WEEKLY REVIEW: Database Changes, Podcast Highlights & More
Ratings Drop for The A21 Campaign; Ratings Rise for Ramesh Richard Evangelism and Church Health
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:
New Life Family Services (1 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 55)
New Life Ranch (2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 78)
Pregnancy Resource Center (1 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 70)
Rafiki Foundation (4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 100)
Ramesh Richard Evangelism and Church Health / RREACH (Up 2 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Up 80 to 100)
Reaching Unreached Nations (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 89)
Renewanation (4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 96)
Resourcing Christian Education International / RCE (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 100)
Ron Hutchcraft Ministries (2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 70)
Samaritan’s Purse (2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 56)
Sandy Cove Ministries (2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 73)
Second Mile Mission Center (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 92)
Solid Rock International (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 95)
The A21 Campaign (From 1 to N/A Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 70)
The For All Mankind Movement (4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 98)
The Voice of the Martyrs / VOM (Down 4 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 73)
Trinity Center for World Mission (Up 1 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 78)
Water for Good / Lifewater International (2 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 80)
Wayside Christian Mission (4 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 68)
Western Seminary (From 4 to N/A Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: Down 66 to 46)
Westminster Seminary California (From 2 to N/A Stars, Transparency Grade: From C to D , DCS: 33)
World Gospel Mission (From 1 to N/A Stars, Transparency Grade: From C to D, DCS: 48)
World Impact, Inc. (From 1 to N/A Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 51)
World Outreach Ministries (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 76)
World Team USA, Inc. (From 2 to N/A Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 36)
WorldVenture (From 4 to N/A Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: Down 51 to 31)
Wycliffe Associates (From 2 to N/A Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 33)
YMCA of the USA (4 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 66)
Youth for Christ of Northern Indiana (1 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 72)
YUGO Ministries (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 95)
Zoe Empowers (3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 90)
On The MinistryWatch Podcast
What’s In Store For MinistryWatch in 2025
2024 was a good year for MinistryWatch. Still, I learned a long time ago that in a dynamic media, cultural, and economic environment, it is important not to be complacent. That’s why I wanted to give you a “peek under the hood” at some of the things that I think MinistryWatch could do better in the year ahead.
More “Enterprise” Journalism. We want to cover significant stories, with added value and context. We want to be the place that connects the dots, that gives you not just the “what” but the “why.” Our coverage of Bible translation organizations, “trend stories” such as the growing use of donor-advised funds and the increase in the number of ministries that fail to file Form 990s, are examples of this kind of “enterprise” journalism. Look for more such coverage in the year ahead.
More Data-Driven Journalism. As I’ve already said, our database makes MinistryWatch unique. That’s why we want to curate more stories from our rich data storehouse in the year ahead. We already do monthly lists and “Ministry Spotlights” that highlight important changes in our database, not to mention our “Weekly Review” that highlights all the changes in the database for that week. In the year ahead we hope to highlight these anomalies and changes and help you see their significance.
More Podcast Content. We currently do a weekly roundup of the news, as well as an interview of an interesting newsmaker each week on the MinistryWatch podcast. Beginning no later than the second quarter, we hope to increase to three episodes a week, adding both more interviews and more commentary. Again, our goal will be to context and meaning to what is going on in the news.
For those of you who have been on this journey with us over the past five years: Thank You. For those of you who are just discovering MinistryWatch: Welcome Aboard!
We pray that, in God’s good providence, our best years are still ahead of us.
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.
ECFA Changes
The following organizations have had membership status changes in the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.
ADDITIONS: NONE
REMOVALS: Good News (Spring, Tex.), Halftime Institute (Irving, Tex.)
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.
