Pilgrim Radio Network / Western Inspirational Broadcasters Inc. 
The information in this column was provided to MinistryWatch by the ministry itself. It was last updated 5/2/2022. To update the information in this column, please email: info@ministrywatch.com
Summary
Our mission is to establish and operate radio stations and related media facilities for the purpose of advancing a program of Christian education using an artful blend of music and Scripture, stimulating instruction, interesting guests, and great books.
Contact information
Mailing address:
Pilgrim Radio
P.O. Box 21888
Carson City, NV 89721
Website: pilgrimradio.com
Phone: 775-883-5647
Email: info@pilgrimradio.com
Organization details
EIN: 237032845
CEO/President: Tim A Weidmann
Chairman: C Wade Webster
Board size: 6
Founder: Art Storrs
Ruling year: 1969
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 12/31
Member of ECFA: No
Member of ECFA since:
Purpose
We are dedicated to the following three objectives:
Persuade and Reason-To make a powerful and persuasive statement as to the reason and truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to anyone who listens. "In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect..." 1 Peter 3:15
Build and Encourage-To build faith in the lives of Christians by instruction, example, and encouragement. "He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ." Colossians 1:28.
Worship and Praise-To present Jesus Christ as the Son of God and to love and worship Him before all men. "Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; tell of all His wondrous works! Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice! Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His presence continually!" 1 Chronicles 16:8-11
Mission statement
Our mission is to establish and operate radio stations and related media facilities for the purpose of advancing a program of Christian education using an artful blend of music and Scripture, stimulating instruction, interesting guests, and great books, all done in the public interest.
Statement of faith
In Matthew 16:15, Jesus asked his disciples "Who do you say that I am?" In response, Peter answered with one of the earliest statements of faith recorded in the New Testament: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." That simple yet profound conviction united the earliest Christian believers.
Throughout the following centuries, the Christian church developed more-detailed statements of belief, such as the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, and others, which serve to delineate truth from error, and provide helpful summaries of the Christian faith.
At Pilgrim Radio, we join with believers both past and present, in adhering to the historic Christian faith and acknowledging the Bible as our ultimate authority in all matters of faith and practice. As such, we strive to faithfully and carefully declare God's Word and explain its meaning to all who listen.
We do affirm and declare our belief in the Christian faith and do set forth the following:
- The Bible as the divinely inspired and authoritative word of God.
- The triune Godhead in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
- The personality of Satan and his present control over unregenerate man.
- The fall and lost estate of man whose total depravity makes necessary his new birth.
- The deity of Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, death, bodily resurrection, present exaltation at God's right hand and His coming again.
- The reconciliation of man to God by the substitutionary death and shed blood of Jesus Christ, our Savior.
- The resurrection of the saved unto everlasting life and blessedness in heaven and the resurrection of the unsaved unto everlasting punishment in hell.
- The Church, the indivisible body of Christ, bound together by the Holy Spirit, consisting only of those who are born again, for whom He now makes intercession in heaven and for whom He shall come again.
- Christ's great commission to the Church to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature, baptizing and teaching those who believe.
Donor confidence score
Transparency grade
D
To understand our transparency grade, click here.
Financial efficiency ratings
Sector: Radio/ TV Stations
| Category | Rating | Overall rank | Sector rank |
| Overall efficiency rating | | 49 of 1022 | 1 of 32 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 113 of 1024 | 6 of 32 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 30 of 1024 | 3 of 32 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 295 of 1022 | 11 of 32 |
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 6% | 1% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 3% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 5% | 1% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 90% | 98% | 97% | 98% | 98% | 86% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 6% | 1% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 3% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 10% | 2% | 3% | 2% | 2% | 14% |
| Operating ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 80% | 96% | 95% | 95% | 95% | 86% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 92% | 86% | 99% | 100% | 109% | 84% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 73% | 83% | 94% | 95% | 104% | 72% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 8% | 14% | 1% | 0% | -9% | 16% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 9% | 15% | 1% | 0% | -9% | 19% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 14% | 2% | 3% | 4% | 3% | 11% |
| Investing ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 0.54 | 0.94 | 1.10 | 1.14 | 1.10 | 0.98 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 1.90 | 1.17 | 1.36 | 1.57 | 1.88 | 1.56 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 1.25 | 1.10 | 1.49 | 1.80 | 2.06 | 1.53 |
| Liquidity ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 13.68 | 166.09 | 68.47 | 0.00 | 127.03 | 108.25 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.06 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 8.99 | 10.84 | 7.93 | 6.68 | 5.77 | 7.78 |
