Christian Research Institute / CRI

The information on this page was last updated 4/13/2023. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]


Summary

The Christian Research Institute exists to provide Christians worldwide with carefully researched information and well-reasoned answers that encourage them in their faith and equip them to intelligently represent it to people influenced by ideas and teachings that assault or undermine biblical Christianity and the essentials of the historic Christian faith.


Contact information

Mailing address:
Christian Research Institute
PO Box 8500
Charlotte, NC 28271

Website: equip.org

Phone: (704) 887-8200

Email: [email protected]


Organization details

EIN: 226063412

CEO/President: Mr. Hank Hanegraaff

Chairman:

Board size: 0

Founder: Mr. Walter Martin

Ruling year: 1964

Tax deductible: Yes

Fiscal year end: 06/30

Member of ECFA: No

Member of ECFA since:


Purpose

CRI's strategy is expressed by the acronym E-Q-U-I-P:

E - The "E" in EQUIP represents the word essentials. CRI is committed to the maxim: "In essentials unity, in nonessentials liberty, and in all things charity."

Q - The "Q" in the acronym EQUIP represents the word questions. In addition to focusing on essentials, CRI answers people's questions regarding cults, culture, and Christianity.

U - The "U" in the word EQUIP represents the word user-friendly. As much as possible, CRI is committed to taking complex issues and making them understandable and accessible to the lay Christian.

I - This brings us to the "I" in EQUIP, which stands for integrity. Recall Paul's admonition: "Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers."

P - Finally, the "P" in the acronym EQUIP represents the word para-church. CRI is deeply committed to the local church as the God-ordained vehicle for equipping, evangelism, and education.


Mission statement

Equipping Christians to think and live Christianly.

The Mission of CRI is to equip and encourage Christians worldwide to fruitfully represent the Christian faith to a spiritually hungry yet skeptical world. To this end, carefully researched and well-reasoned materials that respond to ideas and teachings assaulting or undermining orthodox, biblical Christianity will be effectively and practically presented through a robust and strategic media mix. This mix will be designed to equip and resource Christians globally to be fruitful agents of change for God's kingdom. Preference will be given to radio, Internet, conferences, and other communications channels capable of national and global reach. We strive to serve Christian believers from all walks of life, with special emphasis on leaders and leadership networks capable of leveraging CRI's resources and accelerating the realization of CRI's vision.


Statement of faith

Over the years, there have been numerous suggestions for amending our statement of faith to reflect particular sectarian beliefs/biases. However, the Christian Research Institute (CRI) is committed to what is aptly referred to as "mere Christianity." In other words, "In essentials, unity; nonessentials, liberty; and in all things, charity."

Furthermore, CRI stands in concert with the historic Christian statement of faith expressed in the fourth-century Nicene Creed:

I believe in one God, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages; Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten, not created, of one essence with the Father, through Whom all things were made.

Who for us and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became man.

He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried; and He rose on the third day, according to the Scriptures.

He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father, and He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead. His kingdom shall have no end.

And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Creator of Life, Who proceeds from the Father[1], Who together with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, Who spoke through the prophets.

In one holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.

I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the age to come. Amen.

Finally, as president of the Christian Research Institute, Hank Hanegraaff has memorably codified the essentials of historic Christianity around the acronym D-O-C-T-R-I-N-E.

Deity of Christ

The biblical witness is clear and convincing that Jesus Christ is the eternal Creator God (John 1; Colossians 1; Hebrews 1; Revelation 1). Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus claimed to be God in word and deed (Mark 14:61-62; John 5:18, 20; 8:58; 10:30-33). He vindicated His claim to deity by living a sinless life (John 8:46; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; 1 John 3:5; 1 Peter 2:22); by manifesting His power over nature (Mark 4:39), over fallen angels (Luke 4:35), over sickness (Matthew 4:23), and even over death itself (John 4:50; 11:43-44; 1 Corinthians 15); and by accurately prophesying God's judgment on Jerusalem through the destruction of the temple that occurred in AD 70 (Matthew 24:1-2, 32-35).

Original Sin

Sin is not just murder, rape, or robbery. Sin refers to any thought, word, deed, or state of being that fails to meet God's standard of holiness and perfection. The Bible unambiguously proclaims that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). While the notion of generational curses and spirits is foreign to the text of Scripture, there is a sense in which all people are cursed as a result of an ancestor's sin: Adam's rebellion brought death to us all and tainted every aspect of our being (Genesis 3; 1 Corinthians 15:21-22; cf. Ephesians 2:3). God, however, has provided redemption through the atoning work of the Second Adam, Jesus Christ (Romans 5:12-21).

Canon

The Hebrew Scriptures along with the Greek New Testament constitute the Christian canon (meaning "standard of measurement"). While inspiration provides the divine authority for the Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16), canonization provides human acknowledgment of that authority. As such, the canon was determined by God and discovered by church fathers who accepted books as part of the canon on the basis that they were widely used within the churches and ultimately traceable to the authority of the apostles and prophets.

