(CP) KP Yohannan, founder and director of Gospel for Asia and metropolitan of Believers Japanese Church, dies of cardiac arrest aged 74.
Gospel for Asia introduced Yohannan's demise in an announcement, saying the influential Indian Christian chief died Wednesday morning at a hospital in Dallas, Texas.
Yohannan had been hit by a automotive whereas strolling the day earlier than. Whereas recovering from the accident within the hospital, he suffered a sudden cardiac arrest.
“We reward God for giving his servant the energy to run his race faithfully and with nice perseverance to the very finish,” the GFA mentioned in an announcement.
“Tens of millions of lives are modified without end due to his tireless ardour and repair to his Savior. Might God obtain him into the arms of the saints. Christ is risen! Might his reminiscence be everlasting!”
Yohannan is survived by his spouse, Gisela; his son Daniel, daughter Sarah and 7 grandchildren: David, Ester, Jonas, Hana, Lydia, Noemi and Noah.
Yohannan was born in southern India in 1950, the youngest of six sons, in accordance with his on-line obituary, reportedly within the village the place the apostle Thomas based the church within the first century.
Impressed by the instance and friendship of missionary George Verwer, Yohannan entered the ministry and acquired his theological schooling at Criswell Faculty within the Seventies.
Yohannan based Gospel for Asia in 1979. In February 2003, he turned Metropolitan of Believers Japanese Church. BEC identifies as evangelical, nevertheless, it accepts greater church providers and clothes.
A prolific author, in accordance with GFA World, Yohannan has printed about 250 books in Asia and 12 books in america.
Between 2008 and 2022, Yohannan contributed a number of opinion columns to The Christian Submit, the newest of which appeared in Might 2022 titled “How can we reclaim this 'disappearing era'?”
“I consider we have now left a complete era reeling as a result of—regardless of all our educating supplies, church applications, and actions—they’ve by no means had an actual encounter with the dwelling Christ. As a substitute, we have now been led to consider that the smartphone era wants fixed media bombing,” he wrote on the time.
“Our misplaced emphasis on fast-moving media and the amount of rock live shows has changed the much-needed timeless self-discipline of looking for God in quiet meditation and reverent silence. Because of this, our worship providers have grow to be extra targeted on efficiency than on stopping God.”
Lately, Yohannan and Gospel for Asia have confronted authorized battles over allegations of monetary misconduct relating to their dealing with of donations.
In a single lawsuit, plaintiffs alleged that tens of millions in charitable donations had been as an alternative used to run worthwhile companies and construct private residences and headquarters in Texas.
In 2019, the division reached a $37 million settlement over the allegations, with Yohannan and GFA Chief Working Officer David Carroll denying any wrongdoing.
He’s well-liked amongst those that got here to Yohannan's protection after the settlement was introduced Loopy love preacher Francis Chan, who served as a GFA board member. Chan mentioned he employed a monetary knowledgeable and went to GFA's Texas headquarters to research the embezzlement claims.
“After cautious investigation, we concluded that there was no misappropriation and that every one funds had been channeled to the meant areas,” Chan mentioned in 2019.
Nevertheless, GFA was expelled from the Evangelical Council for Monetary Accountability in 2015 and from the Nationwide Spiritual Broadcasters in 2016 because of controversy.
In November 2020, the Indian authorities, which has cracked down on overseas Christian missionary organizations over the previous few years amid an increase in Hindu nationalism within the nation, accused the BEC and Yohannan of “depleting” tax-exempt funds for “private and different unlawful bills”.
BEC spokesman Fr. Sijo Pandapallil advised CP on the time that the matter had been misrepresented and “wildly mischaracterized on social media.”
In 2021, Greg Zentner of Nova Scotia filed a $170 million class-action lawsuit in opposition to the GFA, accusing the division of defrauding 1000’s of Canadians and church buildings by utilizing the funds for “improper functions”.
In 2022, the Ontario Superior Court docket of Justice denied a movement to certify the grievance, concluding that the plaintiff had “didn’t exhibit any factual foundation for its allegation that the defendants willfully misappropriated donor funds in a way that had no connection to any purported charity.” function.”
© The Christian Submit
