Pastor David Cho Yong-gi Has Passed Away

Yoido Full Gospel Church, the largest megachurch in the world

Source: Godong / Getty

UPDATE: September 14, 2021

Pastor David Cho Yong-gi was the founder of one of South Korea’s largest and most popular megachurches. His church shares through a news release that he passed away this morning (Tuesday 9/14/21) after being hospitalized and suffering brain hemorrhage from a collapse in June 2020. He was 85.

Throughout his time as the pastor and founder of the Yoido Full Gospel Church, he’s grown his congregation to more than 480,000 since 1958. Becoming one of the world’s largest churches. Yoido Full Gospel Church was also able to expand and establish more than 500 other church locations across South Korea. In 2014, the Pastor was found guilty by South Korean court for committing breach of trust and corruption of 13 billion won which is $12 million U.S. dollars. (Read More Below)

Pastor Cho’s wife died earlier this year in February. The couple leave behind three sons.

(Original Post: March 6, 2014)

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Pastor David Cho Found Guilty of Embezzling The Church

David Yonggi Cho, founder of world’s largest Pentecostal congregation, was found guilty by South Korean court for committing breach of trust and corruption of 13 billion won (US $12 million), according to Yonhap News Agency. Yoido Full Gospel Church senior pastor received a suspended sentence of three-year prison term with a five year probation and ordered to pay a penalty of 5 billion won (US $4.7 million) by Seoul Central Distrcit Court on Feb. 20, 2014. The court also sentenced Cho’s elder son Hee-jun, secretary general of Yeongsan Christian Cultural Center and former chairman of Next Media, to a three-year prison term without suspension. He was formally arrested before the court ruling, the Yonhap News reported. In 2002, while serving as chairman of a church-affiliated newspaper Kookmin Ilbo, Hee-jun sold the church 250,000 shares of stock in I-Service at 86,984 won (US$80.06) per share, which was much more expensive than the market price of 24,032 (US$22.12) per share, the hankyoreh reported. Prosecutors identified David Cho as an accomplice to the crime of breach of trust, claiming that Cho used the money to help his son recover losses made in stock investements. While Cho has denied the allegation, he has also been criticized for privatizing church assets. Although the judge believes that Cho should be severely punished for committing breach of trust, especially for a person of his status in society, he gave a light sentence on Cho’s tax evasion in consideration of Cho’s long-term contributions to the society, the Yonghap News reported. The court sentenced Hee-jun to three years in prison for being the main culprit, who tried to evade responsibility – placing his personal financial loss on the church and the blame on others. Cho, 78, founded Yoido Full Gospel Church in 1958 and it now claims more than 450,000 followers. His proteges have built their own “disciple churches” across the country, creating a congregation of around 800,000, with Cho as the leader.

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Pastor David Cho Yong-gi Has Passed Away was originally published on praisedc.com