Crossroads Prison Ministries 
The information on this page was last updated 10/27/2023. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]
Summary
At Crossroads Prison Ministries, we believe that Christ-centered relationships change everything. We connect people inside prison with mentors on the outside so that people in prison know they aren't forgotten. Unlikely friendships unfold when two people with completely different backgrounds exchange letters and study the Bible together. As they encourage each other, develop a friendship rooted in Christ and apply Scripture to their lives, God begins to transform their hearts.
Contact information
Mailing address:
Crossroads Prison Ministries
PO Box 900
Grand Rapids, MI 49509-0900
Website: cpministries.org
Phone: 800.668.2450
Email: [email protected]
Organization details
EIN: 382540316
CEO/President: Joe Pryor
Chairman: Dan Rinzema
Board size: 7
Founder: Tom de Vries
Ruling year: 1984
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 06/30
Member of ECFA: Yes
Member of ECFA since: 2001
Purpose
Crossroads envisions a world in which the Church answers God's call to remember people who are incarcerated by cultivating Christ-centered relationships through which God transforms lives, prisons and churches throughout the world.
Mission statement
Crossroads connects people in prisons with mentors from churches to develop Christ-centered relationships as they study God's Word together.
Statement of faith
Visit: https://cpministries.org/about-us/statementoffaith
Donor confidence score
Transparency grade
A
To understand our transparency grade, click here.
Financial efficiency ratings
Sector: Community Development
| Category | Rating | Overall rank | Sector rank |
| Overall efficiency rating | | 490 of 1096 | 65 of 142 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 874 of 1098 | 109 of 142 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 435 of 1098 | 66 of 142 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 236 of 1096 | 29 of 142 |
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Sector median | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 8% | 11% | 8% | 12% | 10% | 8% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 6% | 10% | 8% | 12% | 10% | 8% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 92% | 98% | 99% | 97% | 98% | 98% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 6% | 10% | 12% | 11% | 9% | 7% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 8% | 2% | 1% | 3% | 2% | 2% |
| Operating ratios | Sector median | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 82% | 83% | 79% | 79% | 81% | 85% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 92% | 110% | 69% | 113% | 108% | 114% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 74% | 91% | 55% | 89% | 88% | 96% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 8% | -10% | 31% | -13% | -8% | -14% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 10% | -13% | 44% | -19% | -10% | -14% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 11% | 8% | 9% | 10% | 9% | 8% |
| Investing ratios | Sector median | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 0.87 | 1.36 | 0.94 | 1.43 | 1.39 | 1.13 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 1.67 | 1.49 | 1.41 | 1.64 | 1.69 | 1.64 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 1.55 | 2.03 | 1.32 | 2.35 | 2.34 | 1.85 |
| Liquidity ratios | Sector median | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 17.03 | 14.94 | 14.03 | 14.57 | 25.93 | 27.96 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.06 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.04 | 0.04 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 6.96 | 5.50 | 8.44 | 4.75 | 4.93 | 6.24 |
| Solvency ratios | Sector median | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 8% | 4% | 5% | 17% | 2% | 2% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 0% | 0% | 0% | 13% | 0% | 0% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 105% | 70% | 101% | 58% | 70% | 87% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
| Cash | $1,567,135 | $1,895,640 | $1,049,960 | $989,747 | $1,159,601 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $66,569 | $75,018 | $46,403 | $87,329 | $57,585 |
| Short-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $1,633,704 | $1,970,658 | $1,096,363 | $1,077,076 | $1,217,186 |
| Long-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed assets | $807,632 | $804,365 | $703,337 | $740,009 | $784,781 |
| Other long-term assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total long-term assets | $807,632 | $804,365 | $703,337 | $740,009 | $784,781 |
| Total assets | $2,441,336 | $2,775,023 | $1,799,700 | $1,817,085 | $2,001,967 |
| Liabilities | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $109,350 | $140,430 | $75,269 | $41,542 | $43,537 |
