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Top Foreign Missions and Bible Translation Organizations in the U.S. – 2024 Rankings

50 Largest Missions and Bible Translation Organizations

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Below is a list of the largest foreign missions and Bible translation organizations in the country.  In addition to the name and revenue, you will also find MinistryWatch’s Financial Efficiency Rating (1 to 5, with 5 being the highest), and the organization’s Transparency Grade and Donor Confidence Score.  You can find more information about the ministries by clicking the ministry’s name.  That will take you directly to the ministry’s profile in the MinistryWatch 1000 database.

The MinistryWatch database has a number of categories that include missions organizations.  We have therefore included Bible translation organizations, missionary organizations, and some evangelism and support organizations.  However, we have not included evangelistic organizations that may operate globally, but are primarily US organizations.  

The size of missions organizations is growing.  Last year, revenue of $11 million would land you on the list.  This year, the smallest organization on the list has nearly $14 million in revenue.

This is the second year we have published this list, so we have also included last year’s ranking on this year’s list.  That is not to suggest that “bigger is better” or that an organization that has risen or fallen has problems.  However, any time we see significant changes in an organization, we think it is important to pause and ask:  why?  

Biggest Movers.  To that end, we note that the biggest mover on the list this year is Biblica, rising from 40 to 23.  Other big movers on this list (those who moved at least five places) are:  Cross International (falling from 2 to 8), TEAM (falling from 13 to 18), International Cooperating Ministries (falling from 19 to 29), One Mission Society (falling from 24 to 37), World Gospel Mission (falling from 27 to 40), Christar (rising from 49 to 41), and Partners International (falling from 33 to 45).

First Timers.  Organizations appearing on the list for the first time this year include:  Mission Of Hope Haiti, Family Legacy Missions International, English Language Institute in China, Glory of Zion International Ministries, Preemptive Love Coalition, YWAM Ships Kona, Mennonite Economic Development Associates, and The Timothy Initiative.

Dropped From List.  Organizations that dropped off the list this year include:  Kids Alive International, E3 Partners Ministry, Iris Global, Biblical Ministries Worldwide, Far East Broadcasting Company, and OC International.

A Word About Timing.  This information comes from the most recent Form 990 available, and the Internal Revenue Service has been in the news lately for its slow processing of Form 990s.  (You can read our story on this subject here.)   For most ministries on this list, the most recent year available was 2020. For a few ministries, the most recent year is 2019 or older.  To read the complete profile of the ministries (and learn which year’s numbers we are using), click on the name of the ministry.  That link will take you to the ministry’s profile in the MinistryWatch database.

