MFM accuses the UK Charity Commission of bias, dismissing claims of financial mismanagement as baseless, discriminatory, and rooted in procedural overreach
MFM UK Charity Commission dispute has deepened as the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries International (MFM) accused the British regulator of bias and discrimination following a report that alleged financial mismanagement by the church’s UK trustees.
Also read: MFM church UK faces major setback as funds frozen
The church, in a detailed rebuttal issued on Saturday through its spokesperson, Dan Aibangbe, described the UK Charity Commission’s findings as “a gross distortion of facts and a deliberate mischaracterisation of a closed chapter.”
According to The Cable, the Commission had claimed it froze MFM’s assets over transparency concerns, alleging that the church’s trustees lacked oversight of more than 100 bank accounts operated by its branches.
However, the MFM dismissed those assertions as false and misleading, insisting that no bank accounts were ever frozen and no evidence of fraud was found.
“The issues raised were related to administrative governance, not a finding of fraudulent activity by the trustee body.
This matter is old and not a fresh development. It is misleading to present it as a current scandal,” the statement read.
In the statement titled “A Point-by-Point Rebuttal: Setting the Record Straight on the MFM–UK Charity Commission Matter,” the church maintained that the Commission’s investigation amounted to institutional overreach based on unfounded suspicions rather than evidence.
“No bank accounts belonging to MFM were ever frozen. The entire process was a display of overreach, not an exposure of fraud,” it added.
MFM alleged that the Commission relied on “rumours and gossip” to justify an intrusive investigation that failed to uncover any wrongdoing, adding that after reviewing the church’s financial records, the Commission found nothing incriminating.
“Rather than close the case honourably, it embarked on a fault-finding mission, highlighting minor administrative discrepancies to justify its intrusion,” the church said.
The statement further accused the regulator of procedural flaws and recalled that MFM had previously challenged its methods in a British court — a move that reportedly resulted in a ruling against what it termed “improper procedures and overreach.”
The church criticised the appointment of an interim manager by the Commission, claiming the individual’s five-year tenure was exploitative, costing the church £2 million without adding value.
“The interim manager never visited a single MFM branch in the UK. His tenure was not about stewardship but revenue generation,” Aibangbe alleged.
MFM attributed the issues flagged by the Commission to the rapid expansion of its UK operations, which had outgrown its volunteer-based administrative structure.
It stressed that the leadership was already taking steps to professionalise governance before the investigation began.
“Not a single penny was mismanaged by the trustees,” the church emphasised. “The concerns were purely administrative, not criminal. The Commission punished the church for being a victim of its own success.”
Describing the probe as a “biased, costly, and baseless persecution,” MFM accused the Charity Commission of demonstrating prejudice against African-founded churches in the UK.
“The entire ordeal reeks of discriminatory and arrogant oversight,” Aibangbe said. “It was a display of institutional overreach, leveraging state power to burden a thriving faith community.”
Also read: MFM donates chapel to King’s College, inspires students
Despite the controversy, the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and accountability, vowing to continue its work and emerge stronger and wiser from the experience.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
