WEEKLY REVIEW: Database Changes, Podcast Highlights & More
Hope Ministries, LifeWord Broadcast Ministries drop to lowest financial efficiency score
MinistryWatch Database Changes 
MinistryWatch now has more than 1,000 ministries in its database. These ministries represent more than $41-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:
Habitat for Humanity International (1 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: Up 52 to 55)
Hand2Hand (4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 86)
Healing House Inc. (4 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 79)
Heaven’s Family (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 97)
Heifer Project International (1 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 49)
Hope Center Ministries (Up 3 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 94)
Hope Ministries (Down 2 to 1 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 87)
Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 62)
Horizon International (Up 2 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Up 84 to 94)
Houston Christian Broadcasters / Keeping Him Close By (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 94)
Image Clear Ultrasound, Inc. (ICU Mobile) (Down 4 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 83)
Impact Productions (Up 3 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 65)
India Gospel League Inc. North America (3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 100)
Indiana Wesleyan University (Down 4 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 65)
Inspirational Network / Inspiration Ministries (1 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 17)
Institute for Creation Research / ICR (3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 92)
Institute in Basic Life Principles (1 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 49)
International Christian Concern (4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 97)
International Cooperating Ministries (Down 5 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 94)
International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (2 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 66)
International Messengers (Down 4 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 92)
International Outreach Ministries (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 80)
It Is Written, Inc. (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 57)
JH Ranch (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 97)
Josiah Venture (4 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 89)
Justice and Mercy International (2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 84)
Katy Christian Ministries (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 86)
Lake Geneva Foundation (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 86)
Lamb & Lion Ministries (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 92)
LeaderSource SGA / Strategic Global Assistance (Down 3 to 2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: Down 94 to 84)
Life Challenge of Southeastern Michigan (Up 3 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: 73)
Life in Abundance International (2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 84)
Lifeline Christian Mission (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 89)
LifeWord Broadcast Ministries, Inc. (Down 2 to 1 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 58)
Lionheart Children’s Academy (5 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 97)
Live Action (3 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 67)
Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram (2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 90)
Living Stream Ministry (Up 2 to 3 Stars, Transparency Grade: D, DCS: Up 47 to 57)
Living Waters Publications (1 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 76)
Luis Palau Evangelistic Association (2 Stars, Transparency Grade: A, DCS: 79) (Up 3 to 4 Stars, Transparency Grade: C, DCS: 71)
On The MinistryWatch Podcast
Samaritan Ministries, Alistair Begg, United Methodist Final Tally of Disaffiliations
On today’s program, one of the big healthcare sharing ministries is suing New Mexico. We’ll have details. Plus, popular pastor Alistair Begg—whose radio program was dropped by American Family Radio last week—is standing by his advice about attending an LGBTQ wedding. We’ll explain. And, the deadline for churches to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church has passed…and the results are in. We’ll look at how many congregations have left.
We begin today with news that a Texas dad has sued the Assemblies of God denomination, its North Texas District, and its college ministry Chi Alpha, for negligence that resulted in the sexual abuse and grooming of his son. Stephen Holt sued in a state district court in Harris County, Texas, claiming that the Assemblies of God was negligent in allowing registered sex offender Daniel Savala to have access to children and for failing to warn families about his background and the dangers he posed. Listen here.
ECFA Changes
The following organizations have had membership status changes in the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.
ADDITIONS: NONE
REMOVALS: The Living Vine (Savannah, Ga.), New Life Church (Dublin, Calif.),
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MinistryWatch In The News. MinistryWatch is often called upon by Christian and secular media to comment on what is going on in the evangelical world. You can find some of these news reports 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 posted this link before, but we’ve added a few new ministries recently.
Maui Giving. If you want to give specifically to ministries working to provide relief in Maui, click here.
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.
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.
