Gospel for Asia (GFA) is being investigated by the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) following criticism over its claimed lack of transparency and inconsistencies in its account of how funds are distributed.
EFCA was set up as an accreditation organisation to police the financial integrity of Christian organisations. Membership is regarded as a stamp of approval by donors.
GFA, the mission organisation founded by KP Yohannan, is regarded as one of the most significant missionary movements of the late 20th century. Based in Texas, it has a presence in Asian countries including India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, China and Thailand. It supports more than 50 Bible colleges, founded its own network of congregations – Believers Church – and is active in humanitarian work and education.
However, it has faced repeated questioning led by blogger Warren Throckmorton, who has highlighted issues including the financial relationship of GFA to the Believers' Church and apparent discrepancies between the amount of money raised in the US and Canada for its work and the amount actually spent in India. Other issues included "spiritually abusive" practices alleged by a group of former employees, collectively the 'GFA Diaspora', and a ritual involving the kissing of KP Yohannan's ring.
The review of GFA by ECFA is expected to last at least until October, when the organisation has said that it will provide answers to outstanding questions.
