Jodi says she remembers her hands shaking as her married pastor — the man she had for months been told to call “dad” — pulled her onto his lap on a cream-coloured couch in his ministry office.
Just 16 years old at the time, Jodi says she froze as Kofi Danso, a self-described “Man of God,” prophet and the leader of Miracle Arena church, then located in North York, Ont., began to unbutton her pants.
“He was like, ‘Just know that I’m here … I’m your dad.’ He’s whispering these things to me while he’s kissing my neck and fingering me,” the woman, now in her 20s, said in an interview with the Investigative Journalism Bureau (IJB).
“I just became numb.”
Jodi, whose identity is being protected because she fears repercussions for speaking out, is one of more than a dozen people who have spoken to the Investigative Journalism Bureau (IJB) alleging they experienced either sexual misconduct or financial manipulation at Miracle Arena For All Nations Church , now located in Vaughan, Ont. north of Toronto.
Danso, 44, declined interview requests from the IJB but provided a detailed written response to questions through his lawyer, in which he denies “all allegations of sexual abuse, including allegations of sexual relations with a minor.” He also denies allegations of financial exploitation. A regional police force confirmed it had investigated some sexual claims, but has closed that investigation and has not charged him with a criminal offence.
The statement from Danso’s lawyer says many of his parishioners call him “papa” as a sign of “respect and deference” common in his native Ghana.
“These cultural terms should be viewed in the context of Ghanaian culture,” it reads, adding that many of his parishioners are Ghanaian. “In the 15 years of the Miracle Arena’s existence, there have not been any allegations made against Mr. Danso or brought to the attention of Miracle Arena.”
Miracle Arena is a “charismatic” church situated on a gated 12-acre compound north of Toronto. It’s run by senior pastor Danso and his wife, JoAnne, who claim to “demonstrate the power of God through miracles, signs and wonders” to hundreds of congregants each week — many of whom are refugees or immigrants.
Some have been housed on-site in makeshift shelters or inside the church buildings while others say they have been asked to work for the Danso family to care for the couple’s children and have moved into their home.
Sexual misconduct allegations
Jodi is one of five women interviewed by the IJB who allege Danso engaged in a range of sexual misconduct, including grooming, arranging sexual encounters with them in his church office and arranging for them to have sex with visiting pastors.
Some of the allegations shared with the IJB against Danso go back more than a decade.
While Jodi was a teen at the time of the alleged sexual misconduct, the rest say they were in their early 20s or 30s.
Jodi says she began attending Miracle Arena with her parents in 2017 before being recruited to volunteer for the church’s media team, where she was tasked with shooting videos of Danso’s sermons.
She says Danso began to sexually abuse her in February 2018 after she was tasked with filming the popular 5 a.m. Monday gathering at the church.
Jodi alleges Danso had at least 15 sexual encounters with her over five months. The majority of the time Danso performed oral sex or digitally penetrated her, she said.
On one occasion, while in his office, Jodi says, Danso pulled her wrists, drawing her close to him before laying her flat on his white three-seater couch. He then had non-consensual, unprotected sex with her, she says.
“I would make sounds of ‘it hurts.’ He didn’t care that I was hurting,” said Jodi, who did not make a report to police. “I felt so disgusting. It really affected me to the point where I wanted to die.”
During an initial call with reporters, Danso expressed “shock” at what he called “very serious allegations.” In a later written statement from his lawyer, Danso denied all allegations of sexual misconduct including allegations of grooming and “arranging encounters in various places or for other people.”
He alleges that the allegations are part of a personal vendetta and blackmail attempt by a former minister at Miracle Arena who is facing criminal charges and who believes Danso reported him to police.
It’s not the first time Danso has been accused of inappropriate sexual conduct with a parishioner.
In a case previously before Toronto courts, Danso contested the paternity of a child he was confirmed by DNA test to have fathered with a former congregant.
