Report Details Why Gospel for Asia Lost ECFA Membership

From the first page of Christianity Todays newest article

Report Details Why Gospel for Asia Lost ECFA Membership
Longtime board member releases documents on missions agency’s troubled management.
Bob Smietana/ DECEMBER 11, 2015
Report Details Why Gospel for Asia Lost ECFA Membership

Gospel for Asia founder and president K.P. Yohannan.
For years, one of the world’s largest missions agencies has told supporters that 100 percent of donations for its work in India are sent to the field.

That promise of good stewardship is one of the main selling points that Gospel for Asia (GFA) offers donors.

"Gospel for Asia is firmly committed to good stewardship of the funds entrusted to us by our friends and donors,” the ministry’s website claims. "We promise to use your gifts wisely and effectively in Christ’s name.”

Yet, a previously confidential letter from the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) to GFA, published last week by blogger Warren Throckmorton, shows that GFA failed to live up to that promise.

The ECFA letter reported that GFA used $19.8 million in restricted donations to build its headquarters in Carrollton, Texas, just outside of Dallas.

Those donations were intended for missions work. Instead, the money was sent overseas to one of GFA’s affiliates. The affiliate then returned the money to the United States, without the knowledge of GFA’s board of directors or donors.

GFA leaders also tried to conceal the source of those funds. The $19.8 million was listed in GFA’s 2013 audit as an anonymous donation. Earlier this year, GFA admitted that restricted donations for missions work had been used for the building.

The ministry also solicited millions of dollars in donations, claiming urgent needs, while its overseas affiliates held onto huge cash balances””nearly $250 million in 2014.

The ECFA letter (dated September 2, 2015) was the result of a four-month investigation into GFA’s finances. Soon after the report was issued, ECFA expelled GFA from its membership.

At the time, ECFA said GFA had violated five of its seven core standards. But details of the ECFA investigation were not available to the public. That changed last week when former GFA board member Gayle Erwin released the ECFA’s letter and other documents to Throckmorton.

The ECFA investigation found that GFA leaders misled donors and board members about the state of the ministry’s finances. GFA leaders also tried to withhold details about finances from ECFA.

Among other findings:

GFA delayed sending nearly $50 million in donations to its overseas partners in 2014. The funds were not transferred overseas until the end of the year. GFA also delayed sending $28 million in donations overseas in 2015.
GFA failed to keep track of how it spends designated funds for specific projects.
GFA’s leader, K. P. Yohannan, repeatedly withheld information about the ministry’s finances from its board of directors.
$29 million dollars in donations was moved to the Hong Kong bank account of GFA's India affiliate without disclosing that transfer to the Indian government. GFA also hid financial transactions from both the Indian government and US officials.
GFA failed to exercise control over millions of dollars in donations sent to its overseas affiliates.
The ECFA report also indicates that GFA was less than cooperative with the inquiry.

"Certain information provided to ECFA by GFA that was crucial to our review was, at least initially, inaccurate,” wrote John C. Van Drunen, ECFA’s executive vice president, in September 2015.

ECFA would not comment to CT for this story.

A key moment in the investigation came in June 2015.

ECFA asked GFA about the cash reserves held by its overseas affiliates. At first, GFA claimed those affiliates had $7 million in reserves. When ECFA pressed for more details, GFA revealed that its affiliates had $259 million on hand in March 2014, and $186 million as of June 2015.

(the next 4 pages can be read on CT web pages.

Disgusting kingdoms of men and everything that is wrong with Christendom..........bro Frank

other lowlights from page 2 and 3 of the CT article

"Yohannan said he was not aware of how much money GFA’s overseas affiliates had in the bank.

The GFA board was also kept in the dark, according to the ECFA report:

In our meeting on July 1, ECFA staff asked you (Yohannan) what the GFA board would think if they knew of the high balances in partner field accounts. You indicated that neither the board nor you were aware of the magnitude of the balances. You responded, "They would be as surprised as I am.”

Despite running a ministry that collects hundreds of millions in donations, Yohannan appeared to be unaware of the basics of nonprofit management.For example, GFA board records reveal few details about the business conducted during board meetings. Yohannan admitted this as a failing in his response."We also realize that our board minutes could have been more comprehensive to note the discussions that took place in board meetings and are seeking to improve the details of the minutes in the future,” Yohannan wrote to ECFA.

According to the report, ECFA had questions about who is in charge of GFA’s overseas affiliates.