| Other current liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current liabilities | $109,350 | $140,430 | $75,269 | $41,542 | $43,537 |
| Debt | $0 | $0 | $237,000 | $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 | $237,000 | $0 | $0 |
| Total liabilities | $109,350 | $140,430 | $312,269 | $41,542 | $43,537 |
| Net assets | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
| Without donor restrictions | $2,243,617 | $2,598,047 | $1,437,134 | $1,534,628 | $1,887,412 |
| With donor restrictions | $88,369 | $36,546 | $50,297 | $240,915 | $71,018 |
| Net assets | $2,331,986 | $2,634,593 | $1,487,431 | $1,775,543 | $1,958,430 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
| Total contributions | $2,961,488 | $3,696,794 | $2,223,073 | $2,288,508 | $1,934,085 |
| Program service revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $9,416 | $9,165 | $12,851 | $8,125 | $6,163 |
| Other revenue | $50,448 | $42,831 | $53,404 | $41,941 | $43,422 |
| Total other revenue | $59,864 | $51,996 | $66,255 | $50,066 | $49,585 |
| Total revenue | $3,021,352 | $3,748,790 | $2,289,328 | $2,338,574 | $1,983,670 |
| Expenses | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
| Program services | $2,744,024 | $2,053,944 | $2,043,958 | $2,054,155 | $1,906,992 |
| Management and general | $264,030 | $234,516 | $261,664 | $236,627 | $190,624 |
| Fundraising | $315,905 | $313,168 | $271,818 | $230,679 | $158,767 |
| Total expenses | $3,323,959 | $2,601,628 | $2,577,440 | $2,521,461 | $2,256,383 |
| Change in net assets | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
| Surplus (deficit) | ($302,607) | $1,147,162 | ($288,112) | ($182,887) | ($272,713) |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | ($302,607) | $1,147,162 | ($288,112) | ($182,887) | ($272,713) |
Compensation
| Name | Title | Compensation |
| Lisa Blystra | President/Ce | $171,577 |
| Jr Degroot | VP-Major Ini | $119,911 |
| Brenda McGowan | VP-Programmi | $99,642 |
| David Gilman | VP-Advance A | $81,571 |
| Wendy Hammond | VP-Ministry | $20,646 |
Compensation data as of: 6/30/2022
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 10/27/2023. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]
History
In 1984, Tom de Vries, a West Michigan car salesman with a passion for prison ministry, began visiting men in the local jail and sharing the Gospel. As Tom ministered to the men, he could see they were learning about God, but he wanted more for them. Tom found that just as the men began to connect deeply with God's Word, they were suddenly transferred to a different location, and he lost contact with them. After a great deal of prayer, Tom, his brother Jim, and several volunteers gathered to create a correspondence Bible study program, and Crossroads was born. Because everything was done through the mail, the Crossroads program could follow students wherever they were transferred. This correspondence system continues to be the core of our ministry delivery today.
Over the years, Crossroads gradually expanded its reach around the world, grew its volunteer base, and added numerous Bible study courses for students. The organization saw extraordinary growth during Lisa Blystra's six-year tenure as president and CEO (2015-2021). Under her leadership, the ministry achieved several significant transitions, including a name change and rebranding that recaptured the heart of Crossroads as a compassionate, relational ministry to people on the margins of society. Today, Crossroads continues to connect people in prisons with mentors from churches to develop Christ-centered relationships as they study God's Word together. As people in prison study the Bible with the guidance of their mentors, their spiritual growth spills over into the academic, social, and personal areas of their lives. This creates positive, productive citizens inside and outside prison walls.
Moving forward, our challenge is to remain true to our core mission while adapting to an ever-changing digital age. Leading the organization through this period of transition is Joe Pryor, who became president and CEO in 2022. Joe has dedicated much of his professional career to prison ministry. He has thirty years of experience in corrections, including time spent as the chief chaplain for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, senior director of reentry services, warden, and assistant warden. Before taking his first chaplain position, Joe served as the senior pastor of three churches.
"I love the purity of the Crossroads mission," Joe said. "Bringing the Gospel to incarcerated men and women around the world and matching them with Christian mentors is truly life-changing. I am humbled and honored to serve alongside the dedicated staff, mentors, board, and volunteers of Crossroads Prison Ministries."