Unethical apartheid activities of ICFG in South Africa

“International Church of the Foursquare Gospel (ICFG) USA headed up by Dr. Jack Hayford seen as racist by South African constituency”.

In a vain attempt to control the South African churches, Hayford’s organization has attempted to deny their South African Church Counterpart (black constituency) their legal right to elect and appoint their own church officials in 2006.

Ignoring South African section 21 non-profit company law, Hayford’s vice president in charge of international operations, Mike Larkin, wrote attempting to prevent the lawful elections of officers from transpiring in Sept 2006.

1.2 Since 2003, officials of Hayford’s organization have denied the (black) majority of Foursquare churches and their leaders in South Africa their legal rights to vote for their own Directors.

1.3 The churches and pastors in South Africa denounced this unlawful imposition on them by Foursquare USA and called for legal constitutional elections to be held on 30 September 2006 at their headquarters church in Willowvale, Eastern Cape.

1.4 Acting on behalf of Dr. Jack Hayford, president of Foursquare USA, Mike Larkin director of International operations together with corporate lawyer, EL Clark, refused to accept the autonomy of the National Church in South Africa and wrote attempting to prevent the elections from occurring.

1.5 According to past communications from Mike Larkin his preferential treatment is based on “friends” he has in South Africa.

1.6 These “friends” where not considered mature ministers, nor did they represent the majority population group or the majority of the churches in South Africa and had not been properly endorsed by the churches or their constituencies.

1.7 The General Secretary of the South African church, Amos Mokopi, a seasoned pastor, spoke out on behalf of the South African constituency, against what they considered to be racist and apartheid actions of Mike Larkin, director of international operations of Foursquare USA.

Abuse against the "General Secretary" of Foursquare South Africa

1.8 Foursquare USA retaliated against him by having Mokopi’s salary withdrawn and (through the "friends") manipulating Amos Mokopi out of his position as the General secretary of the South African National Foursquare Church.

1.9 The irregular manner in which the above was done resulted in a lawsuit by Mokopi against Foursquare USA and their official representative in South Africa, Glen Mickel.

1.10 Foursquare USA settled out of court.

1.11 Rev. Manthe the General Supervisor of the South African Church was blamed for instigating the letter written by Mokopi, which had alleged the racial discrimination

1.11.1 A few weeks After Mokopi wrote his letter Manthe was given a letter of resignation to submit to the South African National Board.

1.11.2 Manthe's resignation letter was written by Glen Mickel his USA supervisor, and approved by Mike Larkin the Missions Director.

1.12 No due process was offered either Mokopi or Manthe.

1.13 The South African Church constituency were appalled with these dismissals of their church officers, which had been done without their knowledge or consultation.

1.14 For standing up for the rights of the South African church members and leaders the Manthe’s have endured severe retaliation from Foursquare USA.

1.15 The South African Foursquare Churches are appalled with Manthe’s treatment by the USA Church and have written a Memorandum to Dr. Hayford expressing the same.

The memorandum has not been responded to.

Abuse - against the "General Supervisor" of Foursquare South Africa.

1.16 In actions considered to be emotional and psychological abuse Rev. and Mrs Manthe were both prohibited by Hayford’s organization from seeking further employment or from returning back to the USA while their “essential financial support” was cut and their family vehicle of 5 years taken away from them. (There has never been any charge of misconduct made against the Manthe’s).

1.17 Foursquare’s own operational policies confirm the violations against the Manthe’s to be unethical by their own standards.

1.18 When Hayford learned that Manthe had approached a legal firm to request his withheld wages and termination package, Hayford responded by threatening Manthe - holding the line that ICFG was not at fault and not accepting any responsibility for the unethical actions.

Memorandum from South African Church to Hayford- ignored

2.1 On 21 August 2006, the National Church of South Africa sent a Memorandum to Dr. Jack Hayford, outlining the unethical activities of his organization against the South African Church and against the Manthe’s.

2.2 Dr. Jack Hayford has never replied to the Memorandum.


Integrity of Hayford’s organization - questioned.

3.1 Mr Manthe wrote Dr. Hayford on Aug. 21, 2006 stating that if they are forced to go to court it would not be so much about finances as about the lack of integrity in the Foursquare USA’s Church organization's dealings with South Africa.

3.2 That letter also has not been replied to.

3.3 Instead Rev. and Mrs. Manthe’s ministerial credentials with the USA church were suspended.

Manthe's requests for reconciliation and restitution - ignored by Hayford

4.1 On 21 November 2006 Mr. Manthe sent a further letter to Dr. Hayford commenting on Hayford’s willingness to take the time for Ted Haggard’s restoration process, yet apparently unavailable to care for unethical activities taking place in his own back yard.

