The Charity Commission has restricted the transactions of four charities with links to the Barnabas Fund, an international aid charity already under investigation, and placed them under inquiry after identifying risks related to the charities’ shared premises, trustees and the flow of funds.

The regulator said today it had opened statutory inquiries into the TBF Trust, the Oxford Centre for Religion in Public Life, the Reconciliation Trust and Servants Fellowship International on 6 December.

The commission said the investigations came after it identified possible risks due to the charities’ shared premises, their trustees and/or founders and the flow of funds with the Barnabas Fund.

The Christian charities are part of the ‘Barnabas Family’, with links to the Barnabas Fund – which the regulator opened an inquiry into last year after an independent investigation revealed “inexplicable” transactions involving its founder and other senior figures.

As part of the inquiry, the commission used its statutory powers to temporarily restrict the Barnabas Fund’s transactions amounting to more than £4,000.

The regulator has since exercised this power over the four charities newly under investigation. 

The Reconciliation Trust’s bank accounts have been frozen by the regulator while the other charities will have restrictions placed on any transactions over the amount of £2,500. Trustees will be required to gain written consent from the regulator for such transactions. 

The regulator said this move followed concerns that charitable funds could be at risk.

The commission will seek to determine whether the charities under investigation hold a relationship with the US-based subsidiary Nexcus and if they have a similar structure to the Barnabas Fund.

A spokesperson for the Barnabas Fund said Nexcus, also known as Barnabas Aid International, is the “umbrella organisation that sits over all the global Barnabas Family of ministries, including Barnabas Aid, USA, Australia, New Zealand and others”.

The regulator said its inquiries would assess if the charities’ structures were in their best interests and will investigate whether charitable assets were at risk.

The inquiries will also examine whether the four charities’ trustees are in compliance with their legal duties and responsibilities in respect of their administration and governance, whether there is a risk to charitable property and whether there has been any misconduct or mismanagement by the trustees in the charities’ administration.

Reverend Canon Dr Joshva John, vice-chair of the Oxford Centre for Religion in Public Life, said: “OCRPL was founded in Oxford as a research institute and educational charity in 2005. 

“It has received funds from many charitable bodies and submitted its accounts to the Charity Commission every year. It welcomes the current investigation. It is concerned that it should be able to continue its research and educational ministry without interference from other bodies.”

He added that from 2019 until August 2024, the charity received funds raised by Barnabas Aid through a memorandum of understanding with Nexcus.

A spokesperson for the Barnabas Fund said: “We are committed to openness and transparency and welcome the Charity Commission’s extension to their statutory inquiry into other parts of the Barnabas Family and interconnected Christian ministries.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the entities listed in the Charity Commission’s statement have always formed part of the Barnabas Family. It is right that the Charity Commission has expanded its work to include these organisations.”

The TBF Trust has not responded to Third Sector’s request for comment. Third Sector was unable to contact the Reconciliation Trust and Servants Fellowship International.