The Charity Commission has found serious financial mismanagement at Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries International (MFM), revealing that the Christian charity operated more than 100 bank accounts with little oversight or control.
A statutory inquiry, on 27th March 2018, uncovered that former and current trustees “failed to maintain financial controls", leaving donor funds at risk across the organisation’s nationwide network of approximately 50 branches.
The investigation found that individual branches had opened bank accounts, purchased properties, and entered lease agreements without authorisation from the trustees. In some cases, this led to financial losses, including costly legal disputes and unregulated employment settlements.
Due to the severity of the failings, the Commission appointed an interim manager on 1st August 2019, who worked to implement proper governance and financial systems. The interim manager was discharged on 13th September 2024 after significant reforms were completed.
Amy Spiller, head of investigations at the Charity Commission, said: “The rapid growth of a charity comes with correspondingly larger potential risks, as our inquiry clearly shows.
“In this case, the trustees’ fundamental failure to maintain financial controls meant donor funds were at serious risk across their entire network”.
The Commission confirmed that the charity has now complied with a regulatory action plan and is satisfied that it can operate effectively and focus on its Christian mission.
