Charity regulator investigates more charities linked to Barnabas Aid

The charity regulator for England and Wales has expanded its investigation into Barnabas Aid – also called Barnabas Fund – to incorporate the activities of 4 charities which have links with the organisation. 

The Charity Commission announced on Thursday that it was launching statutory inquiries into TBF Trust, the Oxford Centre for Religion in Public Life, the Reconciliation Trust, and Servants Fellowship International (SFI). 

The charity regulator said the brand new investigations were being launched after it had identified “possible risks as a consequence of their shared premises, trustees and/or founders, and the flow of funds with Barnabas Aid, one other charity under inquiry”. 

Barnabas Aid has been under investigation by the regulator since last October over “serious concerns regarding its compliance with charity law and using charitable funds”. 

At the time, it restricted Barnabas Aid transactions to £4,000. It has now moved to limit transactions by the TBF Trust, SFI and the Oxford Centre for Religion in Public Life to £2,500 while it carries out its inquiries. Transactions over this amount require written consent from the Charity Commission.

The bank accounts of the Reconciliation Trust have been frozen entirely. 

“This follows concerns that charitable funds might be in danger,” the Charity Commission said. 

The expanded inquiry will examine legal compliance within the governance of the charities, any risk to charity property and other assets, and whether there was any misconduct or mismanagement by charity trustees. 

It can even consider the connection between the 4 charities and Nexcus International, a US not-for-profit umbrella organisation that sits over all the worldwide Barnabas Family of ministries, including Barnabas Aid UK, USA, Australia and New Zealand.

Barnabas Aid said in an announcement, “We are committed to openness and transparency and welcome the Charity Commission’s extension to their statutory inquiry into other parts of the Barnabas Family and interconnected Christian ministries.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the entities listed within the Charity Commission’s statement have at all times formed a part of the Barnabas Family. It is correct that the Charity Commission has expanded its work to incorporate these organisations.”