Weekly Review

WEEKLY REVIEW

Snapshot of top happenings from this past week

Christina Darnell July 17, 2025

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 score. Each week, we highlight ministries in our database that have had rating changes, plus a brief explanation about why it matters.

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 Faces Questions Over Financial Transparency

By Kim Roberts. St. Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Florida, has been instructed by a local presbytery to share its financial and budget information with members. The church has been in the news recently because Senior Pastor Burk Parsons, also a Ligonier Ministries teaching fellow, was indefinitely suspended from his duties as a teaching elder by a church judicial commission.

John MacArthur, Megachurch Pastor and Voice of ‘Grace to You,’ has Died

By Bob Smietana. John MacArthur, megachurch pastor, culture warrior, author and longtime voice of the “Grace to You” radio program, has died. He was 86. “John MacArthur went to heaven at 6:17pm California time,” Phil Johnson, executive director of Grace to You,” told RNS in a text message.

Bellevue Calls Lifeway’s Ben Mandrell as New Senior Pastor

By Kim Roberts. Bellevue Baptist Church has called Lifeway Christian Resources President and CEO Ben Mandrell as its new senior pastor. Mandrell has led Lifeway since 2019. Mandrell’s first Sunday at Bellevue, in the Memphis area, will be on August 10, church staff told the Baptist Press.

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 into the database:

Better Together (4 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 71)

BJU / Bob Jones University (4 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 69)

Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission (N/A Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 51)

Ministries with upgraded ratings:

East-West Ministries International (0 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: Up 48 to 50)

Makes audited financials available on website.

Kingdom Advisors (Up 3 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 95)

Now in top 40% for financial efficiency in Advocacy sector.

Mission of Hope Haiti (1 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Up 75 to 77)

Makes audited financials available on website, and meets MinistryWatch recommendations for board composition.

Mully Children’s Family USA (3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Up 93 to 95)

Makes audited financials available on website.

Operation Mobilization (N/A Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: Up 41 to 43)

Makes audited financials available on website.

Radio Training Network, Inc. (3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Up 98 to 100)

Makes audited financials available on website, and meets MinistryWatch recommendations for board composition.

Trinity Christian Academy – Addison, TC (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Up 94 to 96)

Makes audited financials available on website.

White’s Residential and Family Services / Josiah Whites (3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Up 95 to 97)

Makes audited financials available on website.

Zola Levitt Ministries (4 Stars, Transparency Grade: Up C to A, DCS: 100)

Files Form 990 with the IRS, makes audited financials available on website, and is a member of the ECFA.

Ministries with downgraded ratings:

Bethel University – Indiana (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: Down 75 to 73)