The paternity test found a 99.999996 per cent probability that Danso is the father of the woman’s child.
“The applicant is a leader in his church and he presents himself as a moral and family man; however, this is contrary to his actions in his private life,” reads a court filing from the woman who says she had a three-year sexual relationship with Danso that resulted in a child in 2018.
“I believe that (there) are other (women) who have endured similar experiences … but they are afraid of coming forward.”
The court, however, noted there was no proof before it ”that there are any other women involved in the issues in this proceeding.”
In his written statement to reporters, Danso said he would “not comment on the child support case that was before the court.”
In June 2023, an Ontario judge granted the child’s mother interim financial assistance to help continue the litigation. In May 2024, the court issued a final order requiring Danso to pay $2,019 a month in child support, based on an imputed income of $250,000. No further court appearances are scheduled.
The order states that Danso cannot bring a motion to change child support for 10 years, until March 2034, unless he becomes physically or mentally incapacitated.
Several former parishioners told the IJB they have filed complaints about Danso with Toronto and York Regional Police alleging sexual misconduct involving a minor, sex trafficking and financial exploitation. No charges have been laid.
Toronto Police Service said it “does not publicly comment on complaints received about an individual, or confirm whether an investigation may or may not exist, unless criminal charges have been laid or information has otherwise been released publicly through the courts or a TPS news release.”
York Regional Police said in an email to the IJB, “The investigation was concluded but we are unable to get into the specifics of the investigation in order to protect the identity of the victims.”
A York Police spokesperson told the IJB in a follow-up phone call that allegations made earlier this year against Danso concerned alleged “sexual assault” and the investigation concluded with no charges laid.
The IJB spoke with one woman — a former Miracle Arena parishioner — who gave a statement to York Police in the fall of 2025 alleging historical sexual misconduct by Danso.
She says police told her shortly after that due to a lack of corroborating evidence (text messages, emails, documents), they could not use her statement.
In an email, a York Police spokesperson said, “Any victims who have not yet come forward to police are encouraged to do so.” The spokesperson also pointed to York Region Victim Services and the Women’s Support Network.
Dagma Noelien, a former minister at Miracle Arena, says she left the church in 2018 after allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced, including the claims that Danso had fathered a child.
Noelien says multiple women contacted her, prior to and following her departure, alleging they had experienced inappropriate sexual touching by Danso or advances from him and, in some cases, by visiting ministers. Through conversations with two other women, she said, she learned that they too claimed to have experienced similar conduct.
None agreed to speak to reporters.
Noelien, who did not witness sexual misconduct, said she confronted Danso in person. A resignation letter reviewed by reporters detailed her reasons for leaving.
“I recently became aware of evidence that other young ladies in the ministry (have) been victims of sexual misconduct … I was horrified by that fact and could no longer continue to suppress the unrest,” Noelien wrote in the November 2018 letter addressed to Danso and his wife. “My trust towards you (has) been broken.”
Danso did not address her concerns, she says. She said that she urged several women to go to the police, but all refused, fearing shame or spiritual retaliation such as being “cursed” by him for speaking out.
“I think he puts fear in the people,” she said. “They always feel like if they come out, they’re going to die.”
Asked for a response to Noelien’s allegations in the 2018 letter, Danso’s lawyer said, “This is what you call evidence? The email contains no particulars of who these alleged women were.”
Reporters also identified a 2019 social media post by a former Miracle Arena pastor, alleging that, after resigning, Danso threatened “negative prayers” and “closed heavens,” and promised the pastor’s family would “never prosper.”
The former pastor’s resignation does not appear to have been linked to allegations of sexual misconduct.
Danso, through his lawyer, did not respond to questions about the post.
After letters requesting comment were sent to Danso by IJB reporters, he raised the IJB’s correspondence with his parishioners during church services. During a service posted to Miracle Arena’s YouTube channel , he told congregants that individuals who had spoken to reporters would be publicly identified.
