‘Pastor-in-Charge Accused of Defamation for "Congregants Disrupting Worship, Trespassing"... Fined in First Trial’

Defendant "Unauthorized Departure, Held Illegal Joint Meeting"
"Properly Expelled and Reported to Higher Presbytery"
Court "Expulsion and Defrocking Procedures Invalid"

Church (Photo unrelated to the article content)

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Gyumin] A senior pastor accused of defaming church members by posting false information on banners and notices was sentenced to a fine in the first trial.

On the 19th, the Seoul Western District Court Criminal Division 1 (Presiding Judge Kang Seongsu) announced that it sentenced Lee (57), who was indicted on charges of defamation, to a fine of 1 million won.

Lee, as the senior pastor of a church located in Mapo-gu on May 2 last year, is accused of defaming victims who are church members by publicly posting a banner on the road in front of the church stating, "By the resolution of the session and report to the presbytery, the victims have been expelled and excommunicated. If they enter our church anymore, legal action will be taken."

Additionally, on May 30 of the same year, Lee posted a notice on the external entrance door of his church stating, "On March 31, 2021, the victims used undemocratic, violent, and illegal means to disrupt worship, invited an outside pastor, and caused unauthorized intrusion and occupation of the pulpit, damaging the church's honor and promoting division," and "Our session decided on expulsion and excommunication, prohibiting entry, and will forcibly remove and take action for unauthorized intrusion and worship disruption if entry occurs," thereby defaming the victims.

According to the court, Lee argued during the trial that "the victims unlawfully left the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Korea (hereafter General Assembly), to which his church belongs, held illegal congregational meetings, called him a dismissed pastor, violating the General Assembly's constitution," and "he lawfully expelled them according to those regulations and reported the fact to the higher presbytery, so it is not false information."

The court rejected his claim, stating, "The expulsion or excommunication of the victims has no effect, and there was no report of such disciplinary action to the Gyeongdong Presbytery," and "It can be sufficiently recognized that false information was posted through the banner and notice."

Presiding Judge Kang pointed out, "Article 4, Paragraph 2 of the General Assembly Constitution stipulates that disciplinary decisions cannot be made without convening a judicial committee regarding disciplinary procedures," and "Although the church session was held on March 31 last year and decided to expel and excommunicate the victims, no judicial committee was convened, nor were any procedures followed for that."

The court added, "The Gyeongdong Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of Korea, to which the church belongs, confirmed by official document that it neither agreed to nor ruled on the expulsion or excommunication of the victims."