Pastor Douglas Goodman was one of Britain's leading
evangelists with the support of thousands - until his arrest over sex
allegations.

Goodman: Pastor betrayed trust

The sign over the Victory Christian Centre where he presided said it was a place where "Jesus Christ is Lord".

But Goodman's trial and conviction has revealed that
behind the mission to take faith to the people, he ultimately abused
his power.

Pastor Douglas Goodman was jailed after being found
guilty of sexual assaults, but until his downfall he and his north
London church were a pivotal part of the of the evangelical movement in
the UK's black communities.

Goodman, 47, was born in St Vincent and came to the UK
as a child. He was attracted to evangelical Christianity and when he
became a preacher found that he had a natural talent for reaching out
to congregations.

In the 1990s he became the senior pastor at the Victory
Christian Centre in north London, a modestly successful evangelical
mission.

But by the time of his arrest, Goodman and his team were
preaching to congregations of up to 3,000 and boasted an annual income
of £3.5m.

Preaching: Goodman had natural talent

Quite simply, the married father-of-four had turned the
church into one of the most successful black-led community institutions
in the UK. Many of the members of the congregation made donations
through tithes - an ages-old way of funding churches through 10% of
each parishioner's income.

One day the church held an "appreciation day" for
Goodman and his wife, Erika. They were feted by hundreds of
parishioners and crowned "King and Queen" of the church.

And Goodman had the lifestyle to go with it. He and his
wife lived in the affluent Northampton suburb of Collingtree. He drove
two cars - a top-of-the-range Mercedes and another sports car.

Goodman's downfall began when women complained to church elders that they had been assaulted.

Allegations surfaced that Goodman had groomed victims with presents and cash.

Spending: Charity Commission inquiry

While the elders were shocked at the stories, nobody
knew if they were true and the women came to believe they were being
treated like the guilty party.

Eventually Goodman was arrested. At the same time, the Charity Commission began looking at the finances.

In December 2002, the commission's team probing the
Victory Christian Centre decided to close it down because it could not
meet the debts that had been run up.

It found Goodman and his wife had "exerted an improper
influence over those people responsible for the management of the
charity's affairs" and it criticised the elders for failing to curb his
influence.

The Charity Commission's final report, due out soon,
will decide whether or not the Victory Christian Centre can resume its
ministry or remain closed.

What is without doubt is that the Goodman scandal has
left a hole in a community which regarded the church and the pastor as
a cornerstone of their faith and a force for good.

It also raises questions about regulation: Despite being
ejected from the VCC, Goodman immediately decided to set up a new
church, Victory to Victory, in nearby Wembley and take his supporters
with him.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/3020832.stm