THE road to Hollywood is a bumpy one. In Ho Yeow Sun's case, it
is littered with outrage over a slinky red Armani dress and a
discarded religious title.
A popular singer and co-founder of the City Harvest Church, Ms Ho
is now trying to cross over into the American pop market.
Her mentor and image consulatant, Reverend Kong Hee of the City
Harvest Church defends his wife's choice of outfit in
Hollywood.
The 32-year-old set tongues wagging when she was photographed at
the Hollywood Film Festival last month in the red gown with a
plunging neckline.
Two weeks ago, the row escalated after Ms Ho, whose congregation
has been calling her 'pastor', told The New Paper that she was not
a pastor but the church's music director and leading
counsellor.
Speaking for the first time since the controversy broke, Reverend
Kong Hee, City Harvest's founder, defended his wife's choice of
outfit in Hollywood.
In an e-mail interview from Taiwan, where he is doing missionary
work among aboriginal people, he said: 'When Asian-American Lucy
Liu wore even more revealing clothes in the movie Charlie's Angels,
it hardly raised any eyebrows among Singaporeans.'
This slinky red dress Ms Ho wore caused tongues to wag.
He said his office has been inundated with e-mail and letters by
Singaporeans, encouraging Sun to ignore the critics and keep doing
Singapore proud in the international scene.
The recent publicity surround ing Ms Ho has not gone down well with
some of the 15,000 church members who want her to choose - church
or showbusiness. And if she doesn't, they threaten to quit the
church.
Last week, The Sunday Times received a letter which suggested that
if she wishes to pursue her singing career, she should step down
officially from the church 'to avoid bringing more shame' to City
Harvest.
The letter writers added: 'We are embarrassed to attend City
Harvest and are seriously considering attending another church if
Pastor Ho continues to add more controversy.'
A 33-year-old chemist, who wanted to be known only as Mrs Leong,
said she attends the church with her family. 'I find it very
disturbing that the church plays her music videos before the
services. My two children attend the children's church and they
have been told to pray for her. I'm uncomfortable that kids are
being asked to do that, and especially now, when she says she's not
a pastor.'
But Rev Kong, 39, said he would 'never force my members to support
her singing career against their will'.
He added: 'We can't please everyone and people do vote with their
feet. So, if there is a philosophical difference in our world view
and the way we do things in City Harvest, they would leave.
'What's good is that we have 400-over wonderful churches to choose
from in Singapore, and they should settle into a church that they
feel comfortable in.'
He also tried to clear up the confusion over his wife's
status.
The Taiwanese media had stopped calling her 'pastor singer' because
in Taiwan, a pastor is a pulpit preacher and marriage solemniser.
As she does not perform these duties, she is strictly speaking, not
a pastor, as she had told The New Paper.
But that does not stop the church from calling her a 'pastor' in
the broader sense of the word, to recognise her
contributions.
Widely credited as her mentor and image consultant, Rev Kong sees
no contradiction between his wife's church work and singing
career.
'There are a lot of pastors with part- time secular careers. Even
the great Apostle Paul of the Bible was a tent-maker.'
He said that his wife is using her songs to bring joy and hope to
people and brushes off criticism that show business will compromise
her values and integrity.
Citing actor Denzel Washington and actress Dyan Cannon as examples,
he said: 'There are many good, strong Christians who are working in
Hollywood today as producers, directors, singers, actors and
actresses.'
Denying any suggestions that his wife runs rings around him, he
said: 'There is nothing that happens to Sun that I am not aware of.
We are very close mentally, emotionally and spiritually.'
Did you all read the ST article today? I feel that the CHC side
never gave a good defense and their stand was poorly argued.
First, the Lucy Liu analogy was a poor one. Lucy is not our typical
Asian and she doesn't have such a strong connection (I believe) to
the religion. Obviously no one call Lucy Pastor Liu right? Should
someone cite them the famous Celest Chong example?
To me, she's representing many christians. It's how some
non-believers see the religion too. No doubt many see the gay
bishop example, they shake head. Why the religion, which is
proclaiming itself to be the Truth, is like that? And do not forget
Sun is representing the biggest church? in Singapore, not some ulu
church located in some ulu place whose ulu members have little
influence over people.
Wah .. 15,000 members threaten to quit? That's news to me.
However, I do agree that if CHC people feel uncomfortable, they
should leave. No point not leaving and making a din in the church
by firing email/complaint. But I guess it's hard if you have many
friends there.
Then there's a part ... "sees no
contradiction between his wife's church work and singing
career". But earlier ... "As she does not perform these duties, she is
strictly speaking, not a pastor, as she had told The New
Paper". I think there's a contradiction of some sort. May I
know what is her church work? Isn't it music director and not
pulpit preacher? Or do we call any music director in any church
pastor too?
Of course, there's the point about woman not ordained to be pastor.
I believe many christians with proper understanding of Scripture
will agree with me, but of course there're some who don't.
But the most laughable part is the analogy of Paul being a tent
maker. Since that's a secular career, we can conclude the bible
allows pastor with secular career. Haha, but whereas Paul preached
in the bible (preach day and night, super long one also have), does
Sun preach? I guess the answer is evident, for she deny it
herself.[/quote]
