WEEKLY REVIEW
Snapshot of top happenings from this past 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 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:
Military Chaplains Attempt to Leave ACNA En Masse
By Warren Cole Smith. conflict between a bishop and his boss has created chaos for Anglican military chaplains. On Sept. 21, Bishop Derek Jones, who had been in charge of military chaplains for the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), was inhibited from ministry for 60 days. An inhibition is a formal suspension from ministry activities, usually so an investigation can take place.
Editor’s Notebook: Jimmy Kimmel, Religious Broadcasters, and You
By Warren Cole Smith. I’m no fan of Jimmy Kimmel. I don’t watch late night television (except Austin City Limits on Saturday), and when I did — years ago — it wasn’t him. I think what Kimmel said about Charlie Kirk, his alleged assassin, and the political landscape in general was wrong-headed, verifiably false, and generally worthy of criticism. But if it turns out to be true that he was fired because the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) put pressure on ABC to take him off the air, that should cause all honest, limited-government conservatives to pause.
St. Andrew’s Chapel Salaries Well Above Median Salary in the Region
By Kim Roberts. Burk Parsons, lead pastor of St. Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Florida, and a teaching fellow with Ligonier Ministries, receives over $410,000 in annual compensation from the church, in addition to an undisclosed salary from Ligonier, according to a recent report filed with the Central Florida Presbytery.
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 with upgraded ratings:
Philly House pka Sunday Breakfast Rescue Mission (Up 2 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Up 80 to 100)
Now in top 60% for financial efficiency in Rescue Missions/Homeless Shelters sector, also raising its donor confidence score by 20 points.
Radius International (Up 1 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 78)
Now in bottom 40% (up from bottom 20%) for financial efficiency in Foreign Missions sector.
Taylor University (Up 2 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: Up 69 to 89)
Now in top 40% for financial efficiency in Colleges/Universities sector, also raising its donor confidence score by 20 points.
The City School (Up 2 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Up 73 to 93)
Now in top 60% for financial efficiency in K-12 Schools/Academies sector, also raising its donor confidence score by 20 points.
Trail Life USA (Up 2 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Up 80 to 100)
Now in top 40% for financial efficiency in Christian Growth sector, also raising its donor confidence score by 20 points.
Western Christian Schools (Up 3 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 93)
Now in top 40% for financial efficiency in K-12 Schools/Academies sector.
Ministries with downgraded ratings:
Pacific Justice Institute (Down 3 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Down 97 to 77)
Now in bottom 40% for financial efficiency in Advocacy sector, also dropping its donor confidence score by 20 points.
Point Loma Nazarene University (Down 3 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: Down 79 to 59)
Now in bottom 40% for financial efficiency in Colleges/Universities sector, also dropping its donor confidence score by 20 points.
Regent University (3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Down 93 to 91)
CEO/President’s compensation is not within one standard deviation of the median compensation.
Southwest Baptist University (Down 5 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: Down 67 to 47)
Now in bottom 40% for financial efficiency in Colleges/Universities sector, also dropping its donor confidence score by 20 points.
The Episcopal Academy (Down 3 to 1 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: Down 66 to 46)
Now in bottom 20% for financial efficiency in K-12 Schools/Academies sector, also dropping its donor confidence score by 20 points.
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (Down 2 to 1 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 44)
Now in bottom 20% for financial efficiency in Colleges/Universities sector.
Urban Impact Foundation (Down 2 to 1 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 77)
Now in bottom 20% for financial efficiency in Community Development sector.
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On The MinistryWatch Podcast
Burk Parsons, Christopher Yuan, David Sills and Jennifer Lyell, ACNA Military Chaplains
On this week’s program, St. Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Florida, has refused to reveal the salaries of its pastors—even to its own board of elders. But a new report shows that at least three of its pastors receive compensation that’s raising eyebrows. We’ll take a look.
Plus, the use of celebrities to promote causes is not new—but ministries are increasingly turning to social media influencers to tout their missions. We look at their uses—and misuses—plus cautions to consider.
And, former SBC professor David Sills drops his defamation suit against the late Jennifer Lyell, who accused him of sexual abuse before her death this summer. Meanwhile, other SBC-related defendants in the case are seeking summary judgment.
Finally, we’ll have an update on the health of popular speaker Christopher Yuan, who was injured in an accident this week.
But first, military chaplains are attempting to leave the Anglican Church in North America en masse.
ECFA Changes
The following organizations have had membership status changes in the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.
ADDITIONS:
Pregnancy Resource Center of Salt Lake City
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.
