Receivers take control of 'fastest growing' church

One of Britain's biggest churches was under the financial control of receivers last night after the Charity Commission raised concerns over the "possible misapplication" of funds by its trustees.

The Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC) attracts 8,000 people a week to its services in a former warehouse in Hackney, east London. It has about 12,000 members, most of whom are Afro-Caribbean. Its founder and senior pastor, Matthew Ashimolowo, says he wants to have 25,000 members by 2010.

Started 17 years ago from a congregation of 17, the church claims to be the fastest-

growing in Europe and runs a range of services, from televised preaching in Africa to an internet chatroom for singles. The centre has cash savings worth about £8.5m.

It came under scrutiny from charity watchdogs in June this year after a routine visit to its offices revealed concerns about its governance procedures and the benefits received by its trustees.

The church has six trustees, including Mr Ashimolowo, his wife, Yemesi, and the bishop of an American Pentecostal church based in Georgia.

A spokesman for the Charity Commission said yesterday: "We have taken temporary action in order to protect the church's assets as part of an ongoing investigation. That investigation is looking at the governance of the church and trustee benefits, namely their remuneration and the possible misapplication of funds."

The investigation is understood to be focusing on how funds from the KICC's arrangement for many of its members to pay a "tithe" or about 10 per cent of their income to the church, are distributed by the trustees.

Mr Ashimolowo said he was disappointed at the decision to appoint a receiver or "interim manager" and that it showed a lack of understanding of how churches operate.

The pastor, whose recorded sermons with titles such as "Sweatless Wealth" and "Let's Talk About Sex" have helped make him one of Britain's most popular Pentecostal preachers, said the church had submitted independently audited accounts for the past nine years. He told BBC London News: "The only challenge which we think the Charity Commission needs to look at is the fact that there are certain biblical principles ... that may [wrongly] look as if we are deliberately insulting charity law."

A source close to the investigation said that while biblical texts allowed religious community leaders to receive some donations as "gifts", such an arrangement, if implemented by KICC, would be contrary to British law. It is understood that investigators are concerned that the rapid growth of KICC, described by the commission as a "strong and successful church", means its procedures are no longer sufficiently transparent.

A statement on the church's website says: "Giving is an integral part of our worship and we give using an envelope and a Giving Number unique to each individual."

The church, which states as its aims the advancement of Christian faith and the relief of sickness and poverty, had an

income of £7.4m last year, of which £6.5m came from tithes and offerings. Its commercial operation, which includes selling videos, music and books, had a turnover of £314,000. Among KICC's assets is a 9.5-acre site in Hackney on which it wants to build a £22m complex, including an exhibition hall, 130-room hotel and a 10,000-seater church.