WEEKLY REVIEW Snapshot of top happenings from this past week

Christina Darnell

11 months ago

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 score. Each week, we highlight ministries in our database that have had rating changes, plus a brief explanation about why it matters.

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. Check it all out below.

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

TX Supreme Court Rules Against Bill Gothard and the Institute for Basic Life Principles

By Isaac Wood. The Texas Supreme Court ruled on June 27 that a lawsuit against the Institute for Basic Life Principles (IBLP) and its founder Bill Gothard could continue, despite the defendants’ petition to dismiss the lawsuit under the First Amendment and the Ecclesiastical Abstention Doctrine.

Online Pastor Indicted in $3.4M Crypto Scheme

By Tony Mator. A criminal indictment has been added to the legal troubles facing Eligio Regalado, the Denver-based pastor of online-only Victorious Grace Church. In January, Regalado and his wife Kaitlyn were hit with a civil suit by Colorado Securities Commissioner Tung Chan for allegedly scamming their own congregation into investing in a worthless cryptocurrency token.

Former CEO of My Faith Votes Pleads Guilty to Child Porn Possession

By Kim Roberts. Jason Yates, the former CEO of My Faith Votes, pleaded guilty to charges of possession of child pornography, also known as child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), in Minnesota last week. In November 2024, Yates was charged with eight counts, each carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of $10,000. However, he pleaded guilty to only two of the charges, with the other six being dropped, according to the Christian Post.

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

MinistryWatch Database Changes

MinistryWatch now has more than 1,000 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 with upgraded ratings:

4KIDS of South Florida (N/A Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Up 25 to 45)

Is a member of the ECFA.

Advent Christian Village (2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Up 70 to 72)

Makes audited financials available on its website.

Ashland University (Up 4 to 5 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 64)

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

Back2Back Ministries (4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Up 90 to 92)