Would post-fact approvals be the norm for the Board of Deacons of Calvary Church?
• What would be your recommendation to the Board on this practice?

2. That the Missions Department paid for the overseas airfares for one of Senior Pastor’s grandchildren as well as the son of a deacon.

• Please report back to the members if this is true.
• Although the payments may have been approved by the Board, would you consider these payments, if true, to be proper and in compliance to Church policies?
• Would the payment of airfare for Senior Pastor’s grandchild fall within the terms of employment of Senior Pastor or those of the child’s parents?
• Would the children of other pastors or church workers be entitled to such benefits?
• If yes, please let the members know which other children have benefited from this.
• If no, then what was the justification from the Missions Director for the payment?
• Was this payment declared as a taxable benefit in kind in the EA form of the child’s parents?
• Would the payment for the deacon’s son fall within any scheme of service for the deacons of the Church?
• Was this payment, if true, approved and minuted by the Board and/or the Missions Committee?
• If not approved by the Board or the Missions Committee who approved it?
• Does the person have the authority to approve such payments?
• If yes, which other deacon had benefited from this provision?
• If no, then what was the justification from the Missions Director for the payment for the deacon’s son?
• Was this payment declared as a taxable benefit in kind in the EA form of the deacon?
• If no EA form had been issued for the deacon would you deem this to be an incident of possible tax evasion?

3. That Pam Guneratnam and Jim Guneratnam were given scholarships to study in the United States by the Church.
(When the scholarship was given to Pam Guneratnam, I personally checked with Dr Paul Nah, a deacon at that time. His answer to me was that if the Church did not give the scholarship, Senior Pastor would have to borrow money to finance her education. I was very surprised.)

• Please verify and report back to the members if one or both of Senior Pastor’s children were given scholarships by the Church.
• How much money was expended on the scholarships, if any, and over what period?
• Would the scholarship cover Pam Guneratnam’s post-graduate studies?
• Were these scholarships, if true, approved and minuted by the Board?
• Does the Church have a scholarship scheme for the children of pastors and church workers?
• If yes, which other pastors’ children had received the scholarship?
• If no, then what was the justification for the scholarships given to Senior Pastors’ two children?
• Would the scholarships for Senior Pastor’s two children fall within the terms of employment for Senior Pastor?
• If the scholarships were not part of the general scheme of service of the Church, were the payments declared as a taxable benefit in kind in the EA form for Senior Pastor?

4. That medical expenses amounting to approximately RM40,000 was paid from Church funds for Senior Pastor’s grandchild soon after birth.

• Please verify and report back to the members if this is true. I am not questioning the provision of financial assistance in the face of an unusual medical condition. I seek to understand Church policy on such payments and the approval process.
• Was it within the terms of employment for the child’s parents?
• Was this payment approved and minuted by the Board?
• Was the payment within the general scheme of service for pastors and church workers?
• If yes, which other pastors’ children had received this medical benefit?
• Was the benefit made available to Pastor David Seah?
• If no, then what was the Board justification for this differential in treatment?

5. That the Church reimbursed Senior Pastor RM15,000 for his membership fees at the Jackie Chan’s California Fitness gym in Mid-Valley.

• Please verify and report back to the members if this is true.
• Was the payment within the terms of employment for Senior Pastor?
• How long after Senior Pastor joined the Fitness club as a member was the reimbursement requested?
• Is the membership in the name of the Church or in the personal name of Senior Pastor?
• Any other pastor or church worker given this benefit?

6. That in the eleven years that Dr Lum was on the Board Senior Pastor had never declared the monies he received from his local and overseas ministries to the Board of Deacons.

• Please check the Board minutes to determine if this is true.
• Is it also true for Senior Associate Pastor?
• Are all other pastors and church staff required to declare to the Board or a superior authority all monies received in their ministries?
• If all others are required to declare and if Senior Pastor and Senior Associate Pastor are not, what is the Board’s justification for this departure from policy?
• If the policy also applies to Senior Pastor and Senior Associate Pastor, please obtain from them a declaration as to the total amount of all such monies received from both local and overseas ministries for the last twelve years.
• Please also obtain from them a declaration whether the monies were brought back into Malaysia or deposited off-shore.

7. That our Ampang outreach Pastor, Sister Adeline Koh, was paid a salary of RM250 a month over the past 7-8 months.

• Please verify and report to the members if this is true.
• Please also verify if she was living in the store room of the Church.
• Is the RM250 per month within the salary range of the Church for this category of staff?
• Are there others earning a similar salary?
• Is there any staff of similar qualification and with similar ministry responsibilities earning a significantly different salary?
• Who determined the salary for Sister Adeline Koh?
• Does the person have the authority to determine the salary?
• Is this treatment of Sister Adeline Koh, if true, in violation of Malaysian labour laws?

8. That the love offering collected at a youth meeting for Rev. Phil Stevenson from the Perth International City Church was never given to him.

• Please check with the youth leaders to verify and report back to the members if this is true.
• Apparently the collection was announced and made in his presence. Was Pastor Phil aware of the collection?
• What was the amount collected?
• If not given to Pastor Phil, where did the money end up? Into which fund or account?
• Who made this decision?
• Does he/she have the authority to make this decision?
• What was the justification for the decision not to give the collection to Pastor Phil?
• What was the amount given to Pastor Phil as a love gift?
• Please seek written confirmation if there are other similar instances where offerings were collected for a specific invited speaker and then not given to the speaker?

9. That the salaries (stipend) of Senior Pastor's children and their spouses are not made known to the Board. Their annual appraisals are done by Senior Pastor and he decides with the deacon for human resource on their salary increments, unknown to the other deacons.

• Please verify and report back to the members if this is true.
• If true, what is the Board justification of their acceptance of this practice?
• Please also verify if the annual increments over the last few years given to Senior Pastor’s children and spouses were reasonable when compared to other pastors and staff of the Church.
• Are there any other pastor or staff whose annual appraisal and/or salary and annual increment are not made known to the entire Board of Deacons?
• Do you as auditors find this practice acceptable?
• What recommendation would you give to the Board?

The people in Calvary Church need to know the truth. We deserve the truth. You have the ability and the power to give us the truth. Please do not disappoint us. Let the truth set us free.
Thanking you.
Yours in Christ, Signed:
Wong Hong Meng
p.s. This memo would be released to the people of Calvary Church.