Newsweek
July 19, 2023
The World Evangelical Alliance has severed ties with David Jang's Olivet Assembly, the Christian sect affiliated with Olivet University which is under federal criminal investigation and faces other legal challenges in the United States.
The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), a 175 year old group, represents 600 million Christians around the world, the organization says. Jang's association with the alliance offered it a badge of credibility with mainstream American Christians.
Over the past two decades, Jang has expanded his Olivet University into more than half a dozen U.S. states and turned his church, the World Olivet Assembly, into a global denomination with members in more than 160 countries. For much of that time, Jang has faced allegations from critics that he was running a messianic cult. Olivet rejects such allegations.
"There are no other ties to his organization," the WEA said in a statement, confirming that it removed references to the World Olivet Assembly and Olivet University from its website in June, and that it was no longer using office space at Olivet University's former campus in Dover, New York.
WEA declined to comment on why Chief Communications Officer Timothy Goropevsek, a Jang disciple and Olivet University alum, had left in June after nearly 12 years, saying the matter was a "private career decision."
Newsweek is owned by two former members of the Olivet sect. The two say they have resolved their differences but some of the legal disputes resulting from their break with Jang continue to play out in court.
Olivet University and the World Olivet Assembly did not respond to requests for comment on the WEA's decision.
Jang joined WEA's North American Council in 2007 and the alliance helped the Korean American pastor fend off allegations that he was a heretic who taught his followers to see him as a messianic figure known as the "second coming Christ." In August 2012, Christianity Today, a publication founded by prominent evangelist Billy Graham, published an investigation saying it had found evidence of the "second coming Christ" controversy. A few days later WEA issued a statement dismissing the concerns.
WEA told Newsweek its affiliation with Olivet ended as a result of changes to membership rules agreed to in 2019. Olivet University and World Olivet Assembly as well as other Jang affiliated organizations declined to apply for a new category of membership, the new statement said.
"We have now just have cleared and amended our membership lists," the statement read, explaining why Olivet was removed from the WEA website in June.
It was not clear how the timeline, based on a change of rules in 2019, fit with WEA's statement to Newsweek on July 11, 2022, when it said: "Olivet University is a member in good standing with WEA". The alliance did not respond to a request to explain the discrepancy.
A few days before that July 2022 statement, the New York State education regulator had shut down New York operations of Olivet University, saying the school had failed to institute necessary changes after pleading guilty to charges brought in a money laundering investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney.
READ MORE
Newsweek shareholders end legal dispute, co-owner Davis leaves Olivet sect
2. California moves to shut down David Jang's Olivet University as feds circle
3. Olivet University faces accreditor ultimatum as probes, violations pile up
The California attorney general has filed an administrative action looking to close Olivet University in the state, where its main campus is located. That campus in Anza, California was raided by agents from the Homeland Security Department in 2021 as part of a separate investigation into money laundering, visa fraud and labor trafficking, Newsweek reported.
Jang's legal troubles have started to hurt his sect's ties to mainstream Christian groups.
The National Association of Evangelicals in America suspended Olivet last year, and the church left the group in May. Olivet University's sole accreditor, the Association for Biblical Higher Education, put its status on review last year until it demonstrated compliance with financial rules, ethics and regulations.
https://www.newsweek.com/world-evangelical-body-cuts-ties-david-jangs-embattled-olivet-sect-1814127
The World Evangelical Alliance has severed ties with David Jang's Olivet Assembly, the Christian sect affiliated with Olivet University which is under federal criminal investigation and faces other legal challenges in the United States.
The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), a 175 year old group, represents 600 million Christians around the world, the organization says. Jang's association with the alliance offered it a badge of credibility with mainstream American Christians.
Over the past two decades, Jang has expanded his Olivet University into more than half a dozen U.S. states and turned his church, the World Olivet Assembly, into a global denomination with members in more than 160 countries. For much of that time, Jang has faced allegations from critics that he was running a messianic cult. Olivet rejects such allegations.
"There are no other ties to his organization," the WEA said in a statement, confirming that it removed references to the World Olivet Assembly and Olivet University from its website in June, and that it was no longer using office space at Olivet University's former campus in Dover, New York.
WEA declined to comment on why Chief Communications Officer Timothy Goropevsek, a Jang disciple and Olivet University alum, had left in June after nearly 12 years, saying the matter was a "private career decision."
Newsweek is owned by two former members of the Olivet sect. The two say they have resolved their differences but some of the legal disputes resulting from their break with Jang continue to play out in court.
Olivet University and the World Olivet Assembly did not respond to requests for comment on the WEA's decision.
Jang joined WEA's North American Council in 2007 and the alliance helped the Korean American pastor fend off allegations that he was a heretic who taught his followers to see him as a messianic figure known as the "second coming Christ." In August 2012, Christianity Today, a publication founded by prominent evangelist Billy Graham, published an investigation saying it had found evidence of the "second coming Christ" controversy. A few days later WEA issued a statement dismissing the concerns.
WEA told Newsweek its affiliation with Olivet ended as a result of changes to membership rules agreed to in 2019. Olivet University and World Olivet Assembly as well as other Jang affiliated organizations declined to apply for a new category of membership, the new statement said.
"We have now just have cleared and amended our membership lists," the statement read, explaining why Olivet was removed from the WEA website in June.
It was not clear how the timeline, based on a change of rules in 2019, fit with WEA's statement to Newsweek on July 11, 2022, when it said: "Olivet University is a member in good standing with WEA". The alliance did not respond to a request to explain the discrepancy.
A few days before that July 2022 statement, the New York State education regulator had shut down New York operations of Olivet University, saying the school had failed to institute necessary changes after pleading guilty to charges brought in a money laundering investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney.
READ MORE
Newsweek shareholders end legal dispute, co-owner Davis leaves Olivet sect
2. California moves to shut down David Jang's Olivet University as feds circle
3. Olivet University faces accreditor ultimatum as probes, violations pile up
The California attorney general has filed an administrative action looking to close Olivet University in the state, where its main campus is located. That campus in Anza, California was raided by agents from the Homeland Security Department in 2021 as part of a separate investigation into money laundering, visa fraud and labor trafficking, Newsweek reported.
Jang's legal troubles have started to hurt his sect's ties to mainstream Christian groups.
The National Association of Evangelicals in America suspended Olivet last year, and the church left the group in May. Olivet University's sole accreditor, the Association for Biblical Higher Education, put its status on review last year until it demonstrated compliance with financial rules, ethics and regulations.
https://www.newsweek.com/world-evangelical-body-cuts-ties-david-jangs-embattled-olivet-sect-1814127
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