MinistryWatch Index Maintains Record High in July
Index tracks revenue of large Christian ministries
ANALYSIS–The MinistryWatch Index maintained its record high of 155 during the month of June. Though there was no growth during July, this number represents 9.9 percent year-to-date.
The MinistryWatch Index tracks the total revenue of 38 of the largest Christian ministries in the nation. On August 1, the revenue of these ministries was $9.8 billion.
Though the organizations in the MinistryWatch Index have continued to grow this year, that growth significantly lags last year’s rise. In 2023 the Index grew 24.1 percent. The relatively slow growth of the MinistryWatch Index for 2024 could suggest concern about the future of the economy. A recent survey conducted by MinistryWatch of ministry executives found that fundraising has now replaced finding and recruiting staff as their top leadership concern.
Other studies, especially those by Giving USA, suggest that philanthropic giving correlates closely to the rise and fall in value of the major stock markets. (Note that this relationship is correlative and not causative.) Year-to-date, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is up about 4.2 percent. All three major stock indices – the Dow, the S&P 500, and the NASDAQ posted record highs in the past two months.
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