December 1, 2015 * Gayle Erwin Sends Original Board Report and ECFA Report to Diaspora

Former GFA board member Gayle reveals the ECFA report and his original investigation report that was rejected and altered.

“I am sending you a very complete set of files that will give you understanding.”


From: Gayle Erwin <gayle@XXXXX.org>
Date: Tue, Dec 1, 2015 at 8:04 PM
Subject: Re: mailing list
To: JD Smith <XXXXX@gmail.com>

JD,

I am sending you a very complete set of files that will give you understanding. However, I am placing in the report of my investigation permission for you to share the report with anyone including staff. I will not be sending the report to everyone, but you can. If you wait on me, it will be too long. I am on the road with only brief access to Wifi. So, look these files over in the folder. There are some surprises.
Blessings,
Gayle

 

Gayle Erwin
gayle@XXXXX.org
From the highways and hedges handing out invitations

Gayle’s apology to Diaspora.

Gayle’s original report to the board.

Gayle’s official “Final Report” of the board’s investigation sent to Diaspora in March 2015.

Gayle’s letters of concern to KP, giving reasons why he disagreed with the final report.

ECFA’s final report.

GFA’s response to ECFA’s report.

Gayle’s resignation letter.

 

Diaspora’s full communication history with GFA and its boards.

November 30, 2015- JD appeals to Gayle to send his report to staff

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: JD Smith <XXXXX@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Nov 30, 2015 at 12:42 PM
Subject: Re: mailing list
To: Gayle Erwin <gayle@XXXXX.org>

Gayle, thank you for your reply during this busy season.Congratulations on your 57 years—I trust you are having a good vacation.
I know it may not be easy to think about sending the staff your original report. You asked me to “put the gist of it in your words and send that”.
May I make a few observations?
First, we (the Diaspora) believe the staff will disregard anything sent from me or Diaspora, just as the majority have deleted our previous messages to avoid listening to an “evil report”. The staff regard me almost as the devil himself because of what they have been told by KP. Nothing I send will have the same impact of a direct email from you.
Second, you said it “would be inappropriate for the report to be the first item” the staff receives from you after not being in contact with the staff in so long. Even with no contact from you since March, your email and attached original report meant more to us than you know. Many staff were confused when they didn’t get to share their concerns during the investigation and were devastated when your final report came out. They will be glad to finally hear the real story from you.
Third, we believe time is of the essence. If the Canadian board tells leadership they have received your original report, KP may try to mitigate its impact by telling staff you have been set against GFA by “bitter ex-staff” and not to believe these “lies”. If they expect your email, many may delete it without reading it.
We urge you to consider sending the staff the same kind of message you sent to us. We believe the current staff will be shocked to learn the truth and will be glad in the end to know the truth. Leadership’s control of information cannot be permitted to continue.
Indeed word will spread quickly once your original report gets out, but we have intentionally not spread it to give you the opportunity to tell it yourself.
Thanks,
JD
P.S. We are happy to help you with any technical support if you have need.

November 27, 2015-Gayle asks JD to send a summary of his report to staff

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Gayle Erwin <gayle@XXXXX.org>
Date: Fri, Nov 27, 2015 at 5:31 AM
Subject: Re: mailing list
To: JD Smith <XXXXX@gmail.com>

Good morning, JD,

Trust that you had a joyous Thanksgiving. We certainly did. Spent it with a number of our children, grandchildren and great Grandchildren plus celebration of my wife and my 57th anniversary.
As to the mailing list, first, since I have not been in contact with them, this would be inappropriate for the report to be the first item. Second, I think that since you have been the go-to person, you can put the gist of it in your words and send that. Let’s wait before sending the whole thing. Third, Beginning today and for 11 more days, my wife and I will be traveling and will not have the time to do it. Fourth, I have never done a bulk mailing before and don’t know how. I have a computer guy in Idaho who does know how, but he only does piece work for me now.
Surely, by now, the news has gone out to everyone.
Blessings,
Gayle
Gayle Erwin
XXXX@servant.org
From the highways and hedges handing out invitations