| Solvency ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 4% | 1% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 1% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 158% | 106% | 90% | 87% | 91% | 102% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Cash | $791,759 | $577,677 | $497,147 | $417,959 | $513,700 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $5,792 | $11,910 | $3,587 | $1,367 | $2,780 |
| Short-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $797,551 | $589,587 | $500,734 | $419,326 | $516,480 |
| Long-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed assets | $138,806 | $211,286 | $285,070 | $368,824 | $290,599 |
| Other long-term assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total long-term assets | $138,806 | $211,286 | $285,070 | $368,824 | $290,599 |
| Total assets | $936,357 | $800,873 | $785,804 | $788,150 | $807,079 |
| Liabilities | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $4,802 | $6,105 | $0 | $2,445 | $4,771 |
| Other current liabilities | $0 | $2,506 | $0 | $856 | $0 |
| Total current liabilities | $4,802 | $8,611 | $0 | $3,301 | $4,771 |
| Debt | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Due to (from) affiliates | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total long-term liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total liabilities | $4,802 | $8,611 | $0 | $3,301 | $4,771 |
| Net assets | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Without donor restrictions | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| With donor restrictions | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Net assets | $931,555 | $792,262 | $785,804 | $784,849 | $802,308 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Total contributions | $991,980 | $865,065 | $886,701 | $779,127 | $805,976 |
| Program service revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $4,560 | $6,218 | $1,433 | $2,610 | $122,277 |
| Other revenue | $20,486 | $16,413 | $12,266 | $10,943 | $11,264 |
| Total other revenue | $25,046 | $22,631 | $13,699 | $13,553 | $133,541 |
| Total revenue | $1,017,026 | $887,696 | $900,400 | $792,680 | $939,517 |
| Expenses | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Program services | $846,262 | $836,123 | $852,778 | $823,143 | $678,684 |
| Management and general | $18,641 | $25,117 | $33,449 | $29,384 | $89,949 |
| Fundraising | $12,731 | $18,030 | $13,514 | $13,135 | $20,853 |
| Total expenses | $877,634 | $879,270 | $899,741 | $865,662 | $789,486 |
| Change in net assets | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Surplus (deficit) | $139,392 | $8,426 | $659 | ($72,982) | $150,031 |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | $139,392 | $8,426 | $659 | ($72,982) | $150,031 |
Compensation
| Name | Title | Compensation |
| Tim A Weidemann | Gen Mgr (2018-2021) | $90,055 |
Compensation data as of: 12/31/2020
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 5/2/2022. To update the information below, please email: info@ministrywatch.com
History
The Vision
It all started with a businessman named Art Storrs and a desire God placed in his heart to reach people in the Reno area with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Nevada was an unlikely place for a Christian radio station. It's one of the least-churched states in the country, has a 24-hour casino industry and entertainment lifestyle, and legalized prostitution in some areas of the state. Obviously, Nevada wasn't a Bible-Belt state, but Art was convinced God had a plan, and he never wavered in the belief "where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." Romans 5:20.
Prayer
In 1958, Art, along with two other men, began praying regularly for God to provide a Christian radio ministry to reach their community. Back then, Christian radio stations were rare anywhere in the country, and these men had no broadcasting experience nor did they have the means to fund such an enterprise. But they believed God would provide a way to bring the Christian community together for such a purpose.
Preparation
They began spreading their vision to others and studying the IRS rules for establishing a non-profit organization, as well as the FCC rules for creating a listener-supported commercial-free radio station. The organization, Western Inspirational Broadcasters, Inc. (now dba Pilgrim Radio) was formed in 1962. They were on their way!
Raising needed funds became the next challenge. That process took eight long years from incorporation until KNIS-FM signed on the air as Nevada's first Christian radio station on Thanksgiving, 1970. During the long wait, there were many who were skeptical that it would happen at all-especially in a place like this. But Art never doubted God would bring it about in His time.
On-the-Air
The station began its operation in a trailer home with one employee, General Manager Cliff Denney.
Cliff gathered a host of volunteers to assist in operating the station. During the early years, KNIS-FM had to sign off the air overnights, due to a lack of staffing/funding. But then a retired pharmacist from Reno, George Lind, offered to volunteer his time, sacrificing six nights a week to be at his post at the station so Christian programming could stay on the air 24 hours a day.
That volunteer tradition has continued to this day. Our small staff is supported by many volunteers serving on the Board of Trustees, in our program department, buildings and grounds, assisting with monthly mailings, and providing engineering services.
Growth
During the 1970s, the KNIS signal grew to cover several communities in Nevada and Eastern California through the use of FM translators. In 1980, Tom Hesse, who had formerly been Program Director, became General Manager and held that position for several decades. Under his leadership, the coverage area expanded into Wyoming in 1990, when Casper's 100,000 watt KCSP-FM signed on as the first non-commercial Christian FM radio station in that state. Throughout the 1990s, a network of translators sprang up across Wyoming and into Billings, Montana, extending the signal even further.