AMG International 
The information in this column was provided to MinistryWatch by the ministry itself. It was last updated 6/10/2021. To update the information in this column, please email: info@ministrywatch.com
Summary
AMG International is a gospel-first global ministry that meets people's deepest needs - spiritual and physical - while...
Inspiring Hope - Our greatest desire is to inspire hope in people as their deepest spiritual and physical needs are being met. When children are fed, educated and enjoying good health, families can envision a brighter, hope-filled future.
Restoring Lives - We are intentional about how we work, and we pursue solutions that lead to genuine restoration. Everything we do is designed to demonstrate the love of Christ to people in need, while gently guiding them into relationship with the Savior. We consider the root issues, not merely the symptoms.
Transforming Communities - Pastors and church leaders receive training, children's nutrition and medical needs are met, communities are rebuilt, churches are planted, the sick are cared for, the gospel is shared, and parents learn to care for and protect their children.
Contact information
Mailing address:
AMG International
6815 Shallowford Road
Chattanooga, TN 37421
Website: www.amginternational.org
Phone: (423) 894-6060
Email: info@amginternational.org
Organization details
EIN: 131766596
CEO/President: Anastasios Ioannidis
Chairman: William Harden
Board size: 12
Founder: George Georgakis & Nicholas Lambrides
Year founded: 1942
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 12/31
Member of ECFA: Yes
Member of ECFA since: 1982
Purpose
Our vision is that every community in every nation on earth will be redeemed and radically transformed by the love and Gospel of Jesus Christ.
We are a gospel-first global ministry that meets the deepest needs - spiritual and physical - by inspiring hope, restoring lives and transforming communities.
Advancing the Ministries of the Gospel, or AMG International, is a gospel-first global ministry that has been meeting people's deepest spiritual and physical needs since 1942. We currently work in over 35 countries, with the goal of inspiring hope in Jesus Christ, restoring lives and transforming communities. By working through local leaders and churches that know their areas best, we tailor our approach to each community using strategies such as poverty alleviation, media evangelism, church planting, medical care and disaster relief efforts.
Our holistic approach recognizes that people in extreme physical need often are not interested in the truth of the gospel until their basic needs are cared for. Because of this, our ministry reaches people on both spiritual and physical levels. We provide services to the poor, sick and downtrodden, while focusing on the ultimate spiritual need for people to know God in a personal way that inspires hope in their hearts.
The heart of our ministry is our partnership with local leaders and churches. We support and equip them as they faithfully fulfill God's call to the nations. Their connections with the locals and familiarity with the culture enable them to fully understand the community's deepest needs and build relationships with the people we serve.
Many people have come to know and trust Jesus Christ through evangelism carried out by AMG International missionaries, national leaders, church planters, schools, radio programs and media evangelism. Thousands of hungry children have been fed and cared for in AMG International youth development centers, and broken bodies have been given medical help in hospitals, clinics and leprosy centers.
Mission statement
Advance the gospel by equipping Christ-centered leaders and local churches around the world to meet the deepest needs in their communities.
Statement of faith
AMG International's Statement of Faith is:
We believe in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament as inspired by God and inerrant in the original writings, and that they are the supreme and final authority in faith and life.
We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary and is true God and true man.
We believe that man was created in the image of God; that he sinned and thereby incurred not only physical separation from God, but also that spiritual death which is separation from God; and that all human beings are born with a sinful nature.
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice and that all who believe in Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood.
We believe in the bodily resurrection of our crucified Lord, His ascension into heaven, and His presence there for us as High Priest and Advocate.
We believe in that "blessed hope"-the personal and victorious return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
We believe that all who receive by repentance and faith the Lord Jesus Christ are born again of the Holy Spirit, and become children of God.
We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and unjust, the everlasting blessedness of the saved, and the everlasting punishment of the lost.
We believe that, according to the specific teachings of the entire Bible, which is the written Word of God, God created man and women as unique biological persons made to complete each other, and that human sexuality in God's plan is to be expressed only within the context of monogamous marriage between a genetic male and a genetic female, and that such marriage is the foundation of the family and the basic structure of human society.
