"One of Britain's biggest churches, which lists among its aims 'the relief of poverty', paid its pastor hundreds of thousands of pounds and provided him with free accommodation and a car while it had millions in the bank. Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo preaches at a service at the Kingsway International Christian Centre, Hackney.
The Charity Commission found evidence of 'serious' financial misconduct at the Kingsway International Christian Centre, in Hackney, east London."
On one occasion, £120,000 was spent celebrating the birthday of the senior pastor, Matthew Ashimolowo, of which £80,000 was used to buy a Mercedes. He bought a timeshare apartment in Florida for £13,000.
The church, which was founded by Mr Ashimolowo 19 years ago, attracts up to 10,000 mainly Afro-Caribbean worshippers a week to services in a converted warehouse near Hackney Marshes. The centre claims to be the fastest-growing church in Europe, with a total membership of 12,000.
