Weekly Review: ECFA Membership Changes, MinistryWatch Database Changes, Post-COVID Church Life on the Podcast
MinistryWatch Podcast: SBC Scandals, Church Sponsorship Risks, and ECFA Membership Updates
ECFA Changes. The following organizations have had membership status changes in the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. ADDITIONS: None REMOVALS: Pregnancy Center of Greater Toledo (Toledo, Ohio), MLC Ministries (Cumming, Ga.), The Refuge Center for Counseling (Franklin, Tenn.)
On the Podcast: Each week, MinistryWatch brings you news about Christian ministries, as well as the latest in charity and philanthropy, news that we examine from a Christian worldview perspective. Our goal is to help us become better stewards of the resources God has entrusted to us. On today’s podcast, churches that sponsor Boy Scout troops and Cub packs may be at risk for sexual abuse lawsuits. We’ll explain why. And we look at yet another formerly great Christian denomination that progressive ideologies have forced into decline. An update on the United Church of Christ, later in the program. We begin today with news that Southern Baptists are still struggling with how to move forward in the fact of sex abuse scandals. You can hear the podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and other podcast apps, or you can simply click here.
MinistryWatch EXTRA Episode: Ron Sellers. This week’s EXTRA episode on the podcast features a conversation with Ron Sellers of Grey Matter Research and Consulting. We discuss a new survey his company has done that helps explain how COVID has impacted church life, and what we can expect post-COVID. Listen here.
MinistryWatch Database Changes. The MinistryWatch 1000 tracks the 1000 largest Christian ministries in the country. These ministries represent more than $35-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: Advancing Native Missions, Inc. / ANM (Down 4 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A), Aglow International (3 Stars, Transparency Grade: C), Alliance for Children Everywhere (Up 1 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A), AMG International (2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A), Asian Access Life Ministries (Down 2 to 1 Stars, Transparency Grade: A), Children of Promise International (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: A), Christian Associates International, Inc. / dba Communitas International (4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A), Christian Freedom International (CFI) (3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A), CURE International (Up 2 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A), Educational Media Foundation / dba K-LOVE and Air 1 Radio (2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A), Entrust (3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A), Faith Broadcasting, Inc. (3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A), Feed the Hunger, Inc. / formerly New Directions International / NDI (4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A), Food For The Poor, Inc. (4 Stars, Transparency Grade: C), Freedom in Christ Ministries (Down 4 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A), International Needs / formerly IN Network USA (3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A), Life Outreach International Association of Churches, Inc. (Down 3 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: C), Lutheran Bible Translators, Inc. (Up 2 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A), Summit Ministries (Down 2 to 1 Stars, Transparency Grade: A), AIMS:(Acceleration in Mission Strategies) (Up 3 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A), Awana (Up 2 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A), Black Diamond Camps (Down 4 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: D), Breakthrough, Inc. (Down 3 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A), By The Hand Club for Kids (Down 3 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A), Care Net (Up 2 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A), China Ministries International (Down 3 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A), Choice Books of Northern Virginia (Down 4 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A), Christian Appalachian Project (Up 4 to 5 Stars, Transparency Grade: C), Corporate Chaplains of America (Down 4 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A), Derek Prince Ministries (Up 2 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A), Dream Center Foundation (4 Stars, Transparency Grade: From C to D), Eternal Word Television Network, Inc. (Up 3 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: D), Every Generation Ministries (Up 2 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A), Family Care Foundation / FCF (Up 1 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: D), Family Research Council, Inc. (Down 5 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A), Forest Springs Camp and Conference Center (Up 2 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A), Grace Adventures (Up 3 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A), Group Cares (Up 3 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: D), Harvey Cedars Bible Conference Inc. (Down 2 to 1 Star, Transparency Grade: A), Jews for Jesus (Up 1 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: C), Lamb & Lion Ministries (Up 4 to 5 Stars, Transparency Grade: A), Living Free, Inc. (Up 1 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A), Living Proof Ministries (Down 4 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A), Man in the Mirror (Down 3 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A), Mercy Community Healthcare (Down 4 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A), New Life Ranch (Down 3 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A), Partners Worldwide (Down 2 to 1 Star, Transparency Grade: A), Praise Network, Inc. / Herb Roszhart (Up 4 to 5 Stars, Transparency Grade: D), Show Hope (Up 2 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A), Thru the Bible Radio Network (Down 5 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: C), United Methodist Agency for the Retarded (UMAR) (Down 2 to 1 Star, Transparency Grade: D), World Renew (Up 1 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A). The following ministries have been added to the MinistryWatch database with the most recent year’s financial data: BigStuf Ministries Inc (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: D), Camp Allen Camp and Conference Center (4 Stars, Transparency Grade: D), Presbyterian Mo-Ranch Assembly (2 Stars, Transparency Grade: D), Trinity Episcopal Schools Corporation (1 Star, Transparency Grade: D)
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Salary Data Now In MinistryWatch Database. We now have salary information for 3,000 executives from about 500 of the 850 ministries 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.
On-Line Training For Ministry Leaders. Thanks to a partnership with Dunham + Co., MinistryWatch is now able to offer on-line training “short courses” in such topics as change management, fundraising, social media, and the use of cryptocurrencies such as BitCoin. To read more about these courses, click 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.
New 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.