Elam Ministries 
The information in this column was provided to MinistryWatch by the ministry itself. It was last updated 9/27/2021. To update the information in this column, please email: info@ministrywatch.com
Summary
Elam Ministries is a registered charity in England & Wales and a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity in the United States. If we remain faithful to our calling, our conviction is that it is possible to see the nation of Iran transformed within our lifetime. Because Iran is a strategic gateway nation, the growing church in Iran will impact Muslim nations across the Islamic world. Since 1990, Elam has developed various programs for leadership development to help train people at various target levels. Elam works directly in the field by sending trained leaders and workers to strengthen existing churches and establish new ones. We also produce television programs designed to provide Iranians with a clear presentation of the Good News. Finally Elam works through the local church to provide relief to the poor and persecuted in practical demonstrations of the love of Jesus.
Contact information
Mailing address:
Elam Ministries, USA
5755 North Point Parkway
Suite 217
Alpharetta, GA 30022
Website: elam.com
Phone: 770-664-8800
Email: contact@elam.com
Organization details
EIN: 582134253
CEO/President: David Yeghnazar
Chairman:
Board size: 0
Founder: senior Iranian church leaders
Ruling year: 1996
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 12/31
Member of ECFA: Yes
Member of ECFA since: 2021
Purpose
Elam's vision is that all the people of the Iran region would have the opportunity to come to know the Lord Jesus Christ and follow Him as a disciple, and that Iranians would be instrumental in taking the Gospel to other Muslims. To achieve this vision, we:
Train leaders for fruitful, effective ministry in the Iran region.
Equip the Iranian church with Bibles and resources for evangelism and discipleship.
Send the Gospel into the Iran region through trained evangelists, church planters and Christian media.
Such is the openness of the Iranian people that wherever there is a witness to the Gospel, individuals, families and even communities are coming to Christ.
Mission statement
The mission of Elam is to strengthen and expand the church in the Iran region* and beyond.
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
Transparency grade
A
To understand our transparency grade, click here.
Financial efficiency ratings
Sector: Foreign Missions
| Category | Rating | Overall rank | Sector rank |
| Overall efficiency rating | | 112 of 1022 | 20 of 121 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 340 of 1024 | 48 of 121 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 218 of 1024 | 22 of 121 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 184 of 1022 | 27 of 121 |
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 5% | 4% | 5% | 6% | 5% | 7% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 5% | 4% | 5% | 6% | 5% | 7% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 98% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 5% | 5% | 5% | 5% | 6% | 7% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 2% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Operating ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 83% | 91% | 91% | 90% | 91% | 89% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 95% | 82% | 96% | 109% | 94% | 100% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 79% | 75% | 88% | 99% | 85% | 89% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 5% | 18% | 4% | -9% | 6% | 0% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 9% | 54% | 19% | -47% | 23% | -1% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 10% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 3% | 4% |
| Investing ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 1.21 | 2.38 | 4.26 | 3.80 | 2.59 | 2.92 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 1.29 | 1.08 | 1.18 | 1.18 | 1.15 | 1.25 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 1.77 | 2.58 | 5.03 | 4.47 | 2.97 | 3.64 |
| Liquidity ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 20.97 | 61.34 | 45.91 | 3.89 | 6.27 | 39.90 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.05 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.26 | 0.16 | 0.03 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 6.11 | 4.58 | 2.33 | 2.00 | 3.40 | 3.22 |
