Ché Ahn

Ché Ahn (born January 17, 1956) is a Korean American evangelical pastor who founded Harvest Rock Church in Pasadena, California, in 1994 with his wife Sue Ahn as a small multi-ethnic congregation that has grown into a large church emphasizing supernatural experiences, love, and equipping believers for revival and societal reformation while also establishing Harvest International Ministry in 1996 as an apostolic network that has expanded to connect over twenty-five thousand churches and ministries across more than sixty countries to advance the kingdom of God through relational support and leadership training.^[1][2] Ahn immigrated to the United States as a child after the Korean War with his family facing economic hardships and language barriers, growing up in a strict household where his father prioritized academic success which led to Ahn's teenage rebellion involving drugs and alcohol until a spiritual encounter at age seventeen redirected his path toward Christian ministry.^[3][4] Ahn pursued theological education at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, where he earned a Master of Divinity and a Doctor of Ministry while being mentored by C. Peter Wagner who introduced him to apostolic leadership and spiritual warfare, shaping his approach to church growth and global outreach.^[5][6] Ahn serves as the International Chancellor of Wagner University which focuses on training believers for hands-on practical ministry in areas like apostolic leadership, prophecy, and spiritual warfare.^[7][8] Ahn is a key figure in the New Apostolic Reformation movement, promoting apostolic and prophetic governance over traditional church structures while emphasizing strategic spiritual warfare against territorial spirits and advocating the Seven Mountain Mandate for Christians to influence societal spheres such as government, religion, media, arts, education, family, and business to establish God's kingdom on earth.^[9][10]

Ché Ahn
Church	Harvest Rock Church
Personal details
Born	(1956-01-17) January 17, 1956 (age 69) South Korea
Denomination	Charismatic Movement
Spouse	Susan Ahn
Occupation	Pastor, writer
Education	Fuller Theological Seminary (MDiv, DMin)

Early life and education

Ché Ahn, who immigrated from South Korea to the United States as a young child following the Korean War amid family financial struggles and language challenges, was raised by parents who emphasized high academic performance leading to his teenage rebellion with substance abuse as he navigated cultural assimilation and parental expectations.^[11][12]

Ahn experienced a dramatic spiritual conversion at seventeen during a rock concert witnessing and feeling Holy Spirit manifestations like physical trembling and emotional release which he initially dismissed as hysteria but accepted as divine intervention resolving bitterness toward his father and recommitting to Christianity.^[13]

Ahn, inspired by his conversion, enrolled at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, for theology studies completing a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry forming mentorships with C. Peter Wagner teaching apostolic ministry and strategic spiritual warfare defining his future leadership in church networks and revival initiatives.^[14][15]

Ministry

Ahn founded Harvest Rock Church in Pasadena, California, in 1994 alongside his wife Sue Ahn as a small multi-ethnic group on Ambassador Auditorium grounds developing into a large church dedicated to empowering believers for revival through teachings on supernatural experiences, love, and societal reformation.^[16][17] Ahn established Harvest International Ministry in 1996 as an apostolic network initially linking fourteen churches expanding to connect twenty-five thousand churches and ministries across over sixty countries focusing on advancing God's kingdom through family-like growth and equipping leaders for global impact.^[18][19] Ahn became a key figure in the New Apostolic Reformation movement starting in 1996 promoting apostolic and prophetic governance over traditional structures emphasizing strategic spiritual warfare against territorial spirits and advocating the Seven Mountain Mandate for Christians to dominate societal spheres like government, religion, media, arts, education, family, and business to establish God's kingdom on earth.^[20][21]

Ahn served as a leader in the evangelical youth movement TheCall in 2000 organizing large-scale prayer rallies including TheCall DC on the National Mall where thousands of Christian youths gathered for fasting, repentance, and calls for societal transformation based on biblical values featuring continuous speakers, preachers, singers, and dancers.^[22][23] Ahn took over after founder C. Peter Wagner as International Chancellor of Wagner University in Rancho Cucamonga, California, in 2010, focused on equipping believers for practical ministry through teachings on apostolic leadership, prophecy, and spiritual warfare.^[24][25] Ché Ahn has ministered extensively worldwide teaching and equipping individuals for revival, healing, and evangelism emphasizing supernatural surrender and experiencing God's glory to bring transformation to nations.^[26][27]

Books

Ahn authored "Fire Evangelism: Reaching the Lost Through Love And Power" published in 2006 focusing on combining compassion with supernatural demonstrations to share faith effectively with non-believers.^[28] Ahn wrote "Spirit-Led Evangelism: Reaching the Lost through Love and Power" published in 2008 exploring how believers can rely on the Holy Spirit's guidance to evangelize with empathy and miraculous signs drawing people to Christianity.^[29] Ahn published "When Heaven Comes Down: Experiencing God's Glory in Your Life" in 2009 discussing purposes of God's glory revelations fostering unity with Him promoting holiness and enabling divine presence in everyday situations.^[30]