Articles
| 12/21/2020 | Ministries Making a Difference Bundles of Love, a BGEA Christmas special, Generous Giving turns 20, and a free men's workout group |
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 | | 743 of 913 | 82 of 105 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 740 of 915 | 85 of 105 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 369 of 915 | 38 of 105 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 799 of 913 | 93 of 105 |
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Sector median | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 6% | 11% | 11% | 13% | 13% | 11% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 6% | 10% | 11% | 11% | 12% | 11% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 98% | 85% | 96% | 86% | 95% | 101% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 5% | 11% | 11% | 12% | 11% | 11% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 2% | 15% | 4% | 14% | 5% | -1% |
| Operating ratios | Sector median | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 83% | 86% | 85% | 85% | 81% | 83% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 98% | 89% | 98% | 93% | 105% | 104% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 81% | 77% | 83% | 79% | 85% | 86% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 2% | 11% | 2% | 7% | -5% | -4% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 4% | 7% | 2% | 5% | -3% | -3% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 10% | 4% | 4% | 3% | 7% | 6% |
| Investing ratios | Sector median | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 1.33 | 0.55 | 0.59 | 0.56 | 0.69 | 0.59 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 1.29 | 2.12 | 2.28 | 2.52 | 2.49 | 2.23 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 2.02 | 1.17 | 1.34 | 1.40 | 1.73 | 1.33 |
| Liquidity ratios | Sector median | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 17.62 | 6.13 | 3.78 | 4.18 | 4.56 | 4.46 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.05 | 0.16 | 0.26 | 0.24 | 0.22 | 0.22 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 5.24 | 8.60 | 6.56 | 6.53 | 5.41 | 7.01 |
| Solvency ratios | Sector median | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 8% | 8% | 13% | 11% | 9% | 10% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 0% | 1% | 1% | 2% | 0% | 0% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 65% | 166% | 148% | 160% | 131% | 151% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Cash | $938,877 | $993,792 | $702,568 | $500,544 | $1,090,846 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $114,653 | $142,178 | $138,378 | $214,365 | $253,715 |
| Short-term investments | $5,154,114 | $4,436,342 | $3,986,686 | $3,807,087 | $3,971,293 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $2,451 | $3,354 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $6,207,644 | $5,574,763 | $4,830,986 | $4,521,996 | $5,315,854 |
| Long-term investments | $4,460,082 | $1,511,089 | $1,511,089 | $1,511,089 | $1,511,089 |
| Fixed assets | $282,969 | $3,242,759 | $3,255,999 | $2,774,042 | $2,796,498 |
| Other long-term assets | $2,201,247 | $2,362,208 | $2,577,883 | $2,464,004 | $2,234,101 |
| Total long-term assets | $6,944,298 | $7,116,056 | $7,344,971 | $6,749,135 | $6,541,688 |
| Total assets | $13,151,942 | $12,690,819 | $12,175,957 | $11,271,131 | $11,857,542 |
| Liabilities | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $332,008 | $649,866 | $289,868 | $191,478 | $365,428 |
| Other current liabilities | $680,567 | $826,521 | $864,602 | $800,829 | $827,754 |
| Total current liabilities | $1,012,575 | $1,476,387 | $1,154,470 | $992,307 | $1,193,182 |
| Debt | $77,670 | $149,385 | $195,400 | $0 | $26,499 |
| Due to (from) affiliates | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total long-term liabilities | $77,670 | $149,385 | $195,400 | $0 | $26,499 |
| Total liabilities | $1,090,245 | $1,625,772 | $1,349,870 | $992,307 | $1,219,681 |
| Net assets | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Without donor restrictions | $9,287,222 | $8,715,178 | $9,717,530 | $7,740,002 | $7,542,813 |
| With donor restrictions | $2,636,410 | $2,349,869 | $1,108,557 | $2,538,822 | $3,095,048 |
| Net assets | $12,061,697 | $11,065,047 | $10,826,087 | $10,278,824 | $10,637,861 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Total contributions | $6,895,605 | $7,372,631 | $6,308,736 | $7,092,443 | $6,869,928 |
| Program service revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $670,218 | ($124,874) | $390,425 | $111,739 | ($94,850) |
| Other revenue | $543,106 | $428,877 | $608,559 | $268,076 | $10,528 |
| Total other revenue | $1,213,324 | $304,003 | $998,984 | $379,815 | ($84,322) |
