Ministry Spotlight: Word of Life Fellowship

Evangelism ministry reports $3.3 million deficit, but financial position remains strong.

Word of Life Fellowship reported a deficit of $3.3 million last year, according to its membership profile with the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability and its 2025 Form 990.

A deficit, also known as a net loss, means a ministry spent more than it took in during the year. A single deficit is not necessarily cause for concern, since a ministry’s revenue and expenses can vary from year to year. But repeated deficits can drain a ministry’s reserves and, over time, leave it unable to pay its obligations.

In the case of Word of Life Fellowship, the ministry’s financial position remains strong. In 2025, the ministry reported assets of $164,057,727 and liabilities of $6,214,955, resulting in net assets of $157,842,772.

MinistryWatch made multiple attempts to contact Word of Life Fellowship, but the ministry did not respond.

Word of Life Fellowship, a nondenominational Christian organization, helps students and families encounter God and grow in their faith through quiet time, local church ministry, camps, a Bible institute and global missions.

Through news stories, podcasts and blogs, Word of Life keeps donors and supporters updated on its work and growth. The organization says it witnesses “incredible stories of transformation: young people encountering Jesus, families restored, missionaries spreading the Gospel, and lives forever changed by God’s truth.”

Word of Life Fellowship has a Transparency Grade of A — it files a public Form 990, posts audited financial statements to its website, and is a member of the ECFA.

MinistryWatch Donor Confidence Score: 80 (out of a possible 100) “Give With Confidence”

MinistryWatch Financial Efficiency Rating: 3 Stars (out of a possible 5 Stars)

MinistryWatch Transparency Grade: A

ECFA Member? Yes

Revenue in Most Recent Year Available: $73,387,298

Five-Year Revenue Trend: Decreasing (by about 5%)

Percent of Revenue Spent on Fundraising: 4%

Percent of Revenue Peer Group Spends on Fundraising: 5%

CEO/President: Donald H. Lough Jr.

President’s Salary and Other Compensation: $205,531

A complete MinistryWatch profile for Word of Life Fellowship can be found here.

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