Ministry Led by Ravi Zacharias’ Daughter Shutting Down; Her Husband, Former RZIM Employee, Hired by Preston Sprinkle
Last week, Lighten Group, a new ministry started by Sarah Davis, former CEO of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) and daughter of late Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias, announced it is shutting down.
On the same day, Julie Roys of the Roys’ Report linked a July news release from Preston Sprinkle, President of the Center for Faith, Sexuality, and Gender. In that announcement, Sprinkle introduced Davis’ husband, Lou Phillips (RZIM, Lighten Group), as its new director of Church and Ministry Relations. Davis and Phillips were recently married.
Lighten Group, whose team is comprised of former RZIM employees, was founded in the fall of 2021 and was supported by RZIM funding.
“Lighten exists because we believe that Jesus extends rest, clarity, and joy to each of us. The Light of the World beckons our minds, hearts, imaginations, and souls,” the organization’s website says.
The shutdown announcement appeared on the Lighten Group’s Instagram page.
“It was nearly a year ago when our team stepped out to form Lighten with the mission of extending God’s invitation to those who ask why. Our heart’s desire, our longing, and our calling has been to share the good news of God’s amazing love,” the post said.
Lighten Group expressed it had known the hardships that come with starting a non-profit organization but strongly believed God was calling the team to do so.
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“Over the past year, our team has prayed fervently God would open and close doors according to His will and He has honored our prayers. God is ultimately the Leader of this organization, and we have sought to follow His leading,” they shared.
“Currently, we believe God is leading us to prepare for shutting down the organization,” Lighten announced. “This decision was not easy, but we seek to be good stewards of the time, money, and resources entrusted to us. Given our small team and the growing financial challenges that lie ahead, we believe this is the right decision and timing.”
The ministry asserted that although it is shutting down, staff believe the work they’ve accomplished during their short existence hasn’t been in vain. “We have seen God at work in the mountains of Honduras, apologetics training in Hawaii, Colorado, and Georgia, virtual speaking engagements in Peru and New Zealand, conferences and speaking engagements across the US, and through the media and written content our team has produced.”
For the next month, the team at the Lighten Group will continue to speak, write, and create media content. The organization’s YouTube and Instagram accounts will remain active for another year.
“Thank you for being a part of this team,” the announcement concluded. “While this season has been shorter than we had hoped, we trust God’s plan and know He had a purpose and reason for our time together at Lighten. We give thanks to God for the lives impacted in this season because of your support.”