“By the grace of God, we will reveal you and all your images and your pictures,” he said, prompting cheers from the congregation.
He also threatened to release audio messages and recordings he claims to possess of alleged victims.
“Those individuals who claim to have spoken … they foolishly forget themselves that they do audio recordings … we have all the messages,” he said. “No weapon formed against me shall prosper.”
In the days following the IJB’s questions to Danso, former youth minister at the church Peace Eze, who says she was not subject to sexual impropriety by Danso, said she received an anonymous threat warning her against cooperating with reporters.
“The more you investigate, the worse it becomes for everyone involved,” read the text message reviewed by reporters. “Let it go quietly.”
Another woman who had spoken with the IJB said she was the target of numerous calls from an unknown number.
The IJB requested comment from Danso about his video address to parishioners, including the threats to expose those who made allegations against him.
A written statement from Danso’s lawyer says the pastor “has every right to speak to his parishioners at the Miracle Arena in order to defend himself against your biased questions and reliance on highly questionable anonymous sources.”
Danso also threatened legal action against the IJB.
While at the ministry, Noelien says she observed that Danso often addressed female parishioners with affectionate terms such as “my baby” or “my love,” she said.
She also alleged that he regularly met with women privately in his office.
“These kinds of things create an atmosphere where you put down your guard, ” Noelien said. “You create that culture to groom without people even realizing it.”
Financial allegations
Stately black gates adorned with gold crowns mark Miracle Arena’s entrance in Vaughan, just north of Toronto. The gates open onto a long driveway leading to the church building where hundreds of parishioners flock each week.
Inside the main building sits an ATM, with debit and credit tap points nearby.
The Toronto congregation meets multiple times a week for hours-long services, more than 25 of which were viewed by reporters on the church’s YouTube page .
During many services, congregants publicly shared testimonies describing what they say are physical healings, financial breakthroughs and other life changes they attribute to Danso’s ministry. Danso frequently encouraged attendees to make monetary “sacrifices” to God.
Some former members describe an environment in which congregants, many of whom are newcomers, refugees or people on social assistance, are routinely pressured to give until it hurts.
Three people the IJB spoke to said they gave thousands of dollars to both the church and, often, to Danso personally for “directions” or prophetic readings. Some said no tax receipts were provided.
In one case, Danso publicly thanked a parishioner for a $16,000 donation.
All of the people who spoke with the IJB about finances said they were recruited from the congregation to be unpaid church volunteers for Miracle Arena or childcare and housekeepers for Danso’s family.
Some said the Dansos spend hundreds of dollars in church funds daily on the Danso children’s meals and other personal needs.
Stories from congregants of working upwards of 40 hours per week in the church with no pay and little food or sleep were common among those who spoke to the IJB.
Judah Rogers was 19 when a friend invited him to Miracle Arena in 2020. Shortly after attending services, he says, he was asked to become a volunteer and join the church’s music department. Rogers says he participated in week-long fasts, overnight services and back-to-back events that left him sleeping for less than an hour at a time, for days at a time.
Every month he was also directed to pay hundreds of dollars for “volunteer dues” and uniform fees, he says.
“I’m pushing myself to the physical limit while depriving myself of food. I’m literally at the brink of exhaustion,” says Rogers, who estimates he gave roughly $20,000 to the church and Danso before he left the church in 2024.
At one private workers’ meeting that year, Rogers says, Danso demanded each volunteer prepare to contribute $2,000 in celebration of his upcoming birthday the following year, in February 2025. A similar request for gifts was echoed this year during a service held on his birthday in which congregants were invited to make donations, video of the event shows.
“Change your habits and you shall see a harvest,” he said during that birthday sermon, scolding those who hadn’t contributed.
In his written statement, Danso denied allegations that he had pressured congregants to make significant donations, saying also that those who volunteer do so on their own terms and, “if they happen to be fasting while they are volunteering, then they are expected to use their own judgment to stop when they are feeling tired.”
