Global Recordings Network USA 
The information on this page was last updated 3/22/2025. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]
Summary
GRN is a leading provider of Christian evangelistic and discipleship audio visual materials to the least reached language groups of the world. Our passion is to work where there are no translated Scriptures and no viable local church, or where a written Scripture or portion is available but where there are few if any who can read it or make sense of it.
Audio visual materials are a particularly powerful evangelism medium as they communicate the gospel in story format suitable for oral learners. Our recordings can be downloaded free of charge from our website, and distributed via CD's, email, Bluetooth and other media.
Since we began in 1939, we have produced recordings in around 6,500 languages. That's over 1 language per week! Many of these are the least reached language groups in the world.
Contact information
Mailing address:
Global Recordings Network USA
16131 N Vernon Dr.
Tucson, AZ 85739
Website: globalrecordingsusa.org
Phone: 520-395-1399
Email: [email protected]
Organization details
EIN: 956539977
CEO/President: Bryan Wilson
Chairman: Preston Korn
Board size: 7
Founder: Ms. Joy Ridderhof
Ruling year: 1945
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 12/31
Member of ECFA: Yes
Member of ECFA since: 2000
Purpose
Our Vision
That people might hear and understand God's Word in their heart language, especially those who are oral communicators and those who do not have Scriptures in a form they can access.
Mission statement
In partnership with the church, to effectively communicate the Good News of Jesus Christ by means of culturally appropriate audio and audio-visual materials in every language.
Statement of faith
GRN has adopted the Statement of Faith of the World Evangelical Alliance. In this way we identify ourselves with an organization which is known and respected in evangelical circles worldwide, and represents evangelical groups from virtually every country.
We believe
...in the Holy Scriptures as originally given by God, divinely inspired, infallible, entirely trustworthy; and the supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct...
One God, eternally existent in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit...
Our Lord Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, His virgin birth, His sinless human life, His divine miracles, His vicarious and atoning death, His bodily resurrection, His ascension, His mediatorial work, and His Personal return in power and glory...
The Salvation of lost and sinful man through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ by faith apart from works, and regeneration by the Holy Spirit...
The Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling the believer is enabled to live a holy life, to witness and work for the Lord Jesus Christ...
The Unity of the Spirit of all true believers, the Church, the Body of Christ...
The Resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life, they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.
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 | | 718 of 1117 | 28 of 45 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 105 of 1118 | 5 of 45 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 954 of 1118 | 36 of 45 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 881 of 1117 | 37 of 45 |
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Sector median | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 8% | 1% | 2% | 1% | 2% | 4% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 7% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 2% | 4% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 93% | 99% | 94% | 40% | 99% | 99% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 7% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 2% | 5% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 7% | 1% | 6% | 60% | 1% | 1% |
| Operating ratios | Sector median | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 81% | 71% | 68% | 68% | 68% | 72% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 94% | 80% | 104% | 39% | 102% | 95% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 77% | 57% | 71% | 26% | 70% | 69% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 6% | 20% | -4% | 61% | -2% | 5% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 7% | 9% | -2% | 58% | -2% | 4% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 12% | 28% | 30% | 31% | 30% | 23% |
| Investing ratios | Sector median | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 0.78 | 0.34 | 0.40 | 0.37 | 0.52 | 0.56 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 1.48 | 1.32 | 1.45 | 1.34 | 3.62 | 3.83 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 1.47 | 0.45 | 0.59 | 0.49 | 1.89 | 2.13 |
| Liquidity ratios | Sector median | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 14.32 | 536.51 | 38.57 | 134.72 | 120.04 | 56.30 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.07 | 0.00 | 0.03 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.02 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 6.92 | 26.91 | 19.97 | 24.32 | 6.28 | 5.53 |
| Solvency ratios | Sector median | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 8% | 0% | 2% | 1% | 37% | 39% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 31% | 33% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 98% | 297% | 243% | 269% | 120% | 109% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Cash | $2,646,609 | $1,969,867 | $2,351,655 | $561,667 | $513,421 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $0 | $0 | $17,967 | $15,258 | $60,765 |
| Short-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $2,646,609 | $1,969,867 | $2,369,622 | $576,925 | $574,186 |
