Wheaton College Joins Other Large Ministries in Resigning from ECFA

The last couple of years have included several major Christian ministries and institutions voluntarily resigning their membership in the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA).

The latest to resign on May 31 is Wheaton College, a well-known institution of Christian higher education located about 25 miles west of Chicago. It joins recent resignations by The Master’s University, Bethany Christian Services, the Gospel Coalition, and the Christian Research Institute. 

A representative from ECFA confirmed Wheaton’s voluntary resignation. It had been a member of and accredited by ECFA since 1980.

Wheaton’s director of marketing communication, Joe Moore, stated in an email response to a MinistryWatch inquiry, “We have canceled our membership because the College already meets rigorous accountability and transparency requirements through our mandatory financial reporting to auditors, accreditors, and the Department of Education.”

“Wheaton College values the unique and important role that ECFA has played and continues to play in strengthening evangelical ministries,” Moore continued. “However, as a matter of financial stewardship, we have chosen to stop paying for accountability measures we were already achieving through many other requirements we meet as an institution of higher education.”

Membership accreditation fees with ECFA are based on the highest of cash contribution income or total revenue for the latest fiscal year. It can be as little as $670 and reach up to $17,480 per year. 

He pointed out that the college files publicly available Form 990s with the Internal Revenue Service. It provides such information as contributions, other revenue sources, expenses, assets, liabilities, and compensation of key officers and employees.

Additionally, Wheaton has its audited financial statements publicly available on its website. 

MinistryWatch gives Wheaton College a donor confidence score of 75 or “give with confidence.” It has a transparency grade of “C” because it does not belong to ECFA, and it has a two-star financial efficiency rating.

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