Go To Nations, a global missions movement, is raising $9.2 million for a new Global Missions Center on property donated by its much smaller partner organization GloDev Inc.
Video screenshot of new Go To Nations HQ plans
GloDev is the relief and development arm of Go To Nations. It teaches sustainable farming techniques at its Eden Gardens site, the same tract of land where the new Go To Nations headquarters would be built.
Though much smaller than Go To Nations, GloDev bought 120 acres in Jacksonville, Florida, in 2016 to build Eden Gardens, “a self-sustaining eco-farm that will help train and feed thousands.” Then GloDev donated 4 acres of its land to Go To Nations for a new 20,000-square-foot campus, according to the 2024 annual report.
A capital campaign video featuring Go To Nations President Jerry Williamson and Executive Director Nancy Lovelace says, “By having Go To Nations on the campus of Eden Gardens, we will be a living model of the gospel and community transformation working hand in glove.”
“Bringing all of the ministry together onto one physical property will create greater collaboration, synergy, and impact, as well as create a model for the world that is reproducible, scalable, and sustainable,” the latest annual report stated.
The relocation campaign page includes a list of what appears to be ways both ministries will utilize the campus. “This campus positions us for the generational transition of our ministry and places Go To Nations and GloDev side-by-side to better serve local communities, influence culture, and address global challenges,” it says. “Together, we are building a scalable, reproducible, and sustainable model for missions—one that will equip generations to ignite movements of compassion around the world,” it states.
Crossover raises questions
With so much crossover between the two organizations, questions arise about the separate finances and how donations that are given to the capital campaign will be used.
GloDev was established as a separate nonprofit in 2013. According to its 2016 IRS Form 990, its net assets were $283,776. Ten years later, its 2023 IRS Form 990 reports net assets totaling $473,467.
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However, according to the Duval County property records, the land owned by GloDev at 9179 Garden Street has a market value exceeding $700,000.
Go To Nations uses a religious exemption to exclude itself from filing a Form 990 with the IRS. Its ECFA profile indicates that it had $6.2 million in revenue and $3.6 million in net assets at the end of Fiscal Year 2023.
The missions agency owns two buildings on Spring Park Road in Jacksonville valued at $553,000. It also owns a residential condominium valued at $158,000 that was transferred to it by special warranty deed in 2020 from Special Moments Inc. for $10.
A video featuring Go To Nations missionary Janet Meyers — that has now been made private — mentioned that the current headquarters has been “sewn” into another ministry. However, it didn’t make clear whether that was a sale or donation.
Other crossovers include family relationships between the leaders of each organization. Tim Lovelace serves as the GloDev CEO, while his wife Nancy Lovelace is the GloDev secretary who “possesses the organizations books and records.” Nancy Lovelace has been the executive director of Go To Nations since 2022.
Tim Lovelace is also listed as the founder and CEO of North Florida Aquaponics, a subsidiary of GloDev Inc. According to the Florida Department of State, North Florida Aquaponics was created in 2022 and voluntarily dissolved in 2023.
Tim Lovelace owns a single-family home valued at $427,000 very near Eden Gardens.
The headquarters capital campaign has so far raised $5.625 million. Construction will begin when the group has raised $6.5 million. The total funding goal is $9.2 million.
Questions go unanswered
MinistryWatch reached out to Go To Nations to clarify some questions about the capital campaign, including how long the construction will take to complete once the project is begun, if the $9.2 million is the total cost of the project that will leave the ministry debt-free, what has happened to the current headquarters and any sale proceeds from it, and how the GloDev and Go To Nations finances and benefits from the joint ministry are accounted for separately.
Cheryl Bessinger, Go To Nations executive vice-president of support services, said GloDev and Go To Nations are listed as two separate organizations with their own board of directors and operations, and chose only to point us to the GuideStar profiles and capital campaign webpage.
“If there are donors who desire to learn more about the campaign in order to contribute, we are more than happy to meet with them and answer their questions,” Bessinger wrote, but did not answer the questions raised by MinistryWatch.
A July capital campaign update by Nancy Lovelace said the fundraising is at a “tipping point” and called on listeners to be “part of something extraordinary for humanity.”
She said the ministry had applied for a large grant from the Northwest Jacksonville Economic Development Fund. She was expecting a decision by the end of July.
MinistryWatch reached out to the Northwest Jacksonville Economic Development Fund about whether it had made a decision, but Michelle Stephens with the City of Jacksonville had no knowledge of the grant proposal.
Lovelace also said Go To Nations plans to ask its builders — Alden White — for a list of subcontractors that it will contact to try to obtain discounts or in-kind services to reduce the costs of construction.
Once the construction of the exterior begins, Lovelace indicated the ministry would have 10 months to raise the additional funds to complete the interior of the building.
In the MinistryWatch 1000 database, Go To Nations has a D transparency grade because it does not post an audited financial statement on its website nor does it file a Form 990 with the IRS. It has a donor confidence score of 46 out of 100, meaning MinistryWatch recommends donors withhold giving.
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