WEEKLY REVIEW Snapshot of top happenings from this past week

Christina Darnell

10 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:

‘Apostle’ David E. Taylor Arrested for Forced Labor and Money Laundering

By Kim Roberts. David E. Taylor, the self-proclaimed apostle and leader of Kingdom of God Global Church and Joshua Media Ministries, has been arrested in a “nationwide takedown of their forced labor organization,” according to a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) press release.

Ministry Helps Christian Escape ‘High Control’ Churches

By Tony Mator. Natalie Edmonson says she was a model student when she graduated as the 2017 valedictorian of Free Gospel Bible Institute (FGBI), a small Holiness-affiliated Bible school hidden among the rural back roads of Export, Pennsylvania. Edmonson had followed all the rules, kept her head down and avoided challenging authority. But when she subsequently confessed to church leaders her disagreement with the Holiness teaching that its strict dress code was necessary for salvation, the response shook her.

MinistryWatch 1000 Database: 50 Largest Christian Colleges and Universities

By Kim Roberts. With colleges and universities starting their fall semesters, our first list for September is the 50 largest Christian colleges and universities in the MinistryWatch 1000 database. This list should not be interpreted as a list of recommended ministries. They are ranked by total revenue, and not by effectiveness, financial efficiency, or any other measure.

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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 recently added into the database:

Boys and Girls Country of Houston (1 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 70)

Sudan Relief Fund (2 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 47)

The Wilds Christian Association (N/A Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 69)

Ministries with upgraded ratings:

Bethany International (N/A Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: Up 51 to 53)