And his birthday solicitations were based on a “light-hearted remark that he would like $2,000 donations (for the Miracle Arena) in honour of his 40th birthday milestone.” The statement says he later clarified at a meeting that it was not meant for himself personally and that those who wanted to donate were “encouraged to just make a simple gesture of appreciation, such as a birthday card.”
“No one was obligated to donate anything, and this comment was taken out of context,” the statement reads.
Danso’s statement says churches and religious institutions of all faiths depend on donations to operate.
“It is unfair to apply a higher standard to the Miracle Arena than you would to any other religious organization or entity that relies upon donations and gifts from its parishioners,” it reads. “After someone leaves the church for whatever reason, it is not surprising that they may have regrets about their past donations. However, no one is obligated to donate; it is their choice.”
The statement says ATM machines and “tap points” are set up as a “matter of convenience,” since the days of passing a plate around to parishioners are gone. It also said that receipts are issued to donors upon request. “When an individual does not receive a receipt, it is typically due to the fact that they have not asked for one,” it reads.
As for the allegations that donations were used for Danso’s family expenses, a written statement from Danso denied all allegations of financial impropriety, saying all of the church’s revenues and expenses are handled by an accountant who submits them to the Canada Revenue Agency.
“It is unfair to make bald general allegations of financial misuse. Further, many churches provide various living expenses for their pastors,” the statement reads.
Former church member charged
Separate from the allegations uncovered by the IJB, Miracle Arena is at the centre of a different financial imbroglio that has led to criminal charges, but not against Danso.
In April 2026, a former long-time Miracle Arena minister, Isaac Oppong, along with 14 other people — some of whom have worked at or were congregants affiliated with Miracle Arena — faced charges of identity fraud, laundering and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence. The charges relate to an alleged $99,600 fraud targeting York Region’s Homeless Prevention Program.
The matter remains before the courts.
Miracle Arena issued a press release shortly after the charges were announced, saying “the alleged conduct was undertaken independently and without the knowledge, authorization, or involvement of the Church.”
In a phone call with the IJB, Oppong denied the allegations of fraud or that he improperly claimed money from York Region, stating government officials never gave Miracle Arena any grants.
A regional official said in an email, “York Region has not issued grant funding to Miracle Arena For All Nations.”
Oppong provided documentation to the IJB showing Miracle Arena was, however, the recipient of several grants from the United Way and that Danso and other church administrators were included in the correspondence about those grants. That money, he says, was intended to go to supporting refugees being housed on Miracle Arena property.
The documents confirm the funds were to be directly deposited into the church’s accounts. Oppong said he does not know how the United Way grant money was spent.
In response to reporters’ questions, Joshua McLarnon, director of communications at United Way, said Miracle Arena received a total of $44,500 to support the basic needs of African asylum seekers and refugees.
Following the charges laid against individuals connected to the church, United Way said it reviewed the portion of funding it had provided through Reaching Home, a federal program aimed at addressing homelessness, and confirmed with Infrastructure Canada that the church had met the necessary requirements.
Oppong denies all of the allegations and claims Danso made false reports to police that led to the charges against him.
In his written statement to the IJB, Danso called Oppong a “disgruntled former pastor” and said the church sent him a letter in October 2025, “which gave notice that he was prohibited from entering or trespassing on its property.”
“It is clear that Mr. Oppong has a strong vendetta” against Danso, the statement reads. “Mr. Oppong also said that he was communicating with numerous people to expose Mr. Danso’s alleged misdeeds.”
Danso said the allegations of sexual misconduct and financial exploitation were orchestrated by Oppong as part of his vendetta.
Questionable honours
In 2022, Danso was awarded the title of “United Nations Eminent Peace Ambassador,” an honour IJB reporters confirmed is not recognized within the United Nations’ official structure.
