Private meetings presented as spiritual discipleship are at the center of disturbing allegations against Seth Sung Kim, the founding pastor of Harvest Mission Community Church in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Church leaders say they believe two women's accounts of sexual misconduct and have declared that Kim should never again hold pastoral or spiritual authority.
According to the church's public statement, the women described grooming, manipulation, and unwanted sexual conduct occurring over several years. The disclosures involve alleged misconduct in Asia and, separately, during Kim's leadership in Ann Arbor, where he founded the congregation in 1996.
The first allegation reached the Ann Arbor church through an attorney's letter on December 30, 2025. Leaders say they contacted HMCC of Austin and requested Kim's removal from leadership at HMCC of Hong Kong; he stepped down in early January 2026. A second woman subsequently came forward through legal counsel with allegations concerning his earlier ministry in Michigan.
Both women said they neither initiated nor wanted the conduct, according to the statement. Church leaders also said they reviewed supporting evidence and concluded that the accusations were credible.
The public response carries particular weight for Ann Arbor lead pastor Pete Dahlem, whose own Christian life was closely connected to Kim. In an October 11 address described in published reporting, Dahlem explained that Kim had baptized, mentored, and ordained him, as well as officiated his wedding. He nevertheless insisted that a prominent pastor's influence should bring public accountability when serious misconduct comes to light.
Dahlem also drew a firm distinction between reconciliation with a congregation and reinstatement to its pulpit. Repentance and restored fellowship, he explained, would not mean a return to pastoral leadership.
The church's statement goes beyond announcing a resignation. It says Kim should not be entrusted with Christian leadership, spiritual authority, or mentorship, and alleges that he has not cooperated with efforts to hold him accountable. Leaders apologized to the women and acknowledged the congregation's failure to uncover the alleged conduct sooner.
The disclosures raise urgent questions about how churches supervise private pastoral meetings, respond to complaints, and protect people whose spiritual trust may leave them vulnerable to exploitation. HMCC has invited anyone with relevant information to contact its elders and offered pastoral support and referrals to professional counseling.
The Christian Daily International report reviewed for this article said Kim had not publicly commented and that the church's statement did not identify a criminal complaint or police investigation. The permanent disqualification described here is the church's stated ministry judgment.
