WordPartners

The information on this page was last updated 11/12/2022. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]


Summary

The movement of God's Word predates us by thousands of years. It's there in the pages of Scripture and throughout church history. It continues on today, bringing life wherever it goes. We long to see God's Word flowing powerfully through every church to every nation. But that vision isn't a reality everywhere yet. For God's life-giving Word to have its transforming effect, pastors around the world need to discover the depths of its richness and power - first for themselves and then for their people. Together, WordPartners is developing a team of global partners who encourage and equip pastors to teach God's Word with God's heart.

Through a series of highly relational, interactive, and transferable workshops, we invest in the same small groups of pastors twice a year over several years. And as a pastor completes the training, he's being equipped to train others, multiplying the impact of God's Word around the world.

The primary source of transformation is God's Word, so each multi-day workshop involves a deep immersion into a single book of the Bible. Using an engaging method that is interactive, relational, and pastoral, we give pastors the tools to discover the message of the book themselves.


Contact information

Mailing address:
WordPartners
12575 Ridgeland Ave
Palos Heights, IL 60463-1867

Website: wordpartners.org

Phone: (800) 980-2226

Email: [email protected]


Organization details

EIN: 362972097

CEO/President: David Sunday

Chairman: Jeffrey Brewer

Board size: 9

Founder: Bill Mills

Ruling year: 1979

Tax deductible: Yes

Fiscal year end: 12/31

Member of ECFA: Yes

Member of ECFA since: 1989


Purpose

We long to see the word of God flowing powerfully through every church to every nation.


Mission statement

Elevating God's life-giving Word in the hearts, lives, and ministries of pastors and their people.


Statement of faith

We believe that the Bible is the inerrant, inspired, infallible, and only authoritative Word of God. We believe that God cleanses His people (John 15:3), heals them (Ps. 107:20), creates new life in them (Isa. 55:10, 11), and brings them encouragement and hope through the ministry of His Word. That is why ours is a ministry of preaching and teaching the Scriptures.

We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We believe that all we are and do flows out of our vision of God. We believe that God is sovereign in salvation (Eph. 1:3-6), in ministry (Job 42:1; 2 Cor. 3:4-6) and over the lives of His people (Gen. 50:18-21). That is why we seek to bring to His people an exalted view of God.

We believe in the virgin birth and the death of our Lord Jesus Christ - that He is fully God and fully man - in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death on the cross, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory. We believe that the resources of Christ are all of our hope in life, in relationships and in ministry. (Col. 1:27; John 15:5). That is the reason for our Christ-centered teaching.

We believe in the totally lost condition of man by nature and his need of the new birth by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit. We believe that salvation is the result of God's sovereign grace and not of man's free will (John 1:10-11; John 6:44; Eph. 1:3-6). We also believe that in all of life and ministry we are dependent on His working in and through us. That is why we are committed to seeking direction through prayer as the power in ministry.

We believe in justification by faith apart from the works of the law (Rom. 3:21-23), and that sanctification is also a work of God's grace as we walk in obedience before Him (Rom. 6:11-23; 8:12-14). That is why ours is a grace-dependent message.

We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling presence (John 14:15-17) the Christian is enabled to live a godly life and serve the Lord. We believe it is through the gifts of the Holy Spirit that God's people serve and build up one another (1 Cor. 12-14; Rom. 12:1-8). That is why the work of the Spirit is a focus of our teaching.

We believe in the imminent and bodily return of Christ, in the resurrection of the saved and the lost (1 Cor. 15:12-28; Rev.20: 11-15) - the saved unto eternal life and the lost to eternal judgment. That is why we call people to repentance in our teaching.

We believe in the spiritual unity of all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ (John 17:20-23) and in the validity of local bodies of believers called churches (as evidenced in the book of Acts and the letters to the churches). God has ordained that it is in churches where believers are to worship and fellowship and through which they may serve the Lord. That is why our ministry is committed to building up local churches, training pastors, encouraging church leaders, and advancing the work of churches through missions.

Donor confidence score

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Transparency grade

A

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Financial efficiency ratings

Sector: Evangelism Support

CategoryRatingOverall rankSector rank
Overall efficiency rating942 of 109231 of 36
Fund acquisition rating955 of 109533 of 36
Resource allocation rating952 of 109533 of 36
Asset utilization rating495 of 109217 of 36

Financial ratios

Funding ratiosSector median20212020201920182017
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts =
Fundraising expense /
Total contributions
5%11%11%14%14%16%
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio =
Fundraising expense /
Total revenue
5%11%10%14%14%16%
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance =
Total contributions /
Total revenue
98%100%91%99%100%100%
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio =
Fundraising expense /
Total expenses
5%12%13%15%16%16%
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance =
Total other revenue /
Total revenue
2%0%9%1%0%0%
 
Operating ratiosSector median20212020201920182017
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio =
Program services /
Total expenses
84%77%77%73%71%66%
Spending ratio Spending ratio =
Total expenses /
Total revenue
91%97%73%92%84%100%
Program output ratio Program output ratio =
Program services /
Total revenue
78%74%56%67%59%66%
Savings ratio Savings ratio =
Surplus (deficit) /
Total revenue
9%3%27%8%16%0%
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate =
Surplus (deficit) /
Net assets
8%4%41%17%35%-1%
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio =
Management and general expense /
Total expenses
10%12%10%12%13%19%
 
Investing ratiosSector median20212020201920182017
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover =
Total expenses /
Total assets
1.021.061.111.911.762.29
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment =
Total assets /
Total current assets
1.281.251.291.281.151.28
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover =
Total expenses /
Total current assets
1.441.331.432.442.032.92
 