4.2 In that letter Mr. Manthe stated that he was open to being flown out to speak with Dr. Hayford as soon as was possible.

4.3 That letter was also ignored.

4.4 Mr. Manthe then sent several more letters to Foursquare USA in December 2006 and January 2007 this time through their Corporate Counsel, EL Clark and cc to Dr. Hayford.

4.5 In each letter Manthe confirmed that he was writing in a “spirit of reconciliation” and each dealt with specific written proofs of the various unethical actions committed by various officers of ICFG.

4.6 All Manthe’s offers to talk and requests for reconciliation have been ignored.

4.7 The conclusion drawn is that there is no desire for reconciliation or restitution on the part of Foursquare USA.

Mr. Manthe and the National Foursquare Church in South Africa have therefore concluded that going to the press and taking legal action may be the only avenues left to convince Hayford to recognize:

4.7.1 the autonomy of the SA National Foursquare church,

4.7.2 the damage ICFG has done to the people in the National Foursquare Churches of South Africa.

4.7.3 the damage to the reputation of the Foursquare Church in South Africa.

4.7.4 the damage to the reputation of the Manthe family because of their stand against the discriminatory policies of ICFG in South Africa.

4.7.5 the USA church policy of supporting "friends" is both discriminatory and damaging.


Abusive behaviour by ICFG continues into 2007

Abuse against the Valley Dawn Christian School "principal" in South Africa

5.1 In January 2007 Mr. Jorgensen, a young (white) 22 year old Canadian and his wife, sent to South Africa by Foursquare head office in the USA in November 2006, usurped authority over the Valley Dawn Christian School (VDCS) in South Africa.

5.1.1 Jorgensen ousted the (black) principal, Ms Nontembiso Mbojeni of VDCS and illegally asserted himself as the principal of the school. He unlawfully withheld all school documents and finances until police charges were laid against him and one other by the Schools governing board.
5.1.2 Neither the VDCS School governing Board nor the Trustees of the school had invited the Jorgensen’s to the school in 2007, or asked them to be the principal.

5.1.3 The school has never been a part of Foursquare USA.

Abuse against the national "Pastor" of the Headquarters Church in South Africa

5.2 In February 2007 Rev. Manphis Kate(a black South African) and the seasoned, respected long term pastor of the Headquarters Church and District Supervisor of over approx 50 congregations, was without due process unceremoniously dismissed as a pastor of his church and as District Supervisor, at a meeting presided over by Glen Mickel, the legal representative of Foursquare USA in South Africa.

5.2.1 Rev.Manphis Kate was then replaced by the the young Mr. Jorgensen of Foursquare USA.


Cape High Court Finding of March 7, 07 against the "friends"of ICFG

6.1 Compelled to action by the injustices of the USA Foursquare Church, the South African Foursquare Church applied to the High Courts in South Africa to claim their constitutional, civil and legal rights which were being withheld by Jack Hayford’s organization through Glen Mickel of Foursquare USA and the “friends” of Mike Larkin the VP of international operations.

6.2 March 7, 07 the High Court in Cape Town found in favour of the legality of the South African Foursquare Church elections as held on 30 Sept 2006 against the three "friends"of Hayford.

Abuse is felt by "congregations and families" as they are split down the middle.

7. April, 2007 – Rather than accepting the courts decision which recognized the authentic and historic leaders through a properly conducted electoral process, Hayford’s USA Church personnel in South Africa began campaigning for their three "friends".

7.1 In March 2007 after the court hearing, Hayford’s organization attempted to set up a rival organization, ignoring the established churches and leaders recognized ans supported by the previous USA Foursquare church Presidents and Missions Directors.

7.2 John Shober, from Hope Chapel Hermose Beach CA, under the Supervision of Glen Mickel, began visiting the South African churches, soliciting members.

7.3 Through financial incentives, factions within the various churches were persuaded to attend a rival Easter Conference (April 6,7,8, 2007) held on the same dates as the official annual SA National Foursquare Easter conference.


The financial incentives were provided by Glen Mickel of Foursquare USA through Shober and Jorgensen who both attended the rival conference.

The result is that African families and congregations are being split down the middle because of the attempts to control the South African Church in actions likened to practices of the past apartheid government.


Written on behalf of the Foursquare National Board of South Africa.