MinistryWatch is an independent American evangelical Christian organization that evaluates protestant ministries for financial accountability and transparency, and to provide independent advice to individuals considering making donations to these ministries.[2][3]
MinistryWatch posts daily journalism related to Christian ministries at its website.[4]
MinistryWatch was founded by Howard "Rusty" Leonard and gained national attention when it was featured on ABC News' 20/20 in 2007.[4] The segment focused on various organizations' use of donor funds. Leonard, along with current MinistryWatch president Warren Cole Smith, has continued to appear in prominent media outlets, including The Washington Post, NPR,[5] WORLD Magazine, Christianity Today,[6] Religion News Service,[7] NBC News,[8] and Bloomberg News,[9] discussing issues related to ministry transparency and financial practices.
MinistryWatch has publicly advocated for reform in the Christian nonprofit sector. Specifically, it advocates that all Christian ministries release their Form 990s to the public.[10] It has also been an outspoken opponent of the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in Christian ministry settings.[11]
An analysis by Ministry Watch, an organization that provides guidance on charitable giving, reported this month that churches and other religious non-profits as a whole received between $6 and $10 billion in PPP funding.
Warren Smith, president of MinistryWatch.com, says that there are some red flags that should be considered absolute non-negotiables...
'Donors should recognize they have a serious responsibility to give as wisely as they can, as it is not their money they are giving but the Lord's,' said Rusty Leonard, founder and CEO of MinistryWatch, an accountability group.
'Bad actors will take advantage of the good will that has been built up over generations, and it's important to root them out,' said Warren Smith, president of the evangelical Christian watchdog Ministry Watch.
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