The title was bestowed on Danso in a ceremony held at Miracle Arena in December 2022 by an organization called the International Association of World Peace Advocates (IAWPA). A video posted by Miracle Arena on YouTube shows the ceremony, during which he vowed to use his platform to serve the vulnerable and confront global injustices, including intervening in the kidnapping of children and the sale of mothers and daughters into slavery and sex trafficking.
The ceremony included the raising of the UN flag on a pole outside the church, sealing Miracle Arena as a so-called “UN compound.”
In response to questions from the IJB, Farhan Aziz Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN secretary general, said in a statement that Danso is “not a UN staff” member and does not serve as an ambassador representing the UN in any capacity.
“No individual named Kofi Danso is sanctioned, authorized, or recognized by the United Nations to use the title ‘UN Ambassador,’ or to use variations implying any affiliation to the organization,” Haq said.
The use of any diplomatic title to imply affiliation with the UN is “entirely incorrect and unauthorized,” he added.
In his statement to reporters, Danso said he was appointed a peace ambassador through IAWPA, which is a non-governmental organization. The distinction honours advocates for “global peace, human rights and social justice,” the statement reads.
Danso is listed as an executive council member on the IAWPA board representing Canada.
He also provided documentation of ground passes requested from the UN by IAWPA and said Miracle Arena is proud to raise the UN flag “as a symbol of unity, peace and hope.”
The office of the UN secretary general said that IAWPA is “not a UN entity,” that the church has not been authorized by the UN to fly the flag on the property and described the designation of the church as a “UN Compound” by IAWPA as unauthorized and a “grave misrepresentation.”
The IJB shared the UN’s response with Danso.
His lawyer responded in a letter stating, “It [sic] you think that the honours and appointments he received from an organization or person was misleading in any way, then you should contact them to respond. Blaming my client for receiving and celebrating the honours is misguided.”
IAWPA did not respond to the IJB’s questions.
Danso has since removed the letters “UN” from the peace ambassador title listed in his Instagram bio .
Michael Tibollo, the MPP for Vaughan–Woodbridge and now Ontario’s associate attorney general, attended the ceremony in his former role as associate minister of mental health and addictions. On behalf of the provincial government, he presented Danso with a certificate “Award of Eminent Peace Ambassador” and offered congratulations.
In remarks, Tibollo said he was “very proud” to call Danso “friend,” adding: “I’ll always support the work you’ve done here and the work you’re doing anywhere in the world.”
Tibollo’s office declined to comment on questions from the IJB.
Danso also claimed to have received the key to New York City in October, 2024, “on behalf of” then-mayor Eric Adams, according to a press release issued at the time by Danso’s team.
In a written response to questions about the award, Danso provided the IJB with a photo of a plaque that showed a designation made by an organization called the Arit Fuller Foundation “in acknowledgement of” former mayor Adams for dedication to “humanitarian causes and public welfare.”
Asked to comment on the evident discrepancy between the key being awarded “in acknowledgement of” mayor Adams and Danso’s team describing it as being presented “on behalf of,” the mayor, Danso’s lawyer said, “If it turns out that Mayor Adams had nothing to do with the award, then that is something the Arit Fuller Foundation should respond to; not my client.”
Reached at a phone number listed publicly for the Arit Fuller Foundation, a person who said she was founder Dr. Arit Fuller-Harris said, “The mayor has nothing to do with it.”
IJB reporters could find no New York City government records or statements from the mayor’s office confirming that Danso was awarded the key to the city. Former mayor Adams could not be reached for comment. Current Mayor Zohran Mamdani did not respond to requests for comment.
The making of a prophet
Little is known about Danso before he arrived in Toronto in 2011.
His personal online biography says he is originally from Ghana and has ministered in more than 33 countries on five continents.
Prior to arriving in Canada, Danso lived in the Netherlands where he operated a church called God’s Ambassadors.