Yohannan is the leader of Believers Church, an India-based denomination that runs the ministries overseas.

******** Yet he claims that GFA has no oversight of those groups and that he is not in charge of them.*********

But the ECFA review found that GFA had substantial control over the overseas groups.

*****"Based on this level of oversight and control as well observed during our review, ECFA staff questions whether GFA has a sound basis to disclaim any control over the activities of field partners,” Van Drunen wrote.Erwin, who resigned from the GFA board in October after 30 years of service, also released a copy of an internal inquiry he had conducted for the board.******

FROM PAGE 3

Those former employees accused Yohannan of demanding absolute obedience from employees, of shunning those who disagree with him, and with misleading donors about the nature of the organization.

Erwin’s report found that most of the accusations were accurate.

*********Of particular concern was that Yohannan demanded "absolute obedience.”**********

"This complaint appears to be true and is the main source of the problem,” he wrote. "If this were to be settled, we would be almost finished with the problem.”

Concerns about GFA’s practices led MinistryWatch, a Christian watchdog group, to issue an alert to Christian donors, asking them to cease all donations to GFA. It especially warned members of Calvary Chapel churches, noting that the global network was "one of the biggest backers” of Gospel for Asia. Calvary Chapel in Auckland””which once housed GFA’s New Zealand office””also cut ties to the group.

From GFA page FAQ regarding believes church in India that K.P. runs

Once in a while, I hear about Believers Church through GFA. Is there any affiliation between GFA and Believers Church?

Believers Church is an evangelical, indigenous church movement within the 18 nations of Asia that GFA, as an international mission organization, works with to fulfill the Great Commission commanded by our Lord Jesus in Matthew 28:19-20: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”

Though the church was born through the ministry of GFA-supported national missionaries, t ӢӢӢӢӢӢthere is no legal binding between GFA and Believers Church.ӢӢӢӢ

This organization is controlled and run by K.P Y .
There is documented evidence to support this Now my question why does GFA lie about it?

EDIT:
State of Kerala in India document Yohannan is referred to as the "Managing Trustee” of the Believers’ Church.

G . O. (Rt.) No. 448/2011/LBR. Thiruvananthapuram, 17th March 2011. Whereas, the Government are of opinion that an industrial dispute exists between

******* Dr. K. P. Yohannan, Managing Trustee, Believers Church India (B. C. I.), ******

From Ministry Watch web site:

Since Gospel for Asia was terminated from ECFA membership last month for violating terms of the self-regulatory group’s seven standards, there has been essentially no meaningful explanation coming from the ministry about the specic cumstances that led to the ministry’s expulsion.

******We do know, however, that the ministry has sought to remove from the Patheos.com website (the website blogger Warren Throckmorton has used to report on Gospel for Asia’s apparent misdeeds) the recording made by someone inside the ministry of Chief Financial officer David Carroll making claims about Gospel for Asia which appear to be untrue. One can only presume by their efforts to thwart the continued posting of the recording that it contains information the ministry would rather have hidden from donors. And Gospel for Asia seems to be using hardball tactics to get its way.*******

While not all Christians are familiar with Gospel for Asia, it is one of the larger ministries in the MinistryWatch.com database. It has raised hundreds of millions of dollars from US, UK, Australian, New Zealand and Canadian donors for missonary efforts in India and beyond. The ministry’s Auckland, New Zealand office, which was housed in a Calvary Chapel church was actually just closed down by the church as a result of the very serious allegations the ministry faces and for which it has yet to give an adequate response.
It appears Calvary Chapels around the world were one of the biggest backers of Gospel for Asia. If you know someone who attends a Calvary Chapel, you should forward this information to them.
Another disconcerting report has come out courtesy of Warren rockmorton. As can be seen in the chart below, $128 million dollars in donation is unaccounted for when one looks at the nancial statements
of the ministry’s various country offices.
It represents 25% of the total amount donated by US, UK, Australian and Ca- nadian donors to Gospel for Asia over the last eight years.

*******Meanwhile, the ministry and its leader, K.P. Yohannon, apparently have purchased a Indian Engineering college for $70 million. Clearly, this is not what most donors had in mind for their donations when they made them.******

Needless to say, the Gospel for Asia situation is extremely troubling. We reiterate our call for donors to cease giving to Gospel for Asia as soon as possible and look for a more worthy alternative for your offeings in the MinistryWatch.com database.

http://www.ministrywatch.com/pdf/MWDA_113015_GFA.pdf

I think we have already discussed that GFA lost ECFA Membership and yes those who make financial contributions have a right to know where the money goes.
But we have already been warned and it is now our own responsibility to do more research if we desire to know more.
This thread is not edifying and does not help to advance God's Kingdom!
So what is our main desire? Do we still have the priorities right?