Liquidity ratiosSector median20212020201920182017
Current ratio Current ratio =
Total current assets /
Total current liabilities
39.71318.6497.5874.38183.7243.23
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio =
Total current liabilities /
Total current assets
0.020.000.010.010.010.02
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level =
(Total current assets -
Total current liabilities) /
(Total expenses / 12)
7.168.988.304.855.874.01
 
Solvency ratiosSector median20212020201920182017
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio =
Total liabilities /
Total assets
5%0%1%1%0%2%
Debt ratio Debt ratio =
Debt /
Total assets
0%0%0%0%0%0%
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio =
Net assets /
Total expenses
94%94%90%52%56%43%

Financials

Balance sheet
 
Assets20212020201920182017
Cash$3,520,271$3,266,219$1,981,649$1,800,859$1,079,507
Receivables, inventories, prepaids$8,689$48,770$0$0$0
Short-term investments$0$0$0$0$0
Other current assets$0$0$0$0$0
Total current assets$3,528,960$3,314,989$1,981,649$1,800,859$1,079,507
Long-term investments$0$0$0$0$0
Fixed assets$889,949$969,151$548,175$276,658$299,610
Other long-term assets$0$0$0$0$0
Total long-term assets$889,949$969,151$548,175$276,658$299,610
Total assets$4,418,909$4,284,140$2,529,824$2,077,517$1,379,117
 
Liabilities20212020201920182017
Payables and accrued expenses$11,075$33,973$26,643$9,802$24,970
Other current liabilities$0$0$0$0$0
Total current liabilities$11,075$33,973$26,643$9,802$24,970
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$11,075$33,973$26,643$9,802$24,970
 
Net assets20212020201920182017
Without donor restrictions$4,018,038$3,921,907$2,161,906$1,236,219$455,224
With donor restrictions$389,796$328,260$341,275$831,496$898,923
Net assets$4,407,834$4,250,167$2,503,181$2,067,715$1,354,147
 
Revenues and expenses
 
Revenue20212020201920182017
Total contributions$4,836,277$5,914,351$5,221,208$4,362,370$3,133,711
Program service revenue$467$1,301$7,763$10,258$8,314
Membership dues$0$0$0$0$0
Investment income$21,490$28,278$42,329$2,905$0
Other revenue$0$545,215$0$0$0
Total other revenue$21,957$574,794$50,092$13,163$8,314
Total revenue$4,858,234$6,489,145$5,271,300$4,375,533$3,142,025
 
Expenses20212020201920182017
Program services$3,597,512$3,662,635$3,553,274$2,594,505$2,071,848
Management and general$551,702$455,441$568,183$467,057$591,924
Fundraising$551,353$624,083$714,377$600,403$491,326
Total expenses$4,700,567$4,742,159$4,835,834$3,661,965$3,155,098
 
Change in net assets20212020201920182017
Surplus (deficit)$157,667$1,746,986$435,466$713,568($13,073)
Other changes in net assets$0$0$0$0$0
Total change in net assets$157,667$1,746,986$435,466$713,568($13,073)

Compensation

NameTitleCompensation
Craig ParroPresident$167,831
Todd KellyGlobal Ministries Director$138,940
Dwight WarrenDirector of Strategic Initiatives$133,541

Compensation data as of: 12/31/2021


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 11/12/2022. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]


History

1970 - Personal Ministries

The ministry begins as Personal Ministries. Our founder, Bill Mills, meets one-on-one with young Christians to disciple them in biblical truth. Within a few years, others join the staff, Bible study curriculum and workshops are developed, and a printing press is purchased to produce materials.

1977 - Church conference ministry

With a growing conviction that ministry should take place within the local church, Personal Ministries transitions from a one-on-one ministry to teaching Bible conferences in U.S. churches, with a focus on the heart of God as revealed in the Word of God.

1981 - International work begins

Bill Mills travels to Quito, Ecuador to teach a Bible conference to missionaries. Afterwards, Bill and Americo Saavedra sit together on a bench at the airport and dream and pray about how the Lord might lead them to work together. Bill also travels to other countries to do conferences for Wycliffe Bible Translators.

1985 - Pastoral training begins

The ministry begins conferences to train pastors in Latin America as Americo and Kathy Saavedra - and later, other Spanish-speaking brothers and sisters - join the ministry.

1990 - Leadership Resources

The ministry changes its name to reflect a new focus. Leadership Resources International better expresses our passion to equip and encourage pastors in countries where rapid church growth is outpacing the development of church leaders.

2001 - A new strategy

The ministry launches a new strategy for training pastors. Instead of doing large, one-time conferences, we begin to focus on small groups of pastors who will then train others according to the model of 2 Timothy 2:2. Soon the ministry broadens outside of Latin America to Asia and Africa, and the focus of the training narrows to equipping pastors to teach God's Word with God's heart.

2012 - Investing in training partners

With our staff at the extent of their capacity to do training, God opens our eyes to another shift in strategy. As gifted leaders emerge in training groups around the world, we begin to invest more in these key training partners. As our work with these partners grows, they are able to reach exponentially more pastors in even more places than we could alone.

2021 - WordPartners

The ministry takes on a new name to reflect what God has been doing in the last several years - not through us alone, but through the many global partners God has given us the privilege to work with. How is God accomplishing the work? Through the power of His Word and through the partners He's given us. And so - we change our name to WordPartners.


Program accomplishments

Global Impact

63 countries

254 training partners

463 training groups

14,054 pastors and leaders


Needs