Gospel for Asia Update: First Lawsuit Settlements Checks Go Out; Foot Washing for the Metropolitan; Still No Audited Financial Statement

Gospel for Asia news:

Refund Checks

During the week of October 28, former donors to Gospel for Asia received the first of two checks as a part of the massive $37 million fraud lawsuit settlement. The second check should go out sometime in the first half of next year.

Shortly after receiving their checks, those same donors promptly received a mailing asking for them to re-gift those funds to GFA. One such donor posted a partial photo of his letter.

I heard from nearly a dozen donors who were upset with this tactic. On the other hand, because GFA continues to do it, I suspect that it is working for them.

Foot Washing Up

According to a witness to this scene, it is customary for people of a lower caste to wash the feet of visitors of a higher caste. Apparently, the Metropolitan, aka Moran Mor Athanasius Yohan I, aka K.P. Yohannan is of a higher caste.

I asked the witness to this if Yohannan returned the gesture but according to this informant, he did not.

Audited Financial Statement and Charity Registration

Gospel for Asia continues to solicit funds from former, current, and new donors. However, they have not released an audited financial statement since 2013. They have not disclosed to donors that their field partners (Believers Easter Church and Ayana Charitable Trust — formerly Gospel for Asia India) had their charity registrations revoked in 2017. This means those two field partners cannot receive charitable donations from outside of India.  Gospel for Asia has never disclosed how American donations are getting to needy people in India. Given GFA’s history, donors should demand an answer to this question.

I am aware that there are other charitable shell organizations in India which GFA-USA can send money to. However, they have no web presence or track record, there is no way to examine their practices. There is no way for a donor to know if they are reliable or are spending funds according to good practices or donor intent. GFA refuses to release audited financial statements. They are not required to file IRS 990 forms since they are classified (inaccurately in my opinion) as a fraternal/religious organization.

Since GFA was removed from the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability for violating financial management standards, the limited oversight involved in that membership is now absent. There is no transparency for donors. Donors should ask themselves why an organization that claims to have nothing to hide hides everything.

19 thoughts on “Gospel for Asia Update: First Lawsuit Settlements Checks Go Out; Foot Washing for the Metropolitan; Still No Audited Financial Statement”

    1. You should have heard the stories the GFA Diaspora were telling during the early days. One involved a woman on her hands and knees in KP’s office picking out lint and hair from the carpet. She worked for a division KP named “servants quarters” which we were told to Indians brings back memories of the British occupation and that if used in India would imply that a man had a personal harem. That incident sparked quite a lively conversation which is now lost thanks to the corruption of the owners of Patheos.

  1. Does anyone know who is keeping the law firm in in charge of the settlement accountable. I did the online procedure to be part of the settlement last may/june. My son got his check. My wife and I did not. I was told there was no record or claim number for me. Firm will not return emails or look into problem. I know a confirmation email was not sent out like should have been for those who signed up for settlement.
    Anyone else having this problem?

  2. I notice they simply ask to sign it over to “GFA” rather than any specific (declared) charitable fund. so clearly GFA has learned a lesson from the lawsuit, but probably not the one most would have wanted it to learn.

  3. They actually want me to donate my settlement check back to them.

    “All of the people, some of the time!”

  4. They actually want me to donate my settlement check back to them.

    “All of the people, some of the time!”

    1. It’s a calculated gamble. They know some people will take the check and move along. But they also know that some have bought in to “GFA persecution” and will happily sign over the check or donate an equal amount. What they don’t know is how many of which group.

      1. They actually encouraged their sheeple to sign up for the settlement (since they had to pay it anyway) and then send the funds back to them. I was floored by the chutzpah. If somehow my family hadn’t already decided that GFA could never again be trusted, that probably would have done it.

  5. Foot washing – I remember reading something about that in the Bible, something to do with Jesus…

    I once heard a story about a mother cooking breakfast for her two boys. They were both impatient, and wanted theirs first. She told them that if Jesus were here, he would want the other to get his food first.
    The older boy looked at his younger brother and said, “Ryan, you be Jesus.”

    Somehow this story seems relevant.

  6. According to a witness to this scene, it is customary for people of a lower caste to wash the feet of visitors of a higher caste.

    I seem to recall that Jesus reversed that for Christians.

      1. The Pope has a different but related problem. They all allow and encourage the practice of the laymen worshiping them. This is not just an RCC problem as I see this happening to various degrees everywhere in every denom. and “Christian” org. Even KP boasts of charity events and things he does to just look humble before the camera. In this way KP and the Pope are the same kind of hypocrites. If they wanted to actually be good, they would have to do what the angel in the Revelation of Jesus Christ did. When John tried to worship the angel the angel rebuked him. Human beings need to learn to do that. This practice of putting men up on pedestals to be fawned upon as celebrities by the masses just simply must end. It does not matter who the men are or what the name of their org. is. Idolatry is clearly evil by many, many different scriptures. God hates it and He is not behind or promoting the orgs. that do that…

      2. The Pope has a different but related problem. They all allow and encourage the practice of the laymen worshiping them. This is not just an RCC problem as I see this happening to various degrees everywhere in every denom. and “Christian” org. Even KP boasts of charity events and things he does to just look humble before the camera. In this way KP and the Pope are the same kind of hypocrites. If they wanted to actually be good, they would have to do what the angel in the Revelation of Jesus Christ did. When John tried to worship the angel the angel rebuked him. Human beings need to learn to do that. This practice of putting men up on pedestals to be fawned upon as celebrities by the masses just simply must end. It does not matter who the men are or what the name of their org. is. Idolatry is clearly evil by many, many different scriptures. God hates it and He is not behind or promoting the orgs. that do that…

    1. Correct me on this, but on Holy Thursday/Maundy Thursday/Tenebrae, isn’t the celebrant — whether priest, bishop, or even Pope — the one who WASHES the feet of laypeople? Some making the point to wash the feet of “the least of these”?

  7. Men like KP in their arrogant pride think they can get away with this forever, but when God acts he will be gone permanently never to be seen or heard from again. His days are numbered and there is a surely a curse that his money and power will bring once passed on to his children. Actions like these prove that these men do not believe any of the scriptures that they teach on. God is just used for leverage to get people to treat men like KP as gods. KP likes the racist cast system that they have as the masses starve while he gets his feet washed and stomach filled with the best and most expensive delicacies. They have been condemned from the beginning for actions are what is important and not words.

  8. Men like KP in their arrogant pride think they can get away with this forever, but when God acts he will be gone permanently never to be seen or heard from again. His days are numbered and there is a surely a curse that his money and power will bring once passed on to his children. Actions like these prove that these men do not believe any of the scriptures that they teach on. God is just used for leverage to get people to treat men like KP as gods. KP likes the racist cast system that they have as the masses starve while he gets his feet washed and stomach filled with the best and most expensive delicacies. They have been condemned from the beginning for actions are what is important and not words.

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