Four Ministries Rise to Highest Donor Confidence Scores

Plus, top stories, database changes, and other notable ministry happenings from this week.

Here at MinistryWatch, one of our goals is to equip donors with the information they need to make wise decisions with their giving. That’s why we manage our database, which rates more than 1,000 of the country’s largest ministries based on their financial efficiency, financial transparency, and their donor confidence. Each week, we highlight ministries in our database that have had rating changes, plus a brief explanation about why it matters.

A few notable changes in the database this week:

• We’ve been on a mission to expand the MinistryWatch 1000 database, so most weeks you’ll see us adding new ministries. Be sure to check them out below. And if you know of a ministry you think should be in our database, send it along!
• Four ministries rose to the highest Donor Confidence Score of 100: African Bible Colleges, Children’s Shelter of Cebu, City Union Mission, and Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram.

We also highlight stories from our podcast, where you can catch up on the week’s news in less than 30 minutes—perfect for a commute or walk. We highly recommend ministries join the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA), which is why we list organizations that have either joined ECFA in the past week or been removed (no changes this week). Check it all out below.

With that, here are three top stories on the MinistryWatch website from this past week:

St. Andrew’s Fires Back After Nichols’ Statement on Excommunication

By Kim Roberts. St. Andrew’s Chapel, the church started by Dr. R.C. Sproul in Sanford, Florida, has fired back in response to statements made by Dr. Stephen Nichols about his “excommunication” from the church.

Former PCA Pastor Sentenced to 30 Years for Statutory Rape and Incest

By Kim Roberts. A former pastor of a Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) church in Mississippi was sentenced on March 16 to 30 years in prison, with five years suspended.

Former SBC President Steve Gaines Dies at 68

By Bob Smietana. Steve Gaines, a Tennessee megachurch pastor who served as Southern Baptist Convention president from 2016 to 2018, died Friday (March 20), his former congregation announced. He was 68.

Here’s what else is new at MinistryWatch this week.

Access to MinistryWatch content is free. However, we hope you will support our work with your prayers and financial gifts. To make a donation, click here.

MinistryWatch Database Changes

MinistryWatch now has more than 1,300 ministries in its database. These ministries represent more than $44-billion in total revenue, most of that donor revenue from evangelicals. The following ministries have their profiles updated with the most recent year’s financial data. The Financial Efficiency rating of each ministry is in parenthesis. If this rating represents a change from the previous year, that change is noted:

Ministries recently added into the database:

Arizona Christian School Tuition Organization (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 74)

Briarcrest Christian School Systems Inc.  (1 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 51)

Call of Hope (2 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 53)

Chattanooga Christian School (3 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 68)

Cubinero Inc (N/A Stars, Transparency Grade: F, DCS: 8)

Gilbert Christian Schools (2 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 51)

Hope Christian Schools (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 70)

Ministries with upgraded ratings:

African Bible Colleges (4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Up 97 to 100)

Has statement of faith consistent with historic Christian creeds, and is easily found on website.

Children’s Shelter of Cebu (Up 2 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Up 80 to 100)

Is now in top 60% for financial efficiency in Relief & Development sector, also raising its Donor Confidence Score by 20 points.

City Union Mission (3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Up 95 to 100)

Board contains at least 5 members and no more than 12 members.

Concordia University – Mequon, WI (Up 4 to 5 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 66)

Now in top 20% for financial efficiency in Colleges/Universities sector.

Coral Ridge Ministries (Up 1 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 75)

Now in bottom 40% (up from bottom 20%) for financial efficiency in Educational Media sector.

Educational Media Foundation (dba K-LOVE and Air 1 Radio) (2 Stars, Transparency Grade: Up C to A, DCS: 78)

Now meets all three criteria for financial transparency—files Form 990 with the IRS, makes audited financials available on its website, and is a member of the ECFA.

Evangelical Christian School of Memphis (Up 2 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: Up 80 to 98)

Now in top 60% for financial efficiency in K-12 Schools/Academies sector, also raising its Donor Confidence Score by 20 points. Lost 2 points because it does not make audited financials available on website.

International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (2 Stars, Transparency Grade: Up D to C, DCS: 53)

Files Form 990 with the IRS and makes audited financials available on website, but is not a member of the ECFA.

Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram (Up 2 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Up 80 to 100)

Now in top 60% for financial efficiency in Educational Media sector, also raising its Donor Confidence Score by 20 points.

Ministries with downgraded ratings:

Cannon Beach Conference Center (4 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: Down 100 to 98)

Does not make audited financials available on website.

Christian City Inc.  (1 Stars, Transparency Grade: Down A to C, DCS: 70)

Does not make audited financials available on website.

Crown College (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: Down 75 to 73)

Does not make audited financials available on website.

Hand2Hand (4 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: Down 100 to 98)

Does not make audited financials available on website.

Home School Legal Defense Association (N/A Stars, Transparency Grade: Down A to C, DCS: Down 78 to 76)

Does not make audited financials available on website.

Horizon International (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: Down 100 to 98)

Does not make audited financials available on website.

On The MinistryWatch Podcast

St. Andrew’s Chapel, World Water Day, Former SBC President Steve Gaines Passes

On this week’s program, more turmoil at St. Andrew’s Chapel in Florida—the church started by R.C. Sproul. Allegations surface as the church grapples with the fallout of recent excommunications. We’ll have details.

And, World Water Day was this week, and that prompted us to look at ministries that are in the clean water business. Which ones should you support? We’ll take a look.

Plus, former Southern Baptist Convention President Steve Gaines died last week at 68 after a bout with cancer. He led one of the SBC’s largest churches for nearly two decades.

But first, a former PCA pastor was sentenced this month to 30 years in prison for abusing a minor.

Listen here.

Drop A Dime On Us.  Do you have a story idea for MinistryWatch?  If so, send us an email.  A lot of the stories we do originate from our readers and listeners.  They send us news tips, press releases, emails, questions, and links.  So, if you have a story you’d like us to cover, or a ministry that you think needs a closer look, please email us.  Our email is [email protected].  That will come directly to the desk of MinistryWatch President Warren Smith, and we’ll take it from there.

MinistryWatch and Sex Crimes. We write a lot about pastors and ministry leaders involved in sex crimes. That’s why we thought it might be a good time to re-post this story, which explains why we think covering these crimes are necessary: Why MinistryWatch Reports on Sex Crimes.  As always, your feedback is welcome.

MinistryWatch Video.  In closing, a reminder that we have created a short (3.5 minutes) video that explains what we do here at MinistryWatch, and why.  If you’re new to MinistryWatch, we hope you’ll check it out. To find it, click here.