November 25, 2015-JD responds to Gayle’s apology

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: JD Smith <XXXXX@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Nov 25, 2015 at 5:28 PM
Subject: Re: of interest to you
To: Gayle Erwin <gayle@XXXXX.org>

Hi Gayle,

I shared your email and report with the Diaspora, and we are all so very thankful to you for taking this step and sharing this with us. It was healing to many, and many have expressed admiration for your effort to make this right. We feel that you have been very sincere in your apology to us, and we forgive you.We can see that you’ve been through much pain in this, as many of us have been, and I imagine you’ve seen the betrayal and even shunning. On behalf of all of us, thank you.
We feel that the public needs to know this, and that the current staff especially have a right to know the truth. Would you consider sharing this original report with the GFA staff? So many on staff there are still heartbroken at the original response, especially since it has been used by leadership to “settle” all matters.
If you are able, you could send them the same report and a similar introduction email as what you sent to me. There are 270 email addresses total, which could be broken up into 6 groups of 45. I’ve already broken it up for you so it’s easy to copy and paste, should you wish to do this. Spacing each group out an hour apart will help you not hit any spam filters. Let me know if you need assistance.
Thank you for considering this. I know this has been difficult for you. Know that we continue to pray for you and everyone involved, for our Lord’s glory.In His Service,
JD

November 24, 2015-JD thanks Gayle for his apology email

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: JD Smith <XXXX@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Nov 24, 2015 at 4:14 PM
Subject: Re: of interest to you
To: Gayle Erwin <gayle@XXXXX.org>

Gayle,

Thank you for your candor and for contacting me after what has been a long and difficult journey for the former staff as well.
I will review what you’ve sent along with the other members of the Diaspora who sent the letters to the board, and I hope that we can continue to dialog.
If there is any document which would be extremely helpful for you to share, it would be the ECFA report. At your discretion of course.
Be in touch soon,
JD

November 24, 2015-Gayle Erwin sends JD his original report

———- Forwarded message ———-

From: Gayle Erwin <gayle@XXXXX.org>
Date: Tue, Nov 24, 2015 at 3:45 PM
Subject: of interest to you
To: Smith JD <XXXXX@gmail.com>

Hello J. D.,

I received your email asking for my help in putting the GFA controversy to rest in a godly manner. You are, of course, aware of my resignation, along with Damian Kyle and Skip Heitzig, from the board of GFA. This ended 30 years of board service for me.

I have waited and watched to see how the news of ECFA expulsion would play out and what degree of candor and openness would follow. I can wait no longer.

The document attached to this letter is the report I made originally to KP and, afterward, the Board of GFA, of my investigation of the charges made in behalf of yourself and the Diaspora of GFA. This is the first time the initial report has been made public and I hope it will be of some comfort to you and your group.

When I first presented the conclusions of my investigation to KP  (with David Carroll present) KP glanced at it, declared that he was a speed reader, and began what I will simply call an ugly scene filled with expressions I don’t wish to repeat. I presented this same report to the Board of GFA. The ugly scene began again. My recommendation was that we confess, make restitution and change, and that I be granted permission to meet with you. The board rejected my findings and I was instructed to write the public report which was sent to you. Although the board was very pleased with the report, the agony of having written it has not left me. I apologize to you for the report that was sent to you. Some of the report I wrote with the hope that it would become true and that I was making progress in some intense mental and spiritual combat with KP. The financial part that I dismissed, I later learned was true. Please forgive me.

Hopefully we can have that face-to-face meeting in the future and simply speak of kingdom things.

Blessings,

Gayle Erwin
gayle@XXXXX.org
From the highways and hedges handing out invitations

 

To view Gayle’s original report, click HERE.