"Your Kingdom come "!

There is a lot of stuff repeatedly discussed here. And a lot of it is not edifing.
(Just like the Bible) This is NEW information that Rev posted BTW.

KP was one of the few untouchable sacred cows in this place for whatever reason. Bash the Jews and Israel all you want but do my profits no harm.

The report says .......

"Of particular concern was that Yohannan demanded "absolute obedience"

Absolute obedience to men is the doctrine of dictators. There is no cult anywhere that does not require this under the guise of " strong leadership." If you disagree then your gone. Hardly the way of the Lord nor His Word.............bro Frank

Great questions yuehan, especially " what is the church............bri Frank

This is not piling on, this is what so many here followed and believed and defended even after the facts were out. We really, really need discernment and humility before the Lord because this stuff will only increase as the day of the Lord approaches.

http://www.gfadiaspora.com/receiving-honor-from-men

Receiving Honor from Men

As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet…. But Peter lifted him up, saying, "Stand up; I myself am also a man.” -Acts 10:25-26
William MacDonald comments:

"When Peter arrived, the centurion fell down at his feet as an act of reverence. The apostle refused… protesting that he was only a man himself. It would be fitting if all self-appointed "successors” of Peter would imitate his humility by forbidding people to kneel before them!”

We’re sad to learn our former leader seems to have chosen differently.

"His Eminence the Most Reverend Dr. K.P. Yohannan” receiving one of many kneels at his feet and kisses on his hand at a 2009 ordination.

But more concerning is KP’s answer at an April 20, 2015 staff meeting:

"Did anybody ever kiss my hand or my ring? In memory I cannot ever recall I allowed it to happen or if they did it. Because we never teach it. We never promote it. That is not our doctrine, I am not a god, anything, but if people who talk about it and say this, they saw it, what can I do.”

(Audio link of Yohanin lying about ring kissing ceremony)

"What have I done to you or to anyone here to promote me? When I took the ring on my hand, as God Almighty my witness, I was going to a death chamber. I never asked anyone to kiss my ring, I never allowed it to happen. We never teach it, we never promote it.”

To churches in the West we simply want to reveal GFA’s ritualized clergy-above-laity practice that has been hidden from conservative evangelical donors through careful marketing.

Video of Bishop Ordination Service

Eyewitness Testimonies from current and former staff regarding ring kissing

A former Believers’ Church secretary, who worked for GFA at the seminary where this video was filmed, said, "Regarding kissing the ring, we are told by our bishops in that time, the way of wishing the Bishops & Metropolitan is: When we see first time in the day we have to go to them and take their hand, which is having ring and kiss it. We have done many times. And later they have changed that, we have take their hand, which is having ring keep on our forehead. During the Ordination time Bishops (Simon John, Juria Burdan) have instructed us, after the Metropolitan given the ordination we have to touch His feet. And we have done the same. We are 40+ pastors done the same on that day.”

A former Believers’ Church state leader said, "Way back around 2009 there was this ‘confusing’ instruction about kissing KP’s ring. I did see some of the Synod staff and clergy members doing it. I call it a confusing instruction because many did not actually understand how to do it. And it looked quite awkward. As for me, I somehow escaped from doing it. Soon, the practice was revised and the new instruction was ”“ ‘hold KP’s right hand with your right hand, raise it up to your forehead as you stoop low, and then touch the ring on your forehead’. The explanation given was that the ring had the church’s emblem on it, so we were recognizing the authority of the shepherd of the church. As for this act, I did it quite often!”

A former SD student said, "I personally saw it as well. So did my husband. Any of the people who were on our SD trip with us would have seen it too. They kissed his ring. That was 2011.”

