Universal Church of the Kingdom of God

===''Surviving Universal UK''===

In 2022 hundreds of former members in the United Kingdom via a movement called ''Surviving Universal UK'' spoke out publicly about the abuse they had endured within the church, including [[sexual abuse|sexual]], [[physical abuse|physical]], and [[financial abuse]] and [[coercion]]. Following this the general issue of faith abuse was widely discussed in the UK news media. Surviving Universal UK was widely viewed on TikTok, generating attention, and leading to an investigation by [[The Guardian]]<ref name=mcclenaghan>{{cite news| last=McClenaghan | first=Maeve | title='Exposed to horrendous things': young people in UK speak out against evangelical church |newspaper=The Guardian | date=29 November 2022 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/nov/29/young-uk-people-speak-out-against-evangelical-church-universal-kingdom-god}}</ref> and continuing reports.<ref>{{cite news| last=Ingram | first=Sarah | title='Threats, grooming, exploitation': How we escaped the evangelist church 'cult'| newspaper=Metro | date=17 May 2023 | url=https://metro.co.uk/2023/05/17/threats-grooming-exploitation-howe-we-escaped-a-church-cult-18070398/}}</ref>

After the allegations become public the UCKG replied to several newspapers that they did not agree with the allegations,<ref name="South London News 2022 b479">{{cite news| title='They made me perform exorcisms on others': Survivors of 'cult' church speak out over abuse|last=Twomey|first=James| website=South London News | date=21 October 2022 | url=https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/they-made-me-perform-exorcisms-on-others-survivors-of-cult-church-speak-out-over-abuse/}}</ref> and remained critical of the many survivors who told their stories, as displayed in The Guardian's [https://www.theguardian.com/world/audio/2022/dec/02/the-young-people-speaking-out-against-the-universal-church-of-the-kingdom-of-god podcast] that featured Surviving Universal UK.

As the UCKG is a registered charity in the UK, survivors  called on the [[Charity Commission]] to launch a statutory inquiry into the UCKG's conduct and finances with a view to stripping the church of its charity status. In the UK, the UCKG's income is on average £12 million a year, according to their annual report submitted to the Charity Commission.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/|title=The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God|website=The Charity Commission for England and Wales API|access-date=2023-07-24}}</ref> UCKG survivor say members fund all UCKG activities, including expensive uniforms that all volunteers must wear, food banks and outreach programs, and question where the millions actually go.

In response to the criticism the Charity Commission opened a regulatory compliance case into the UCKG over potential safeguarding concerns.<ref name=ccinvestigat>{{cite news| title=Regulator contacts Pentecostal church charity over safeguarding concerns | website=Civil Society | date=4 January 2023 | url=https://www.civilsociety.co.uk/news/regulator-contacts-pentecostal-church-charity-over-safeguarding-concerns.html}}</ref>

Members of Surviving Universal UK appeared in a BBC Panorama production exposing alleged [[conversion therapy]] and [[exorcism]].<ref name="bbc-dec2023"/><ref name="bbc-2023-documentary"/>