Leading The Way with Dr. Michael Youssef 
The information in this column was provided to MinistryWatch by the ministry itself. It was last updated 10/27/2021. To update the information in this column, please email: info@ministrywatch.com
Summary
Along with partners committed to changing the world, Dr. Michael Youssef is leading the way for people living in spiritual darkness to discover the light of Christ. By passionately proclaiming uncompromising Truth through creative methods, Leading The Way's international team of experts is uniquely providing hope that is revolutionizing lives here at home and around the world.
Now celebrating 30 years of ministry, Leading The Way's television and radio programs are broadcast in 27 languages to audiences across six continents through dual-language programs, Leading The Way's satellite television channel THE KINGDOM SAT, and solar-powered Leading The Way Navigators. Leading The Way also produces DVDs, CDs, books, a monthly devotional magazine, and daily e-devotionals to reach the lost and encourage believers in their faith. The ministry utilizes field ministry teams to evangelize seekers and disciple new believers. Dr. Youssef's unique perspective has given him a platform to speak boldly into today's issues and provide Biblical solutions to the challenges Christians are facing today.
Contact information
Mailing address:
Leading The Way with Dr. Michael Youssef
PO Box 20100
Atlanta, GA 30325
Website: www.ltw.org
Phone: 800-538-7677
Email: webmail@ltw.org
Organization details
EIN: 581816773
CEO/President: Dr. Michael Youssef
Chairman: Dennis Chorba
Board size: 11
Founder: Dr. Michael Youssef
Ruling year: 1988
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 06/30
Member of ECFA: Yes
Member of ECFA since: 2001
Purpose
Leading The Way is uniquely equipped to reach a global audience by using today's technology to connect individuals with sound Biblical teaching-whether here at home or in closed countries and remote regions. Daily, Leading The Way is sharing the Gospel with the nations, broadcasting in multiple languages on radio and TV more than 13,000 times a week to audiences across 6 continents.
Our outreach begins with the proclamation of God's Word. The foundation of the ministry is the passionate, uncompromised Biblical teaching of Dr. Michael Youssef. These teachings are recorded and distributed to reach the lost and equip the saints through every major form of media, including satellite television and solar-powered devices.
In addition to broadcasting the Gospel, Leading The Way connects listeners and viewers to field ministry teams to help them grow in their faith through ongoing discipleship and personal evangelism. This holistic outreach is designed to not only effectively reach the lost, but also to equip and strengthen the church to stand strong and advance the Gospel in today's world.
Mission statement
LTW's mission is to lead the way for those living in spiritual darkness to discover the light of Christ.
Statement of faith
Leading The Way With Dr. Michael Youssef, Inc. uses the following to express its statement of faith:
We believe the Bible to be inspired, the only infallible Word of God.
We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We believe in the deity of Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, 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 for the salvation of lost and sinful man, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.
We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.
We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost, they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.
We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in Christ.
Donor confidence score
Transparency grade
A
To understand our transparency grade, click here.
Financial efficiency ratings
Sector: Educational Media
| Category | Rating | Overall rank | Sector rank |
| Overall efficiency rating | | 537 of 1022 | 28 of 53 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 586 of 1024 | 31 of 53 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 217 of 1024 | 19 of 53 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 793 of 1022 | 36 of 53 |
Click here to read Leading The Way with Dr. Michael Youssef's response to our ratings
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 8% | 9% | 10% | 7% | 6% | 7% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 7% | 8% | 10% | 7% | 6% | 7% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 92% | 97% | 97% | 97% | 98% | 98% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 7% | 10% | 10% | 6% | 7% | 7% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 8% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 2% | 2% |
| Operating ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 81% | 86% | 86% | 90% | 88% | 89% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 95% | 87% | 96% | 101% | 87% | 97% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 74% | 74% | 82% | 91% | 77% | 86% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 5% | 13% | 4% | -1% | 13% | 3% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 9% | 9% | 3% | -1% | 9% | 2% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 11% | 5% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 4% |
| Investing ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 0.93 | 0.57 | 0.61 | 0.60 | 0.56 | 0.63 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 1.35 | 1.38 | 1.46 | 1.51 | 1.55 | 1.91 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 1.74 | 0.79 | 0.88 | 0.91 | 0.87 | 1.20 |