A former US staff member said, "While living over in India for six months on the Believers Church seminary campus in 2010-2011, I witnessed multiple encounters where a BC pastor or member of the church would come up to KP and bow before him, take his hand and kiss his ring. It shocked me because it seemed so universally accepted. No one, KP included, ever tried to stop it. On a side note, I also traveled with KP several times and he always wore his long robe and the big wooden cross around his neck. One time in the airport, a woman came up to him while we were sitting at the gate, knelt down at his feet, grabbed his ankles, and bowed repeatedly to him as if he was a statue of a god or something. It was so disturbing to me. Afterward, KP told me that this was just a cultural practice and that he needed to allow the people to do it because he was seen as a leader in the church in India. I couldn’t help but think, though, of other leaders (like Gandhi, for example) who lived very humbly and modeled servanthood, as well as the explicit teaching of Jesus that ‘let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves.’ (Luke 22:26)”

Additional Testimonies

A senior US leader’s wife was told the order of service by a "Father”. This was part of an ordination service in Kerala. He explained when different things would happen. Part of that dialog was at what point the person being ordained would kiss KP’s ring.

Another senior US leader was told by KP that they were going to stop the "ring kissing stuff” on the field, meaning that it had been a practice before then.

Someone whose cousin was a teacher at the Believer’s Church residential school or the seminary told us: "My cousin was teaching in a school in Kerala ”“ which I visited. In Kerala, kissing someone else’s hand is not part of the culture. I have never seen anyone doing it. My cousin left the school because he was asked to kiss KP Yohannan’s ring, and he refused to do it.” They continued, "I am not sure if KP Yohannan personally asked him to kiss the ring or if he was just told that this was something that was being instituted in the school. But that’s the reason he left.”

Is there any actual proof that the GFA projects they claim to operate actually exist
by the numbers and locations they claim ? As an example does the child care program they supposedly run actually support over 74,000 children and can this be evidenced by physically locating the centers they claim to operate?
Not just a few show sites that some have seen but actual names, numbers
and street addresses that these many, many children would require.
For example if each center helped 30 children on a daily basis that would require
2466 places of operation. GFA would obviously know where this is all occurring
would they not?
Or is this just a shell game they play by operating a few centers in order to support their fundraising?

Below it the detailed report that the ECFA sent to GFA regarding the reasons for terminating their membership.

http://wp.production.patheos.com/blogs/warrenthrockmorton/files/2015/12/ECFA-REPORT-TO-GFA.pdf

"From public records it appears that around 80% of the money raised in the US for Bridge of Hope, Wells and other field designations is either missing, sitting in cash accounts, or was spent on very different things such as for-profit hospitals and universities serving the wealthy.
$20 million was also funnelled back from the Believers Church in India to the US HQ building project in violation of their 100% to the field promise and is illegal, deceptive and fraudulent as well.
It is fraud to claim that 100% of your $35 a month goes to support your child if it's only $8 a month or something like that are the actual numbers reported.
Bottom line - a ministry this corrupt and abusive toward its staff (see www.gfadiaspora.com with 100+ former staff) should be denounced by the Church at large, not defended hope upon hope in the face of overwhelming evidence of lies and fraud.
Heartbreaking to see more than half a billion dollars over the past 8 years possibly not having gone to the causes it was donated for - that would make GFA the largest charity fraud in world history. Our prayers go up for everyone involved."

ONLY 12% OF THE $41.6M AVAILABLE DONATIONS DESIGNATED FOR "Bridge of Hope” CHILD SPONSORSHIP ACTUALLY WENT TO THE "Bridge of Hope” PROGRAM, AND ONLY 4% WENT DIRECTLY TO CHILDREN

4% folks, sad is not the right word for it.

http://wp.production.patheos.com/blogs/warrenthrockmorton/files/2015/12/Bridge-of-Hope-Diagram-1.3.pdf

Quote: (narrowpath) "Who is left where our money is truly used for kingdom purposes?"

Many years ago i supported missionaries in Russia who I only knew from the Internet. Not the wisest thing to do as we know now.
But a few years later i was able to visit them, I could see where the money went, all accounted for. They told me how they were praying when they got a call that some stranger donated some money.
It is obviously best if we know missionaries personally and they can give an account to us.

As soon as Jesus said that He will build His Ekklesia He mentioned the gates of hell. Hell will break loose if we go out there and try and win souls !

We also know that King David, a man after God's own heart failed badly but the Lord restored him again.

Money is not the only way how we can serve God:
Romans 12:1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.…

"We also know that King David, a man after God's own heart failed badly but the Lord restored him again."

And David REPENTED before the LORD. PSALM 51.
This man if he is a Christian must do the same and come clean before God
and man if is to be restored. Just like all of us if we conceal unconfessed
and unrepentant sin. You can fool me but you cannot deceive him.