October 2, 2015 * ECFA Terminates GFA Membership

The Evangelical Council of Financial Accountability is an organization that many Christian groups are affiliated with to prove their financial trustworthiness. According to their site, the “ECFA enhances trust in Christ-centered churches and ministries by establishing and applying Seven Standards of Responsible Stewardship™ to accredited organizations.” On October 2nd, the ECFA removed Gospel for Asia from its list of members. This removal was not voluntary on GFA’s part. The ECFA lists the reasons for GFA’s removal as the following (taken directly from the ECFA’s list of former members):

Terminated for failure to comply with Standard 2 Governance, Standard 3 Financial Oversight, Standard 4 Use of Resources, Standard 6 Compensation-Setting and Related-Party Transactions, Standard 7.1 Truthfulness in Communications, and Standard 7.2 Giver Expectations and Intent

“Terminated for failure to comply with Standard 2 Governance, Standard 3 Financial Oversight, Standard 4 Use of Resources, Standard 6 Compensation-Setting and Related-Party Transactions, Standard 7.1 Truthfulness in Communications, and Standard 7.2 Giver Expectations and Intent”

GFA had been a member in good standing with the ECFA for over 32 years and posted the ECFA’s seal of approval prominently on the financial integrity page of their website (the link is a record of what GFA’s page looked like on September 15th, 2015). A closer look at the ECFA’s reasons for terminating GFA are quite revealing.

Standard 2 – Governance
“Every organization shall be governed by a responsible board of not less than five individuals, a majority of whom shall be independent, who shall meet at least semiannually to establish policy and review its accomplishments.”

Standard 3 – Financial Oversight
“Every organization shall prepare complete and accurate financial statements. The board or a committee consisting of a majority of independent members shall approve the engagement of an independent certified public accountant, review the annual financial statements, and maintain appropriate communication with the independent certified public accountant. The board shall be apprised of any material weaknesses in internal control or other significant risks”

Standard 4 – Use of Resources
“Every organization shall exercise the appropriate management and controls necessary to provide reasonable assurance that all of the organization’s operations are carried out and resources are used in a responsible manner and in conformity with applicable laws and regulations, such conformity taking into account biblical mandates.”

Standard 6 – Compensation-Setting and Related-Party Transactions
“Every organization shall set compensation of its top leader and address related-party transactions in a manner that demonstrates integrity and propriety in conformity with ECFA’s Policy for Excellence in Compensation-Setting and Related-Party Transactions.”

Standard 7 – Stewardship of Charitable Gifts

7.1 Truthfulness in Communications
“In securing charitable gifts, all representations of fact, descriptions of the financial condition of the organization, or narratives about events must be current, complete, and accurate. References to past activities or events must be appropriately dated. There must be no material omissions or exaggerations of fact, use of misleading photographs, or any other communication which would tend to create a false impression or misunderstanding.”

7.2 Giver Expectations and Intent
“Statements made about the use of gifts by an organization in its charitable gift appeals must be honored. A giver’s intent relates both to what was communicated in the appeal and to any instructions accompanying the gift, if accepted by the organization. Appeals for charitable gifts must not create unrealistic expectations of what a gift will actually accomplish.”

In two years, only two other organization have been terminated by the ECFA for reasons other than failing to renew their membership, resigning membership voluntarily, or merging with another entity. Donors should be made aware of the seriousness of this action that the ECFA has taken.

June 1, 2015 – Diaspora removes password from this website

After nearly a year of attempting to privately address our concerns as a group with GFA leaders and staff, Diaspora removed the password from this website.

We believe the public—current and potential supporters—have a right to discern for themselves whether or not our concerns are valid as they make decisions regarding how to invest the Lord’s money.

Since several independent articles have been written about our concerns on the Internet, we felt the public should now have access to the primary information on which we base our concerns.

May 13, 2015 – GFA German Office Announces Its Closing

On April 5, 2015, the board members of the GFA Germany office notified the Diaspora that they would soon be shutting down their office. The official announcement was emailed to us on May 13.

“Because of my age and since no suitable, competent successor could be found, we will stop the work and shut down the German branch of Gospel for Asia.”

