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rrmoderator
Pyjamas6:

That's it? Then it seems like very limited disclosure without an outside check through an independently done audit.

RR, What I mean is you can read the accounts on their website as well as I can, and I think that the auditor is named. They also say there are 17 employees, none paid more than £60,000, claiming expenses of £2,000, and there is a 10% non-contributuory pension fund. I didn't see any point in repeating all this when it is available for public view. What is there is there and what is not there I cannot help you on. Sorry.

Pyjamas6:

Please provide the link where it is available for public view.

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rrmoderator
Pyjamas6:

Please provide the link where it is available for public view.

www.newfrontierstogether.org. I got the link from this site and, from your reply to the post containing it, I thought you'd read the accounts. Incidentally, the auditors for the 2008 accounts were BDO STOY HAYWARD LLP, Chartered Accountants & Registered Auditors.

To whom it may concern:

Annual Reports & Accounts

See [www.newfrontierstogether.org]

Scroll down and you will see at the bottom "Our annual report and financial statements for 2008 are available for viewing here."

Click on "here" and it will pull up a page titled "NEW FRONTIERS INTERNATIONAL TRUST LIMITED Report and Financial Statements
Year ended 31 December 2008."

The report states as follows:

"Total incoming resources for the year increased from £4.6m in 2007 to £4.9m in 2008, an increase of £0.3m
(7%). Unrestricted donations are mainly received from churches either as regular or one-off gifts; these
amounted to £2.9m during 2008, an increase of £0.1m (4%) over the previous year. Included in these
unrestricted donations are offerings taken at major annual conferences. These funds are treated as Designated
funds by the Directors and in 2008 totalled £1.4m, slightly less than the amount received in 2007.
Restricted donations for the year were £0.3m, £0.1m higher than in 2007. In early 2008 an appeal was launched
to enable churches in Kenya to provide relief for communities experiencing hardship following the political
unrest in late 2007 and during the year over £0.1m was received."

"Total resources expended increased by £0.3m (7%) to £4.9m in 2008. This was distributed in the form of grants
of £2.0m, direct expenditure of £2.6m and support costs of £0.3m. Expenditure on Apostolic ministry based in
the UK, serving both the UK and other parts of the world, and including church plant grants in and from the UK,
increased slightly from £1.4m in 2007 to £1.5m in 2008.
Conferences and Training expenditure in the UK increased from £1.4m in 2007 to £1.5m in 2008. As part of this
Newfrontiers continues to invest in the ‘Newday’ youth event.
Expenditure on Apostolic ministry based outside the UK increased from £0.6m in 2007 to £0.8m in 2008. This
includes support given to apostolic bases in Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia and the Pacific Rim and includes funding
for church planting and conferences. The majority of these payments were made in the form of grants and
funded by the designated conference offering income.
Newfrontiers continues to receive a number of restricted gifts, and expenditure in respect of those gifts
amounted to £0.4m in 2008, an increase of £0.1m over 2007. During 2008 over £0.1m was spent in Kenya in
response to the appeal outlined above."

"The movement in total funds for the year is a net income of £0.1m derived from the movement in Unrestricted
Funds. Reflecting this net income for the year, net current assets have increased by £0.1m to £1.8m at the
balance sheet date. The main asset of the charity is Cash at Bank that decreased by £0.3m to £1.7m at the end of
2008. This decrease was offset by growth in debtors of £0.3m to £0.5m largely due to an increase in prepaid
expenditure for 2009 conferences and training. At the year end total funds held were £1.8m of which £0.5m are
Free Funds being unrestricted and undesignated."

The report states, "No remuneration was paid to any of the directors who held office during the year. No employee received
emoluments, including pension contributions, for the year in excess of £60,000."

But it does not disclose individual salaries and compensation per staff position.

The report states that there was an independent audit by "BDO STOY HAYWARD LLP
Chartered Accountants & Registered Auditors Epsom, Surrey Date: 1 July 2009"

RR Thank you for your helpful input. The finances of NFI are a little more complex than first glance suggests. There are four exec directors. If we exclude their accountant the other three are not employed as such by NFI as they say. Two (excluding the founder) are employed by their own churches which received £82,597 and £188,195 respectively from NFI. Quite large sums for 1st world churches amongst the 500 or 600 worldwide churches under their umbrella. (Diffrent numbers given at different parts of website) The founder is also director of The Clarendon Trust (another UK charity - I am sure you know but charitable status in the UK gives massive financial advantage) which also "houses " the founding church in Brighton, where the founder and family reside. Son is now director or trustee. NFI donated £281,414 to The Clarendon Trust (strangely they in turn gave back £90k or so). THC ie the Brighton Church had "Pastoral" costs of about £1.4 million pounds in 2007/8. Not bad for a membership of 980 according to the Church website. Maybe all above3 board but complicated and not transparent. The auditors are top UK accountancy company.

It goes without saying that all the eldership, exec directors, trustees of all organisations are men. Interestingly they quote Ephesans 4 as the command base for such thinking, which I quoted to P6 as not indicating that there should ever be non caucasian leaders etc and not denying slavery.

