The Charity Commission has launched statutory inquiries into four charities linked to Barnabas Aid including: TBF Trust, Oxford Centre for Religion in Public Life, Reconciliation Trust, and Servants Fellowship International (SFI).
It is also continuing to investigate Barnabas Aid itself which is a Christian charity that supports Christians internationally who are persecuted or discriminated against because of their faith.
Concerns have arisen over shared premises, trustees, founders, and financial transactions among the organizations, prompting the regulator to investigate potential risks to compliance within charity law.
Part of the issue is that the charities - part of the “Barnabas Family” - have overlapping purposes. TBF Trust, Reconciliation Trust, and SFI provide grants to promote the Christian faith, while the Oxford Centre for Religion in Public Life focuses on education and research to foster religious harmony.
This follows on from a previous inquiry into Barnabas Fund in October 2024, where restrictions were placed on transactions over £4,000.
Now, Reconciliation Trust’s accounts are frozen, and the other three charities face transaction limits of £2,500 unless prior consent is obtained.
The inquiries will examine trustees’ governance, risk to assets, and potential misconduct.
Investigators will also assess the charities’ links to the US-based Nexcus and their structural alignment with Barnabas Fund.
Reporting on the story in October Premier News reported that Barnabas Aid "welcomed" the decision to investigate, saying:
“We will comply with both the letter and the spirit of order and instructions given by the Charity Commission.
"This will further reinforce confidence that donated funds will be used to help suffering and persecuted Christians, in line with our charitable objectives. This will require additional administrative challenges, but the entire Barnabas Aid team are committed to continuing our important work throughout this difficult time.”