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Weekly Review

ECFA Membership Changes, MinistryWatch Database Changes, What’s on the Podcast? On This Date at MinistryWatch

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ECFA Changes.  The following organizations have had membership status changes in the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.  ADDITIONS:  NONE  REMOVALS: Colorado Baptist General Convention (Littleton, Colo.), Real Life Ministries (Post Falls, Id.), Clayton King Ministries (Anderson, S.C.), H.I.S. BridgeBuilders (Dallas, Tex.),Grace Church Unaffiliated (Albuquerque, N.M.).

On This Date at MinistryWatch.  NINE YEARS AGO:  On March 7, 2014, MinistryWatch reported that Bill Gothard would resign from the ministry he founded.  He later resigned amid allegations of sexual abuse.  Read more here.   THREE YEARS AGO:  On February March 2, 2020, MinistryWatch reported that Wheaton College would rescind the title of “Professor Emeritus” from Gilbert Bilezikian following allegations of “inappropriate and unprofessional conduct.”  Bilezikian, known as “Dr. B,” was a guiding force in the formation of the influential Willow Creek Church.  Read more here.  ONE YEAR AGO:  On March 7, 2022, MinistryWatch reported that the United Methodist Church has delayed its General Conference meeting for a third time due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. In response, some conservative United Methodists announced they would preemptively leave the denomination rather than wait for the long-anticipated meeting. Since then, hundreds of churches have left the denomination.  Read more here.

On the Podcast:  On today’s program, we have news from ACSI – the Association of Christian Schools International. They’re growing and changing, and not all of those changes are for the better. I’ll explain later in the program.

We also have the latest news from Asbury University, where a revival started that is now sweeping the country. And we take a look at The John Ankerberg Show.  The popular apologetics teacher is under fire for his use of private jets and lavish travel.

We begin today with the latest from the United Methodist Church. Bishop Scott Jones isn’t the first United Methodist bishop to join the Global Methodist Church since the theologically conservative denomination launched in May, but his exit from the UMC has arguably caused the greatest stir.

You can hear the podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and other podcast apps, or you can simply click here.

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 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: Alliance Defending Freedom (1 Star, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Down 96 to 92), Ambassadors For Christ, Inc.  (Up 1 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Up 82 to 86), American Family Association (Up 3 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 100), Asheville Christian Academy (Down 2 to 1 Star, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Down 92 to 88), Atlas Free (Down 5 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 100), Buckner International / Buckner Children and Family Services (2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Down 71 to 67), CBMC, Inc.  (Up 2 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 96), Charlotte Christian School (Down 3 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 69), China Ministries International (Down 3 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 82), Cookson Hills Christian School (Up 3 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 88), Cru / Campus Crusade for Christ (Up 3 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 77), Dream Center Foundation (Down 5 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 47), George Fox University (Up 3 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 77), Haven of Rest Ministries (Up 1 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: Up 59 to 63), Joni and Friends / Joni Eareckson Tada (Down 3 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 76), Kalamazoo Area Christian Retirement Association, dba Park Village Pines (Down 4 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 92), Kentucky Mountain Bible College (Up 2 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 86), Liberty University (Up 2 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 47), Life in Abundance International (Down 3 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 92), Love One International (Up 3 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 88), Mennonite Brethren Homes, dba Palm Village Retirement Community (Down 5 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 92), Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) (Up 1 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: Down 73 to 69), Museum of the Bible (2 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: Down 74 to 70), Roever Evangelistic Association (Down 2 to 1 Star, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Down 88 to 84), SHABACH! Ministries Inc.  (Down 5 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 69), Sheepgate / Teen Challenge of the Midlands (Up 1 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Up 84 to 88), Stoneybrooke Christian Schools (Down 3 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 92), Strategic Resource Group (Down 5 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 71), Summit Ministries (Up 1 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Up 92 to 96), Taylor University (Up 1 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Up 82 to 86), The Mentoring Alliance (Up 1 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Up 78 to 82), Town and Country (Down 4 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 77), VisionTrust International (Down 4 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 100), Youth for Christ USA, Inc.  (Down 3 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 90)

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.

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. 

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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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