Life is just too short to try and unravel the unusually complex finances of this organisation. Nothing wrong in doing well but "transparent", I dont think so - if you have time take a look.

chrisjones:

Seems like a complex maze or labyrinth of corporate entities.

Dear Gavtaz,

Even with 30 people on the membership course, it should still have explained basics such as male eldership and financial issues; new people like you should have had a fuller course (I understand you to say that even existing Newfrontiers members went on the course, which is a little surprising). It sounds as if you have been let down and I am sorry the course did not work for you.

I am going to hang loose on tithing. We are Protestants: you read your Bible; you make up you own mind. One thing, if you feel under duress to give, don’t. “God loves a cheerful giver.” Even if you are being told tithing is a Newfrontiers obligation (which I question), there is a much more important value, which is grace.

Newfrontiers is a Restoration church. Members are expected to be more committed, so they give more, so a Restoration church is likely to have a higher income than a denominational church of the same size. A push for a big offering is usual at events like “Together@…”; it comes with the territory. Don’t give unless you want to.

Thanks for the tip about the Charity Commission site. My church’s accounts are there in full. I can’t speak for other churches. You should ask the treasurer to let you see your church’s accounts.

You say, “I have also noticed that NF never give any money to outside originations, the money always supports other NF churches or projects.” Yes, that is a Newfrontiers value – to work through local NF churches. Incidentally, you should by now have received the four copies of the magazine containing the full set of vision and values, so you know what you’ve let yourself in for, which you should have been told on the membership course.

Are you and your wife faithfully serving the church? Faithful service is the way to leadership. I’d be amazed if there weren’t opportunities for women to lead in your church, albeit not as elders.

It sounds as if Newfrontiers may not be right for you, and perhaps Restoration generally is not right either; although some churches of that kind do accept women as elders, they are still likely to be pushy about giving. If you feel you joined under a misapprehension, if you have lingering resentments against the leadership, you may simply be better off in a denominational church, which won’t demand tithing! Not for me to say as I don’t know you, just a humble thought.

Pyjamas 6

Your response to Gavtaz above is the most reasonable and common sense answer that i have heard from NF Elder or Leader. I have no idea where in the world you originate. What needs to be accepted is the fact that a significant number of people have found themselves seriously compromised by NF leadership. The rules on complaining have been quoted above. My examples are real people not fabrication. They fit the model of many books written on the subject of spiritual abuse. I do not know if you have had any reason to have read or even been interested in this fascinating but tragic subject for those who find themselves "victims". Like wise if you are not up to speed on "Personality dIsorders" particularly "Narcissistic" then it may be difficult to comprehend what these people have to face. Narcissistics are drawn towards leadership roles and 90% of narcissistics are male. The Apostolic Ministry of Men concept is a magnet for such people. Of course only a small number of leaders will be so afflicted, but they can cause terrible damage. There does not seem to be effective regulation within many religious institutions and NFI is just one that came into my radar by chance. Following this I looked at their finances and as we can see they are just not transparent. I agree people need to earn reasonable salaries. This year I believe it was announced that Anglican pastors earnt on average £21,000 / annum (approx $30,000). NF pastors seem to earn twice or three times this. Perhaps they all deserve this but at least let the congregation and public know.

I have heard that NF did close a church in essex but it has been impossible to find out why - have you any idea? If this was because of an errant leader then this would show that there is a mechanism for regulation and not as negative as might seem. I am afraid that the knock on the door is also very real as is the summons to appear before the eldership. Why not raise the points made about transparency etc, openly discuss why your members have left as you genuinely mentioned earlier, perhaps speak to them yourself and then see what happens - hopefully nothing.

Finally we will not agree about role of women. To me personally without the above (and it will colour my view of the organisation as a whole) the subjugation of women and denial of spiritual leadership is against every principle I hold dear. Until the law of the country catches up (as it will) then Churches such as NF will continue to do as they do. Similar applies to the right wing of the other major religions. If however women choose to live under such rules then that of course is their choice. as long as the choice is not brought about by coercion and not the sort of choice ot child workers in the third world then that is up to them.

Out of interest would your church summons a lone woman to appear by herself before the full male eldership of your church for a perceived misdemeanour. If this individual refused such a "kangaroo" court would she then in effect be ostracised, forced to leave and others told not to be in contact with her as this would be sinful. Would you write to some one else who was going to leave saying that they had to tell which ever church they joined that they were asked/told to leave (on this occasion for questioning leadership policy!!). These are further real examples - the question to your good self is this, do we just ignore this behaviour or do something about it. If the latter how do you handle this when it is necessary for three people to complain not however having spoken to each other according to the rules?

Challenging - yes, complete rubbish, ridiculous as you put it, in your eyes yes, but to those affected possibly not. It takes a very long time to integrate into a new community having given yourself to a church for some time. Again as I said above it is good believing and caring people who get most affected. The ridiculous people like me just try and pick up the pieces and help them move on.

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chrisjones
Pyjamas 6

Your response to Gavtaz above is the most reasonable and common sense answer that i have heard from NF Elder or Leader. I have no idea where in the world you originate.

Why, thank you, Chris. I live in England - how about you? Sorry, the old computer’s been a bit on the blink of late; I'll try to answer some of your points when I can get on top of it.