Watchdog launches investigation into church that promoted fake coronavirus ‘protection kits’

Charities Commission probes finances of London church whose bishop claimed £91 bottle of ‘divine’ oil protect against and cure Covid-19

The marketing for the purported coronavirus cure sold by Bishop Climate (Bishop Climate Ministries)

A watchdog has launched an investigation into a London church that promoted fake “plague protection kits” during the coronavirus pandemic.

Bishop Climate Wiseman, head of the Kingdom Church in Camberwell, claimed earlier this year that the £91 small bottle of oil and piece of red yarn would cure and protect people against Covid-19.

The Charity Commission said the discovery sparked a probe into the organisation’s records that revealed concerns about its finances.

Its inquiry will examine records of the charity’s income and expenditure, the trustees’ compliance with legal duties, and potential conflicts of interest.

The watchdog said it would be looking at the church’s relationship with a connected organisation called the Bishop Climate Ministries, which was allegedly responsible for selling the “plague protection kits”.

In a blog post, Bishop Wiseman claimed the concoction of cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet yarn acts as “an invisible barrier to the powers of darkness”.

He wrote: “It is by faith that you can be saved from the coronavirus pandemic by covering yourself with the divine plague protection oil and wearing the scarlet yarn on your body.

"That is why I want to encourage you, if you haven't done so already, to get your divine plague protection kit today!"

He told the PA news agency in April that the church had sold more than 1,000 of the kits.

"This is based on the Bible - I'm a Christian and there is a way that the Bible says to protect us from plagues," he said.

He previously insisted that the church was not selling the kits, and that the price tag was just to cover the cost of the ingredients, yarn and postage and packaging.

Bishop Wiseman said at the time that his church was not telling people to ignore the government's advice.

The kits have been removed from the Kingdom Church’s website and social media pages, amid a separate Trading Standards investigation.

Helen Earner, director of regulatory services at the Charity Commission, said: “Charities should be organisations that people can trust. Many will have been concerned by allegations about this charity’s activities in relation to Covid-19, and so it is right that we, and others, have intervened.

“Our own examination into The Kingdom Church GB has identified further concerns that require investigation which is why we have now opened an official inquiry.”

Additional reporting by PA