Up until yesterday, David Carroll of Gospel for Asia has responded quickly to questions regarding Gospel for Asia’s disputes with former staff and certain financial policies. However, recently, I asked Carroll questions about substantial reserves maintained by GFA in India and apparent reporting discrepancies in Canada and India. In response, Carroll informed me yesterday that responding to questions had “become a distraction from our mission work” and for that reason, his email would be his “final response.”
Earlier this week I asked Carroll about claims by former staffer Johnson George that GFA founder and Metropolitan Bishop K.P. Yohannan maintained multiple substantial homes (George called at least one them a “mansion”) in India. Then I asked about the existence of a reserve fund in India of about $150 million which is maintained as a balance by GFA. Carroll did not answer either of those questions. He did answer some questions about GFA’s corporate structure and nonprofit status. I reported those answers elsewhere.
Finally, I asked why a 2013 movement of GFA funds sent from Canada to India did not line up in Canadian and Indian public records as required by law. He initially responded by saying, “The Canadian funds were combined with U.S. funds by our auditor in India for various accounting reasons. There is no requirement that they be reported separately.”
I replied by asking for contact information for the Indian auditor so I could clear up what appears to me to be a conflict with Canadian and possibly Indian law. Carroll replied by saying:
No, Gospel for Asia has not violated the law.
When you first contacted us, I mentioned that we would not be able to respond to every question you put before us. Now, with the increased volume and frequency of your questions, it has become clear that this back and forth has become a distraction from our mission work. For this reason, this will be my final response. We understand that you will continue to explore issues around Gospel for Asia and continue to be fed accusations from former employees, and we accept that.
We continue to remain accountable to all applicable laws and regulations, to the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability and to independent auditors.
If GFA was accountable to the ECFA guidelines then they would not view transparency as a distraction. However, as we have seen, the ECFA isn’t transparent, nor will the organization disclose any problems it finds with a member organization.
A sizable number of former GFA staff have raised significant and troubling charges regarding leadership and financial practices at GFA. There are many more which I have not been able to look into as yet. Mr. Carroll’s response is not an encouraging sign.
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