Ahn released "Say Goodbye to Powerless Christianity: Walking in Supernatural Surrender and Significance" in 2009 encouraging readers to abandon ineffective religious practices favoring life fully yielded to the Holy Spirit for greater impact and fulfillment.^[31] Ahn penned "The Grace of Giving: Unleashing the Power of a Generous Heart" in 2013 teaching biblical principles of generosity and how giving from grace can release spiritual and material blessings.^[32] Ahn in writings stated God intends believers to lead all societal realms replacing humanistic influences and reflecting commitment to the Seven Mountains Mandate within the New Apostolic Reformation.^[33][34]

Political activities and views

Ahn has supported Donald Trump since 2016 by aligning with political efforts like the Stop the Steal movement after the 2020 election and speaking at a January 5, 2021, rally in Washington, D.C., where he declared that believers would throw out Jezebel and rule through Trump under Jesus Christ's lordship while warning of severe consequences if Joe Biden or Kamala Harris became president.^[35][36] Religious studies scholar Matthew D. Taylor described Ahn as an apostle when he spoke to the Stop the Steal crowd to spiritually push Donald Trump across the finish line.^[37][38]

Ahn challenged California's COVID-19 restrictions on worship gatherings by holding in-person services at Harvest Rock Church despite Governor Gavin Newsom's orders which led to threats of fines and jail time against Ahn who filed lawsuits arguing that the bans violated religious freedoms and resulted in a settlement where the state paid 1.35 million dollars in legal fees and agreed to treat houses of worship equally in future emergencies.^[39][40] Ahn viewed COVID-19 worship restrictions as rooted in Marxist and humanistic ideologies that seek to control society by weakening church influence while asserting that left-wing governors seized the pandemic to assault Judeo-Christian values and that socialism aims to replace God worship with human-centered ideologies.^[41][42]

Ahn announced his candidacy for Governor of California in the 2026 election as a Republican on August 2, 2025, during a rally in Pasadena where he described his decision as obedience to a divine calling rather than personal ambition and positioned his campaign around themes of faith, family, freedom, and compassionate justice while standing against issues like abortion, teen suicide, and perceived spiritual attacks on children.^[43][44] Ahn reported a profound Holy Spirit encounter at 2:30 in the morning on April 28, 2025, as an undeniable knowing that God called him to run for governor and sought confirmation through a sign involving a White House invitation from President Trump which arrived shortly after to reinforce his belief in the divine directive.^[45][46]

Ahn framed societal issues such as abortion and teen suicide as spiritual battles not merely cultural ones by issuing apostolic decrees like one on October 12, 2024, at a National Mall rally where he declared that Donald Trump would win the election and Kamala Harris would lose while comparing Trump to biblical King Jehu and Harris to Jezebel in a spiritual warfare context.^[47][48] Ahn expressed beliefs that believers join God's army upon conversion for spiritual warfare by advocating forefront positions in all societal realms to replace humanistic influences as outlined in his writings and speeches which align with the New Apostolic Reformation's vision of transforming nations until Christ's return.^[49][50] Ahn's political involvement has included participation in events that blend religious fervor with right-wing politics such as rallies promoting The Kingdom of God and opposition to perceived threats to biblical values.^[51][52] In his gubernatorial campaign, Ahn has emphasized compassionate justice as a framework for addressing California's challenges through faith-based leadership and conservative policies.^[53][54] Ahn's views on governance reflect his belief in which Christians are called to take authority over societal institutions to align them with kingdom principles.^[55][56] Ahn has been described in scholarly analyses as a leader promoting the restoration of apostolic offices to facilitate spiritual and societal transformation.^[57][58] His political rhetoric often incorporates prophetic language and spiritual warfare motifs to mobilize supporters for cultural and political change.^[59][60] Ahn's candidacy has been analyzed as part of a broader trend of New Apostolic Reformation leaders entering politics to advance The Kingdom of Heaven.^[61][62] In legal battles over COVID-19 restrictions, Ahn's church secured a Supreme Court ruling that influenced religious freedom policies in California.^[63][64] Ahn has criticized public health measures as attempts to undermine church authority and promote secular ideologies.^[65][66] His support for Trump has included prophetic declarations and participation in events linking religious revival with political victory.^[67][68]

Personal life

Ahn is married to Susan Roxas, known as Sue Ahn, partnering in ministry since founding Harvest Rock Church in 1994 together having four children: Gabriel, Grace, Joy, and Mary.^[69][70] As a Korean American, Ahn has incorporated his immigrant experience into his public narrative, highlighting his arrival in America with little money and no English, but relying on faith to build his life and ministry, to share as an inspiration for commitment to community advocacy and spiritual leadership.^[71][72]