An Announcement In Regards to the Gospel For Asia Lawsuit Resolution

What are we to conclude from this though?

Guilty......settlement reach and now all is well?

Innocent.....but settled so we can move on?

Something else?

This quote:
Now the lawsuit has ended in Gospel for Asia being free from any fault or wrong-doing, and zero mis-use of funds.
I am personally thankful for this conclusion though it is sad to see GFA having to pay a settlement

Why is a settlement paid if there is no fault in GFA?

Brosher Greg,

I don't know any of the people involved so I cannot assess their hearts and would defer to those who know better. However, what GFA acknowledges doing is that they would seek funds for certain projects through donation outreaches and then when those funds would come in, they would use the donations for other uses "in the field". Their justification for such uses is that the outreach did not "guarantee" that the funds would be used specifically and only for the stated outreach purposes. An example would be an appeal would be made for funds for "Jesus Wells" in a general outreach and the money collected might be used for that purpose and also for other field purposes. In GFA's own statements, this practice was acknowledged.

The reason the settlement was paid is because the donors felt misled and felt that GFA had misrepresented the purpose for the appeal. That is not my opinion. I got that from the press release and GFA's own statements. GFA's defense was that there was no "guarantee" of particular usage in their fundraising appeal and the funds in the end were used "in the field" for other good purposes and implicitly therefore not used for personal gain.

This practice in the past has been really common in fundraising with "Christian" NGO's. Often, NGO"s have multiple ministries going on. Some ministries are easier to raise funds for than others. For example, donations for orphans are easier to raise money for in the US than pastor care. So, an appeal is made for orphans and very often more money comes in than is immediately needed and the excess is used for pastor care. In the NGO world this is common and not seen as misleading because of a lack of gaurantees that the money would only be used for the "marketed" purpose. They justify this behavior because the excess funds are used for good purposes.

In the US, and I believe rightly so, this is misleading to donors and is wrong. The NGO's feel justified in this behavior because they are doing a "good work" overall and the money is being used for "good purposes" overall. I'm not saying this was GFAs attitude. GFA said it.

I can see your desire to exonerate GFA clearly in your defense. I'm not trying to exonerate GFA or to indict. I just thought everyone should be aware of a clear problem in the field of NGO fund raising. GFA is not alone in this practice, but that is not a justification. I'm not accusing GFA of participating in this. Their own statements in the Settlement Agreement are what generates this conclusion.

The sad truth is that certain outreaches really tug on American heart strings and the NGOs are well aware of this. Other ministries would not be funded if there wasn't excess giving in the ministries that don' pull on the heart as do other ministries.

However, that fact is no justification for what goes on. It is wrong to do what many do. "Two rights" don't justify the wrong means in attaining them.

Thanks Brother Greg,

I concur with all the good that God has obviously accomplished through GFA and KP Yohanan. That does not justify this particular behavior. What I wish is that GFA had simply said we were wrong in how we handled this and we won't do it again. There was such an intense attempt to say nothing was wrong with what they did. I would sincerely and lovingly tell them that this denial of wrongdoing hasn't cleared the air. Perhaps they are reluctant to admit the wrong in fear it would hurt the ministry or future donations. I don't know. But their acknowledged practice is wrong. I'm not sure you should speak for thousands of donors without first hand information. I'm not sure more or less object. You may be right. Maybe not. Objection isn't the issue. The practice is wrong no matter how man feels about it.

Far too many justify the means by the ends in today's culture (which is what GFA is asserting) and I think the church should stand clearly on the truth that God cares just as much about the means as the ends. Integrity matter.

I probably have been misunderstood by you Brother. Someone can have integrity overall but fall short in integrity in a certain situation. I can say that about myself easily. I've sinned on far too many occasions with pride or exaggerations, or gossip or misrepresentations myself but overall I hope people would say I have integrity. We are addressing a particular event or situation and not dealing with an overall evaluation. I'm sure KP Yohanan overall is far far more virtuous than me. That really isn't the issue.

As for "accusations" as you referenced, I'm not making an accusation in the least. That would be totally wrong. GFA said they raised money for Jesus wells and then used some of that money for other ministry purposes and that this in their opinion was not wrong because they never gauranteed that the money would be used solely for Jesus wells. That isn't an accusation. It is an openly stated admission on their part and also their stated conclusion, not mine, was that there was nothing wrong with that. I am disagreeing with their conclusion. That is not an accusation. We can disagree about whether their diversion of funds for other good uses was wrong but the diversion occurred as they have stated. Hopefully, you won't see me as making accusations.