| Solvency ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 9% | 2% | 14% | 34% | 23% | 16% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 0% | 0% | 12% | 12% | 9% | 14% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 75% | 41% | 20% | 17% | 30% | 29% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Cash | $3,170,048 | $1,337,342 | $1,357,612 | $1,872,468 | $852,268 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $272,164 | $335,178 | $421,355 | $433,752 | $646,956 |
| Short-term investments | $20,219 | $20,320 | $9,164 | $21,125 | $10,426 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $3,462,431 | $1,692,840 | $1,788,131 | $2,327,345 | $1,509,650 |
| Long-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed assets | $288,079 | $304,366 | $314,052 | $343,362 | $370,238 |
| Other long-term assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total long-term assets | $288,079 | $304,366 | $314,052 | $343,362 | $370,238 |
| Total assets | $3,750,510 | $1,997,206 | $2,102,183 | $2,670,707 | $1,879,888 |
| Liabilities | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $56,451 | $36,872 | $459,598 | $371,232 | $37,832 |
| Other current liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current liabilities | $56,451 | $36,872 | $459,598 | $371,232 | $37,832 |
| Debt | $0 | $249,000 | $249,000 | $249,000 | $269,000 |
| Due to (from) affiliates | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total long-term liabilities | $0 | $249,000 | $249,000 | $249,000 | $269,000 |
| Total liabilities | $56,451 | $285,872 | $708,598 | $620,232 | $306,832 |
| Net assets | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Without donor restrictions | $2,570,576 | $330,657 | $542,474 | $1,408,814 | $941,757 |
| With donor restrictions | $1,123,483 | $1,380,677 | $851,111 | $641,661 | $631,299 |
| Net assets | $3,694,059 | $1,711,334 | $1,393,585 | $2,050,475 | $1,573,056 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Total contributions | $10,916,799 | $8,827,079 | $7,327,348 | $7,354,288 | $5,454,899 |
| Program service revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $25,076 | $19,628 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $253 | $2,494 | $270 | ($60) | ($448) |
| Other revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total other revenue | $253 | $2,494 | $270 | $25,016 | $19,180 |
| Total revenue | $10,917,052 | $8,829,573 | $7,327,618 | $7,379,304 | $5,474,079 |
| Expenses | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Program services | $8,142,390 | $7,766,128 | $7,225,246 | $6,301,552 | $4,874,766 |
| Management and general | $357,815 | $311,195 | $327,794 | $217,898 | $231,110 |
| Fundraising | $431,813 | $434,264 | $434,971 | $388,379 | $384,933 |
| Total expenses | $8,932,018 | $8,511,587 | $7,988,011 | $6,907,829 | $5,490,809 |
| Change in net assets | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Surplus (deficit) | $1,985,034 | $317,986 | ($660,393) | $471,475 | ($16,730) |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | $1,985,034 | $317,986 | ($660,393) | $471,475 | ($16,730) |
Compensation
| Name | Title | Compensation |
| Ethan Erkel | Director/Technology Direct | $157,123 |
| David Yeghnazar | Executive Director | $133,203 |
Compensation data as of: 12/31/2020
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 9/27/2021. To update the information below, please email: info@ministrywatch.com
History
Elam was founded in 1990 by senior Iranian church leaders with a vision to serve the growing church in the Iran region. From the beginning, Elam's passion was to train and equip Iranian Christians to reach and disciple their country men. In 1990 six emerging leaders arrived in England from Iran to begin their fulltime ministry training. They lived in a small, two-bedroom flat and used the kitchen as a classroom. Since then, Elam has seen many years of God's faithfulness. By God's grace, the ministry is growing and is being used to strengthen and expand the church in the Iran region in a significant way.
Iran: Closed Land, Open Hearts
Since the 1979 Islamic revolution, Iranians have become increasingly disillusioned with Islam. The political, economic, and spiritual situation in Iran has resulted in a deep spiritual hunger for truth. Iran may be a closed land, but the people have open hearts. Iranians today are seen as the most open Muslim people to the Gospel in the world. More have become Christians since the revolution than the previous 1,300 years put together.
Unprecedented Church Growth
In 1979, there were less than 500 known Christians from a Muslim background in Iran. Today the most conservative estimate is that there are at least 360,000 believers in the nation. Church leaders believe that millions can be added to the church in the next few years-such is the spiritual hunger that exists and the disillusionment with the Islamic regime.