A religious charity blighted by a “schism” that created two warring factions within its organisation has been removed from the Charity Commission’s register.

The regulator has been involved with the charity for a decade after the “religious schism” gave rise “to an entrenched and long-running dispute over its trusteeship and management”.

“So entrenched was this dispute that it as impacting on almost every aspect of the charity’s operation” found the regulator.

This includes disrupting the charity’s religious services, finances, management and “allegedly contributed to public disorder within the local community”.

The regulator's inquiry relates to the running of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahdo Church St Mary Tsion charity, which was formed in 1992 to carry out charitable work in London and the Home Counties and also run a church in Battersea in the capital.

It was removed from the register at the end of March this year and its assets and property have been transferred to a newly formed charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) with similar objectives called the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church St Mary of Debre Tsion, London.

The Charity Commission found that “individuals on both sides of the dispute were unable to put their differences aside and co-operate for the benefit of the charity and its beneficiaries”.

“A significant amount of time and resources of the charity have been expended on seeking to resolve the dispute and related litigation,” it adds.

“It is important that all parties concerned in this matter look to the future and ensure that the CIO is run successfully in accordance with its governing document for the public benefit in general and specifically for the beneficiaries.”

In a message to the wider sector the Commission added: “A trustee body has a duty to manage risk responsibly by identifying and assessing the risks their charity might face and deciding how to deal with them.”

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