Harvest Mission Community Church discloses misconduct allegations against founding pastor

Harvest Mission Community Church of Ann Arbor has publicly disclosed allegations of sexual misconduct against its founding pastor, Seth Sung Kim. In a statement released in October 2026, church leadership stated they believe the allegations brought forward by two women are true and that Kim has permanently disqualified himself from pastoral ministry.

The women, represented by attorneys, alleged that Kim groomed and manipulated them during private meetings framed as discipleship. The incidents reportedly occurred in Asia and Ann Arbor. Current lead pastor Pete Dahlem, who was mentored and ordained by Kim, read the statement to the congregation, noting that the church had been aware of a serious accusation regarding events in Asia since February 2026.

Kim, who founded the Ann Arbor congregation in 1996 and later served as lead pastor in Hong Kong until January 2026, has not issued a public response to the claims. The church stated that the details of the allegations were developed in coordination with the survivors to protect their confidentiality. No criminal complaints or police investigations have been mentioned in the church's disclosures.