The Charity Commission has opened a regulatory compliance case into newly registered Christian church charity Wellspring Ministry over comments made by its chair in previous sermons.
In two sermons broadcast between 2022 and 2025 by the Reading-based charity, chair Bienvenue Hombessa – who also serves as one of the church’s pastors – made comments that have since been reported to the regulator by the National Secular Society.
The comments included telling women that they did not have authority over their bodies and that the “devil will come in” if they refuse their husbands’ sex.
He also said that men who dressed as women were “repulsive” and “revolting”, and that gay people should be “institutionalised” and “injected”.
Wellspring Ministry registered as a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) in January this year.
Commission ‘determining what regulatory role there is’
A commission spokesperson said: “We have opened a regulatory compliance case into Wellspring Ministry to assess concerns raised with us about sermons delivered at the church in 2022 and 2025, prior to the organisation becoming a registered charity.
“Our assessment will determine what regulatory role there is, if any, for the commission.”
National Secular Society spokesperson Alejandro Sanchez said: “It is entirely unsurprising to find another religious charity implying that women cannot refuse sex and that gay men are mentally ill.
“The charitable purpose ‘the advancement of religion’ is allowing misogyny and homophobia to be spread with impunity. It must be removed.
“Short of this, the government’s recent proposals to empower the Charity Commission to shut down extremist charities should be implemented as a matter of urgency.”
Wellspring Ministry has been approached for comment.
