Author: The Diaspora Editors

“It is unreasonable to expect him to answer your demands for written responses within seven days, organize meetings with people scattered across the continent or answer your emails immediately, all while leading such a huge movement, just to address your grievances. How many mayors, governors, presidents, CEO’s would have given you this amount of attention?”

We have spent many months waiting for KP to do what he has promised. Eventually we have realized that we need to give deadlines so we know when it is time to take the next step. None of the timelines we set were unreasonable, especially when a one-sentence acknowledgment to say he would get back to us would have sufficed. The deadlines were given so that we ourselves could know whether KP intended to respond to these very serious accusations or not.

The last contact JD had from KP was in October of 2014. KP and a Gayle Erwin said they would contact JD, but that never happened. On February 2, 2015, KP contacted another member of Diaspora to say he would be getting back to JD “shortly.” As of this writing, that was nearly two months ago.

 

“GFA has a lower employee turnover rate than most ministries.”

Employee turnover rate may give us the percentage of employees who stay or leave, but it does not tell us anything about why they stay or leave. The leaders at GFA teach that your calling to GFA is for life and then warn about the bad things that happen to people spiritually when they leave. They imply they have “lost their call” and have stopped serving the Lord (as though GFA is the only place, or at least the very best place, one can serve the Lord). With all this pressure, it’s no wonder people have such a difficult time leaving, even if they have their own concerns.

Also it should be noted that GFA has seen a number of mass exoduses over the years, with the largest ones having occurred in the 1990s, 2004 and 2015. Nearly 50 staff left Gospel for Asia in 2015 alone.

“In my mind, [you have had] unprecedented access! Brother KP is president and founder of a multimillion dollar, multinational organization and head of one of the fastest growing churches in Asia with the largest missionary force ever assembled. “

His busy schedule does not excuse him from following the scriptures and responding to the accusations brought against him by repenting of sin. He responded by dismissing our claims and pointing to misunderstanding, while failing to repent of the accusations we brought before him, proven by a great number of witnesses.

We have been very patient, at times waiting weeks and months for a response. And the access has always been on KP’s terms, not ours. In addition, he has repeatedly lied to us about what he would do next (well documented in the Communications History) and then ignored us for long periods of time while we awaited word and never received what was promised.

 

March 17, 2015 – The Diaspora invites GFA staff to this website

The Diaspora invites GFA staff to visit this website to educate them about our efforts, since many have only heard about us—apparently with some misinformation—from their leaders. The GFA leaders and Board were included in this email.

“After seeking the Lord in prayer and much godly counsel, we feel a responsibility to share with you these concerns and the full story.”

From: GFA Diaspora <info@gfadiaspora.com>
Date: Tue, Mar 17, 2015 at 9:17 PM
Subject: Speaking the Truth in Love – The Rest of the Story
To: [GFA staff, leaders, and board members]

Dear GFA Brothers and Sisters,

Last year, after learning that many former GFA staff saw systemic unbiblical practices and were improperly treated during their service, a group came together and reached out to GFA’s leadership and boards to address these problems. Although we have all seen God do many good things through His people at the ministry, we could not overlook these issues in good conscience.

Unfortunately, communications have failed to bring about any resolution or further cooperation. We can only conclude that our concerns have been dismissed. After seeking the Lord in prayer and much godly counsel, we feel a responsibility to share with you these concerns and the full story.

While all of our stories are different, many of us individually tried to work through questions with leadership, only to be put off or asked to leave the ministry. Very few of us ever had a formal exit interview, and many attempts to reach out to leadership while on staff were ignored. Most of us forgave and decided to move on. Then we realized our individual stories were part of a larger narrative revealing unbiblical doctrines and practices. Now we have done our best to justly and prayerfully bring our concerns to everyone responsible for holding GFA accountable. We can only conclude that our concerns have been dismissed–viewed as petty offenses at worst. It is not our intention to cause unnecessary division, but rather long-term reconciliation and peace.

We desire that, while reaching the lost in Asia, GFA maintains a healthy spiritual environment for the staff and transparency for the sake of those who support the work. We are concerned for the ministry and for you, the friends we love, who have invested your lives as we have ours to reach Asia with the Gospel.

Scripture directs us to test all things and to walk in the light as He is in the light. By sharing the communications we’ve had with leadership and the GFA board, you can judge for yourselves our concerns and perhaps help bring needed change for the sake of fellow staff, supporters, those on the field, and ultimately the glory of the Lord.

To hear our personal testimonies and all that has transpired, please visit our non-public website and use the following generic, anonymous login:
www dot gfadiaspora dot com (remove the spaces and replace “dot” with .)
user: [redacted for security]
password: [redacted for security]

We appreciate your devotion to the Lord and hope you prayerfully assess our concerns. May God give you grace, peace and discernment as you consider His view on these issues.

Sincerely,
The Diaspora

…

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GFA Diaspora: …, Dallas TX 75219

March 16, 2015 – Still no word from GFA or Board on meeting and investigation

To date, there has not yet been any meeting between the Diaspora and GFA Leaders and Boards, originally set for October 13, 2014.

We have not yet received any investigation conclusions from board member Gayle’s October investigation.

There have not been any known communications by GFA or the Board to us since the previous post.

February 2, 2015 – JD tells group that KP informs Larry about a board meeting and coming update

JD informs Diaspora that there has been a board meeting and will supposedly be an update to JD soon.

“Of course, we aren’t holding our breath as there’s a good chance this is just another stall tactic and I don’t know why KP wouldn’t have called me also if he were genuinely interested in working with our group.”

