Largest Christian Ministries In The U.S.
Below is a list of the largest Christian ministries in the MinistryWatch database. We have included every ministry with revenue of $100-million or greater. That’s approximately 80 ministries. These 80 ministries represent a total of about $24.5-billion in annual revenue.
Please note that this list is based on revenue from the most recently available Form 990 from the IRS. As we have written elsewhere, the IRS is experiencing a significant backlog in its processing of Form 990s. This backlog means that in a few cases the revenue figures have not changed since last year.
Note too that we have also included the rank this ministry held last year. We generally see little movement on this list from year to year. Indeed, the top seven ministries occupy the same position as last year. However, as you move down the list, there has been significant change.
The biggest mover on the list is Heifer Project International, which moved from 56 to 31. Christian Appalachian Project also made a significant move, from 54 to 38.
MinistryWatch has 19 categories of ministry in our database. The category with the most representatives on this list is “Colleges and Universities.” However, every college on this list (with the exception of High Point University, which is a new addition), fell in ranking. This fall is in part a consequence of COVID closures, and partly a result of a general decline in college and university enrollment and revenue nationwide.
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. That said, the Financial Efficiency rating and the Transparency Grade of the ministries are listed.
To learn more about these institutions, click on the ministry’s name and read the complete MinistryWatch profile on this organization.
If you would like to know more about our Financial Efficiency Rating, click here. If you would like to know more about our Transparency Grades, click here.