Trinity

Although the word Trinity is found nowhere in the Bible, it aptly codifies the essential biblical truths that (1) there is only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 43:10); (2) the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God (1 Corinthians 8:6; Hebrews 1:8; Acts 5:3-4); and (3) Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are eternally distinct (Matthew 28:19; John 15:26; 17:1-26). It is important to note that when Trinitarians speak of one God, they are referring to the nature, or essence, of God. Moreover, when they speak of Persons, they are referring to personal self-distinctions within the Godhead. Put another way, Trinitarians believe in one What and three Whos.

Resurrection

All four canonical Gospels record the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The immutable fact of Jesus' resurrection is the cornerstone of Christian faith because it not only vindicates Jesus' claims to deity but also ensures the future bodily resurrection unto eternal life of all who believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior and proclaim Him as Lord (1 Corinthians 15; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). The historical reality of the Resurrection can be demonstrated by eyewitness accounts of the fatal torment Jesus suffered on the cross; the empty tomb; the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus; and the transformation of believers throughout the ages whose lives have been radically altered upon experiencing the resurrected Lord.

Incarnation

The doctrine of the incarnation is summed up aptly in the words of the apostle John: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God....And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:1, 14 NKJV). The clear testimony of Scripture is that, in the incarnation, Jesus Christ was, and will forever remain, truly God and truly man; that is, the eternal Son of God, the second Person of the Triune Godhead, added to Himself an additional nature such that He exists as the perfect unity of a divine nature and a human nature in one Person (John 1; Colossians 1). As Theanthropos ("God-man"), the spotless Lamb of God (John 1:29) lived a perfectly sinless human life (Hebrews 4:15) and died a sinner's death to sufficiently atone - once, for all - for the sins of humanity (Romans 5:1-21; Hebrews 10:11-18).

New Creation

The essential doctrine of New Creation is codified aptly in the words of the apostle Paul: "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV). All who believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and confess Him as Lord are reconciled to God and inherit eternal life in His glorious presence (John 3:16; Romans 10:9-10). Jesus' resurrection from the dead inaugurated the renewal of all things. The new creation of faithful believers and the new creation of the natural world will be consummated in the resurrection when Jesus returns bodily to Earth as the conquering King (Romans 8:18-25).

Eschatology

The word eschatology is an intimidating word with a simple meaning: the study of end times. While the meaning of eschatology is simple to grasp, its importance is difficult to overemphasize. Far from being a mere branch in the theological tree, eschatology is the root that provides life and luster to every fiber of its being. Put another way, eschatology is the thread that weaves the tapestry of Scripture into a harmonious pattern. It is the study of everything we long and hope for. Early in Genesis, Adam and Eve fell into a life of constant sin terminated by death. The rest of Scripture chronicles God's unfolding plan of redemption. Although Christians debate secondary aspects of eschatology, such as the timing of the Tribulation or the meaning of the Millennium, we are united in the truth that just as Christ came to Earth once to bear the sins of the world, so, too, He will return again to gather the elect and to usher in the resurrection of all things (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Hebrews 9:27-28). On that day, the just will be resurrected to eternal life and the unjust to eternal conscious torment and separation from the love and grace of God (John 5:28-29). Paradise lost will become paradise restored, and the problem of sin and Satan will be fully and finally resolved (Revelation 20-22).

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Transparency grade

D

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Financial efficiency ratings

Sector: Christian Growth

CategoryRatingOverall rankSector rank
Overall efficiency rating775 of 110134 of 59
Fund acquisition rating679 of 110235 of 59
Resource allocation rating546 of 110219 of 59
Asset utilization rating805 of 110147 of 59

Financial ratios

Funding ratiosSector median20232021202020192018
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts =
Fundraising expense /
Total contributions
7%7%4%8%10%11%
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio =
Fundraising expense /
Total revenue
5%7%4%8%10%11%
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance =
Total contributions /
Total revenue
82%94%101%100%100%100%
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio =
Fundraising expense /
Total expenses
5%7%8%9%10%10%
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance =
Total other revenue /
Total revenue
18%6%-1%0%0%0%
 
Operating ratiosSector median20232021202020192018
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio =
Program services /
Total expenses
82%84%79%80%80%80%
Spending ratio Spending ratio =
Total expenses /
Total revenue
94%99%53%97%102%106%
Program output ratio Program output ratio =
Program services /
Total revenue
78%84%41%77%82%84%
Savings ratio Savings ratio =
Surplus (deficit) /
Total revenue
6%1%47%3%-2%-6%
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate =
Surplus (deficit) /
Net assets
7%1%84%21%-21%-49%
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio =
Management and general expense /
Total expenses
12%9%13%12%10%10%
 
Investing ratiosSector median20232021202020192018
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover =
Total expenses /
Total assets
1.010.590.711.141.481.58
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment =
Total assets /
Total current assets
1.381.522.752.583.324.54
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover =
Total expenses /
Total current assets
1.420.901.942.954.917.18
 
