Following on from my earlier threat about huge amounts of money simply vanishing from my old congregations bank account with nothing to show for it
The first issue is: did they knowingly overpay for a service? For example pay £90,000 for a 100 new chairs.
That would not be right, and would need to be looked at by the Charity Commission.
He's asked me if there's any documents i can find stating that Bethel
are requesting funds from the congregation to fund their building
project(s).
I'm not really sure how this relates?
The second issue is: did they pass on any monies to any body or organisation against the rules of the 'Congregation Charity'?
The Charity Trustess and Volunteers of the Speke Congregation of JWs adopted a Memorandum of Constitution (also known as the 'Model Constitution' or 'The Constitution') on Thursday 29 May 1997.
That Constitution states, in section 4: (I've bolded the relevant section)
4. THE BODY OF ELDERS has all necessary lawful powers to promote the Purposes of the Congregation and to do anything incidental to those Purposes and without prejudice to the generality of such powers can on behalf and for the benefit of the Congregation:
4.1 accumulate in the name of the Congregation (for so long as the law from time to time allows) funds for the Purposes of the Congregation
4.2 make donations or loans (with or without liability for the borrower to pay inter-est at such fixed or variable rates as the Congregation may approve) out of such funds as may from time to time be determined by Congregation Decision:
4.2.1 to the general funds of the Society or to any special fund maintained by the Society
4.2.2 to the general funds of the Circuit
4.2.3 to the general or any special funds of any other Duly Constituted Congregation
4.2.4 for other charitable purposes including the relief of Congregation Members who are in conditions of need hardship or distress
Date of adoption by Speke Congregation (click on 'Documents' tab): http://beta.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1065195&subid=0
PDF of standard constitution: https://jwleaks.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/london-mill-hill-congregation-of-jehovahs-witnesses-constitution-1997.pdf
Therefore they are allowed to - by passing a 'Congregation Decision' (ie a resolution) - donate monies to both the 'Society', or any other individual 'Congregation', as they want.
As Trustees, the congregation elders would need to make sure that any monies donated would not adversely effect the running of their own congregation's charity - ie they have some remaining capital and they can budget having a regular monthly income through donations from the charitiies volunteers.
Remember also that the congregation trustees have been told by the 'Society' that the costs for any major works or expenditure would be paid for by the 'Society' directly, so the local trustees only need to be concerned with running costs and the costs of any minor works.
