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:
50 Christian Ministries Receiving the Largest Government Grants
By Kim Roberts. With the new Trump administration making news with its federal funding freeze proposals, the issue of nonprofits, and specifically Christian ministries, receiving government funding has been in the news and a matter of conversation. Recently, MinistryWatch added government grant funding information to the ministry profiles in the MinistryWatch 1000 database.
Elevation Church Youth Pastor Fired Over Former Sexual Misconduct Allegations
By Bethany E. Starin. The Charlotte-based megachurch Elevation Church fired its youth pastor, Tim Somers, in late February for alleged sexual misconduct. Somers’ accused misconduct is with a student or students in the youth ministry of Oaks Church in Red Oaks, Texas, where he served about 12 years ago.
Trump Admin Cancels Grants to Refugee Aid Agencies
By Jack Jenkins and Yonat Shimron. President Donald Trump’s administration is making moves to shutter a decades-old partnership between the government and a group of mostly religious organizations to resettle refugees, with the State Department abruptly canceling grant agreements with all the agencies despite ongoing legal battles.
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 newly added to the database:
Overland Missions (4 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 71)
Ministries with upgraded ratings:
Alpha USA (Up 3 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 92)
Now in top 40% for financial efficiency in Evangelism sector.
America World Adoption Association (AWAA) (Up 0 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: Down A to C, DCS: 78)
Now in top 80% for financial efficiency in Adoption/Foster Care sector. Does not make audited financials available on website.
Austin Disaster Relief Network (Up 1 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 80)
Now in top 80% for financial efficiency in Relief & Development sector.
BigStuf Ministries Inc (Up 0 to 5 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: Up 53 to 73)
Now in top 20% for financial efficiency in Camps/Conference Centers sector, also raising its donor confidence score by 20 points.
Chattanooga Christian Community Foundation / The Generosity Trust (Up 4 to 5 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 73)
Now in top 20% for financial efficiency in Christian Foundations sector.
Cherry Street Mission Ministries (Up 3 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 90)
Now in top 40% for financial efficiency in Rescue Mission/Homeless Shelters sector.
Chestnut Mountain Ranch (Up 2 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: Up 80 to 100)
Now in top 60% for financial efficiency in Community Development sector, also raising its donor confidence score by 20 points.
Christ for All Peoples (Up 3 to 5 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 63)
Now in top 20% for financial efficiency in Foreign Missions sector.
City Mission of Findlay (Up 1 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Up 55 to 75)
Now in top 60% for financial efficiency in Rescue Missions/Homeless Shelters sector, also raising its donor confidence score by 20 points.
City Rescue Mission Inc (Up 2 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: Up 75 to 95)
Now in top 60% for financial efficiency in Rescue Missions/Homeless Shelters sector, also raising its donor confidence score by 20 points.
Deaf Bible Society (Up 3 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 100)
Now in top 40% for financial efficiency in Evangelism sector.
Denton Freedom House (Up 3 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 96)
Now in top 40% for financial efficiency in Community Development sector.
Elna M. Smith Foundation / The Great Passion Play (Up 2 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: Up 78 to 98)
Now in top 60% for financial efficiency in Christian Growth sector, also raising its donor confidence score by 20 points.
Evansville Rescue Mission (Up 3 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 90)
Now in top 40% for financial efficiency in Rescue Mission/Homeless Shelters sector.
Far Reaching Ministries (Up 3 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 66)
Now in top 40% for financial efficiency in Foreign Missions sector.
Friends Academy (1 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: Up 40 to 42)
Frontier Alliance International Inc. (Up 4 to 5 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 56)
Now in top 20% for financial efficiency in Foreign Missions sector.
Ministries with downgraded ratings:
Blessman International (Down 3 to 1 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Down 96 to 76)
Now in bottom 20% for financial efficiency in Foreign Missions, dropping its donor confidence score by 20 points.
Blue Letter Bible (Down 3 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Down 96 to 76)
Now in top 80% for financial efficiency in Educational Media sector, dropping its donor confidence score by 20 points.
CBMC, Inc. (Down 2 to 1 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 80)
Now in bottom 20% for financial efficiency in Fellowship Evangelism sector.
Children’s Relief International (Down 5 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 93)
Now in top 40% for financial efficiency in Foreign Missions sector.
Chinese Christian Mission (Down 3 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: Down 98 to 78)
Now in bottom 40% for financial efficiency in Foreign Missions sector, also dropping its donor confidence score by 20 points.
Cho-Yeh Camp and Conference Center (Down 3 to 1 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: Down 95 to 75)
Now in bottom 20% for financial efficiency in Camps/Conference Centers sector, also dropping its donor confidence score by 20 points.
CrossPurpose (Down 2 to 1 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 75)
Now in bottom 20% for financial efficiency in Community Development sector.
Daily Audio Bible (Down 4 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 96)
Now in top 60% for financial efficiency in Educational Media sector.
DiscipleMakers, Inc. (Down 4 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 100)
Now in top 60% for financial efficiency in Evangelism sector.
EQUIP Leadership, Inc. (Down 3 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Down 90 to 70)
Now in bottom 40% for financial efficiency in Leadership Training sector, also dropping its donor confidence score by 20 points.
Fellowship Christian School – Roswell, GA (Down 2 to 1 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 75)
Now in bottom 20% for financial efficiency in K-12 Schools/Academies sector.
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.
On The MinistryWatch Podcast
Trump and NPO Resettlement Agencies, 50 Ministries Receiving Gov’t Funds, DOJ Intervenes In Behalf of Churches
On today’s program, the Trump administration cancels grants to refugee aid agencies…despite legal battles. We’ll take a look.
And, a staggering 30% of nonprofits don’t survive a full decade—but when they go under, what happens to their assets? Our finance writer Shannon Cuthrell digs into the hidden risks and loopholes of nonprofit dissolutions.
And, we’ve released our MinistryWatch list of the 50 Christian ministries receiving the largest government grants.
But first, the U.S. Department of Justice has intervened on behalf of a Pennsylvania church trying to expand.
ECFA Changes
The following organizations have had membership status changes in the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.
ADDITIONS:
Mercy’s Lewisburg Health Center Subsidiary (Lewisburg, TN)
Salary Data Now In MinistryWatch Database
We now have salary information for 4,000 executives in our database posted in our profiles. So check out this new addition by clicking on the red button at the top of this page, or here. That takes you to our database. The search engine is right there, and you can type in the name of a ministry you’re interested in and our profile will pop right up – now, with compensation information for the top executives.
If you’d like to see who the highest paid executives are, take a look at our recently published lists of 2025 Highly Paid Ministry Executives and Highly Paid Christian College and University Executives.
A Guide To Giving For Disaster Relief. When disaster hits, Christians give. But where they give can make a big difference? Which organizations are most effective in these post-disaster situations? MinistryWatch has published a list of organizations that are doing relief work and which have an “A” Transparency Grade and a 3-, 4-, or 5-star rating for Financial Efficiency. It’s a list of about 30 ministries, and you can find it on the front page of our website. I’ll also include a link in the show notes to this program. Link to list HERE