David Yonggi Cho

David Yonggi Cho (born 14 February 1936 as Paul Yungi Cho) is a South
David Yonggi Cho
Korean Christian minister. He is founder of the Yoido Full Gospel Church
(Assemblies of God), the world's largest congregation, with a claimed Born David Yonggi Cho
membership of 830,000 (as of 2007).[1] 14 February 1936
Uiju-gu, Ulsan, Korea
Nationality South Korean
Education Full Gospel Bible College
Contents (graduated 1958)
Early life: 1958–1961
Kookmin University
Wider ministry
(graduated 1968)
Distinctive teachings
Belief in the fourth dimension Occupation Evangelist

Controversies Spouse(s) Kim Sung Hae

See also Website davidcho.fgtv.com
References Religion Pentecostal
External links
Title Doctor (Honorary)

David Yonggi Cho

Early life: 1958–1961 Hangul 조용기
He was born on February 14, 1936, in Ulju-gun, now part of Ulsan metropolitan Hanja 趙鏞基
city.[2] The son of Cho Doo-chun and Kim Bok-sun, Cho was the eldest of five
Revised Romanization Jo Yong-gi
brothers and four sisters. He graduated from middle school with honours. Because
his father's sock and glove business went bankrupt, he could not afford high school McCune–Reischauer Cho Yonggi
or university tuition. Subsequently, he enrolled in an inexpensive technical high
school to learn a trade. At the same time, he began frequenting an American army base near his school, and learned English from
soldiers whom he befriended. He mastered English quickly, and became an interpreter for the commander of the army base, and also
for the principal of his school.

Raised initially as a Buddhist,[3] Cho converted to Christianity at the age of 17, after a girl visited him daily telling him about Jesus
Christ, after he was diagnosed with tuberculosis. Believing that God had called him to the ministry, Cho began working as an
interpreter for the American evangelistKen Tize. In 1956, he received a scholarship to study theology atFull Gospel Bible College in
Seoul. While there, he met Choi Ja-Shil (최자실), who became his mother-in-law and a close ministerial associate. He graduated in
March 1958.

Wider ministry
Cho has spent more than 44 years emphasizing the importance of cell group ministry, which he believes is the key to church growth,
as well as team ministry.

In November 1976, Cho founded Church Growth International, an organization dedicated to teaching the principles of evangelism
and church growth to pastors all over the world. In January 1986, he led the way in establishing the Elim Welfare Town, a facility for
the elderly, the young, the homeless, and the unemployed. The latter would be given training and a choice of four occupations. In
1988, he founded newspaper company, Kukmin Ilbo. He was Chairman of the World Assemblies of God Fellowship from 1992 to
2000, and has served as Chairman of the Korean Christian Leaders Association since November 1998. He has also served as
Chairman of the Good People charity organization since February 1999.

In 2008, Cho retired, withYoung Hoon Lee succeeding him as senior pastor.[4]

Distinctive teachings

Belief in the fourth dimension

"Then God spoke to my heart, 'Son, as the second dimension includes and controls the first dimension, and the third
dimension includes and controls the second dimension, so the fourth dimension includes and controls the third
dimension, producing a creation of order and beauty. The spirit is the fourth dimension. Every human being is a
spiritual being as well as a physical being. They have the fourth dimension as well as the third dimension in their
hearts.' So men, by exploring their spiritual sphere of the fourth dimension through the development of concentrated
visions and dreams in their imaginations, can brood over and incubate the third dimension, influencing and changing
it. This is what the Holy Spirit taught me." — Cho,The Fourth Dimension1979: p 40

Controversies
In March, 2011, Cho again became a subject of controversy when he reportedly made comments suggesting that the 2011 Tōhoku
tsunami "could be a warning from God to Japan, which has become an increasingly materialistic, secular and idol-worshiping
by The News Mission.[5]
country." However, as the context of the interview was distorted, a text of apology was announced

In September 2011, 29 church elders out of 1,500 filed a lawsuit by South Korean prosecutors. The prosecutors began an
investigation of Cho's alleged embezzlement of 23 billion won ($20 million USD) from the Yoido Full Gospel Church's funds. A
national broadcaster, MBC, released a documentary that claimed the money had been used to buy properties for Bethesda University
in Anaheim, California, United States, which Cho founded.[6]

See also
Phil Pringle
Christianity in Korea
List of Korea-related topics

References
1. "O come all ye faithful"(http://www.economist.com/specialreports/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10015239&CFID=25385
374). Special Report on Religion and Public Life. The Economist.
2. [1] (http://yfgc.fgtv.com/Y1/WY1_23_1.htm)Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20041208183151/http://yfgc.fgtv
.c
om/Y1/WY1_23_1.htm)December 8, 2004, at theWayback Machine.
3. Wilson, Dwight J. (2002). "Cho, David (Paul) Y
onggi (Yong-Gi)". In Stanley M. Burgess.The new international
dictionary of Pentecostal and charismatic movements(Rev. and expanded ed.). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan
Pub. House. pp. 521–522.ISBN 0310224810.
4. Allan Anderson, An Introduction to Pentecostalism: Global Charismatic Christianity
, Cambridge University Press, UK,
2013, page 152
5. The Kyunghyang Shinmun, 14 March 2011.(http://sports.khan.co.kr/news/sk_index.html?cat=view&art_id=2011031
41907513&sec_id=560101).
6. For God and country (http://www.economist.com/node/21532340). The Economist 15 October 2011.
External links
Official website (in Korean)
Yoido Full Gospel Church website
Amar Bakshi's Washington Post Interview
Theologian Richard Riss on Cho (Sympathetic)
Apologetics Index (Anti)
The Toronto Blessing, includes material about Cho (Anti)
Theological critics about Cho (Anti)

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onggi_Cho&oldid=818857487"

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