| Total revenue | $8,108,929 | $7,676,634 | $7,307,720 | $7,472,258 | $6,785,606 |
| Expenses | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Program services | $6,209,578 | $6,368,362 | $5,740,204 | $6,373,024 | $5,833,479 |
| Management and general | $262,847 | $281,203 | $200,531 | $563,407 | $444,074 |
| Fundraising | $777,919 | $842,255 | $819,722 | $894,864 | $774,916 |
| Total expenses | $7,250,344 | $7,491,820 | $6,760,457 | $7,831,295 | $7,052,469 |
| Change in net assets | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Surplus (deficit) | $858,585 | $184,814 | $547,263 | ($359,037) | ($266,863) |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $54,146 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | $858,585 | $238,960 | $547,263 | ($359,037) | ($266,863) |
Compensation
| Name | Title | Compensation |
| Demosthenes Katsarkas | Director | $200,200 |
| David McCurry | VP of Advancement | $122,777 |
| Anastasios Ioannidis | CEO/President | $102,158 |
| Stephen Turner | CFO | $101,793 |
| William Passons | COO | $71,773 |
| George Kaloterakis | Director | $59,136 |
| Symeon Ioannidis | Director | $51,100 |
| Paul Jenks | Director | $45,264 |
| Dr David V Chigurupati | Director | $4,483 |
Compensation data as of: 12/31/2019
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 6/10/2021. To update the information below, please email: info@ministrywatch.com
History
In 1940, a photographer in New York City named George Georgakis came to know Jesus Christ as his personal Savior through the words of a street preacher. George immediately began sharing the Gospel with others, particularly his fellow Greeks. Together with his friend Nicholas Lambrides, he started the American Committee for the Evangelization of the Greek-later changed to American Mission to the Greeks, and now known as Advancing the Ministries of the Gospel (AMG) International-in 1942. The organization sent Gospel literature overseas and provided aid for undernourished and homeless children in Greece. In America, the organization sponsored Greek children in a nearby orphanage and produced a bilingual Gospel magazine in Greek and English.
Four years later, the organization was being run out of a one-room office in New York City when they invited Dr. Spiros Zodhiates to join their ministry. Dr. Zodhiates came on board as a field representative and editor of the magazine and became president in 1966 when Nicholas Lambrides died. In 1949, while distributing New Testaments on the island of Crete, Dr. Zodhiates had an experience that expanded the ministry of AMG International. A young, barefoot girl, clothed in rags, asked Dr. Zodhiates for bread to give to her dying mother and little brother. After that, AMG International changed its mission to include feeding the hungry, caring for destitute children and healing the sick, in addition to preaching the Gospel.
Over the years, the organization's original mission of reaching the Greeks expanded to adopt a more global focus, hence the name change in 1974 to Advancing the Ministries of the Gospel International. By then, AMG International was ministering to people in India, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines, in addition to Greece. By 1999, AMG International's ministry had extended to approximately 50 countries.
In 2005, Dr. Zodhiates retired, and Paul Jenks became president of AMG International after being CEO since 1996. In 2013, Paul and his wife, Lois, returned to the mission field, where Paul continues supporting AMG International in the role of Vice President of Asian Outreach.
Today, led by Anastasios (Tasos) Ioannidis, AMG International is looking for exciting new opportunities for Gospel-focused, life-changing ministry in the digital age. We seek to meet people at their point of greatest need, whether it be hunger, sickness or hopelessness. We desire to point them to Jesus as the only answer to life's problems and the only hope for eternal life. To do so, we partner with Christians who share this passion and give them opportunities to share their treasure with those in physical and spiritual need.
Program accomplishments
AMG's accomplishments and programs include some of the following:
CLW (Christ the Light of the World) Communications Group.
CLW Electronics serves churches and ministries by providing audio and video equipment at an affordable price.
AMG Publishers produce devotional and Bible study materials to help Christians develop a deeper walk with God. The Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible, edited by AMG President Dr. Spiros Zodhiates, has sold more than 1 million copies.
Pulpit Helps Magazine is a monthly publication devoted to assisting pastors and teachers in the United States reaching approximately 100,000 church leaders each month.