In 2010, he married a Canadian woman, JoAnne Mensah, and the pair moved to Toronto in 2011 where they began Miracle Arena. Today, Danso, his wife and their children live on a gated Woodbridge road in a home purchased in May 2017 for $2 million. In 2020, they bought the property that is today home to Miracle Arena, in Vaughan, for $5.6 million. JoAnne Danso has not responded to any questions from the IJB.
The IJB has counted at least 17 Miracle Arena-branded campuses around the world at various times, including at least seven in Canada. Most are now shuttered, but the Vaughan headquarters remains active. Danso’s written statement says Calgary has the only other Miracle Arena now operating in Canada, along with churches in Amsterdam, St. Kitts and Antigua.
“Any other groups calling themselves Miracle Arena … are inspired by but not officially associated with Miracle Arena,” the statement from his lawyer reads.
Records from Illinois, where Danso registered a company named Prophet Kofi Danso Ministries, show annual reports as recent as 2025. A tax return from 2024 lists revenues of just under $140,000 U.S.
The same records show Danso family members, including his wife JoAnne, listed as directors of the company.
In filings in the U.S., Prophet Kofi Danso Ministries describes itself as a “religious organization whose main function is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ to the nations around the world.” The filings say the company was set up to “give financial assistance and support to widows, orphans and destitute families” as well as being involved in “small scale disaster relief.”
All financial matters of the company are handled by Danso’s financial advisers, his written statement reads. He declined to comment on the company’s revenues and expenses.
Court records from the 2020 child support claim made by the former congregant with whom he fathered a child, provide further insight into Danso’s finances.
He was ordered by an Ontario court that year to pay more than $2,300 per month in support “based on imputed income of $300,000 per annum.”
Danso later contested these amounts, filing a motion to have them changed, and claiming an income of just $66,000 a year. A judge in the case said Danso’s financial statements raised “more questions … than answers,” including discrepancies surrounding the mortgage on his home and disclosure about household expenses.
Danso told the court that four of his children attended private school at the time.
In the end, he was ordered to pay the woman $25,000 so that she could retain an expert to properly query his finances.
Ontario’s Family Responsibility Office — the body responsible for enforcing child support payments — put a charge against the Danso’s home as a result of child support arrears in October 2021. It was discharged in April 2025.
The final 2024 order in the case says that Danso must pay $2,014 per month in child support.
Danso’s written response says he will not comment on the case, adding that he is not an accountant.
‘Trying to control me’
Jodi says that the sexual abuse she alleges she suffered and the rumours about her that spread among the congregation triggered personal health issues. She stopped going to the church as frequently.
She says a constant stream of messages and calls from church officials and summonses from Danso followed, all trying to get her to see him again.
“Now I understand that it was a form of trying to control me so that I don’t leave,” says Jodi. “He was like, ‘If you quit (the church), your destiny’s going to go into someone else’s hands.’ ”
Eventually Jodi did leave.
During her last meeting with Danso, who she says had called her to come to his office, she says she told him, “I don’t want to work for you anymore. I don’t want to come here every single day. I feel like dying all the time. Just let me leave peacefully.”
Jodi, who has not been to Miracle Arena since 2022, says she only recently told her mother — who does not attend Miracle Arena anymore — about her allegations of sexual misconduct.
“I went through a lot of therapy. I had to cleanse myself from everything — spiritually, mentally, emotionally. It was affecting my relationships. I couldn’t have friends, I couldn’t have a partner. It was weird for men to even touch me. It really did mess me up.”
She owns her own business now, working in her dream career, and says she will never let anyone mistreat her again.
“When you leave … you’re not going to fail. You’re going to find people that love you and care about you that are not going to control you and manipulate you,” says Jodi.
“I’m so free.”
ejarratt@ijbureau.org , wclarke@ijbureau.org, bfitzpatrick@ijbureau.org, rcribb@ijbureau.org
The Investigative Journalism Bureau (IJB) at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health is a collaborative investigative newsroom supported by Postmedia that partners with academics, researchers and journalists while training the next generation of investigative reporters.
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