Ministries Making a Difference

Fostering in-person conversation, biker evangelism, prayer ‘drive-thru’ turns into relief aid, Founders Seminary names new president

At MinistryWatch, our mission is to help Christians become more faithful, generous, and effective stewards of the resources God has entrusted to them. It’s why we advocate for the transparency, accountability and efficiency of Christian ministries.

Because of that, we cover a lot of stories we’d rather not have to—stories of waste, fraud, and abuse. We do it unapologetically, because aside from exposing evil, we also believe these stories offer lessons and examples for ministries and donors to learn from.

But we also seek to amplify stories of ministries doing excellent work. That’s what this column is for—to spotlight ministries making a difference in their own communities and around the world. We pray it is a blessing to see the many creative ways God’s people are working for His glory and for their neighbors’ good.

With that, here’s this week’s roundup of ministries making a difference:

Photo via Alpha USA Facebook

More than 4,000 new groups were started in September with Alpha USA to foster in-person conversations about life and faith. Alpha USA provides training, guidance, videos, and other resources to host meet-ups to discuss the foundations of the Christian faith and foster open, honest conversation—all the resources are free of charge. Groups are held in various settings, including homes, schools, prisons, churches, and more. Alpha USA has 4 stars and an A transparency grade in the MinistryWatch database, and a donor confidence score of 90.

Photo via CMA Facebook

Christian Motorcyclists Association celebrated 50 years of ministry this year. What started as a father trying to connect with his wayward son soon became the heart behind the nonprofit’s biker evangelism. There are now 1,380 chapters chartered around the world in 31 countries. CMA’s recent Run for the Son event in May—an annual fundraiser that has raised over $105 million in the 37 years since its inaugural event—helped support missionaries in Guatemala. CMA has 5 stars and a C transparency grade in the MinistryWatch database, and a donor confidence score of 96.

Photo via AG News

In September, a small-town Arizona church found itself divinely positioned to help its community after a natural disaster. The congregation of Calvary Shadows Assembly of God had been holding a “drive-thru” prayer station twice a week through the summer when a flash flood hit on Sept. 30. Within days, the church had received a truckload of relief supplies from Convoy of Hope. Volunteers filled backpacks with the supplies and handed them out in the same “drive-thru” line, simultaneously providing prayer and physical relief to community members.

Photo via Founders Seminary

Following the unexpected death of founding president Voddie Baucham, Founders Seminary has named Thomas Ascol as its new president. The Florida-based seminary, which just launched its first semester in August, said Ascol will serve as acting president while also continuing in his role as chancellor and president of Founders Ministries. “Founders Seminary remains steadfast in its purpose to train men for ministry with sharp minds, warm hearts, and steel spines,” the seminary said in a statement. “This appointment reflects the Board of Directors’ confidence in Dr. Ascol’s leadership and commitment to the mission of Founders Seminary.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: MinistryWatch rates nonprofit ministries based on three criteria: financial efficiency, financial transparency, and donor confidence. To learn more, click on each related link for a detailed description.

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