Weekly Review
ECFA Membership Changes, MinistryWatch Database Changes, On This Date At MinistryWatch.com
MinistryWatch 1000 Database Changes. MinistryWatch now has more than 1,000 ministries in its database. These ministries represent more than $37-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: African Bible Colleges (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 85), AGAPE Network (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 80), AMOR Ministries, Inc. (Down 3 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: F, DCS: 60), Antioch Network (Down 4 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 65), Apartment Life (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 85), Ashland University (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: Up 60 to 65), Austin Disaster Relief Network (4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 95), Boston Rescue Mission (2 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 70), Butte Rescue Mission (Up 2 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 65), Charlotte Rescue Mission (2 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 75), Children at Heart Ministries (1 Star, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 80), Community Bible Study, Inc. (Down 5 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 100), Concerned Women for America (Down 2 to 1 Star, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Down 100 to 95), Crossroads Rescue Mission (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 90), Dallas Theological Seminary (Down 2 to 1 Star, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Down 90 to 80), Desiring God / John Piper (3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 75), Faulkner University (Up 3 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: Down 65), Grant County Rescue Mission (Down 2 to -2 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: Down 75 to 70), Hardin-Simmons University (Up 2 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 70), Helping Up Mission (Up 3 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 90), Holt International Children’s Services (1 Star, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 70), Home of Grace (2 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 75), Home School Legal Defense Association (-2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 85), Hope Academy Inc. (Up 4 to 5 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 75), Hope International (3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 100), Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission (Up 4 to 5 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 60), HopeKids (3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 95). The following ministry has been added to the MinistryWatch database with the most recent year’s financial data: American Family Services Foundation (4 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 55), Sean Feucht Ministries (2 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 55)
On the Podcast: Leaving The Network, Saddleback Church, and Bill Hwang Faces Lawsuit. On today’s program, a fast-growing church planting network called simply The Network, is facing criticism by a group of former staff and lay leadership. We also have the results of an investigation done by Saddleback Church into its new pastor. The new study finds no evidence of wrongdoing. We begin today with news that an employee of disgraced Wall Street financier Bill Hwang is suing his former employer. The employee says he was forced to donate to a Christian Charitable Fund. You can hear the podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and other podcast apps, or you can simply click here.
ECFA Changes. The following organizations have had membership status changes in the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. ADDITIONS: None REMOVALS: None
MinistryWatch In The News. I was quoted in an article in Rolling Stone about Sean Feucht. You can read that article here. We have covered Feucht and his “worship rallies” extensively over the past few years. You can see our coverage here.
On This Date At MinistryWatch.com. SEVEN YEARS AGO. On July 24, 2015, MinistryWatch examines organizations that take car donations. Are they legitimate? (Most are.) What should you look for? Read more here. TWO YEARS AGO: John Ortberg’s Menlo Park Church announced an investigation into the way the church handles sex abuse claims in the church. Read more here. That investigation eventually led to the resignation of Ortberg from the church. Read complete coverage here. ONE YEAR AGO: July 12, 2021: A prominent Anglican bishop has announced a leave of absence after admitting he mishandled allegations of abuse. Bishop Stewart Ruch III of the Anglican Church in North America’s (ACNA) Upper Midwest Diocese had known since 2019 that former lay minister Mark Rivera had been charged with felony child sexual abuse. But he did not tell people in his diocese about the abuse allegations until last month, which Ruch has called a “regrettable error.” Read more here.
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Send Us Your News Tips. 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 my desk, and we’ll take it from there.
Salary Data Now In MinistryWatch Database. We now have salary information for nearly 6,000 executives from more than half of the ministries in the MinistryWatch 1000 database. So check out this new addition by clicking on the red button at the top of this page, or click here. That takes you to our database. The search engine is right there, and you can type in the name of a ministry you’re interested in and our profile will pop right up – now, with compensation information for the top executives.
75 Red Flags. MinistryWatch has released a new free booklet, “75 Red Flags To Consider Before Donating For A Christian Ministry.” To read more, and to download your free, printable copy of the 18-page booklet, click here.
MinistryWatch Video. 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, I hope you’ll check it out. To find it, click here.
