SAT 7 / SAT-7 North America 
The information on this page was last updated 7/6/2026. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]
Summary
SAT-7 North America, DBA SAT-7 USA, is a satellite television and digital media ministry by and for the People of the Middle East and North Africa. The ministry broadcasts in Arabic, Farsi and Turkish, providing local Christians a platform to witness about Christ's love and to deepen their spiritual walk in a manner that is faithful to God's Word and respectful to the people of the region.
Contact information
Mailing address:
SAT-7 North America
PO Box 5039
Boone, IA 50950-0039
Website: www.sat7usa.org
Phone: 866-744-7287
Email: [email protected]
Organization details
EIN: 232964829
CEO/President: Rita El-Mounayer / Terence Ascott
Chairman: Peter Schulze
Board size: 8
Founder: Terence Ascott
Ruling year: 1999
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 12/31
Member of ECFA: Yes
Member of ECFA since: 1999
Purpose
To see a growing Church in the Middle East and North Africa, confident in Christian faith and witness, serving the community and contributing to the good of society and culture.
Mission statement
To provide the churches and Christians of the Middle East and North Africa an opportunity to witness to Jesus Christ through inspirational, informative and educational television services.
Statement of faith
These statements of faith ground SAT-7's vision and mission. They guide the organization in program production, selection, personnel and policy decisions, and ministry with its viewers and supporting constituency.
The Nicene Creed, later called the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, is one of the oldest and most widely recognized ecumenical professions of faith used in Christian liturgy. It has been cited as perhaps the best description and definition of Christianity ever written. In its 381 version, the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed states:
We believe in one god the father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten son of God, begotten from his Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten not made, being of one substance with the father, by whom all things were made.
Who for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the holy spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried, and on the third day, he rose again according to the scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of God the father. And he shall come again in glory to judge both the living and the dead; and his kingdom shall have no end.
We believe in the holy spirit, the lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the father, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church. We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. And we look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.
Amen
The Lausanne Covenant is one of the more influential modern statements of Christian faith, a longer document including a specific reaffirmation of the Nicene Creed and an elaboration of fifteen beliefs. The covenant was written and adopted by 2,300 evangelicals from 150 nations at the International Congress of World Evangelization held in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The Lausanne Covenant commits the Christian church by applying the Gospel in relevant ways (evangelism, education, edification, transformation) in a rapidly changing world. The covenant expresses a desire to obey and honor God by sharing Christ and Christianity among people -loving them - and within all cultures - respecting beauty but rejecting sin - across the globe.
Statement of Faith Concerning Marriage, Gender, Sexuality, and Sanctity of Life
We believe the Bible teaches that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. (Genesis 1:26-27) Rejection of one's biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person.
We believe that the term "marriage" has only one meaning: the uniting of one biological man and one biological woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture. (Genesis 2:18-25) We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. (1 Corinthians 6:18; 7:2-5; Hebrews 13:4) We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between one biological man and one biological woman.
We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including without limitation adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, sex with minors, and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God. (Matthew15:18-20;1 Corinthians 6:9-10)
We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. (Acts 3:19-21; Romans 10:9-10; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11)
We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity. (Mark 12:28- 31; Luke 6:31) Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture.
We believe that God has created mankind in His image and that human life begins at conception. It is God who uniquely forms every human being and gives special dignity, personal freedom, and individual accountability among all the works of His creation. God created each person's inmost being, knitting each person together in the womb of that person's mother. (Psalm 139:13). As God's individualized and personal creation, each person is fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14). God has ordained all the days of each person's life before they came to be. (Psalm 139:16).
Based on Scripture, we therefore believe that from the moment of conception until natural death, every human life is sacred because every human life has been created by God, in His image and likeness. We believe that from the moment of conception every human life must be recognized, respected, and protected as having the rights of a person and the inviolable right to life. Because human life begins at the moment of conception, it is against our religious convictions to formally or materially cooperate in the abortion or other termination of unborn human life, including without limitation by surgical abortion or use of drugs, or services that have the intent, design, effect, or risk of terminating unborn human life or preventing its implantation and growth post-fertilization.
Donor confidence score
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Transparency grade
A
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Financial efficiency ratings
Sector: Radio/ TV Stations
| Category | Rating | Overall rank | Sector rank |
| Overall efficiency rating | | 725 of 1582 | 9 of 33 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 1349 of 1583 | 26 of 33 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 700 of 1583 | 10 of 33 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 228 of 1583 | 8 of 34 |
To understand our financial efficiency ratings, click here.
