God's World Publications, Inc. 
The information on this page was last updated 5/9/2023. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]
Summary
Since 1981, WORLD News Group has provided Biblically sound journalism that informs, educates, and inspires, to believers around the world. We began with print magazines for both adults and students, and added digital (web) news coverage along the way. Our podcast news programs followed, and then, in 2020, we introduced video news programs for students.
Contact information
Mailing address:
God's World Publications, Inc.
PO Box 2330
Asheville, NC 28802
Website: wng.org
Phone: (828) 435-2982
Email: [email protected]
Organization details
EIN: 560538016
CEO/President: Kevin Martin
Chairman: John Ward Weiss
Board size: 10
Founder: Joel Belz
Ruling year: 1981
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 06/30
Member of ECFA: No
Member of ECFA since:
Purpose
WORLD News Group produces sound journalism, grounded in facts and biblical truth. Through print magazines, robust online news and commentary, video news programs for young people, and podcast programs, our trained journalists report on current events both global and national so that readers and listeners can see how God is at work in the world, no matter the headlines.
Mission statement
Biblically Objective Journalism that informs, educates, and inspires.
Statement of faith
1. God exists eternally in three persons, the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit. He is the sovereign Creator of the heavens and the earth and everything that is in them. He also sovereignly governs all His creatures and all their actions after the counsels of His own will.
2. God communicates with mankind through the revelation of Himself. Without His initiative, human beings would never know Him. In His creation, God reveals His eternal power and dominion. In Jesus Christ, His Son, who was born of a virgin and who was and is fully God and fully man, He revealed Himself and his providence uniquely. Today, God is known in His written Word, the Bible, which is the inerrant and altogether authoritative revelation of Himself for us in all matters. The Holy Spirit applies that word and opens our eyes to its meaning, even as He opens our hearts to its application.
3. Mankind, having been first created in the image of God, fell from that happy condition by sinning against God. All human beings since Adam and Eve have inherited their sinful natures, corrupting our behavior, our understanding, and our emotions.
4. God, through the sacrificial death and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, has lovingly redeemed a people who are commanded to believe in Him and to live holy lives through the enablement of the Holy Spirit. After Christ's bodily return to this earth to claim His people, they will reign with Him in the life to come. Those who do not believe will be judged by God and made subject to his eternal punishment.
We seek to be faithful to all of these truths as we explore the great themes of the Bible, God's creation, man's fall, Christ's redemption, and our eternal hope as the structural framework of a uniquely Christian world and life view.
Donor confidence score
Transparency grade
C
To understand our transparency grade, click here.
Financial efficiency ratings
Sector: Educational Media
| Category | Rating | Overall rank | Sector rank |
| Overall efficiency rating | | 648 of 1076 | 32 of 47 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 772 of 1077 | 33 of 47 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 923 of 1077 | 43 of 47 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 118 of 1076 | 6 of 47 |
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 8% | 15% | 17% | 16% | 10% | 10% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 7% | 8% | 7% | 7% | 4% | 4% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 94% | 51% | 45% | 46% | 41% | 35% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 7% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 5% | 4% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 6% | 49% | 55% | 54% | 59% | 65% |
| Operating ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 82% | 72% | 74% | 72% | 75% | 80% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 87% | 95% | 93% | 93% | 93% | 98% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 69% | 68% | 69% | 68% | 70% | 78% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 13% | 5% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 2% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 21% | 89% | 1041% | -104% | -52% | -12% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 12% | 20% | 18% | 20% | 21% | 17% |
| Investing ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 0.79 | 2.02 | 2.38 | 3.35 | 3.75 | 3.68 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 1.65 | 1.22 | 1.39 | 1.92 | 2.25 | 2.28 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 1.34 | 2.48 | 3.30 | 6.43 | 8.44 | 8.38 |
| Liquidity ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 13.47 | 1.12 | 0.76 | 0.45 | 0.32 | 0.27 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.07 | 0.89 | 1.32 | 2.25 | 3.13 | 3.68 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 7.32 | 0.52 | -1.16 | -2.33 | -3.03 | -3.84 |
| Solvency ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 12% | 89% | 98% | 122% | 150% | 172% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 0% | 16% | 3% | 5% | 11% | 11% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 104% | 5% | 1% | -7% | -13% | -20% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Cash | $3,945,638 | $2,358,463 | $925,513 | $497,040 | $287,273 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $349,436 | $519,649 | $502,138 | $610,384 | $860,349 |
