‘They say you have to buy blessings’: the London women who gave everything to a controversial church

Regulator rules Universal Church of the Kingdom of God did not protect vulnerable donors, including woman who says she gave life savings

“Sometimes you’re seeing God as a genie, where if I give him all this money, He will bring me what I want,” Sarah says.

The 27-year-old spent years in the grip of “prosperity gospel”, whose followers believe cash donations to evangelical churches unlock divine blessings of health and wealth. So did Jennifer*, 29, who says she handed over her life savings.

Both women are professionals from London and former members of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG), an international evangelical movement and UK-registered charity whose cases have recently been investigated by the Fundraising Regulator (FR).

The regulator found in February that, in Jennifer’s case, UCKG had breached the fundraising code as it was “aware” of previous mental health difficulties she had experienced when it took a “large donation” from her and “could not show that it had otherwise considered” her needs or circumstances.