Barry Duke, the Angry Atheist

Search

Search

Please click this link to help me keep The Angry Atheist active with a donation.

1. 

   “The curriculum had already drawn tensions among the county’s religious parents, with some worrying about appropriateness and arguing the material…

2. 

   As someone who produced dozens of nativity plays as a teacher and a Sunday School leader, that title ‘A Gay…

3. 

   The defence of a Christian view never seems to be settled by debate: exchange of facts, reference to historical events.…

4. 

   But …… Rwanda is a safe place: Parliament says so.https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2024/8/contentsSafety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024 S 2 Safety…

5. 

   Religion can survive only on the most unquestionable assumptions. The statements made on Sundays on the BBC as if they…

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

Please help me keep The Angry Atheist going with a donation.