Reading the Gospel for Asia press release about the settlement of Murphy v. GFA (RICO lawsuit), one might think GFA came away vindicated. In the settlement document, GFA proclaimed their innocence and both parties agreed that all funds given by donors “to the field” went “to the field.”
Read the Murphy v. GFA Settlement
However, GFA still isn’t being transparent with the public on multiple counts. The “field” is a big place and just because funds get to Asia doesn’t mean they were spent as designated by donors. In the course of discovery, we learned that GFA interprets “the field” as being the banks where funds are deposited after they leave GFA in Texas. Yes, funds were sent to “the field” but that doesn’t mean donor intent was honored once those funds left Wills Point, TX. The plaintiffs did not stipulate to that, nor did the settlement document attest to that.
In the past, I have provided evidence that GFA has collected funds to send to Asia but used them for purposes other than intended by donors. A tax court in India also asserted the same thing. Then, there is the matter of $20-million which came back from Asia to help finance the Texas headquarters. Donors did not give $20-million to finance a compound in Wills Point, but at least some of those funds first went to the field before they came back to Texas for purposes other than what donors intended.
Furthermore, GFA still isn’t being transparent with donors about the charity registration situation in India. GFA and Believers Church in India lost their registration status in India and cannot directly take foreign contributions. No doubt GFA is sending funds to shell organizations in India but this flaunts the law there. I and others have repeatedly asked GFA how Bridge of Hope and flood relief funds are getting to Indian recipients, but they have given false answers. If GFA is actually going to try to get membership again in the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, the organizational leaders will have to be accountable to the public.
Although most of the GFA board remains intact, Garland Murphy and one more outsider will join the board soon. In addition, a subcommittee of the board –which does not include Yohannan or his son — will report to the federal judge for three years. All of this should make the board more transparent. When GFA will not answer questions or provide answers, I know two board members who will have no incentive to keep any secrets.
More than transparency, I hope the board becomes independent. The board will be required to learn about fiduciary responsibility and act accordingly. Given the precarious place K.P. Yohannan has taken GFA in recent years (loss of ECFA and NRB memberships, loss of recognition with federal government’s giving campaign, RICO lawsuit, etc.), I have to believe any reasonable board would have to look at his status as CEO. The track record isn’t good. Perhaps it is time for the board to act in the interest of GFA.
In short, GFA lives on but has not yet been vindicated.
I have received an email from the attorneys that claim to be representing the donors in the lawsuit. I was given a claim number and instructed to go to a website and use the claim number to see a list of donations i made and file a claim. I made repeated attempts but the claim number didn’t work. I have sent several emails and cannot get a response from the attorneys. I have called the telephone number on the website. It is impossible to reach a real person. instead you get endless messages that are barely audible. Has anyone had any luck filing a claim? Can anyone provide any help?
Yesterday, (June 6) I finally got around to going to the website to verify my donations. My claim number on the postcard that I received didn’t work. So I called the telephone number on the postcard and got a recording saying:”We’re sorry, all circuits are busy now, please try your call later.” If I can’t get a response, I will fill out the postcard, & mail it (certified return receipt) with a letter stating the total of my donations to GFA as listed on my tax returns. Did you ever have any success contacting them?
I believe folks was looking for an opportunity down this ministry. Do scripture preach taken your brother to court?
Are you speaking English? You might want to read what you wrote before posting.
In California, the legal duty of a member of the Board of a non-profit is NOT acting as a fiduary, but to exercise reasonable care, which is a significantly lower standard than being a fiduciary. I suspect most states have the same standard for non profits. Hence, presidents/senior pastors of churches that act illegally or outside the scope of their governance documents rarely place the boards members at risk.
So adding new board members to GFA in practice means very little, since GFA’s assets are likely very limited aside from the Texas real estate and GFA’s board has likely no right to examine the financial standing or operations of Belivers Churchor any such other foreign entity.
Candidly, this is all like putting lipstick on a pig. Sorry to discourage.
The real change in the board is going to be the addition of two members that offset KP and Danny (his son), and the creation of the subcommittee that will give a financial report card to the lawyers and judge every year. That subcommittee will not have KP or any of his relatives on it. Having court oversight of GFA for three years is HUGE. If they set a foot out of line and violate the settlement, the judge has many many options to punish them, including throwing people in jail. I’d say that’s a bit more than lipstick.