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We had our last annual board meeting on May 9th and officially decided to shut down the German branch of Gospel for Asia after 24 years of service. Below you will find our official letter which has been sent out to sponsors and friends.

We want to ask the different GFA departments in the US and in India to stop sending us any further material, because we don’t need it anymore – the office is closed! Also please stop forwarding us any free book requests and delete our contact details from the German website.

It was a joy to serve the Lord together with all of you – we will not forget you. May the Lord continue to bless you all.

Your friends from Germany,

Pastor W., R. and U.


 

Dear mission partner,

24 years ago we founded the German branch of the international mission movement Gospel for Asia with the primary objective to encourage Christians in the German-speaking countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) to actively take part in the Great Commission through supporting native GFA missionaries in South Asia by our sponsorship programme. Many Christians from different denominations made use of our offer and innumerable people were allowed to get to know Jesus on our mission fields before it is too late.

I was the leader of the German branch of Gospel for Asia for the last 24 years. I am almost 84 years old by now. Because of my age and since no suitable, competent successor could be found, we will stop the work and shut down the German branch of Gospel for Asia.

Many blessed but also intense years lay behind us which we as a team will never forget. The generosity of our sponsors and friends is big to this day and so we are a little sad to announce that the time has come to ask you to stop sending any further donations to our German GFA office.

Would you please inform your bank to cancel existing standing orders. Furthermore please don’t transfer any more donations to our bank accounts:

Germany:   xxxxx     Switzerland:   xxxxx     Austria:   xxxxx

You are welcome to continue to support Gospel for Asia in the future. We invite you to get to know our GFA office in Great Britain and we encourage you to visit its internet page:

www.gfauk.org

!! The sponsorship programme for our missionaries stops at once !! For logistical reasons our complete missionary database has been already divided up directly by our GFA head office in South India to all other international GFA offices. Through this the monthly support of all GFA missionaries who were supported by our German office is secured! Please do not return the documents of the missionaries to us.

For all donations in 2015 the tax deductible receipts will be sent out without demand of the donator (for the tax office in Germany) at the beginning of the New Year 2016.

As a team we would like to say goodbye to you and on behalf of Gospel for Asia we want to thank you that you have so faithfully stayed with us, so that innumerable people could be saved in South Asia for ever.

May the Lord continue to bless you.

In Christ,

Pastor W. M.

_______________________________________________

GOSPEL FOR ASIA – Deutschland

Tel.: xxxxx * Fax:xxxxx

Email: infogermany@gfa.org

Internet: http://www.gfa.org/germany

P.S.: GFA, USA would like to receive our addresses. If you DON’T want us to forward your address, please inform our office latest until 31.05.2015. Thank you!

April 17, 2015 – Diaspora responds to Greg’s meeting invitation

Note: GFA never informed us of, or invited us to, a May 2015 meeting. Nor has GFA introduced us to Greg. We have not received any communication from GFA (except for some individual apologies) or the Board since their final report on March 26, 2015.


Though Greg’s emailed invitation to meet was sent to many individuals in the Diaspora (excluding JD), we responded to him as a unified group.

As of April 22, 2015, we have not heard any response from Greg to our group, nor have we ever received any communication directly from GFA leadership regarding this meeting.

“We have had no communication at all from GFA leadership stating your official role as their representative, so once again we ask that if GFA leadership really does want to meet with representatives of the Diaspora to discuss the five areas of sin that we outlined in our initial letter to them, then GFA leadership needs to contact us at info@gfadiaspora.com.”


From: GFA Diaspora <info@gfadiaspora.com>
Date: Fri, Apr 17, 2015 at 11:28 PM
Subject: Re: re: GFA Diaspora and Reconciliation
To: Greg
Cc: [GFA leaders]

Greg,

Thank you for your heart to bring healing and reconciliation between members of the Diaspora and Gospel for Asia. Unfortunately, both you and GFA leadership seem to still be missing the main point that we have attempted to drive home over and over again. That point being that the goal of the Diaspora is not about obtaining healing and reconciliation regarding the numerous individual hurts that have occurred over the years. Those hurts are but symptoms of much deeper, systemic sin that has permeated the very core of how GFA operates. The personal testimonies that were provided were but examples of the hurt caused by that sin, and are evidence of a much deeper and more serious issue.

