Kingsway International Christian Centre
Encyclopedia
Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC) is based in London
, England
and was established in 1992 with 200 adults and 100 children. It currently has up to 12,000 people in attendance at the main church every Sunday. The Church was located for nine years on a 9.5 acres (38,445.2 m²) site in Hackney
, London, close to the site of the new 2012 Olympics Village. The church is pastored by Matthew Ashimolowo
. The majority of the membership is under 50 years of age and is predominantly of West African origin, but it is claimed that worshippers come from 46 nations.
KICC had to vacate the site by November 2006 in order to make way for proposed developments for the 2012 London Olympics
but did so only in late 2007. The last programme held at the old site was IGOC 2007, with many international guest speakers. The church has now relocated to Hoe Street
, Walthamstow
, awaiting planning consent and the development of a large new site in Rainham
, Essex
, near the A13. However, the government has been reluctant to give the required development planning consent.
of England and Wales between 2002 and 2005. A report of the inquiry was released in October 2005, but the manner in which the investigation was conducted was subsequently seriously criticised by the House of Lords
. The report of the Charity Commission
concluded that there had been serious misconduct and mismanagement in the administration of the charity. At an early stage in the investigation, it was considered that the charity's assets were at risk, and control was removed from the existing trustees and placed in the hands of an independent external company (the accountancy and management consultancy practice KPMG), who regularised the charity's affairs.
The report alleged that Matthew Ashimolowo acted as both a trustee and a paid employee of the charity, contrary to charity law and was responsible for approving payments and benefits to himself and his wife, Yemisi, totalling more than £384,000. Benefits received included free accommodation for himself and family, including an £80,000 car and purchase of a timeshare
in Florida
for £13,000 using a charity credit card, and over half a million pounds paid out to Ashimolowo's private companies, which were operated from church property and had unclear business relationships with the charity.
In a subsequent debate in the House of Lords
, Lord Swinfen questioned the Charity Commission's running of this investigation. He acknowledged the technical breach, but highlighted its openness, "This unincorporated trust has for some years been remunerating its trustees for various services and doing so quite openly. It made the mistake of not realising that it should have altered its constitution explicitly to allow that to be done." He then questioned the cost of the investigation "With some advice from the commission and the use of the charity lawyer, the trustees of this charity could have affected these changes for some £12,000... one-hundredth of the sum the commission has already spent [i.e. £1.2 million]." He added "The commission believes, understandably, that the future success of this charity is assured by the charity having new trustees".
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and was established in 1992 with 200 adults and 100 children. It currently has up to 12,000 people in attendance at the main church every Sunday. The Church was located for nine years on a 9.5 acres (38,445.2 m²) site in Hackney
London Borough of Hackney
The London Borough of Hackney is a London borough of North/North East London, and forms part of inner London. The local authority is Hackney London Borough Council....
, London, close to the site of the new 2012 Olympics Village. The church is pastored by Matthew Ashimolowo
Matthew Ashimolowo
Matthew Ashimolowo is the Senior Pastor of Kingsway International Christian Centre in London.His Winning Ways programme is aired daily on Premier Radio and Spirit FM and on television in Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, TV Africa, the Trinity Broadcasting Network and Europe on The God Channel and...
. The majority of the membership is under 50 years of age and is predominantly of West African origin, but it is claimed that worshippers come from 46 nations.
KICC had to vacate the site by November 2006 in order to make way for proposed developments for the 2012 London Olympics
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
but did so only in late 2007. The last programme held at the old site was IGOC 2007, with many international guest speakers. The church has now relocated to Hoe Street
Hoe Street (ward)
Hoe Street Ward is a political division of the London Borough of Waltham Forest and is one of the seven wards of the Walthamstow constituency represented by Neil Gerrard MP....
, Walthamstow
Walthamstow
Walthamstow is a district of northeast London, England, located in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is situated north-east of Charing Cross...
, awaiting planning consent and the development of a large new site in Rainham
Rainham, London
Rainham is a suburban town in northeast London, England, and part of the London Borough of Havering. Located east of Charing Cross, it is one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan and is surrounded by a residential area, which has grown from the historic village,...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, near the A13. However, the government has been reluctant to give the required development planning consent.
Charity Commission Enquiry
The charity behind Kingsway International Christian Centre (The King's Ministries Trust) was investigated by the Charity CommissionCharity Commission
The Charity Commission for England and Wales is the non-ministerial government department that regulates registered charities in England and Wales....
of England and Wales between 2002 and 2005. A report of the inquiry was released in October 2005, but the manner in which the investigation was conducted was subsequently seriously criticised by the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. The report of the Charity Commission
Charity Commission
The Charity Commission for England and Wales is the non-ministerial government department that regulates registered charities in England and Wales....
concluded that there had been serious misconduct and mismanagement in the administration of the charity. At an early stage in the investigation, it was considered that the charity's assets were at risk, and control was removed from the existing trustees and placed in the hands of an independent external company (the accountancy and management consultancy practice KPMG), who regularised the charity's affairs.
The report alleged that Matthew Ashimolowo acted as both a trustee and a paid employee of the charity, contrary to charity law and was responsible for approving payments and benefits to himself and his wife, Yemisi, totalling more than £384,000. Benefits received included free accommodation for himself and family, including an £80,000 car and purchase of a timeshare
Timeshare
A timeshare is a form of ownership or right to the use of a property, or the term used to describe such properties. These properties are typically resort condominium units, in which multiple parties hold rights to use the property, and each sharer is allotted a period of time in which they may use...
in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
for £13,000 using a charity credit card, and over half a million pounds paid out to Ashimolowo's private companies, which were operated from church property and had unclear business relationships with the charity.
In a subsequent debate in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
, Lord Swinfen questioned the Charity Commission's running of this investigation. He acknowledged the technical breach, but highlighted its openness, "This unincorporated trust has for some years been remunerating its trustees for various services and doing so quite openly. It made the mistake of not realising that it should have altered its constitution explicitly to allow that to be done." He then questioned the cost of the investigation "With some advice from the commission and the use of the charity lawyer, the trustees of this charity could have affected these changes for some £12,000... one-hundredth of the sum the commission has already spent [i.e. £1.2 million]." He added "The commission believes, understandably, that the future success of this charity is assured by the charity having new trustees".
Crystal Palace
KICC have bought a site in Crystal Palace that was originally designed as a cinema, but planning permission to use it as a church has not been granted. The intention is to use it for their South West branch based in Wimbledon London SW19.External links
- KICC Website
- Charity Commission report on The King's Ministries Trust
- "So Shall You Reap" - A short documentary film showing how money was raised at a 2007 KICC event