Truth At Work Resigns From the ECFA
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:
- A number of ministries—including Christian Community Foundation, Development Associates International, Lutheran Bible Translators, and OurCalling—earned higher Transparency Grades after making audited financials available on their websites.
- Truth at Work voluntarily resigned its membership with the ECFA in November 2025, dropping its Transparency Grade to C and its Donor Confidence Score by 25 points.
- Advent Christian Village, But God Ministries, and Life Challenge of Southeastern Michigan each dropped in financial efficiency within their sectors.
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:
By Kim Roberts. Another group of plaintiffs, this time including seven women, have filed lawsuits against California megachurch Harvest Christian Fellowship and its lead pastor Greg Laurie for sexual abuse they claim to have suffered at the hands of Paul Havsgaard.
Apologia Church Sues Former Parishioner for Defamation
By Kim Roberts. An elder from Apologia Church has removed himself as a plaintiff in a lawsuit filed against a former parishioner who made videos about the church’s “mishandling of confidential marriage counseling information” by church leadership.
Jury Convicts ‘Blessings in No Time’ Reality TV Stars
By Jessica Eturralde. A federal grand jury in East Texas has convicted a couple of running a massive pyramid scheme from their Frisco, Texas, home during the COVID-19 pandemic. The couple reportedly told recruits they could turn “blessings” of roughly $1,400 into fast, outsized payouts—and even get their money back if they were unhappy.
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:
4Africa (1 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: N/A)
New St. Andrews College (1 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 38)
Reality Ministries (2 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 75)
Ministries with upgraded ratings:
Christian Community Foundation, dba WaterStone (3 Stars, Transparency Grade: Up C to A, DCS: 95)
Makes audited financials available on website.
Development Associates International (3 Stars, Transparency Grade: Up C to A, DCS: 100)
Makes audited financials available on website.
Fellowship of Christian Athletes / FCA (Up 4 to 5 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 95)
Now in top 20% for financial efficiency in Fellowship Evangelism sector.
Gordon College (Up 1 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 71)
Now in bottom 40% (up from bottom 20%) for financial efficiency in Colleges/Universities sector.
GTi Hope (Up 1 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 75)
Now in bottom 40% (up from bottom 20%) for financial efficiency in Foreign Missions sector.
InterFACE Ministries, Inc. / IFACE (Up 4 to 5 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 92)
Now in top 20% for financial efficiency in Fellowship Evangelism sector.
Lutheran Bible Translators (1 Stars, Transparency Grade: Up C to A, DCS: 80)
Makes audited financials available on website.
Mennonite Brethren Homes, dba Palm Village Retirement Community (Up 3 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 95)
Now in top 40% for financial efficiency in Community Development sector.
Military Community Youth Ministries / MCYM (Up 3 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 92)
Now in top 40% for financial efficiency in Fellowship Evangelism sector.
OurCalling Inc (1 Stars, Transparency Grade: Up C to A, DCS: 78)
Makes audited financials available on website.
Ministries with downgraded ratings:
Advent Christian Village (Down 2 to 1 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 72)
Now in bottom 20% for financial efficiency in Community Development sector.
But God Ministries (Down 4 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 98)
Now in top 60% (down from top 40%) for financial efficiency in Community Development sector.
Life Challenge of Southeastern Michigan (Down 4 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 71)
Now in top 60% (down from top 40%) for financial efficiency in Community Development sector.
Truth At Work (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: Down 82 to 62)
Is no longer a member of the ECFA.
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On The MinistryWatch Podcast
Cities Church in Minneapolis, Explaining Family Offices, and Apologia Church Sues Former Member
On today’s program, Cities Church in Minneapolis is considering legal options after protestors stormed its church service Sunday in response to the government’s immigration measures in the city. We’ll have details.
And, philanthropists are turning to family offices to manage their wealth—but what are they, why have they grown so much in the past decade, and how will it impact ministries? We’ll take a look.
Plus, Missouri passed a law to hold boarding schools accountable after several were shut down over allegations of neglect and abuse. Now, another ministry is fighting that law, saying its broad requirements are infringing on its religious freedom.
But first, Apologia Church in Arizona is suing a former member for defamation. The former member made videos, claiming church leadership mishandled confidential marriage counseling information.
ECFA Membership Changes
Removals
Holston United Methodist Home for Children
Jesus House (Oklahoma City, OK)
Baptist Foundation of Illinois (Springfield, IL)
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.