I don’t recognize the hooded vestments, but the arrangement and décor say “TRIDENTINE ULTRA-HIGH MASS” to me.
The beards make me think EO or Eastern/Oriental Rite. (Though the altar looks Western-Rite.)
And EVERYBODY in frame except the cameraman in back has vestments — all Clergy, no Laity?
Or Heresy of Clericalism — that only Clergy count and Laity can all go to hell?
If the board removes KP as CEO, there’s a chance of actually making something valuable out of GFA. There would need to be a major cleanup on the field and some real honesty about the past, but other than some of the leadership, the U.S. organisation has a great group of staff.
If the board removes KP as CEO, there’s a chance of actually making something valuable out of GFA. There would need to be a major cleanup on the field and some real honesty about the past, but other than some of the leadership, the U.S. organisation has a great group of staff.
Unfortunately that great group of staff still left at GFA after all this mess are the ultra-loyal KP-ites. They will never believe that he or the other leaders did anything wrong (whether in reference to misappropriation of funds, or blatant spiritual abuse), so I can’t see the organization being able to continue with those folks still there.
Some of the low-level staff? Yes, they might be reluctant to believe any wrongdoing, but if the leadership structure is changed, that might not matter.
The tree bares exceedingly rotten fruit and therefore it will be cut down. I have seen a glimpse of God’s plan for this entity. It does not end well for the criminals leveraging Jesus’ name for Mammon.
No, it never ends well for those who abuse the name of Christ for financial game. The consequences may not come in this life, but ultimately they will all stand before a Judge who cannot be deceived, and no clever lawyers will find a way out. The only way out is to find the Lawyer who says “my client is guilty, but I already paid the price in full”, and that Lawyer will not take on a client who is unrepentant.
The tree bares exceedingly rotten fruit and therefore it will be cut down. I have seen a glimpse of God’s plan for this entity. It does not end well for the criminals leveraging Jesus’ name for Mammon.
I am one of them. plz convince me… U are tied up with hindu fenatics to stop the ministry . God is going to deal with u.
Unfortunately that great group of staff still left at GFA after all this mess are the ultra-loyal KP-ites. They will never believe that he or the other leaders did anything wrong (whether in reference to misappropriation of funds, or blatant spiritual abuse), so I can’t see the organization being able to continue with those folks still there.
Looks like justice was not served. KP and co. will just become more cultlike in India. They will become less transparent in Western countries. Don’t be fooled, KP knows exactly how to get around the new board members. They will be kept in the dark just like all the other big names that supported him in the past were suckered. KP has proven over and over and over he is a master at deception. History will repeat itself and years down the line we will be on this board revisiting all the same issues. Thank you Dr. T for exposing this. Thanks to all the others for trying to bring this man to justice and his organization to accountablity. At least now we have some recorded history to fall back on when it all circles around to this point again. It will be much easier to catch the culprit in the future. God bless you all.
There are games you can play to freeze out board members if you have the chair or control a majority faction, but this is incredibly difficult to do when a federal judge is watching; they’ve seen all of this a hundred times before they even left law school and still have most of the powers they had when they were directly appointed by absolute monarchs in England. Once you’re under their administration their contempt power is quite unappealable; worse, they are encouraged to be creative in imposing their will and don’t have many limits to what they can do to you. The combination of unlimited power and the impossibility of appealing their general contempt orders makes it very dangerous to play games with federal judges administering a fraud settlement.
KP is rumored to be very, very wealthy here in India. Seems he fooled a large group of smart people worldwide already. His endorsements of GFA read like a who’s who of the Christian royality. I think those are smart people too. Never underestimate an Indian. The judges arm doesn’t reach beyond the American borders. This was a major problem with this case. Go ahead and take his kingdom in the USA. He has plenty of businesses and money stashed overseas. So far no one has put a dent in his lifestyle from what I can see. I still have hope though. Usually people like this get caught on the stupid stuff.
Ha ha ha..
KP is rumored to be very, very wealthy here in India. Seems he fooled a large group of smart people worldwide already. His endorsements of GFA read like a who’s who of the Christian royality. I think those are smart people too. Never underestimate an Indian. The judges arm doesn’t reach beyond the American borders. This was a major problem with this case. Go ahead and take his kingdom in the USA. He has plenty of businesses and money stashed overseas. So far no one has put a dent in his lifestyle from what I can see. I still have hope though. Usually people like this get caught on the stupid stuff.