Motor Racing Outreach Drops Into ‘Give With Caution’ Designation
And other notable ministry happenings from this week.
Here at MinistryWatch, one of our goals is to equip donors with the information they need to make wise decisions with their giving. That’s why we manage our database, which rates more than 1,000 of the country’s largest ministries based on their financial efficiency, financial transparency, and their donor confidence. Each week, we highlight ministries in our database that have had rating changes, plus a brief explanation about why it matters.
A few notable changes in the database this week:
- First Liberty Institute and Pacific Justice Institute both jumped into the top 60% for financial efficiency within the Advocacy sector, also raising their Donor Confidence Scores by 20 points. Both ministries have high scores all around with A Transparency Grades and “Give With Confidence” designations.
- Motor Racing Outreach dropped its Donor Confidence Score by 22 points after withdrawing its membership from the ECFA, and because it does not make audited financials available on its website. Its Transparency Grade is now a D, and its Donor Confidence Score is 50—a “Give With Caution” designation.
- National Religious Broadcasters fell within the bottom 40% for financial efficiency within its sector (Advocacy), also dropping its Donor Confidence score by 20 points. Despite this, its Transparency Grade is still an A, and its Donor Confidence Score of 75 still designates it as a “Give With Confidence” ministry.
We also highlight stories from our podcast, where you can catch up on the week’s news in less than 30 minutes—perfect for a commute or walk. We highly recommend ministries join the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA), which is why we list organizations that have either joined ECFA in the past week or been removed. Check it all out below.
With that, here are three top stories on the MinistryWatch website from this past week:
St. Andrew’s Chapel Votes to Leave PCA
By Kim Roberts. St. Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Florida, voted on Sunday (Dec. 14) to leave the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) by a vote of 669 to 108. The church, originally led by Dr. R.C. Sproul, joined the PCA in 2023. It first considered a vote to leave this summer, but delayed the vote while referring the matter to the church’s board of elders, also known as its session, to study the situation and return with a recommendation.
Documents Released in David Sills’ Defamation Case Unleashes the Internet Furies
By Warren Cole Smith. In November 2022, David Sills, a former professor of missions and cultural anthropology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) in Louisville, Ken., and his wife Mary filed a defamation lawsuit in the Circuit Court of Mobile, Ala., against the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), its Executive Committee (EC), and several affiliated entities and individuals. Documents related to that case, released recently to the public, have unleashed a torrent of activity on social media, a lot of it coming from Megan Basham.
Truett McConnell University V.P. Indicted for Lying to Investigators
By Warren Cole Smith. A jury has indicted former Truett McConnell University (TMU) Vice President Bradley Reynolds on three felony false-statement charges for lying to law enforcement about a years-long alleged abusive relationship with a student and former employee.
Here’s what else is new at MinistryWatch this week.
MinistryWatch Database Changes
MinistryWatch now has more than 1,000 ministries in its database. These ministries represent more than $44-billion in total revenue, most of that donor revenue from evangelicals. The following ministries have their profiles updated with the most recent year’s financial data. The Financial Efficiency rating of each ministry is in parenthesis. If this rating represents a change from the previous year, that change is noted:
Ministries recently added to the database:
AHA Foundation (2 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 40)
Christian Action Network (1 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 53)
Intercessors for America (N/A Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 53)
Million Voices / Vision America (N/A Stars, Transparency Grade: F, DCS: N/A)
National Camps for Blind Children (1 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: N/A)
National Day of Prayer Task Force (3 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: N/A)
Sojourners (1 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: N/A)
Ministries with upgraded ratings:
Alliance Defending Freedom (Up 1 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 78)
Now in bottom 40% (up from bottom 20%) for financial efficiency in Advocacy sector.
Christian Legal Society / CLS (Up 3 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 95)
Now in top 40% for financial efficiency in Advocacy sector.
Concerned Women for America (Up 1 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 80)
Now in bottom 40% (up from bottom 20%) for financial efficiency in Advocacy sector.
First Liberty Institute (Up 2 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Up 75 to 95)
Now in top 60% for financial efficiency in Advocacy sector, also raising its Donor Confidence Score by 20 points.
Grace Adventures (Up 3 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 100)
Now in top 40% for financial efficiency in Camps/Conference Centers sector.
Kingdom Advisors (Up 3 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 97)
Now in top 40% for financial efficiency in Advocacy sector.
Pacific Justice Institute (Up 2 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Up 77 to 97)
Now in top 60% for financial efficiency in Advocacy sector, also raising its Donor Confidence Score by 20 points.
The Institute on Religion & Democracy (Up 2 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: Up 55 to 75)
Now in top 60% for financial efficiency in Advocacy sector, also raising its Donor Confidence Score by 20 points.
Ministries with downgraded ratings:
Christian Military Fellowship (4 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: Down 100 to 98)
Does not make audited financials available on website.
Motor Racing Outreach (2 Stars, Transparency Grade: Down A to D, DCS: Down 72 to 50)
Does not make audited financials available on website, nor is it a member of the ECFA.
National Religious Broadcasters (Down 3 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Down 95 to 75)
Now in bottom 40% for financial efficiency in Advocacy sector, also dropping its Donor Confidence Score by 20 points.
On The MinistryWatch Podcast
Bishop Ruch Acquitted of All Charges, Elevation Church Launches College, iServants and Belize
On this week’s program, the judicial commission of the Anglican Church in North America has handed down its long-awaited verdict in the months-long trial of Bishop Stewart Ruch. And that verdict is, “Not Guilty.” We’ll have details.
And, International Servants has been making big claims about its decades of ministry work in Belize—but verifying those claims has proven more difficult. We’ll take a look.
Plus, Elevation Church—the North Carolina-based megachurch led by Steven Furtick—has announced the launch of Elevation College.
But first, St. Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Florida, has officially voted to leave the Presbyterian Church in America.
Access to MinistryWatch content is free. However, we hope you will support our work with your prayers and financial gifts. To make a donation, click here.
ECFA Membership Changes
Additions
Chariots4Hope (Omaha, NE)
Removals
Beall Ministries/ dba Sons of Thunder Ministry (Damascus, MD)
Hands of The Carpenter (Golden, CO)
International Christian Ministries (Bakersfield, CA)
FreedomWorks Post-Prison Outreach (Minneapolis, MN)
Point 27 Ministries (Marietta, GA)
Deaf Bible Society (Arlington, TX)
Bethany Christian Church (Washington, IN)
Roads of Success (Duarte, CA)
One Child El Salvador (Dahlonega, GA)
Chariots4Hope (Omaha, NE)
Purpose Founder (Tempe, AZ)
Equip Ministries (Livingston, AL)
Drop A Dime On Us. Do you have a story idea for MinistryWatch? If so, send us an email. A lot of the stories we do originate from our readers and listeners. They send us news tips, press releases, emails, questions, and links. So, if you have a story you’d like us to cover, or a ministry that you think needs a closer look, please email us. Our email is [email protected]. That will come directly to the desk of MinistryWatch President Warren Smith, and we’ll take it from there.
MinistryWatch and Sex Crimes. We write a lot about pastors and ministry leaders involved in sex crimes. That’s why we thought it might be a good time to re-post this story, which explains why we think covering these crimes are necessary: Why MinistryWatch Reports on Sex Crimes. As always, your feedback is welcome.
MinistryWatch Video. In closing, a reminder that we have created a short (3.5 minutes) video that explains what we do here at MinistryWatch, and why. If you’re new to MinistryWatch, we hope you’ll check it out. To find it, click here.
