Category: David Carroll

Indian Newspaper: Gospel for Asia and Believers' Church Threaten Newspaper, Claim Defamation of the Metropolitan

This seems like an odd way to evangelize.
I can’t read the Malayalam but the English indicates that GFA-India and Believers’ Church are threatening (or have filed, I can’t tell for sure) a defamation suit against a paper in Kerala India (“Breaking News Weekly”). If this is accurate, GFA-India and Believers’ Church are demanding $15.7 million for defamation which includes calling K.P. Yohannan by his name instead of referring to him as Metropolitan Bishop.
I am seeking a translation but for now here is the “legal notice” according to the paper.
 
Defamation suit1
Defamation suit2
Note that the letter says calling K.P. Yohannan by his name is defamation. He apparently is to be addressed as Metropolitan Bishop. The next two pages pull out Malayalam passages from the paper which GFA/Believers’ Church believe to be defamation. Here is page three and four. Page five is below.
Defamation suit3 Defamation suit4 Defamation suit5
This is all that was provided by the Indian newspaper. The amount demanded in U.S. dollars is $15.7 million (100 Crores). The lawyer wants that sum in 7 days.
If this is true, it won’t be the first time GFA/Believers Church have sued in India. You can use this website to read cases where GFA has been sued and has sued various parties in India.
 
 
 

Francis Chan Joins Gospel for Asia Board Meeting Today; Is He Still Skeptical?

Last week, I publicly asked pastor Francis Chan for some answers regarding Gospel for Asia, a ministry he has endorsed. Today, I learned from a source at GFA that GFA’s board is meeting in Wills Point today with Francis Chan in attendance. It is not clear if Chan is there as a new board member, as has been rumored, or if he is there to be skeptical and ask questions. In any case, this heightens expectations that perhaps GFA leaders might break their silence. 

If Chan does join the board, that might help to address concerns but not just by joining. The expectation is that he would use his position on the board to create a culture of transparency. If he doesn’t do that, the impatience of donors and the public will grow.

As a summary, here are some concerns for GFA.

While these are not the only problems, getting some information about them would be a good start.

Francis Chan: Can You Get Some Answers From Gospel for Asia?

Some time ago I emailed Francis Chan ab0ut his endorsement of Gospel for Asia. Chan says on the video below that he is skeptical and because of that he sent people to check GFA out. I was told by his assistant Chaz that he was getting my emails, but it was unlikely that I would get a personal response from Chan. And as Chaz predicted, I have not heard from Chan in response to concerns I raised in the emails and blog posts.

Watch Chan’s endorsement of GFA.

Rev. Chan, like you, I am skeptical, but unlike you, I don’t have a budget that allows me to send people to check GFA out. However, I have asked GFA multiple times for help understanding why their 2013 audited statement says they sent $58.5 million to GFA-India in 2013 but only $6.5 million shows up in GFA-India’s reports to the Indian government. I can account for another $22 million that GFA in the U.S. sent to Believers’ Church and two other NGOs controlled by K.P. Yohannan but that leaves about $30 million unaccounted for. It seems like a discrepancy like that would make a skeptical person wonder what happened to the $30 million.

If you or your auditors know anything about the unaccounted for $30 million, could you let me know? If there is a reasonable explanation for this, then it seems odd that GFA has allowed the situation to go on without public disclosure. The ECFA is no help either. All the silence makes a skeptical guy like me wonder what is happening. However, it seems like you might know something and perhaps could reassure donors and the public.

Also, there are some other matters which you could really help with:

Rev. Chan, many people trust you, and like you, I am skeptical and don’t believe it is wrong to ask questions. Perhaps, you know something about these matters and could persuade GFA to simply offer additional information and explanation. Or perhaps you, as an endorser, could write and clear things up. We aren’t the only ones who are skeptical, others too want to know what is happening at GFA.

I hope to hear from you.

Will the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability Hold Gospel for Asia Accountable?

I am not betting on it.
CashThe Calvary Chapel Senior Pastors Conference ended yesterday with no public statements from anyone within the Calvary Chapel movement about Gospel for Asia. GFA exhibited at the conference but left their table unmanned much of the time according to sources there. Several pastors, speaking on condition of anonymity, told me that their church would soon drop support for GFA due to GFA’s public silence about various financial, personnel and leadership concerns.
Several sources have told me that GFA is holding up their membership in the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability as proof that no real problems exist. Furthermore, GFA insiders have told me that ECFA executives have reviewed GFA’s finances and is privately expressing confidence in GFA. ECFA leaders have ignored my requests for clarification or explanation about the missing money, money carrying to India, etc.
Mars Hill Church similarly pointed to ECFA membership as an indication that funds were being used properly. Even as the church did that, Mars Hill made changes to their procedures to come more into compliance with ECFA guidelines. What I learned about ECFA via the Mars Hill experience and then later through ECFA’s handling of Faith Christian Church is that donors cannot count on ECFA to disclose problems with members.
Now ECFA membership is being used by GFA to avoid explanations of multiple concerns raised by around 100 former employees, former donors, and bloggers. In my opinion, ECFA is now responsible for whatever problems GFA manifests. Here again is a summary of issues that GFA and ECFA have ignored.

Millions of dollars are unaccounted for and GFA has not given any reasons or explanations. Now GFA is claiming that ECFA has seen the books and has given the all-clear.
Since GFA won’t be accountable, I publicly call on ECFA to provide information relevant to list of concerns listed above.
 

Gospel for Asia Exhibiting at Calvary Chapel Pastors Conference; Any Answers There?

Earlier today, Danny Yohannan (K.P. Yohannan’s son and in leadership at Gospel for Asia) tweeted the following:


GFA is exhibiting at the Calvary Chapel Senior Pastors Conference (watch live here). I wonder if GFA will address any of the CC pastors’ questions.
Tomorrow will be two months since GFA told me they would answer no more questions. GFA reps have time to exhibit at this conference but they can’t be bothered to address other matters such as:

In addition to the “awesome free materials” perhaps Mr. Yohannan could give some free answers to these questions. If anyone attending the Calvary conference gets any responses, please add that information in the comments or send me an email.