In our initial letter to the leadership and boards of GFA, we very clearly outlined five specific areas of sin that we believe must be addressed through brokenness and true repentance (not just apologies) on the part of GFA leadership. It is those five areas of sin that we had wanted to meet with GFA’s leadership and board of directors to discuss, not individual hurts and grievances.

Most of us in the Diaspora who were hurt have already forgiven GFA leadership. For some of us who were hurt very deeply it is still a struggle, but there are others in the Diaspora who were not hurt at all. We are all part of the Diaspora simply because we want to see the systemic sin at GFA addressed and the ministry brought back into the light where the Lord can use it for His glory and the furtherance of His kingdom.

Please understand this clearly: As the Diaspora, we are not looking for the kind of meeting where we can have a “safe environment” to share our “heart and … hurts and receive needed closure”. What we had desired was a meeting with GFA senior leadership, which would have also included members of the board of directors (specifically those who are not related to KP), a neutral third-party mediator, and a small representative group of the Diaspora.

In your conversations with JD and M. you were very defensive and supportive of many of GFA’s actions, and in your email to us you also misrepresented the facts regarding your discussions with JD and GFA relative to scheduling such a meeting. Your actions have shown that you have a strong bias toward GFA which disqualifies you from serving as an impartial mediator.

If you will recall, JD made it very clear that any requests for a meeting should come directly from a member of GFA’s senior leadership or the board, not a third party. We have had no communication at all from GFA leadership stating your official role as their representative, so once again we ask that if GFA leadership really does want to meet with representatives of the Diaspora to discuss the five areas of sin that we outlined in our initial letter to them, then GFA leadership needs to contact us at info@gfadiaspora.com.

Just to be clear, we have been more than willing to meet with GFA leadership and the board in the past, and at no time have we ever said no to meeting with them to discuss our concerns as outlined in our letter to them. The US board of directors have already done an “investigation” and have communicated to us that they consider the matter closed, so we are confused as to why a big push for a meeting is occurring now. Because the board considers the matter closed, we are willing to consider a meeting even at this late stage, but do not consider ourselves under any obligation to do so. If GFA leadership and the board truly want to meet (and this is not just a PR stunt) then these requirements are all that we are requesting:

1. The request for a meeting would come directly from GFA leadership only. (Preferably the board of directors since they’ve previously communicated that they consider this matter closed. It would be ideal if they were the ones to open the dialogue again since they are ultimately responsible for the oversight of GFA.)

2. The meeting would consist of:
-GFA senior leadership (including KP, Daniel P[xxxx], Pat E[xxxx], John B[xxxx] and David C[xxxx]) as well as members of the US and Canada boards.
-A representative sample of the Diaspora
-A truly neutral third-party mediator (e.g. local pastor, someone from a Christian mediation service, etc.)

3. It would be held at a neutral location (not the GFA campus) and mediated by a neutral third-party as stated above.

4. A clearly defined purpose and agenda would be pre-determined. The primary purpose would be to address the five areas of sin we outlined in our original letter to GFA. While we welcome the opportunity to discuss past hurts and seek reconciliation for those wronged, that should not and cannot be the primary focus of the meeting.

Again, we appreciate your heart in this matter, but it is clear that the kind of meeting you are desiring to bring together does not address the true issues at hand, and that you are not the right person to be acting as mediator. That being said, we are asking that you please no longer contact members of the Diaspora directly, and that you remove from your contacts our email addresses that were given to you by GFA.

In Christ,
The Diaspora

BCC: [US and Canada Board Members]


 

From: [Greg]
Date: April 16, 2015 at 11:14:21 PM CDT
To: [individually, to most Diaspora members, excluding JD]
Subject: re: GFA Diaspora and Reconciliation

[read entire post here]