A chilling pattern of control and condemnation has emerged from within the Wellspring Ministry, a registered charity, where sermons reveal a disturbing ideology regarding marriage and sexuality.
Recordings from 2022 show Bienvenue Hombessa, chair of trustees, delivering a stark message to women: their bodies, within marriage, are not their own. He warned that repeated refusal of sexual advances from a husband would open the door to “the devil,” a claim met with forceful demands for affirmation from the male members of the congregation.
The atmosphere within these gatherings was palpable, with Hombessa repeatedly demanding louder responses from the women, escalating his rhetoric until their compliance was achieved. His teachings extend beyond marital expectations, framing a husband’s authority as paramount, suggesting intervention if a wife doesn’t “listen.”
This isn’t an isolated incident from years past. A sermon from last year further unveiled the ministry’s deeply entrenched beliefs, declaring “sex in marriage is a right” and launching into a vehement denouncement of LGBTQ+ individuals.
Hombessa’s 2025 sermon labeled same-sex marriage as “disgusting” and called for the “institutionalization” of homosexuals, advocating for interventions like injections. He expressed dismay that societal acceptance had replaced previous understandings of homosexuality as a mental health concern, and described transgender individuals with harsh, dehumanizing language.
The ministry’s charitable status, ostensibly for “the advancement of religion,” allows it to operate alongside community services like food banks and international aid. However, critics argue this broad definition provides cover for the promotion of harmful ideologies.
Alejandro Sanchez of the National Secular Society points to the ambiguity in defining “public benefit” within the charity system, suggesting an inherent assumption that religion is inherently positive. This allows organizations like Wellspring Ministry to advance divisive and potentially damaging beliefs under the guise of religious practice.
The National Secular Society has formally reported the church to the Charity Commission, raising serious questions about the compatibility of the ministry’s teachings with the principles of public benefit and charitable purpose. The Commission and Wellspring Ministry have been contacted for comment.
