Nashville, TN — Discipleship Ministries (formerly known as the General Board of Discipleship) released a statement today outlining the resolution of a dispute involving the misuse of funds by former staff member Sungnam Choi. Choi served as the director Korean American and Asian Ministries at GBOD between 2003 and 2010.
In July of 2013 GBOD announced that a forensic audit had revealed the misuse of funds by Choi in regards to Racial Ethnic Local Church Concerns grants, and GBOD had turned over the results of that audit to the Davidson County District Attorney’s office in Nashville for prosecution. According to today’s statement the DA recommended restitution as an appropriate resolution to that dispute, and GBOD and Choi have agreed on the terms of that restitution. Choi will be paying $37,000 to Discipleship Ministries.
“People who give to the Church need to be confident that their donations are used for the purposes given and managed with utmost care. Mr. Choi has acknowledged his wrongdoing and agreed to restore the $37,000 in question,” said Bishop Elaine Stanovsky of the Mountain Sky Episcopal area, who serves as president of the Discipleship Ministries Board of Directors. “The restitution of the lost funds settles this matter, and Discipleship Ministries is not pursuing further legal action.”
Choi had served as a pastor in the New Jersey Annual Conference until 2013 when he surrendered his credentials and left the United Methodist Church.
In the past I used to listen to the Sunday Radio hour/sermon delivered by the Reverend Dr. William K. Quick until his retirement and my departure from Detroit. These teachings are still with me, my guide and living inspiration.