MINISTRY SPOTLIGHT: Lifeword Broadcast Ministries

Rating falls as assets grow

Lifeword Broadcast Ministries recently saw its Financial Efficiency Rating fall from 2 stars to 1 star. Their rating dropped because their net assets grew from $4.8 million to $5.5 million. They now rank 23 out of 28 in the Radio/TV stations sector.

MinistryWatch’s Financial Efficiency Rating measures how much of a ministry’s funds go to ministry and how much go to other purposes, such as administrative, fundraising, or asset accumulation. An increase in net assets will often cause a ministry’s rating to fall.

While the organization’s revenue in 2023 was $2.4 million, they held onto about one-third of that revenue, $745K, in net assets.

LifeWord is the media arm of the Baptist Missionary Association (BMA) of America. It produces gospel-themed blogs and online radio broadcasts. In addition to its English-language programs, the organization also broadcasts its content in over 30 languages around the world.

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According to the organization’s Form 990, they receive about $1.1 million from a single undisclosed source. LifeWord does not disclose staff salaries and is not currently a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. The organization is headquartered at the BMA Global Ministry Center in Conway, Arkansas.

MinistryWatch Donor Confidence Score: 56 (out of a possible 100) “Give with Caution”

MinistryWatch Financial Efficiency Rating:  1 Star (out of a possible 5 Stars)

MinistryWatch Transparency Grade:  C

ECFA Member?  No

Revenue in Most Recent Year Available (2023):  $2,480,013

Five-Year Revenue Trend:   Increasing (by about 70%)

Percent of Revenue the LifeWord Spends on Fundraising:  6%

Percent Peer Group Spends on Fundraising:  5%

CEO/President:  Donny Parrish

President’s Salary and Other Compensation:  Undisclosed

A complete MinistryWatch profile for LifeWord can be found here.

Find recent MinistryWatch articles mentioning LifeWord  here.