Weekly Review
ECFA Membership Changes, MinistryWatch Database Changes, What’s on the Podcast? On This Date at MinistryWatch
On the Podcast: On today’s program, disgraced former Southern Baptist Convention President Johnny Hunt has been restored to ministry. Now two of the churches that restored him are being investigated. We also have an exclusive investigation, done in conjunction with the Trinity Foundation, on pastors and their private jets. We begin today with news from The King’s College in New York City. Also on today’s program I mention that the Dallas-based Trinity Foundation has been tracking the use of private aircraft by ministries and churches. Recently the Trinity Foundation started posting graphics on Twitter to track daily usage. You can find that Twitter account, @PastorPlanes, here. You can hear the podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and other podcast apps, or you can simply click here. 
MinistryWatch Database Changes. MinistryWatch now has more than 1,000 ministries in its database. These ministries represent more than $38-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: Agape International Missions (2 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 87), Bethesda Mission (Up 4 to 5 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 90), Blessings International (3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 96), Bread for the World Institute, Inc. (Down 4 to 1 Star, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: Down 69 to 65), Bridgeport Rescue Mission (2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 86), Buffalo City Mission (1 Star, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 96), Butte Rescue Mission (Down 3 to 1 Star, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: Down 65 to 61), Care Net (4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 96), Carriage Town Ministries (Up 3 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 96), Casas Por Cristo (Down 2 to 1 Star, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Down 100 to 96), Catholic Medical Mission Board / CMMB (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 61), Institute in Basic Life Principles (1 Star, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 53), Service Over Self, Inc. (3 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 60), Alberto Mottesi Evangelistic Association, Inc. (Down 4 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 78), American United for Life (Up 1 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: Up 79 to 83), Bethany Christian Services (1 Star, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: Down 75 to 71), Biblica / International Bible Society (Up 1 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Up 86 to 90), Biglife International Inc. (Up 1 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Up 88 to 92), Cookson Hills Christian School (Down 4 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 88), DiscipleMakers, Inc. (Up 3 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 100), Eugene Mission (Down 5 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 65), Global Christian Relief pka Open Doors USA (Down 2 to 1 Star, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Down 100 to 96), Guiding Light Mission (Up 1 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Up 82 to 86), InterVarsity Christian Fellowship / USA (Up 1 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Up 86 to 90), Joni and Friends / Joni Eareckson Tada (Up 2 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 76), Kingdom Advisors (Up 3 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 92), Life Legal Defense Foundation (Up 2 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 84), Montana Rescue Mission (Up 2 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 77), Not For Sale (Down 2 to 1 Star, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: Down 67 to 63), Stoneybrooke Christian Schools (Up 2 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 92), YMCA of the USA (4 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: Up 61 to 65), Youth for Christ USA, Inc. (3 Stars, Transparency Grade: From A to C, DCS: 90)
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.
MinistryWatch and Sex Crimes. We’ve written a larger than normal number of stories this week about pastors and ministry leaders involved in sex crimes. That’s why I 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.
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 my desk, and we’ll take it from there.
Salary Data Now In MinistryWatch Database. We now have salary information for 4,000 executives in our database posted in our profiles. So check out this new addition by clicking on the red button at the top of this page, or 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.
If you’d like to see who the highest paid executives are, take a look at our recently published lists of Highly Paid Ministry Executives and Highly Paid Christian College and University Executives.
ECFA Changes. The following organizations have had membership status changes in the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. ADDITIONS: NONE REMOVALS: NONE
A Guide To Giving For Turkey and Syria. When disaster hits, Christians give. But where they give can make a big difference? Which organizations are most effective in these post-disaster situations? MinistryWatch has published a list of organizations that are doing relief work and which have an “A” Transparency Grade and a 3-, 4-, or 5-star rating for Financial Efficiency. It’s a list of about 30 ministries, and you can find it on the front page of our website. I’ll also include a link in the show notes to this program. Link to list HERE.
Audio Version of Faith-Based Fraud Now Available. Thanks to those of you who made my new book Faith-Based Fraud a best-seller in several Amazon categories this week. It’s now available in paperback and e-book versions. To get your copy, click here. This week, the new audio version released. You can get that from Audible by clicking here.
MinistryWatch Video. In closing, a reminder that we have created a new, 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.
On This Date at MinistryWatch. NINE YEARS AGO. Megachurch pastor and author Steven Furtick is under fire for “spontaneous baptisms.” Read more here. THREE YEARS AGO. The Acts 29 church planting network removed Steven Timmis as its president following accusations of spiritual abuse brought by 15 staff members. Read more here.
