WEEKLY REVIEW: Database Changes, Podcast Highlights & More

Downgrades for Iran Alive, Cornerstone University; Upgrades for Ankerberg, Americans United for Life

Thanks to those of you who have been praying for me this week through a season of illness. I’m on the mend and excited to be “back in the saddle” for the year ahead.

As I mentioned last week, I’ll be in Southern California in early February for a couple of speaking engagements and meetings. If you live in Los Angeles or Orange County, watch your inbox for invitations to events we’ll be doing there. I’ll also be at the annual meeting of the National Religious Broadcasters in late February. That will be in Grapevine, Tex. If you plan to be around for the event, send me an email and let’s get a cup of coffee.

Looking ahead, I’ll be at the True Charity Conference in Huntsville, Ala., in April. Look forward to doing donor lunches in Birmingham and Nashville that week. If you live in those cities, check your inbox for dates and locations.

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:

Americans United for Life (Up 1 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 57)

Ankerberg Theological Research Institute (Up 4 to 5 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 71)

Champion Ministries dba Groundwire (Up -2 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Up 78 to 98)

Crossway / Good News Publishers (Up 2 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: Up 61 to 81)

Fellowship of Companies for Christ / FCCI  (Up 3 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 96)

Forest Glen (From N/A to 5 Stars, Transparency Grade: Down A to C, DCS: Up 58 to 78)

Life Training Institute (Up 3 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 71)

Ministries with downgraded ratings:

Back2Back Ministries (Down 4 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 90)

Cornerstone University (1 Stars, Transparency Grade: Down C to D, DCS: 55)

Healing House Inc.  (Down 4 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 76)

Iran Alive Ministries (Down 3 to 1 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Down 98 to 78)

Ministries with new financial data, but no rating changes:

Ananias House (4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 95)

Bible Broadcasting Network (3 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 61)

Buckner International / Buckner Children and Family Services (1 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 48)

Christian Broadcasting Network (2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 63)

Community Bible Study (4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 95)

Davar Audio Bibles  (3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 100)

Echoing Hills Village Inc.  (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 97)

Elam Ministries (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 95)

Extreme Response International (4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 97)

Faith and Learning International (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 96)

Family Connections Christian Adoptions (3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 93)

Fellowship of Christians in Universities and Schools (FOCUS) (3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 90)

Filter Of Hope (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 100)

Gateway Creative Broadcasting / Joy FM Radio (3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 95)

Global Advance, Inc.  (1 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 67)

Hope International (3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 100)

Justice and Mercy International (2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 76)

Kids for the Kingdom (2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 80)

LifeWord Broadcast Ministries, Inc.  (2 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 49)

Ministries newly added to the database:

Meals by Grace (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 66)

On The MinistryWatch Podcast

Kanakuk, Climbing the “Benefits Cliff,” and Pastors and Planes

On today’s program, the lawsuit against Kanakuk Kamps brought by Logan Yandell has been dismissed. Yandell was a former camper who was sexually abused at the camp by leader Pete Newman. We’ll take a look. Also, in the next episode of our Generous Living series, a story about how $4 an hour changed the life trajectory of a young mom. And, Pastors and Planes—after tracking planes owned by more than 40 ministries, who was the biggest user of private aircraft…and how much did it cost donors?

But first, an Ohio pastor has been found guilty of criminal charges for providing temporary shelter to homeless people in his community. Dad’s Place, a church in Bryan, Ohio, has been battling with the city since last winter to provide shelter to homeless persons in the area. Now, the pastor, Chris Avell, has been found guilty in municipal court of a criminal charge related to a fire code violation, fined $200, and given a 60-day suspended sentence.

Listen here.

ECFA Changes

The following organizations have had membership status changes in the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. 

ADDITIONS: NONE

REMOVALS: NONE

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 2025 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.