MinistryWatch Index Hits Record High in June Index tracks revenue of representative sample of large Christian ministries

ANALYSIS–The MinistryWatch Index reached a record high of 155 during the month of June. That number represents a 4.7 percent increase over May.

The MinistryWatch Index tracks the total revenue of 38 large Christian ministries, selected to represent nearly two dozen ministry categories, from relief and development to evangelism to media. On July 1, the revenue of these ministries was $9.8 billion.

Despite this strong one-month growth, the Index is up only 7.6 percent for the year. In 2023 the Index grew 24.1 percent. The relatively slow growth of the MinistryWatch Index for 2024 could suggest concern about the future of the economy.

Other studies, especially those by Giving USA, suggest that philanthropic giving correlates closely to the rise and fall in value of the major stock markets. (Note that this relationship is correlative and not causative.) Year-to-date, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is up about 4.2 percent. All three major stock indices – the Dow, the S&P 500, and the NASDAQ posted record highs in the past two months.

To read more about how we compile the MinistryWatch Index, click here.