JAARS began in 1963 to support Bible translation organizations and missionaries by transporting them to and from remote places so others can translate and share Scripture.
JAARS regularly lands planes on narrow rivers and towering mountains, outfits boats and vehicles to reach villages that rarely see an outsider, sets up radios in rainforests, and provides satellite uplinks in deserts. It provides aviation support primarily in Brazil, Cameroon, Gabon, Indonesia, Kenya, Papua New Guinea, and Peru.
The ministry’s operations are carried out by about 85 employees and 500 volunteers. A large share of the people involved are pilots, aviation mechanics, and technical staff, but also logistical specialists, research and development, program management, financial and HR support services, clinical and counseling healthcare services, hospitality services to missions staff, communications and fundraising. It also maintains a collection of historical translation artifacts and art objects in a “Museum of the Alphabet” in Waxhaw, N.C.
JAARS is also legally a supporting organization of the Summer Institute of Linguistics, Inc. (SIL). JAARS is operated, supervised and controlled by SIL, and the SIL Board may remove any of the directors of JAARS. The SIL Board also must approve any change in the ministry’s bylaws. In addition, the SIL Board may nullify or modify any action of the Board of Directors of JAARS. In 2022, JAARS gave $810,978 to SIL, which is about 12% of its revenue.
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.
The aim of JAARS is to make Bible translation and language development possible by supporting the logistical needs for Bible translation ministries and missionaries, especially in the earth’s most remote and difficult places.
MinistryWatch Donor Confidence Score: 88 (out of a possible 100) “Give With Confidence”
MinistryWatch Financial Efficiency Rating: 1 Star (out of a possible 5 Stars)
MinistryWatch Transparency Grade: A
ECFA Member? Yes
Revenue in the Most Recent Year Available (2022): $6,580,103
Five-Year Revenue Trend: Increasing (by about 25%)
Percent of Revenue JAARS Spends on Fundraising: 5%
Percent Peer Group Spends on Fundraising: 5%
CEO/President: William McLendon Jr.
CEO/President’s Salary: $72,316
A complete MinistryWatch profile for JAARS can be found here.
Find recent MinistryWatch articles mentioning JAARS here.