Elam Ministries 
The information on this page was last updated 9/10/2025. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]
Summary
Every day, Iranians are coming to Christ. Every week, new house churches are being born in Iran, despite persecution. Elam exists to strengthen and expand this rapidly growing church. Much is happening, but -with your help- many more can be reached and discipled in the heart of the Muslim world.
Contact information
Mailing address:
Elam Ministries, USA
5755 North Point Parkway
Suite 217
Alpharetta, GA 30022
Website: elam.com
Phone: 770-664-8800
Email: [email protected]
Organization details
EIN: 582134253
CEO/President: David Yeghnazar
Chairman: Samuel Yeghnazar
Board size: 7
Founder: Sam Yeghnazar
Ruling year: 1996
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 12/31
Member of ECFA: Yes
Member of ECFA since: 2021
Purpose
Our desire is for all the people of Iran to have the opportunity to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and follow him as disciples. We pray that Iran will continue to grow in becoming a missionary-sending nation, reaching many others for Christ.
Mission statement
Our mission is to strengthen and expand the church in the Iran region and beyond.
To accomplish this we:
TRAIN Persian-speaking leaders for fruitful, effective ministry
EQUIP the Persian-speaking church with Bibles and resources for evangelism and discipleship
SEND the Gospel through trained evangelists, church planters and the media into the Persian-speaking world.
Statement of faith
Evangelical Christians accept the revelation of the triune God given in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments and confess the historic faith of the gospel therein set forth.
A. The sovereignty and grace of the triune God, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit in creation, providence, revelation, redemption and final judgement.
B. The divine inspiration and infallibility of the Old and New Testaments as originally given and their consequent entire trustworthiness and supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
C. The universal sinfulness and guilt of fallen human beings, making them subject to God's wrath and condemnation.
D. The substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ the incarnate Son of God as the sole and all sufficient ground of redemption from the guilt and power of sin and from its eternal consequences.
E. The justification of the sinner solely by the grace of God through faith in Christ who was crucified and bodily raised from the dead.
F. The illuminating, regenerating, in-dwelling and sanctifying work of God the Holy Spirit
G. The priesthood of all believers, who form the universal Church, the Body of which Christ is the Head, and which is committed by His command to the proclamation of the Gospel throughout the world.
H. The expectation of the personal, visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ in power and glory.
Donor confidence score
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Transparency grade
C
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Financial efficiency ratings
Sector: Foreign Missions
| Category | Rating | Overall rank | Sector rank |
| Overall efficiency rating | | 210 of 1435 | 23 of 126 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 578 of 1435 | 57 of 126 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 322 of 1435 | 27 of 126 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 301 of 1436 | 27 of 126 |
To understand our financial efficiency ratings, click here.
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Sector median | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 5% | 5% | 5% | 6% | 4% | 4% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 5% | 5% | 5% | 6% | 4% | 4% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 98% | 101% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 5% | 5% | 5% | 5% | 5% | 5% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 2% | -1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Operating ratios | Sector median | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 85% | 91% | 89% | 90% | 90% | 91% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 99% | 98% | 98% | 127% | 85% | 82% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 83% | 89% | 87% | 114% | 77% | 75% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 1% | 2% | 2% | -27% | 15% | 18% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 3% | 6% | 9% | -90% | 32% | 54% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 9% | 4% | 6% | 6% | 5% | 4% |
