Ministry Accountability

By Darrin R. Brooker

All Christian ministries are accountable to God and their donors in the way they use the funds given them. No matter the prominence or perceived credibility of those involved, there is no escaping the biblical fact that these people are accountable in the way they administer the funds under their care. While many of the facts have yet to come to light, it certainly seems that there are issues at one ministry that has benefitted many of us for years. (See this previous post and make sure to read the comments that have been continuing, as well as this piece; this last one, if accurate, is most troubling and should grieve us all deeply). While not wanting to go into more detail now, it highlights the importance of keeping those whom we support accountable for the decisions they make. A friend far wiser than I wrote to me about this situation:

“Our respect for RC should continue just like David’s did for Saul. If RC is acting like Eli to his sons, then he is wrong, but the fact still remains that he is part of the family and I need to treat him with utter respect and as one who is superior to me. There still needs to be a “Nathan” that points God’s finger at him, but the spirit in which it is done needs to be carefully examined.”

Excellent advice!

This same friend sent me a link to a site that tracks the financials of most charities. It is called Charity Navigator and not only does it make public the financial records of registered charities, it also ranks the efficiency of each charity according to certain criteria readily accessible on the site. This friend also sent me a chart that I have edited and added to below that highlights the salaries of those at the top of some of the ministries that most of us would be familiar with. All the information is in the public domain.

It is encumbent upon everyone who gives their money to any ministry to ensure that the funds are being used in a manner that is glorifying to God. That is part of our stewardship. I am not trying to point the finger at anyone, but rather, make people aware that there are ways to tell if a ministry is exercising a high degree of stewardship itself over those gifts that have been entrusted to them. We need not give the world any more ammunition than what it already has when looking at Christian organizations. These ministries in the public eye need to be an example to those watching from the outside and take special care that no shame comes to the name of Christ because of their actions.



The compensation includes the following: “Using information reported on an organization’s most recent Form 990, we include as compensation an individual’s salary, cash bonuses, and expense accounts and other allowances. We do not include contributions to benefit plans or compensation deferred to a future date.”