Barry Duke, the Angry Atheist

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‘Persecuted Christians’ charity in ‘chaos’ after its founder is suspended for financial mismanagement and a toxic work culture

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PATRICK Sookhdeo, above, founder of Barnabas Aid, has been suspended, along with three other key figures, following whistleblowing’allegations of the misuse of charity funds.

Premier Christian News reports that Barnabas Aid was set up to provide “hope and aid for the persecuted Church across the world.”

With a turnover of over £20-m a year, it’s one of the largest Christian charities in the UK. In May, it was the principal sponsor of the Big Church Festival which welcomed tens of thousands of visitors.

Trustees of the organisation’s international board have ordered an independent investigation, while the charity has admitted it has let supporters down through a situation which has been described by those within as “chaos”..

Earlier this year, questions were asked by trustees of the international board about the management of the charity along with use of charity funds.

In a statement to Premier, Barnabas Aid said:

Sadly, we have identified examples of serious and repeated contraventions of internal policies; policies that were established to ensure the proper distribution of charitable donations.

It further appears that the founders, and others, are identified in the interim report as having failed to comply with those policies. Moreover, objectively the founders created a toxic work environment which resulted in staff feeling entirely unable to routinely voice concerns.

In addition, we have also identified significant payments made to the founders (and to others close to them — including some Board Members/Trustees) which cannot be readily explained. Ample opportunity has been provided to the founders to explain those transactions but sadly they have refused to cooperate.

We have let our supporters down, we have let the Lord down and we have let the suffering and persecuted Church down.

Along with Patrick Sookhdeo, his wife Rosemarie and Barnabas Aid UK trustees Caroline Kerslake and Dr Prasad Phillips have all been suspended while the investigation is carried out.

Sookhdeo stepped down as leader of the charity in 2015 after he was found guilty of sexual assault and intimidating witnesses in which he was given a three-month community sentence.

However he later returned to the charity in different roles including adviser and most recently international director.

Hat tip: Stephen Harvie

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10 responses to “‘Persecuted Christians’ charity in ‘chaos’ after its founder is suspended for financial mismanagement and a toxic work culture”

  1. deniswatkins1 Avatar
    deniswatkins1

     Let us be fair to Patrick and his fellow crooks. They have a sense of humour. Imagine them, over a drink, concocting this: Barnabas Aid was set up to provide “hope and aid for the persecuted Church across the world.”

    They probably did a few re-drafts as they had a laugh thinking about the poor suckers they were enjoying robbing while enriching themselves. So simple under the Christian aegis they must sometimes wish they has a bit more of a challenge.

    Liked by 2 people

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  2. malcolmjdodd Avatar
    malcolmjdodd

    They have all been suspended on the way to the British Virgin Islands.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  3. stephenharvie Avatar
    stephenharvie

    My father was involved with these shysters through the Church of Scotland – he assumed they would be helping ‘persecuted’ Christstains in foreign parts whereas they were just helping themselves!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. deniswatkins1 Avatar
      deniswatkins1

      This is what is so disgusting. They use decent, kind people, anxious to help those in need, and play on their wish to help to rob them. They have no shame.

      Liked by 2 people

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    2. malcolmjdodd Avatar
      malcolmjdodd

      You are correcct, christ stains everything, however, mohammed stains everything with blood.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. stephenharvie Avatar
        stephenharvie

        Christers still would if they get the chance – just looks at the US

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply
    3. Matilda Avatar
      Matilda

      I knew about Barnabas but we never supported it. A shrewd x-tian told us that charities go in fashions. Brother Andrew’s ‘courageous bible smuggling work behind the Iron Curtain’ for example caught the imagination, as did The Leprosy Mission and both were very wealthy. And we knew Barnanbas came in that category. I saw their maps of the world on a church notice board where whole swathes of continents were coloured black….implying extreme persecution, torture, death to believers. -with money-begs of course. We realised it was in the financial interests of Barnanbas to hype up persecution for all it was worth, to us gullible fundies in the West. Privately I couldn’t reconcile the notion that, if I became a x-tian in a closed country, I had to declare it, knowing my family would suffer horribly. Cowardly and naive maybe, but so that my kids didn’t starve, I’d be a secret x-tian and have it out with the Almighty when I stood before him one day and had to give an account of my actions in this area to protect my loved ones. I didn’t know about the sexual assault conviction of Sookhdeo…..such a prominent x-tian leader in many evangelical circles, how disgusting.

      Liked by 1 person

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  4. deniswatkins1 Avatar
    deniswatkins1

    And yet it is atheists who so quickly arouse distrust and dislike.

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. malcolmjdodd Avatar
      malcolmjdodd

      I do not understand why, I am an example of the perfect human.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. stephenharvie Avatar
        stephenharvie

        NURSE!!

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

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