Kong Hee

Kong Hee (born August 23 1964) is the founder, honorary and volunteer senior pastor of City Harvest Church in Singapore. Kong is a Christian leader based in the Charismatic Movement, with a philosophy of ministry that emphasizes the Great Commandment, Great Commission, and Cultural Mandate. [ cite web|title=Kong Hee's Profile|work=City Harvest Church|url=http://www.chc.org.sg/english/founder/profile.cfm| accessdate = 2007-06-05 ] Under his leadership, City Harvest Church has grown to more than 24,000 members and has jointly developed 40 churches and 10 Bible schools in Asia [ cite web|title= Why Isn't the American church growing?|work=Charisma Magazine|url=http://www.charismamag.com/display.php?id=10291| accessdate = 2007-05-29] [ cite web|title= Speakers|work=City City Church|url=http://www.ccc.org.au/presence/default.asp?page=presenceSpeakers| accessdate = 2007-06-29] . [ cite web|title=Kong Hee's Profile|work=City Harvest Church|url=http://www.chc.org.sg/english/founder/profile.cfm| accessdate = 2007-06-05 ] [ cite web|title=History Of The Church|work=City Harvest Church|url=http://www.chc.org.sg/english/founder/history.cfm| accessdate = 2007-06-05 ] Kong has also co-founded an education center, a performing arts school, a publishing house, a missions agency, a ministerial fellowship and a magazine. [ cite web|title=Kong Hee's Biography|work=City Harvest Church|url=http://www.chc.org.sg/english/founder/bio.cfm| accessdate = 2007-06-05 ] Kong is also a motivational speaker and runs a retail business. [ cite web|title=Kong Hee's Profile|work=City Harvest Church|url=http://www.chc.org.sg/english/founder/profile.cfm| accessdate = 2007-06-05 ]

Kong Hee’s wife, Sun Ho, is a pop music singer, who currently resides in the United States. They have a son, Dayan Kong.

Life

Kong is the fifth child of Kong Leng, a professional engineer, and Toh Poh-Eng, a diamond trader. He graduated with the Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the National University of Singapore in 1988, the Master of Divinity in 1991, and the Doctor of Theology in 1995. In May 2008, Kong was conferred an Honorary Doctor of Business Administration from Hansei University in Seoul, Korea.

From 1975 to 1988, Kong was a member of Marine Parade Christian Center, an Anglican church located in eastern Singapore. During his university years, he worked part-time for the Chapel of the Resurrection under the oversight of Anglican vicar, Reverend Dr. Canon James Wong. During that tenure, he helped Canon Wong set up a new congregation, Orchard Christian Centre. Upon graduation from the university, Kong worked a short stint in a local publishing house as a programmer.

In 1989, Kong was a staff evangelist with “Christ For Asia,” a missions organization in the Philippines led by Assemblies of God minister, Reverend Randy Sing. At that same time, there was an opportunity for Kong to pioneer a new church in Singapore. With the support and encouragement of some senior pastors in the city, Kong decided to relocate back to Singapore and helped set up a new congregation with 20 youths. On May 7, 1989, City Harvest Church was founded as a department (known as "Ekklesia Ministry") of Bethany Christian Centre (Assemblies of God). [cite news| title = Every Member is a Minister' at Singapore Megachurch | publisher = Church & Ministry | date = 2004-02-10 | url = http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:zYN3a1e4KKgJ:www.charismanews.com/a.php%3FArticleID%3D8559+%22Kong+Hee%22+anglican+church&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=19 ]

Kong often travels to assist churches in Asia, Europe and Australia. He specializes in leadership and staff development, church growth and organization, and contemporary worship and creativity. His weekly 30-minute television program “Harvest Times” is broadcasted by 13 satellite television networks to 140 countries. [ cite web|title=Harvest Time|work=City Harvest Church|url=http://www.chc.org.sg/english/harvest_time.cfm| accessdate = 2007-06-06 ]

Since 1997, Kong is the executive director of the Festival of Praise, an annual event that brings together more than 100 churches for united prayer and worship.

Kong is a board member of Dr. David Yonggi Cho’s Church Growth International (South Korea) and Dr. Luis Bush’s Transform World (Indonesia).

Educational Qualifications

* Raffles Institution (1977-1980)
* Raffles Junior College (1981-1982)
* National University of Singapore, Bachelor of Science (Computer & Information Sciences) (1985-1988)
* Hansei University, Doctorate in Business Administration (2008)

Theological Qualifications

* New Covenant International Theological Seminary (USA): Master of Divinity (1989-1991)
* New Covenant International Theological Seminary (USA): Doctor of Theology (1993-1995)

Title Ordination

* Bethany Christian Centre (Singapore): January 6, 1991

Founded

* City Harvest Church (1989)
* City Harvest Bible Training Center (1994)
* Harvest Times (quarterly magazine) (1999)
* City Harvest Education Centre (2002)
* O School (2006)

Co-Founded

* Harvest School of Ministry (2001)
* Malaysian Harvest Christian Fellowship (2003)

Positions held

* President, City Harvest Church (Singapore): 1992-Present
* Executive Director, Festival of Praise (Singapore): 1997-2001, 2005-Present
* President, Word of Life (Singapore): 1997-Present
* Board of Directors, Church Growth International (South Korea): 2007-Present
* Board of References, Transform World (Indonesia): 2005-Present
* Committee Member, National Council of Churches (Singapore): 1999-2004
* Vice President, City Harvest Community Services Association (Singapore): 1997-2007
* Board of Advisors, Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship International (Singapore): 1996-2000
* Board of Advisors, The Living Faith Church (Singapore) : 2001-Present

ee also

* City Harvest Church

References

cite web|title=Kong Hee's Biography|work=City Harvest Church|url=http://www.chc.org.sg/english/founder/bio.cfm
accessdate = 2007-05-29;Others
* "Ministries Today Magazine" (December 2003).

External links

* [http://www.chc.org.sg/ City Harvest Church official site]
* [http://chbtc.chc.org.sg/ City Harvest Bible Training Centre]
* [http://www.chcsa.org.sg/ City Harvest Community Services Association]
* [http://chec.edu.sg/ City Harvest Education Centre]
* [http://www.attributes.com.sg/ Attributes Christian Bookstore]
* [http://www.chc.org.sg/english/founder/bio.cfm Kong Hee's Biography]
* [http://del.icio.us/konghee Other Related Kong Hee's Sites]