As for the need for more maturity in me as you say you have found for yourself, you are certainly right. I'm in great need every day.

I hate all of this stuff: This whole suit sounds like an axe-grinding and I'll-show-you-how-tough-I-am mentality.

When ministries raise money for outreaches there are all kinds of debt incurred while doing them.

This stinks to high-heaven of utter hypocrisy and contradiction. I suppose these guys have law-suits over their tithe and it's usage too. I mean part of that tithe goes to interest payments on mortgages, interest on credit cards, nice lunches and dinners, gifts for someone who will use it to buy alcohol or even drugs (under the guise of we need food)

When raising money for our crusades the vast majority was spent on the crusades themselves, but there is also transportation, honorariums for pastors, dinners for helpers, taxi fare, wow...even airplane food.

I have a non-profit, my wife keeps the books and we have always been open and transparent about our spending.
But we also expect some trust, if you donate to us we put the money to ministry usage as it arises and as God directs us. We bought cell phones (cheapies for 50 bucks) to use in our last crusades because our cells would not work there. That purchase was very helpful in coordinating so many things overseas...but hey it didn't go to buy a bible or purchase platform time.
So, I suppose an argument can be raised about that purchase...or the guitar we bought for a Church...not directly related to the crusades.

It's so ironic and satanic in my opinion you've got tv evangelist exploiters with huge personal profits from 'crusade' monies and these folks didn't donate to them so they could sue...and win?

Then let that guy on the board? Insane...but that's just me.

wouldn't that guy have a field day with youth groups who raise funds for a mexico ministry week when in fact the week was mostly directed toward food, lodging, entertainment and transportation. There's got to be law-suit somewhere in there.

Diversion of funds for other good use is NOT WRONG, but if it bothers your conscience to give to a ministry doing foreign work and you know they will use some of those funds for a tip for a taxi service then don't give. Keep your lousy money.

This discussion has a lot of personal investment in it. It clear that all brethren involved in this have stake in some type of related ministry so the actions and outcome of this reflects back on them in how they approach their work and relations to others. Before we discuss this further, we need to back off and get a clear head and be at rest before the Lord. What has come out thus far has not been from a place of rest.

I wonder if Francis Chan is aware that the court has ordered that the following MUST be done:
1) GFA's board MUST be changed: Gisela (KP's wife) must be removed and Dr Murphy or his appointee is to be put onto the board,
2) A subcommittee board of three people MUST be formed and MUST be comprised entirely of outsiders without any a involvement by KP, to oversee the financial activities for three years or until GFA regains ECFA approval, and
3) There MUST be oversight of GFA by the court for three years.
An organization that has done nothing wrong is not sanctioned in these ways.

While I believe GFA is doing a great work, the practice of redirecting designated funds in general bothers me. If the funds are to be used for the general purpose needs of the ministry then simply say so. And if ministry priorities have changed since the monies were obtained why not go back to those who made specific donations with a request to use the funds elsewhere? I doubt many (if any) donors would take issue with it.

But, I have also learned to give as instructed by the Lord and once I release it what happens with that gift is between the recipient and the Lord.

Greg: you said,
GFA was not sanctified to have to do these things but agreed with the individuals who made the lawsuit against them to not only appease them but offering a place on the board to the opposer is the way of Christ, humbling ourselves and allowing not only our tunic to be taken but our coat also, it is going the extra mile.

As the Lord would direct, otherwise I would defer to the fact no apostle put wolves in to appease them, nor oppressors of God's people in a place of position of authority.

I don't like it at all. This sets a precedent that any scum bag can sue a ministry and hope to get a board position by appealing to 'going the extra mile'. The very fact he sued and the ministry was proven innocent of charges disqualifies him from being in a board position in a spiritual ministry. He thought nothing of lawyering up, and GFA lawyering up and all the cost incurred by that...then all of the other major administration/facilitation and auditing fees.

So, he sues because funds are being redirected, but then in suing he makes sure the ministry must absolutely re-direct funds to protect itself.

Then when all is said and done and no doubt millions are spent he gets a board position. A guy who forced the ministry to spend millions of donation money now has financial oversight and a say how money is spent?
Lunacy.