Liquidity ratiosSector median20232021202020192018
Current ratio Current ratio =
Total current assets /
Total current liabilities
9.435.872.451.681.090.75
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio =
Total current liabilities /
Total current assets
0.100.170.410.600.921.32
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level =
(Total current assets -
Total current liabilities) /
(Total expenses / 12)
7.1411.093.671.650.19-0.54
 
Solvency ratiosSector median20232021202020192018
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio =
Total liabilities /
Total assets
11%23%25%81%84%82%
Debt ratio Debt ratio =
Debt /
Total assets
0%0%0%38%44%42%
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio =
Net assets /
Total expenses
83%130%107%16%11%11%

Financials

Balance sheet
 
Assets20232021202020192018
Cash$2,387,512$1,169,977$612,029$323,340$298,970
Receivables, inventories, prepaids$60,275$65,697$218,988$266,048$173,756
Short-term investments$0$0$0$0$0
Other current assets$0$0$0$0$0
Total current assets$2,447,787$1,235,674$831,017$589,388$472,726
Long-term investments$0$0$0$0$0
Fixed assets$1,267,399$1,271,525$1,310,468$1,368,565$1,671,451
Other long-term assets$0$885,000$0$287$2,588
Total long-term assets$1,267,399$2,156,525$1,310,468$1,368,852$1,674,039
Total assets$3,715,186$3,392,199$2,141,485$1,958,240$2,146,765
 
Liabilities20232021202020192018
Payables and accrued expenses$407,087$477,559$462,350$489,045$559,539
Other current liabilities$10,264$25,814$32,377$54,033$66,659
Total current liabilities$417,351$503,373$494,727$543,078$626,198
Debt$0$0$816,809$856,004$901,393
Due to (from) affiliates$0$0$0$0$0
Other long-term liabilities$439,320$328,904$427,737$241,315$234,148
Total long-term liabilities$439,320$328,904$1,244,546$1,097,319$1,135,541
Total liabilities$856,671$832,277$1,739,273$1,640,397$1,761,739
 
Net assets20232021202020192018
Without donor restrictions$2,858,515$2,559,922$402,212$317,843$385,026
With donor restrictions$0$0$0$0$0
Net assets$2,858,515$2,559,922$402,212$317,843$385,026
 
Revenues and expenses
 
Revenue20232021202020192018
Total contributions$2,091,560$4,577,341$2,529,613$2,827,355$3,201,635
Program service revenue$0$0$0$0$0
Membership dues$0$0$0$0$0
Investment income$85,959$2,428$234$62,719$453
Other revenue$36,338($28,645)$5,606($61,759)$5,781
Total other revenue$122,297($26,217)$5,840$960$6,234
Total revenue$2,213,857$4,551,124$2,535,453$2,828,315$3,207,869
 
Expenses20232021202020192018
Program services$1,855,815$1,879,028$1,953,768$2,316,579$2,708,337
Management and general$195,017$314,161$285,578$301,696$345,794
Fundraising$146,800$200,225$211,738$277,223$342,064
Total expenses$2,197,632$2,393,414$2,451,084$2,895,498$3,396,195
 
Change in net assets20232021202020192018
Surplus (deficit)$16,225$2,157,710$84,369($67,183)($188,326)
Other changes in net assets$0$0$0$0$0
Total change in net assets$16,225$2,157,710$84,369($67,183)($188,326)

Compensation

NameTitleCompensation
Hendrik HanegraaffPresident/CEO$390,062
Paul YoungEVP/COO/CFO/SEC$197,545
Kathy HanegraaffDir. of Planning$185,935

Compensation data as of: 6/30/2023


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 4/13/2023. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]


History

The Christian Research Institute (CRI) was founded in 1960 by the late Dr. Walter Martin, the first evangelical Christian clergy to recognize the threat and opportunity presented to the Christian church by cults and alternative religious systems. First Peter 3:15 was the inspiration for CRI: "But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence." Recognizing that the American Christian church had abdicated its position as the spiritual conscience of America's social, political, and ethical systems, Dr. Martin committed CRI to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3).

More than 50 years later, CRI is one of the largest and most effective apologetics ministry in the world. The Bible Answer Man daily live call-in radio program syndicated nationwide and available internationally via Web Site/Internet simulcast, two award-winning periodicals, hundreds of audio recordings and videos, a comprehensive resource catalog and bookstore, personal correspondence and customer service, research correspondence, and publications, CRI is living out Jesus' parable of the salt of the earth. CRI President Hank Hanegraaff, host of The Bible Answer Man, author of the award-winning bestsellers Christianity in Crisis, Counterfeit Revival, The Face that Demonstrates the Farce of Evolution, The Millennium Bug Debugged and Resurrection and internationally popular conference and pulpit speaker, has taken CRI into the next generation of apologetics with a vision for eternity: Mainstreaming apologetics, taking it out of the seminaries and into the hearts and hands of Christians everywhere, is the vision of CRI. We must take the best apologetic thinking by the best minds in church history and communicate it in a popular, memorable way. We do not dumb down apologetics, but we take the complex and make it simple, the obscure and make it clear, and the difficult to remember and make it memorable.


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