Pretoria - Leadership disputes at the faith-based NPO Bethesda Christian Centre in Pretoria and concerns over the management of multimillions of rand belonging to the church, turned up in court.
Members of this church have mostly formed two factions, one supporting the old leadership headed by controversial leader Clement Ibe. The other is behind the new leadership that has just been elected.
Some members of the church in December last year raised their concerns with the Department of Social Development regarding the conduct of Ibe, a Nigerian citizen, whom it was alleged had fled to the US.
A new board was appointed in June this year and the special meeting called for this purpose was overseen by Bishop Paul Verryn.
Following the election of the new board and the ousting of the old board, “the church” launched an application in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria.
The “old leadership”, including founding members of the church, wanted to prevent the new structure from running the church.
Accusations of financial impropriety amounting to millions in assets and the way in which the church was run under the old leadership in turn formed part of the dispute forwarded by the new leadership.
In a counter application, the new leadership asked Judge Norman Davis to order that it be allowed to run the church at this stage.
The church was established in 1996 and subsequently incorporated as an NPO. The initial leadership of the church consisted of its founding elders, Ibe, his wife, co-pastor and prophetess Fortune Ibe and three other family members.
According to the church secretary, Ibe is “currently and temporarily in the United States of America to further expand the works of the church”.
According to its constitution, the management committee was obliged to meet twice a month and would, among other things, be in control of the church finances and its assets. These office-bearers would be elected annually at an annual general meeting of members of the church.
It was said that since 2009, the church had not held any annual general meeting. There is also some doubt about its compliance with its annual financial reporting obligations.
The last audited statements were released in February 2018 and signed by among others Ibe and his wife.
In terms of the statements, the church has an asset in the form of a building of R72 million, a R8m outstanding loan made to World Outreach (Pty) Ltd (allegedly with ties to Ibe), funds in bank accounts of just under R1m and a “comprehensive” income of R6m for the year.
Last year a number of long-standing members of the church became concerned about the manner in which it was run, including its assets and funds. These members, styling themselves as the “Bethesda Concerned Group”, submitted a “detailed complaint” to the department.
The complaints included an alleged autocratic, non-transparent running of the church, the co-opting of a Nigerian citizen, one Dr Nwafor, on the church board and the fact that the church property is registered in the name of World Outreach (Pty) Ltd and not in the name of the church. This was despite the fact that the church had spent R60m in building a church.
Concerns were also raised that Ibe had allegedly funded his residence in Houston, Texas, using church funds. In particular, the loan of R8m to World Outreach (Pty) Ltd and the acquisition of a property in the affluent suburb of Silver Lakes were also questioned.
The director of non-profit organisations subsequently dissolved the old board and called for a meeting to elect a new board. Former members were also called on to co-operate with forensic investigations into the finances.
Aggrieved by the appointment of the new board, the old board indicated it would at a later stage ask the court to overturn the appointment of the new board. At this stage, it wanted to halt the new board from running things pending the outcome of the review.
Judge Davis, however, tuned this down. He ordered that the elected board shall govern the church until at least the next general meeting.
Pretoria News