Weekly Review
ECFA Membership Changes, MinistryWatch Database Changes, On This Date At MinistryWatch.com, Question of the Week
MinistryWatch 1000 Database Changes. MinistryWatch now has more than 1,000 ministries in its database. These ministries represent more than $37-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: Convoy of Hope (4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 75), Covenant House (Up 1 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: Up 70 to 75), Four Corners Home for Children (Up 1 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Up 90 to 95), Trinity International University (Up 3 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 75), City Mission of Findlay (3 Stars, Transparency Grade: From C to A, DCS: 75), Denver Seminary (Down 3 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 75), Family Guidance, Inc. (Down 2 to 1 Star, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: Down 70 to 65), Phoenix Seminary (Down 4 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 95), Seattle Pacific University (Up 2 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 50), Southeastern University (Down 5 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 65), Water4 Inc (Down 2 to 1 Star, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Down 90 to 85)
Question of the Week. We’ve started a new feature here at MinistryWatch. Lawyer and non-profit expert Don Kramer answers a reader question about non-profits each week. This week’s question: What does Directors & Officers Liability Insurance cover? Read the answer here.
ECFA Changes. The following organizations have had membership status changes in the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. ADDITIONS: None REMOVALS: Wheaton College (Wheaton, Ill.),
On the Podcast: More SBC News, A Pro-Life Activist Faces Scrutiny, and Fighting Embezzlement. On today’s program, a pro-life activist, Jennifer Christie, is facing a credibility crisis after aspects of her dramatic testimony are not standing up to scrutiny. When a major ministry saw a 50 percent drop in revenue, it had to ask some hard questions about how it was doing things. But Cross International is back, and it’s a case study in how to make a strategic shift. We begin today with more news from the Southern Baptist Convention. The sex abuse scandal in the SBC brings us almost daily news. We’ll have updates. You can hear the podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and other podcast apps, or you can simply click here.
On This Date At MinistryWatch.com. SEVEN YEARS AGO. In June 2015, one of the three Executive Elders at the recently dissolved Mars Hill Church has publicly apologized for his behavior there. In a series of blog posts published over the past few weeks, Sutton Turner has taken responsibility for not his role in a book-buying scandal, as well as to helping perpetuate a culture of fear and intimidation at the Seattle megachurch that dissolved earlier this year. Read more here. TWO YEARS AGO. A woman Ravi Zacharias sued in 2017 is now asking for release from a non-disclosure agreement she signed as part of the settlement of that lawsuit. Lori Anne Thompson claimed Ravi Zacharias solicited nude photos of her after they met in 2014. Zacharias denied the claims and filed a lawsuit saying Thompson and her husband Bradley were attempting to extort funds from him. The lawsuit was eventually settled, and Lori Anne Thompson signed a non-disclosure agreement as part of the settlement. Read more here.
Send Us Your News Tips. 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.
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.
Salary Data Now In MinistryWatch Database. We now have salary information for nearly 6,000 executives from more than half of the ministries in the MinistryWatch 1000 database. So check out this new addition by clicking on the red button at the top of this page, or click 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.
75 Red Flags. MinistryWatch has released a new free booklet, “75 Red Flags To Consider Before Donating For A Christian Ministry.” To read more, and to download your free, printable copy of the 18-page booklet, click here.
MinistryWatch Video. 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, I hope you’ll check it out. To find it, click here.
A Guide To Giving For Disaster Relief. 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.
Ukraine Giving. If you want to give specifically to ministries working in and near Ukraine, click here. We’ve posted this link for the past few weeks, but I want to keep it in front of you, and I also want you to know that we continue to add new ministries and additional information about existing ministries. So if you haven’t hit the link in a week or so, you might want to hit it again.