This YearLast YearOrganization NameSectorCEO/President Revenue (millions USD) ECFA?RatingTransparency GradeDCS
11Wycliffe Bible TranslatorsBible TranslationJohn Chestnut $238,064,000 Yes3A90
23PioneersForeign MissionsSteve Richardson $72,000,640 Yes3A40
34Mission to the WorldForeign MissionsLloyd Kim $68,978,963 Yes2C75
45Ethnos360Foreign MissionsLarry Brown $67,187,567 Yes3C55
56American Bible SocietyBible TranslationRobert L. Briggs $64,458,850 Yes1A85
67The Seed CompanyBible TranslationLarry Jones $56,812,441 Yes2C85
79United Bible SocietiesBible TranslationRobert Cunville $53,702,735 No5D65
82Cross InternationalForeign MissionsKelly Miller $52,631,066 Yes5A90
98SIM USAForeign MissionsRandy Fairman $52,011,908 Yes3C85
1011Mission Aviation FellowshipEvangelism SupportDavid Holsten $48,856,443 Yes1C85
1110Wycliffe AssociatesBible TranslationSemoun Ung $45,959,337 No2D70
1215Reliant MissionForeign MissionsThomas Mauriello $42,978,281 Yes3C65
1312SIL InternationalForeign MissionsMichel Kenmogne $38,901,371 Yes2A80
1414Trans World RadioForeign MissionsLauren Libby $37,459,018 Yes2C80
1518WorldVentureForeign MissionsJeff Denlinger $37,346,487 Yes4C55
1617FrontiersForeign MissionsBob Peckham $36,734,007 Yes3A70
1716Reach BeyondForeign MissionsDavid Johnson $36,171,859 YesD65
1813TEAMForeign MissionsDave Hall $35,474,000 Yes2C65
1921Jewish Voice Ministries InternationalForeign MissionsJonathan Bernis $34,001,119 Yes1A90
2023Open Doors with Brother AndrewBible TranslationDavid Curry $33,573,578 Yes2A100
2120World HelpForeign MissionsNoel Yeatts $32,940,723 Yes4A90
2222Operation MobilizationEvangelism SupportAndrew Scott $30,503,681 Yes3C65
2340BiblicaBible TranslationGeof Morin $29,753,000 Yes2A90
2423Africa Inland Mission InternationalForeign MissionsWade Ewing $27,033,886 Yes4C60
25N/AMission of Hope HaitiForeign MissionsBrad Johnson $26,527,400 Yes2A85
2626Avant MinistriesForeign MissionsScott Holbrook $26,269,866 Yes2C65
2728Faith Comes By HearingBible TranslationJerry & Anet Jackson $25,880,984 No4C60
28N/AFamily Legacy Missions InternationalForeign MissionsMario Zandstra $25,856,655 Yes4A
2919International Cooperating MinistriesForeign MissionsJanice Rosser Allen $24,773,673 Yes3A90
3029Christian Missionary FellowshipForeign MissionsKip Lines $23,890,873 Yes4C75
3130Greater Europe Mission GEMForeign MissionsJonathan Burns $22,788,803 Yes2C85
3234East-West Ministries InternationalForeign MissionsKurt Nelson $22,352,881 Yes2C75
3332Bible League InternationalEvangelism SupportJos Snoep $21,999,772 Yes1A65
3431United World MissionForeign MissionsJohn Bernard $21,923,384 Yes2C75
3535Commission To Every NationEvangelism SupportBill Barthelemy $20,810,919 Yes5A100
35N/AEnglish Language Institute in ChinaForeign MissionsTim Davis $20,773,179 Yes5A85
3724One Mission SocietyForeign MissionsBob Fetherlin $20,609,298 Yes1C50
3836SergeForeign MissionsMr. Bob Osborne $19,916,639 Yes4A90
3937SEND InternationalForeign MissionsWarren Janzen $18,287,946 YesC50
4027World Gospel MissionForeign MissionsDan Schafer $18,026,255 Yes2A70
4149ChristarForeign MissionsStephen Coffey $17,583,373 Yes2A95
4238Pioneer Bible TranslatorsBible TranslationGregory Pruett $17,435,862 Yes2A80
4341Global Outreach InternationalEvangelism SupportJohn Darnell $16,971,079 Yes4A85
44N/AGlory of Zion International MinistriesForeign MissionsCharles D Pierce $16,820,826 No3D
4533Partners InternationalForeign MissionsBryson Vogeltanz $16,650,780 Yes4C85
46N/APreemptive Love CoalitionForeign MissionsJeremy Courtney $14,216,589 No1C55
47N/AYWAM Ships KonaForeign MissionsBrett Curtis $14,151,032 Yes-2A65
48N/AMennonite Economic Development AssociatesForeign MissionsDorothy Nyambi $14,082,886 No2C
4946JAARSEvangelism SupportWoody McLendon $14,080,218 Yes3A95
50N/AThe Timothy InitiativeForeign MissionsJared Nelms $13,992,538 Yes3A95
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Warren Cole Smith

Warren previously served as Vice President of WORLD News Group, publisher of WORLD Magazine, and Vice President of The Colson Center for Christian Worldview. He has more than 30 years of experience as a writer, editor, marketing professional, and entrepreneur. Before launching a career in Christian journalism 25 years ago, Smith spent more than seven years as the Marketing Director at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

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