JD shares:

Larry just called me today to let me know he had received a text and voicemail from K.P. stating that there was a long board meeting this past week, and that an update would soon be sent to JD about it.
Of course, we aren’t holding our breath as there’s a good chance this is just another stall tactic and I don’t know why KP wouldn’t have called me also if he were genuinely interested in working with our group. But thought you all should know it and be informed, for your prayers.

October 27, 2014 – JD informs group of KP’s phone call to Larry regarding Gayle’s investigation

JD explains that there’s been a delay in the investigation due to Gayle’s illness, but that Gayle is taking the investigation seriously.

“*If* KP gave an accurate account of what Gayle told him, this would be another sign that Gayle is not at all dismissing our claims and even willing to take hard actions.”

JD shares:

Just heard from Larry that KP called him this morning and talked for about 5 minutes. I think Larry is in KP’s mind an ally of sorts, due to their long term friendship and Larry’s candor, and KP has said as much.
KP told Larry that Gayle spoke with him yesterday, and said that he’s been sick and that delayed him on the investigation. KP also told Larry that Gayle said, “I’m not going to be your friend in this [process.]” Larry felt that it was significant that Gayle said this, and it seemed even KP was surprised by how seriously Gayle was taking it and the potential seriousness of the forthcoming actions by the board.
*If* KP gave an accurate account of what Gayle told him, this would be another sign that Gayle is not at all dismissing our claims and even willing to take hard actions. I still qualify that because I have not heard directly from Gayle and this is coming from an un-trustworthy source; so we’ll see what Gayle has to say.
Based on this, the email I drafted should be modified to say that Larry has heard from KP, but that we still prefer to communicate directly with the board.

October 11, 2014 – M. responds to Gayle’s request for copy of email

M. responds to Gayle’s request for copy of email.

” I thank the Lord for the active role that you are taking in this investigation.”

From: M.
Date: October 11, 2014 at 1:12:10 AM EDT
To: Gayle
Cc: [GFA Board]
Subject: RE: GFA

Hi Gayle,

I am pleased to hear from you brother. I am just one more of many, who have found great encouragement and also a good ol belly laugh J from your messages over the years and especially your teaching on the Jesus Style! Thank you.

And I thank the Lord for the active role that you are taking in this investigation. I am praying for you consistently and desire only the health and restoration of GFA and its members and the work at large.

I was in fact preparing this letter to send to KP this weekend with our story attached as I felt it was only right for him to know that I have shared this with the Canadian board.

Here is what I have just written to him below and our story is attached. (I warn you its long!) I will also copy you on my email to him also.

 

For His glory and the good of the Church,

M.

 

Dear Brother KP,

 

Thank you for your recent email. It encourages my heart to hear from yourself and others like JD that positive steps are being taken to change the spiritually controlling and abusive culture of GFA and to walk in the light with staff and donors. I pray that there will be genuine and lasting change and that the fruits of repentance will be evident to all. I know this cannot be an easy time for you but I thank you for humbling yourself and trust that your leaders also would follow your example. It will of course take time for an autocratic culture of fear and control to be remedied and trust to be restored and I believe that in some cases leadership change may be necessary in order to see lasting results. I am praying for wisdom and grace for you and the board who are now fulfilling their God given responsibility.

 

I wanted you to know that we have written out our story and that it was sent to the Canadian board a couple of months ago to help confirm the many other allegations both in the US and Canada. The Canadian board is ultimately responsible and if our story could be used to help bring about further understanding, healing and protection for other staff, then that was our desire.

 

These things were not easy to write as I can assure you they were written with much sorrow and pain and concern for the ministry that we gave so much of our lives to. I recognize that you have understood bits and pieces of this along the way but we were never really given the opportunity to share freely with you, nor did we completely understand what was taking place at the time in our own hearts. It is only in leaving GFA that we have started to process our painful journey and have the freedom to be honest about our experiences and begin the healing. I have copied our testimony below for your understanding and awareness of what was shared with the board. 

 

May the Lord give you much grace and understanding as you read this.

 

In love,

M.

October 10, 2014 – Gayle emails M. requesting information for his investigation

Board member Gayle emails Martin of the Diaspora, requesting information for his investigation.

“…it might help me in my research…”

From: Gayle
Sent: October-10-14 7:16 PM
To: M.
Subject: GFA

Hello M.,

I have just been on the phone with Rob of Canada relative to the investigation I have been authorized to do for GFA. He informed me that you had sent him an email expressing your experiences but had not given him permission to share it. Consequently, I am inquiring if you would feel free to send me a copy. If not, that is OK, but if you think it might help me in my research, I would appreciate it.

My email is …

Blessings,

Gayle

From the highways and hedges handing out invitations

October 10, 2014 – KP postpones November 7-8 “GFA Family Gathering”

KP postpones “GFA Family Gathering” because he will be away.

“…we need to postpone our gathering to a later date. We will keep you updated with the change.”

GFA Family Gathering Postponed
K.P. Yohannan <kp@gfa.org> Fri, Oct 10, 2014 at 11:46 AM
To: [multiple email addresses]

Dear [multiple Diaspora individuals],

I have been really looking forward to our weekend together next month, however, I just learned that I will need to be out of the country during the dates I sent you due to my need to be in Burma. I am sorry for any inconvenience this causes, but we need to postpone our gathering to a later date. We will keep you updated with the change. I look forward to when we will get to see each other again.

Blessings on you. You are loved.
K.P. Yohannan