| Long-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed assets | $855,564 | $887,428 | $802,032 | $1,504,010 | $1,610,706 |
| Other long-term assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $9,352 | $16,228 |
| Total long-term assets | $855,564 | $887,428 | $802,032 | $1,513,362 | $1,626,934 |
| Total assets | $3,502,173 | $2,857,295 | $3,171,654 | $2,090,287 | $2,201,120 |
| Liabilities | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $4,933 | $51,069 | $17,589 | $4,806 | $10,199 |
| Other current liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current liabilities | $4,933 | $51,069 | $17,589 | $4,806 | $10,199 |
| Debt | $0 | $0 | $0 | $648,219 | $728,090 |
| Due to (from) affiliates | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $0 | $0 | $28,025 | $124,845 | $124,634 |
| Total long-term liabilities | $0 | $0 | $28,025 | $773,064 | $852,724 |
| Total liabilities | $4,933 | $51,069 | $45,614 | $777,870 | $862,923 |
| Net assets | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Without donor restrictions | $3,333,457 | $2,579,094 | $2,957,855 | $1,192,211 | $1,306,371 |
| With donor restrictions | $163,783 | $227,132 | $168,185 | $120,206 | $31,826 |
| Net assets | $3,497,240 | $2,806,226 | $3,126,040 | $1,312,417 | $1,338,197 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Total contributions | $1,461,721 | $1,039,866 | $1,177,615 | $1,060,622 | $1,273,344 |
| Program service revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $354 | $92 | $1,726,790 | $1,741 | $1,559 |
| Other revenue | $14,239 | $67,906 | $69,787 | $4,308 | $6,792 |
| Total other revenue | $14,593 | $67,998 | $1,796,577 | $6,049 | $8,351 |
| Total revenue | $1,476,314 | $1,107,864 | $2,974,192 | $1,066,671 | $1,281,695 |
| Expenses | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Program services | $838,564 | $788,681 | $786,104 | $744,419 | $884,189 |
| Management and general | $324,002 | $348,025 | $357,115 | $330,528 | $282,886 |
| Fundraising | $15,523 | $16,171 | $17,350 | $17,504 | $56,403 |
| Total expenses | $1,178,089 | $1,152,877 | $1,160,569 | $1,092,451 | $1,223,478 |
| Change in net assets | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Surplus (deficit) | $298,225 | ($45,013) | $1,813,623 | ($25,780) | $58,217 |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | $298,225 | ($45,013) | $1,813,623 | ($25,780) | $58,217 |
Compensation
| Name | Title | Compensation |
| Skip Garmo | Executive Director | $4,518 |
Compensation data as of: 12/31/2023
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 3/22/2025. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]
History
Illness Prevented Her ...
The ministry of Gospel Recordings was founded in Los Angeles in 1937. At that time Joy Ridderhof lay on her sickbed after returning from her time as a missionary in Honduras. All she felt was a deep sense of disappointment and sorrow at having to leave her beloved converts behind - people who in most cases were unable to read or write and relied on a verbal message to bring them to a saving knowledge of Christ.
Something To Leave Behind
If only she could have left behind recorded messages in their native Spanish, how wonderful a legacy! In this way the existing converts could be built up in their faith and other people reached ... after all, "faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God."
First Recording In 1938!
Thanks to several friends' generosity, Joy was able to see the beginning of this coming to fruition as she recorded the first gospel record in Spanish in the last day of 1938. What started out as a trickle soon became a veritable flood as enquiries for the Spanish records started coming in thick and fast not only from Honduras, but increasingly from other Spanish-speaking countries in Central and South America, as well.
Turning Point
A turning point was reached in 1940. Joy was asked to make a number of gospel recordings for the Navajo Indians in Arizona. Each additional language would lead to requests for more languages to be recorded. She agreed, and so began the fulfilment of the wider commission - to take the gospel to the ends of the earth.
Today - In Over 30 Countries
Gospel Recordings has developed into an international mission with centers and bases in over 30 countries.
Recording work is done in makeshift recording studios in church buildings, classrooms, or just out under a tree. This material then has to be edited and have some music or songs added to it, to make it ready for distribution.
Distribution is done by teams of people moving from village to village, or through missions or churches that have been established in the particular language area. Recordings are also played or made available in clinics, schools and in market places. Villagers hear (in many cases for the first time), the Word of Life - and in a language that they fully understand.
The Future
The Mission is constantly seeking to update its equipment and methods so that people might be more effectively reached; there are thousands more new recordings to be made and older ones to be updated; new Recordists to be trained; and new distribution methods such as mobile technologies to be developed.
Please support the work of GRN by praying for the Members serving around the world, and for the projects in which they are involved. Pray also for a constant flow of new workers to carry on the task. There is so much yet to be done to bring the gospel to every tribe and tongue and it can only be done with the prayer support of God's faithful people.
Program accomplishments
Since we began in 1939, we have produced recordings in around 6,500 languages. That's over 1 language per week! Many of these are the least reached language groups in the world.