A former United Reformed Church (URC) minister has avoided prison after admitting to fraudulently claiming more than £23,000 in church allowances over a 12-year period. 

The former minister, Naison Hove, 59, was handed a two-year suspended sentence at Wood Green Crown Court on Wednesday 10th September after pleading guilty to two counts of fraud by abuse of position.  

The court heard he submitted 13 false claims for expenses, including for his children’s school uniforms, despite his household income being well above the threshold for support. 

The Zimbabwean-born minister, ordained in 2001, served congregations in London and Sussex until his suspension in 2022.  

He was formally removed from ministry in January following the URC’s internal investigation, which uncovered over £23,000 in “financial irregularities”. 

Hove’s defence said he acted out of shame and pressure to fulfil traditional male roles, feeling he was failing to provide for his wife. 

Prosecutor Rebecca Dix told the court, Hove’s offending “deliberately” targeted a “weakness in the processes of the church”. 

The URC has issued this statement to Premier:

"Naison Hove was removed from the United Reformed Church’s (URC) Roll of Minsters in January this year following an internal investigation. He is no longer able to act as a Minister of the United Reformed Church."

"Dismissing a Minister from the Roll of Ministers is a significant action which is taken very seriously by the Church. It is not a decision that is reached lightly, and all those affected by his actions are in our thoughts and prayers."