| Investing ratios | Sector median | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 1.59 | 3.49 | 3.66 | 3.64 | 1.81 | 2.38 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 1.14 | 1.09 | 1.10 | 1.10 | 1.05 | 1.08 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 2.42 | 3.80 | 4.04 | 4.01 | 1.90 | 2.58 |
| Liquidity ratios | Sector median | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 22.36 | 32.94 | 41.71 | 6.98 | 24.26 | 61.34 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.02 | 0.14 | 0.04 | 0.02 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 4.85 | 3.07 | 2.90 | 2.56 | 6.04 | 4.58 |
| Solvency ratios | Sector median | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 4% | 3% | 2% | 13% | 4% | 2% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 57% | 28% | 27% | 24% | 53% | 41% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Cash | $2,896,288 | $2,389,259 | $2,685,028 | $5,236,802 | $3,170,048 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $284,250 | $531,548 | $309,820 | $162,296 | $272,164 |
| Short-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $20,219 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $3,180,538 | $2,920,807 | $2,994,848 | $5,399,098 | $3,462,431 |
| Long-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed assets | $283,818 | $301,021 | $306,964 | $280,630 | $288,079 |
| Other long-term assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total long-term assets | $283,818 | $301,021 | $306,964 | $280,630 | $288,079 |
| Total assets | $3,464,356 | $3,221,828 | $3,301,812 | $5,679,728 | $3,750,510 |
| Liabilities | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $96,541 | $70,020 | $429,295 | $222,507 | $56,451 |
| Other current liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current liabilities | $96,541 | $70,020 | $429,295 | $222,507 | $56,451 |
| 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 | $96,541 | $70,020 | $429,295 | $222,507 | $56,451 |
| Net assets | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Without donor restrictions | $1,629,252 | $1,994,779 | $1,794,039 | $4,258,829 | $2,570,576 |
| With donor restrictions | $1,738,563 | $1,157,029 | $1,078,478 | $1,198,392 | $1,123,483 |
| Net assets | $3,367,815 | $3,151,808 | $2,872,517 | $5,457,221 | $3,694,059 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Total contributions | $12,426,802 | $12,016,179 | $9,387,128 | $12,042,641 | $10,916,799 |
| Program service revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $25,882 | $12,621 | $823 | $0 | $253 |
| Other revenue | ($163,011) | $39,134 | $33,551 | $0 | $0 |
| Total other revenue | ($137,129) | $51,755 | $34,374 | $0 | $253 |
| Total revenue | $12,289,673 | $12,067,934 | $9,421,502 | $12,042,641 | $10,917,052 |
| Expenses | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Program services | $10,968,672 | $10,444,764 | $10,777,129 | $9,248,656 | $8,142,390 |
| Management and general | $536,788 | $758,999 | $665,895 | $541,126 | $357,815 |
| Fundraising | $568,206 | $584,880 | $563,182 | $489,697 | $431,813 |
| Total expenses | $12,073,666 | $11,788,643 | $12,006,206 | $10,279,479 | $8,932,018 |
| Change in net assets | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Surplus (deficit) | $216,007 | $279,291 | ($2,584,704) | $1,763,162 | $1,985,034 |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | $216,007 | $279,291 | ($2,584,704) | $1,763,162 | $1,985,034 |
Compensation
| Name | Title | Compensation |
| David Yeghnazar | President, Elam Ministries, Inc. | $177,188 |
Compensation data as of: 12/31/2024
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 9/10/2025. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]
History
Elam's story begins with Rev. Sam Yeghnazar, one of Iran's most senior church leaders. Iranian by birth and a key leader in the United Bible Societies, Sam became the pastor of a small Iranian fellowship in London in 1984 while working with UBS. He served for 20 years as pastor and the church became the largest congregation of Iranian Muslim converts outside Iran at the time. Sensing the openness of Iranians to the Gospel, Sam left the UBS in 1986 to dedicate his life to ministry among Iranians.
In 1990, Sam Yeghnazar founded Elam Ministries with a vision to reach the Persian-speaking world for Christ. To do this, Elam College was established - the only Persian-speaking residential Bible training center in the world. At the time, there were fewer than 10 Persian speakers in the entire world with formal Bible training. Several years later, Elam began working with Wycliffe Bible Translators to develop a new translation of the Bible in modern-day Persian: the New Millennium Version, which was completed in 2014.
Today, Elam trains and mentors emerging leaders for effective ministry at a variety of levels and to serve in multiple contexts across the Persian-speaking world.