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Sector median | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 5% | 10% | 11% | 14% | 14% | 10% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 4% | 10% | 11% | 14% | 13% | 10% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 80% | 98% | 97% | 97% | 98% | 98% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 5% | 11% | 11% | 14% | 15% | 14% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 20% | 2% | 3% | 3% | 2% | 2% |
| Operating ratios | Sector median | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 79% | 83% | 82% | 79% | 77% | 80% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 93% | 94% | 101% | 99% | 91% | 73% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 75% | 78% | 83% | 78% | 70% | 58% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 7% | 6% | -1% | 1% | 9% | 27% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 3% | 10% | -2% | 2% | 18% | 70% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 16% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 8% | 6% |
| Investing ratios | Sector median | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 0.38 | 1.24 | 1.32 | 1.16 | 1.05 | 1.22 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 2.21 | 1.12 | 1.14 | 1.13 | 1.14 | 1.44 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 0.92 | 1.40 | 1.50 | 1.32 | 1.20 | 1.76 |
| Liquidity ratios | Sector median | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 20.79 | 2.98 | 2.82 | 2.53 | 2.36 | 2.01 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.04 | 0.34 | 0.36 | 0.39 | 0.42 | 0.50 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 11.32 | 5.71 | 5.17 | 5.52 | 5.77 | 3.42 |
| Solvency ratios | Sector median | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 10% | 30% | 32% | 36% | 38% | 35% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 194% | 56% | 52% | 55% | 59% | 53% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Cash | $9,554,062 | $8,618,068 | $9,530,997 | $9,590,419 | $5,867,535 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $388,107 | $368,693 | $275,581 | $307,042 | $239,072 |
| Short-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $9,942,169 | $8,986,761 | $9,806,578 | $9,897,461 | $6,106,607 |
| Long-term investments | $1,138,568 | $1,138,568 | $1,138,568 | $1,138,568 | $2,556,068 |
| Fixed assets | $75,913 | $103,865 | $157,309 | $236,647 | $133,315 |
| Other long-term assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total long-term assets | $1,214,481 | $1,242,433 | $1,295,877 | $1,375,215 | $2,689,383 |
| Total assets | $11,156,650 | $10,229,194 | $11,102,455 | $11,272,676 | $8,795,990 |
| Liabilities | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $3,340,442 | $3,191,011 | $3,870,822 | $4,187,271 | $3,041,232 |
| Other current liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current liabilities | $3,340,442 | $3,191,011 | $3,870,822 | $4,187,271 | $3,041,232 |
| Debt | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Due to (from) affiliates | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $35,921 | $66,902 | $86,574 | $107,152 | $0 |
| Total long-term liabilities | $35,921 | $66,902 | $86,574 | $107,152 | $0 |
| Total liabilities | $3,376,363 | $3,257,913 | $3,957,396 | $4,294,423 | $3,041,232 |
| Net assets | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Without donor restrictions | $7,670,249 | $6,959,858 | $7,108,887 | $6,929,970 | $5,702,518 |
| With donor restrictions | $110,038 | $11,423 | $36,172 | $48,283 | $52,240 |
| Net assets | $7,780,287 | $6,971,281 | $7,145,059 | $6,978,253 | $5,754,758 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Total contributions | $14,415,851 | $12,885,849 | $12,710,684 | $12,867,500 | $14,519,627 |
| Program service revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $199,568 | $265,538 | $226,005 | $38,255 | $8,118 |
| Other revenue | $77,934 | $127,886 | $132,570 | $202,503 | $281,304 |
| Total other revenue | $277,502 | $393,424 | $358,575 | $240,758 | $289,422 |
| Total revenue | $14,693,353 | $13,279,273 | $13,069,259 | $13,108,258 | $14,809,049 |
| Expenses | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Program services | $11,459,392 | $11,083,215 | $10,180,721 | $9,188,208 | $8,623,061 |
| Management and general | $939,600 | $933,663 | $890,197 | $948,661 | $641,587 |
| Fundraising | $1,485,355 | $1,436,173 | $1,831,535 | $1,747,894 | $1,493,146 |
| Total expenses | $13,884,347 | $13,453,051 | $12,902,453 | $11,884,763 | $10,757,794 |
| Change in net assets | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Surplus (deficit) | $809,006 | ($173,778) | $166,806 | $1,223,495 | $4,051,255 |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | $809,006 | ($173,778) | $166,806 | $1,223,495 | $4,051,255 |
Compensation
| Name | Title | Compensation |
| Mrs Ruth S Thomas | VP For Finan | $195,271 |
| John Cerniglia | President | $194,262 |
| Dr Rex Rogers | Past Preside | $146,240 |
| Joe Willey | VP of Market | $138,960 |
| Rebecca Lewis | VP of Develo | $129,535 |
| John Frick | Former VP of | $114,889 |
Compensation data as of: 12/31/2025
Response from ministry
No response has been provided by this ministry.
The information below was provided to MinistryWatch by the ministry itself. It was last updated 7/6/2026. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]
History
1980's: Founding Moment
Founder Dr. Terence Ascott saw something life-changing in the busy streets of Cairo, Egypt. As he spotted a family watching television, he had a "eureka!" moment. Most who cannot read can watch television; they can hear about the love of God. From this, a dream was born: to establish a Christian satellite television network that would reach across the Middle East and North Africa.
1990's: A Movement Launches
SAT-7 begins weekly 2-hour-long broadcasts. From there we started offering an innovative service at the time: phone counseling services. The first telephone counseling workshop takes place in Nicosia, Cyprus (1997).
2000's: Expanding Our Reach
Iranian Christian Broadcasting airs Farsi programs on SAT-7 for the first time. The first live broadcast airs from Lebanon (2005). TURK-7 begins airing Turkish programs on SAT-7 (later becoming the SAT-7 TRK channel) and SAT-7 PARS officially launches to families in Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan (2006). SAT-7 KIDS becomes the first Arabic Christian channel for kids (2007)!
Today: Going Digital
In 2021, SAT-7 PLUS, the Middle East's first on-demand Christian video streaming service, was launched online and made available to viewers worldwide.
Program accomplishments
We broadcast in 25 countries in a region where over 400 million people have satellite dishes.
97% non-Christians: In a region where most are non-Christian, we offer the truth of God's word and a witness for Jesus.
Programs are broadcast in the three major languages (Arabic, Farsi, and Turkish) of the region.
Needs
Every dollar provides one year of programming to one person. Your generosity makes the Gospel available and provides lasting hope.