Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Dodgy Church Pastor

115 replies

observant79 · 29/01/2026 09:24

Since last year June I have been attending a church local to me in Leicester and think the Pastor runs it like his own personal business. AIBU to think that a charity/religious church shouldn’t be run by a range rover driving, designer clothes wearing, council house living, 3 trips a year to South Africa taking, no other job/jncome having “man of God”?

I can’t help but feel the charity commissioner needs to investigate this man.

The church ks completely run by him and his wife and they collect tithes and offerings weekly and emphasise no one will be blessed if they don’t give to the church.

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
drspouse · 04/02/2026 11:08

poetryandwine · 30/01/2026 10:41

Why are you giving us this phone no, OP?

Only you know the name of the church and the pastor, so only you can make the call. You have the evidence.

We can help you work out what to say.

Show quote history

It's the charity no, "tel" was a typo I'm assuming.

This is not a church, it's a cult. Run far far away.

sillypheebs · 04/02/2026 11:03

GCSEonline · 03/02/2026 21:23

Coercive control is hard to spot.

Show quote history

And so very easy to sense.

CraftyGin · 03/02/2026 21:25

GCSEonline · 03/02/2026 21:23

Coercive control is hard to spot.

Show quote history

But how would you improve the regulations we already have?

GCSEonline · 03/02/2026 21:23

CraftyGin · 31/01/2026 22:13

There are regulations. How would you improve them?

Show quote history

Coercive control is hard to spot.

sarahbanshee · 01/02/2026 16:18

Here's the link to the form where you can raise concerns directly with the Charity Commission. What you've said here would definitely be within their remit to investigate; they'll want to know if you can share any evidence with them (eg copies of leaflets or videos etc) as well as your own observations, but if you don't have that you can still outline your concerns and what you've seen and heard. Raising Concerns - Charity Commission for England and Wales

Raising Concerns - Charity Commission for England and Wales

https://forms.charitycommission.gov.uk/raising-concerns/

BlonderThanYou · 31/01/2026 23:19

Worked for the church 50 hours a week (deprived area, lots of issues to support in the community)

BlonderThanYou · 31/01/2026 23:10

As a relative of a pastor, I know wages were very low. He worked a 50 hour week and was constantly on call (even Xmas day and nights) with his wife offering additional unpaid days each week.

If you have any concerns about finances talk to the denomination head office.

Womaninhouse17 · 31/01/2026 22:53

I voted YABU because you keep attending a church where tithes are collected. It's just a blackmailing, money-grabbing scam that plays on people's vulnerabilities. Don't enable it.

canuckup · 31/01/2026 22:49

Well yes he sounds like a complete scamster

Spidey66 · 31/01/2026 22:23

It's not UCKG is it?

CraftyGin · 31/01/2026 22:13

GCSEonline · 31/01/2026 20:40

They often prey on very vulnerable people. One in London was forcing a woman with four kids whose husband had just died and who had mental health and learning difficulties to keep paying. Awful. There should be better regulation.

Show quote history

There are regulations. How would you improve them?

GCSEonline · 31/01/2026 20:40

TittyGajillions · 29/01/2026 09:45

If people are daft enough to think they can buy their way into heaven then that's on them 🤷‍♀️

They often prey on very vulnerable people. One in London was forcing a woman with four kids whose husband had just died and who had mental health and learning difficulties to keep paying. Awful. There should be better regulation.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 31/01/2026 20:35

CraftyGin · 31/01/2026 18:02

It's quite common to call a lay minister, pastor. For example, student pastor, children's pastor...

Show quote history

To me, ministers (except in the political sense) would be always ordained.

I’d call ‘pastors’ in your sense, counsellors.

LightYearsAgo · 31/01/2026 18:25

MsGreying · 30/01/2026 16:23

@observant79

The trustees in their annual report are different from the ones listed on the charity commission main page.

Different dates, the accounts are to December 24, the new trustees started in January 25

Maybe the trustees serve a fixed term

CraftyGin · 31/01/2026 18:02

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 31/01/2026 17:36

It doesn’t sound C of E at all - more like the American money-grabbing type of ‘church’ - if you can call them that. I have seen them on US TV - running announcements at the bottom of the screen saying so and so has just been cured of cancer, etc. so give give give give give give…

And AFAIK the C of E doesn’t have ‘pastors’ - at local level it has curates, vicars and rectors.