| Liquidity ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 9.50 | 19.32 | 20.93 | 27.03 | 31.75 | 11.46 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.10 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.04 | 0.03 | 0.09 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 5.93 | 14.47 | 12.95 | 12.65 | 13.33 | 9.14 |
| Solvency ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 12% | 4% | 3% | 2% | 2% | 5% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 84% | 168% | 160% | 161% | 174% | 152% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Cash | $18,532,370 | $15,530,906 | $13,375,007 | $13,581,047 | $14,229,531 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $791,473 | $624,849 | $984,531 | $709,194 | $429,828 |
| Short-term investments | $5,863,165 | $5,336,488 | $5,652,433 | $5,323,087 | $0 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $25,187,008 | $21,492,243 | $20,011,971 | $19,613,328 | $14,659,359 |
| Long-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $2,218,518 |
| Fixed assets | $9,444,766 | $9,802,247 | $10,199,069 | $10,704,276 | $11,049,520 |
| Other long-term assets | $51,986 | $52,536 | $53,536 | $53,536 | $102,228 |
| Total long-term assets | $9,496,752 | $9,854,783 | $10,252,605 | $10,757,812 | $13,370,266 |
| Total assets | $34,683,760 | $31,347,026 | $30,264,576 | $30,371,140 | $28,029,625 |
| Liabilities | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $1,283,810 | $991,664 | $713,146 | $608,123 | $1,267,683 |
| Other current liabilities | $19,991 | $35,045 | $27,203 | $9,615 | $11,115 |
| Total current liabilities | $1,303,801 | $1,026,709 | $740,349 | $617,738 | $1,278,798 |
| 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 | $1,303,801 | $1,026,709 | $740,349 | $617,738 | $1,278,798 |
| Net assets | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Without donor restrictions | $33,257,605 | $30,317,725 | $29,524,227 | $29,446,379 | $26,156,786 |
| With donor restrictions | $122,354 | $2,592 | $0 | $307,023 | $594,041 |
| Net assets | $33,379,959 | $30,320,317 | $29,524,227 | $29,753,402 | $26,750,827 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Total contributions | $22,259,667 | $19,153,633 | $17,516,577 | $19,260,582 | $17,691,593 |
| Program service revenue | $102,685 | $118,138 | $114,582 | $150,188 | $144,585 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $207,507 | $193,610 | $90,815 | $40,743 | $77,348 |
| Other revenue | $301,674 | $297,527 | $331,946 | $278,899 | $211,912 |
| Total other revenue | $611,866 | $609,275 | $537,343 | $469,830 | $433,845 |
| Total revenue | $22,871,533 | $19,762,908 | $18,053,920 | $19,730,412 | $18,125,438 |
| Expenses | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Program services | $17,023,024 | $16,229,000 | $16,363,599 | $15,104,893 | $15,608,454 |
| Management and general | $896,297 | $775,992 | $739,050 | $750,949 | $647,658 |
| Fundraising | $1,892,570 | $1,961,826 | $1,180,446 | $1,245,161 | $1,304,359 |
| Total expenses | $19,811,891 | $18,966,818 | $18,283,095 | $17,101,003 | $17,560,471 |
| Change in net assets | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Surplus (deficit) | $3,059,642 | $796,090 | ($229,175) | $2,629,409 | $564,967 |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | $3,059,642 | $796,090 | ($229,175) | $2,629,409 | $564,967 |
Compensation
| Name | Title | Compensation |
| Joshua D Youssef | Executive Vice-President | $159,091 |
| David Dodd | Former Vice President of Operations | $150,000 |
Compensation data as of: 6/30/2014
Response from ministry
Thank you for your interest in Leading The Way! Every gift you give helps Dr. Michael Youssef share the Gospel with the lost and equip believers to grow into a deeper walk with Christ - both here at home and in closed countries. Dr. Youssef is our number one volunteer, which means he receives no compensation from any gifts given to the ministry nor any commissions from the sale of his books and resources. Everything goes to Gospel ministry!
The information below was provided to MinistryWatch by the ministry itself. It was last updated 10/27/2021. To update the information below, please email: info@ministrywatch.com
History
LTW was founded by Dr. Michael Youssef in 1988. What began as a small local radio ministry in Atlanta has now grown into an international ministry broadcasting the Gospel across 6 continents - reaching some of the hardest-to-reach places on earth with the Good News of Jesus.
In 1996, Dr. Michael Youssef's programs began airing in the Middle East. Field teams were established accommodate the overwhelming response. In 2000, LTW launched its weekly TV programs, which are now broadcast into hundreds of millions of homes every week. In 2009, the ministry launched its 24/7 KINGDOM SAT TV channel, blanketing the Middle East with Biblical Truth - and also began distributing solar-powered Navigator audio devices with the Bible and Dr. Youssef's messages to remote regions.
Today, the ministry is focusing its efforts on expanding every area of ministry through Vision 2025, a strategic plan to see one million souls come to Christ by 2025.
Program accomplishments
Ministry milestones:
- Celebrated 30 years of ministry in 2018
- Launched Vision 2025 initiative in 2018 - a plan to see one million souls come to Christ by 2025
- Awarded National Religious Broadcasters 2019 Radio Program of the Year
- Awarded 5 Telly Awards from 2014-2017 for Special Broadcasts
Needs
Through Vision 2025, LTW is aggressively and strategically expanding every area of ministry with the goal of seeing one million souls come to Christ by 2025. Your gift today can help:
- Double media footprint
- Reach Muslims in North America
- Double audience of our KINGDOM SAT TV channel
- Host strategic evangelistic events
- Distribute 100,000 more Navigators
- Target a new generation with Biblical Truth