| Short-term investments | $6,039 | $7,199 | $7,071 | $6,981 | $12,776 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $4,301,113 | $2,885,311 | $1,434,722 | $1,114,405 | $1,160,398 |
| Long-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed assets | $793,322 | $805,320 | $757,312 | $696,960 | $789,931 |
| Other long-term assets | $170,290 | $307,331 | $557,488 | $698,633 | $695,437 |
| Total long-term assets | $963,612 | $1,112,651 | $1,314,800 | $1,395,593 | $1,485,368 |
| Total assets | $5,264,725 | $3,997,962 | $2,749,522 | $2,509,998 | $2,645,766 |
| Liabilities | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $690,882 | $504,314 | $287,355 | $626,732 | $674,609 |
| Other current liabilities | $3,147,950 | $3,299,666 | $2,936,533 | $2,864,054 | $3,597,466 |
| Total current liabilities | $3,838,832 | $3,803,980 | $3,223,888 | $3,490,786 | $4,272,075 |
| Debt | $854,354 | $128,258 | $144,137 | $279,887 | $289,847 |
| Due to (from) affiliates | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total long-term liabilities | $854,354 | $128,258 | $144,137 | $279,887 | $289,847 |
| Total liabilities | $4,693,186 | $3,932,238 | $3,368,025 | $3,770,673 | $4,561,922 |
| Net assets | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Without donor restrictions | $571,539 | $65,724 | ($618,503) | ($1,260,675) | ($1,916,156) |
| With donor restrictions | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Net assets | $571,539 | $65,724 | ($618,503) | ($1,260,675) | ($1,916,156) |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Total contributions | $5,692,084 | $4,579,047 | $4,488,717 | $4,143,883 | $3,466,273 |
| Program service revenue | $5,468,166 | $5,645,995 | $5,416,775 | $5,907,962 | $6,526,093 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $17,587 | $783 | $461 | $335 | $548 |
| Other revenue | ($17,325) | ($27,245) | ($42,423) | $12,049 | ($33,685) |
| Total other revenue | $5,468,428 | $5,619,533 | $5,374,813 | $5,920,346 | $6,492,956 |
| Total revenue | $11,160,512 | $10,198,580 | $9,863,530 | $10,064,229 | $9,959,229 |
| Expenses | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Program services | $7,634,068 | $7,038,652 | $6,670,444 | $7,014,306 | $7,760,611 |
| Management and general | $2,160,286 | $1,711,702 | $1,838,792 | $1,960,979 | $1,612,577 |
| Fundraising | $860,343 | $763,999 | $712,122 | $433,463 | $356,349 |
| Total expenses | $10,654,697 | $9,514,353 | $9,221,358 | $9,408,748 | $9,729,537 |
| Change in net assets | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Surplus (deficit) | $505,815 | $684,227 | $642,172 | $655,481 | $229,692 |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | $505,815 | $684,227 | $642,172 | $655,481 | $229,692 |
Compensation
| Name | Title | Compensation |
| Kevin Martin | CEO | $163,372 |
| Nick Eicher | Chief Content Officer | $157,226 |
| Pierson Gerritsen | Development Director | $129,832 |
| Marvin Olasky | Editor In Chief | $123,216 |
| John Almaguer | Advertising Account Executive | $116,352 |
| Kyle Crimi | Advertising Account Executive | $115,948 |
| William Gibson | CFO/Treasurer | $48,658 |
Compensation data as of: 6/30/2020
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 5/9/2023. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]
History
In 1981, The Presbyterian Journal-founded as The Southern Presbyterian Journal by L. Nelson Bell in 1942 and renamed in 1959-took a new direction. The publication had historically covered news related to church doctrine and government, mission work, and other issues directly affecting conservative Presbyterianism.
However, faithful parents across several Christian denominations began voicing a need. These parents felt called to raise up their children to discern truth in world events and issues, to honor God in their lives and even in their opinions, and to learn and live to impact the world as disciples in Christ's kingdom.
Making that calling more difficult was a news media slant that was growing more prominent in America. Mainstream news was following (or at times, even leading) a cultural drift toward a "post-Christian" culture. The days of reporting facts and leaving the reader or listener to form an opinion independently were coming to an end. Too often, the media slant was not in keeping with biblical truth. Was it possible to provide a news resource that sought to understand world events through a scriptural lens?
Under the guidance of a young publisher named Joel Belz, and with the keen editorial and teaching skills of editor Norm Bomer, the Journal launched a weekly newspaper for young people called It's God's World. The prototype issue debuted August 10, 1981. Covering not just church news but national and world news, It's God's World challenged kids to explore the events happening around the globe and to see God at work in His world, using His people for His kingdom purposes, opposing evil and dealing out mercy.
Forty years later, WORLD News Group still operates, now with publications for all ages. God's WORLD News offers three editions for kids (God's Big WORLD, WORLDkids, and WORLDteen), alongside the WORLD Watch video program for older teens, WORLD Magazine for adults, a variety of podcasts, and an internet presence for all publications. The corporation today even has its own journalists training arm, WORLD Journalism Institute.
Over the last four decades, God has blessed this Christian news media organization with purpose, growth, and impact. Hundreds of thousands of children in Christian homes, homeschools, and Christian schools have read about the biggest events-now in our history-from the perspective of devoted Christian journalists who strive to deliver facts faithfully, reporting from a position of trust in Christ and determination to tell His story in the world honestly.