WEEKLY REVIEW: Database Changes, Podcast Highlights & More
Ratings Drop for Acton Institute, Child Evangelism Fellowship; Ratings Rise for Align Life Ministries
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:
A3 (1 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 78)
Acton Institute for the Study of Religious Liberty (Down 2 to 1 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 49)
Align Life Ministries (Up 2 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Up 75 to 95)
Alliance for Children Everywhere (Down 2 to 1 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 77)
American Center for Law and Justice (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 61)
AMOR Ministries, Inc. (4 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 71)
Anabaptist Foundation (4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 83)
AnGel Ministries / Anne Graham Lotz (4 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 56)
Avenue of Life (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 100)
Care Net Pregnancy & Family Services of Puget Sound (3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 98)
Carolina Creek Christian Camp (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 72)
Child Evangelism Fellowship / CEF (Down 2 to 1 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 75)
Children of the Nations (3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 100)
Children’s Hunger Fund / CHF (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 95)
Christ in Youth (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 89)
Christar (Up 2 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Up 78 to 98)
Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO) (Down 5 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 100)
Christian Research Institute / CRI (3 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 64)
Church World Service (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 66)
Doulos Ministries, Inc. dba Shelterwood (Down 3 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: Down 98 to 78)
Educational Media Foundation (dba K-LOVE and Air 1 Radio) (2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 78)
Feed the Hunger, formerly New Directions International (Down 5 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 100)
Food For The Poor, Inc. (4 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 56)
Friends of the Great Commission Foundation (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 96)
Global Outreach International (4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 90)
Good Samaritan Health Center of Gwinnett (2 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 77)
Hand2Hand (Up 3 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 100)
Hope is Alive Ministries Inc. (1 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 75)
Image Clear Ultrasound, Inc. (ICU Mobile) (Up 3 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 83)
InterAct Ministries, Inc. (Down 4 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 98)
International Needs formerly IN Network USA (3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 92)
Jack Van Impe Ministries (1 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 37)
John and Vera Mae Perkins Foundation (2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 67)
Joni and Friends (Down 3 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Down 83 to 63)
Katy Christian Ministries (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 90)
Medical Ambassadors International (2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 80)
Mennonite Brethren Homes, dba Palm Village Retirement Community (Down 5 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 95)
Mercy Medical Angels (4 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 72)
Mercy Ships (1 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 75)
Mighty Oaks Foundation (Up 1 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Up 78 to 98)
Ministry Essentials International (3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 92)
Mission Lazarus (Up 2 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Up 80 to 100)
Mission of Hope Haiti (Down 3 to 1 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Down 95 to 75)
Missionary Athletes International (3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 100)
On The MinistryWatch Podcast
Chateauroux Fellowship, Olivet University, and Generosity Leads to Happiness
On today’s program, Chateauroux Fellowship claims to connect billionaires with Christian ministries…but we were not able to confirm with any ministries that they had received any of the funds. We’ll have details.
And, a small reformed denomination commissioned a report by Guidepost Solutions to investigate handling of sexual abuse cases…then it reversed its decision. We’ll take a look at what happened.
Plus, a new study finds that Christians are the most charitable…and the happiest.
But first, California revokes Olivet University’s approval to operate—but the school says it plans to stay open anyway.
ECFA Changes
The following organizations have had membership status changes in the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.
ADDITIONS: NONE
REMOVALS: Mission: Hope (Alpharetta, Ga.), Old Fort Baptist Church (Summerville, S.C.), Mirror Ministries (Richland, Wash.), Frontline Response (Atlanta, Ga.), Cloverhill Church (Midlothian, Va.), Penfield Addiction Ministries (Union Point, Ga.),
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.
Advice About Giving
Hurricane Helene Giving. Western North Carolina is slowly recovering, but it will need help for months if not years ahead. We have compiled a list of ministries working in Hurricane Helene-affected areas. We’ve also included some tips for making decisions about how and where you should give. To see this article, click here.
To see our complete coverage of Hurricane Helene relief efforts, click here.
Ukraine Giving. If you want to give specifically to ministries working in and near Ukraine, click here. We posted this link before, but we’ve added a few new ministries recently.
Israel Giving. We have compiled a list of ministries working in Israel that we recommend. You will also find some ministries working there that we do NOT recommend. You can find the list here.
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 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.
About MinistryWatch
Just a quick reminder that we are now less than two weeks of the end of the year, so take a quick look at our annual list of Shining Lights and make them a part of your year-end giving plan. These are ministries that scored the highest possible ratings in all three categories MinistryWatch evaluates: Transparency, Financial Efficiency, and Donor Confidence. We hope you will use this list of the “best of the best” ministries as your year-end giving guide. You can find the list here.
I also wanted to warn you about so-called “matching” or “challenge” gifts that a lot of ministries use at year-end to try to get you to donate. Matching and challenge gifts can be used ethically, but they are often tools to create a false sense of urgency. These offers to match or double your gift should not keep you from doing your own careful research into that ministry. To read more about matching and challenge gifts, click here.
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.
MinistryWatch and Sex Crimes. We write a lot 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.
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.
