Dodgy Church Pastor

Just stop going and if they have your phone number/email then block them.

OP- just stop going and report them to the charity commission.

OP,

You can learn more as easily as you can update this thread. And now we would like the story!

Go to the Charities Commission website and search on the name of the church, the pastor’s name and possibly his wife’s name to see if the church is a registered charity.

If so, assuming annual income is over £25K, they are required to submit an annual independent financial report - or audit if income is over £250K - and an annual report, signed off by the trustees.

If they aren’t doing this, report them. Come back here and we can help

If they aren’t a registered charity, as PP said I am not sure what options you have. Again, come back here and we may be able to help.

At least we can get you started!

Please do this. Don’t let a con man take money from gullible people. What you said about the trustee was a red flag.

I've never attended a church that has encouraged this. I don't think anyone I know is giving 10% of their income to the church.

Why on earth would people go to this.

And you’ve carried on going since June?! 🤦🏼‍♀️

Definitely report to the Charity Commission then.
If you have any concrete evidence of misappropriation of money, supply that too.

Take it from someone who knows Cof E vicars like my husband get paid a stipend which is set nationally. I also work full time and beig in a decent wage. It may be that his partner is bringing a decent pay packet in which affords flashy things. People have questioned me occasionally and are surprised when they find I have my own full time job. This flashy pastor person doesn't sound any of the C of E vicars I know round here.

As others have said, you need to find out if it’s part of a denomination and if it’s a registered charity. If it’s a charity, their accounts will be publicly available on the charity commission website. Does he have elders or a Board who approve his salary or is it a one-man band?

There’s lots of things you can do to bring accountability to this situation. I’m a Christian and think it’s incredibly important that church finances are transparent.

p.s God’s blessing in your life has zero connection to the amount of money you give to a church.

The ‘church’ model you describe is very common in the Bible Belt in the US . I think Louis Theroux visited a few .

There are some very wealthy pastors - the word itself makes me suspicious. They are unlikely to be theologists , more like snake oil salesmen.

Its not unusual to pay to be a church member, but as pp says, it’s not for the benefit of the minister.

Giving 10% of your income to your church is normal and most churches encourage this, especially if running costs are expensive. However finances should be transparent. There should be a treasurer and trustees who meet at least once a year. Some churches have paid staff, some don't.

Blessings and giving are in no way related.

Either way, that pastor sounds dodgy.

Shock horror. Religious person is a money grubbing, hypocrite.

Hold the front page!

The church is a magnet for charlatans, egomaniacs and con artists. In my experience, such people often lie to themselves as well. Their egos tell them they are ‘chosen’ or ‘special’ or ‘prophets’, etc, even while they are cheating and exploiting and sexually abusing their followers.

Nailed it!

C of E parish clergy are all paid the same (with tiny regional variation). The church could be very well funded and the vicar wouldn't be any richer. Clergy spouses have very variable income from nothing to being a ££££ high earner. That's why you'll see a variation in clergy household wealth, with some with high living standards but others are near the breadline.

I mean obviously get well away from this! There are lots of great churches available.

But if you're determined to stay, give a small amount to the church (it's fair to contribute to running costs). Give the rest of whatever you give to other charities. If questioned (which is outrageous if you are) then just say you do give generously to other avenues which also do God's work. If they complain about this that confirms your suspicions.

OP, it’s a racket, trading on the vulnerable. No proper pastor would decline to bless someone because they hadn’t contributed - this is sheer exploitation. I’d report to the charity commissioner, and leave this so-called Church pronto.

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.

Why is it so important to be blessed by this man?

Unfortunately, it is very easy to set up your own church and proclaim yourself a pastor, without any training, safeguarding or financial accountability in place.
If you are wanting to attend a church, you are better off attending an established church, such as an Anglican or Roman Catholic one with proper governance and safeguarding procedures.

Do you mean they've started up their own church? They're not answerable to anyone else?

There will be business or charity rules about how they use their funds, but it is quite a profitable thing to do even if you stay within the law. So they might be within the law.

I doubt this is a charity - sounds like this couple have just started their own church, which isn't illegal.

L Ron Hubbard said that the easiest way to get rich quick is to start a religion. Probably the second easiest way is to start a church.