Show quote history

It's quite common to call a lay minister, pastor. For example, student pastor, children's pastor...

ShetlandishMum · 31/01/2026 17:44

Why attend this "church"?

We are CofE and the vicars have a standard quote low wage. Most of their wives/husbands are better off in their professions.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 31/01/2026 17:36

Swiftie1878 · 29/01/2026 09:44

Dodgy as hell.
Is it a C of E church? Report it to the Bishop.

Edited

It doesn’t sound C of E at all - more like the American money-grabbing type of ‘church’ - if you can call them that. I have seen them on US TV - running announcements at the bottom of the screen saying so and so has just been cured of cancer, etc. so give give give give give give…

And AFAIK the C of E doesn’t have ‘pastors’ - at local level it has curates, vicars and rectors.

roundtriangles · 31/01/2026 13:38

I looked at the accounts. A lot of the income seems to be spent on radio and tv programmes and building hire. The pastor has an allowance of around £29,000 but there’s also vehicle costs of around £7000 (does the church have vehicles)? There’s some travel costs too but with the income at around £170k and a lot of church outgoings on normal things like hire and utilities, not sure how this could fund a very flashy lifestyle including overseas holidays, caravan purchases etc.

Perhaps he has side businesses too or family wealth. I think it’s a big leap to assume he’s using the church as a personal cashpoint. It’s also a very serious allegation to make about someone on a public forum.

Ultimately, if you’re concerned, first of all talk to the elders (assuming there’s some kind of church oversight) and ask for more transparency. If you don’t get what you need, you can make a report to the Commission.

GentleSheep · 31/01/2026 13:17

He literally says you will not be blessed unless you give to this altar and this church. Word for word, three services a week.

This is the Prosperity gospel. You're supposed to give to God (erm the pastor) in order to 'get wealth' for yourself. Of course what will happen is the pastor gets rich and you don't. It's a big scam. Leave the church, what are they going to do, show up on your doorstep and drag you back?

TheLivelyCat · 31/01/2026 12:41

I go to an independent church, its run with full accountability, every year they do an open meeting talking about the vision, finances, etc. Don't guilt trip people over giving. Yes the pastor is payed a fair wage for his job, the hours he puts in, when the church was smaller he worked a second part time job to make up his hours.

RonaldMcDonaldTrump · 31/01/2026 12:05

OP your posts have identified the church and the pastor, along with the trustees. This is a public forum and you are making serious allegations. I would seriously consider asking Mumsnet to delete the references to their charity number, and the post from another poster which referred to the pastor's name! You have given details about yourself which may make you identifiable to members of the church should they see this.

catspyjamas1 · 31/01/2026 11:56

CraftyGin · 30/01/2026 14:21

I don't think the TV work is necessarily a profit making enterprise.

The objectives of this charity are to spread the Christian faith (basically, the same as any church). One of the way it does this is through TV work - it says it airs a weekly TV programme on the Faith Network (?).

Yes, the report is just a couple of paragraphs, with each thing in a single unenhanced sentence. This is so different from the CofE where a trustees report is presented at APCM. Our trustees report runs to over 70 pages.

You are right to be cynical, or skeptical.

I said the lack of registration to Gift Aid is a huge red flag. While there may be legitimate reasons for this, I don't think they fit in this circumstance. A charity is duty bound to follow the Fundraising Regulations, and this means raising as much money for the charity as possible - so they should be claiming gift aid, which is worth up to an extra 25% to them. They could do a lot of outreach work with an extra £40000 to play with.

One of the reasons for not claiming Gift Aid is to be clandestine about their finances and reporting. This links with what the OP said in her OP.

Show quote history

"I don't think the TV work is necessarily a profit making enterprise." Depends on the context. Prosperity gospel on TV is a thing for a reason.

catspyjamas1 · 31/01/2026 11:53

catspyjamas1 · 31/01/2026 11:53

ME - CHURCH - GOD. No difference 🤷‍♀️I'm sure Olsteen, Graham, Operandi, Graham et al live(d) modestly....

Show quote history

Operandi? COPELAND.

catspyjamas1 · 31/01/2026 11:53

poetryandwine · 30/01/2026 13:48

Do all the pastors say you must give to ME in order to me saved? That isn’t my impression of how it works in America (though as PP say the dodgy ones do this).

Show quote history

ME - CHURCH - GOD. No difference 🤷‍♀️I'm sure Olsteen, Graham, Operandi, Graham et al live(d) modestly....