World Witness, the Board of Foreign Missions
The information on this page was last updated 4/28/2023. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]
Summary
World Witness is a missions organization of the Associated Reformed Presbyterian Church, planting and growing Reformed churches around the world.
Contact information
Mailing address:
World Witness
918 S. Pleasantburg Dr.
Suite 218
Greenville, SC 29607
Website: worldwitness.org
Phone: (864) 233-5226
Email: [email protected]
Organization details
EIN: 570789692
CEO/President: Alex Pettett
Chairman: Matt Kuiken
Board size: 12
Founder:
Ruling year: 1967
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 12/31
Member of ECFA: Yes
Member of ECFA since: 1985
Purpose
The work of foreign missions is the effort of the Church to carry out the Great Commission of our Lord. World Witness, the Board of Foreign Missions, is the Church organized for this work. The missionaries are the Church and the Board in action on the foreign field. With the Church, the Board and the missionaries being workers together in the common service of our Lord Jesus Christ, it is essential that the fullest sympathy and harmony should characterize all their relations with one another. Such harmonious and pleasant relations, it is deeply felt, depends far less on formal rules than on our common experience of divine grace--the grace which inspires meekness, forbearance and love.
And yet there are certain methods of procedure which long experience has proved wise. This manual is a formulation of those methods into policies according to which the Board will conduct the work committed to it. In the interest of good understanding and efficient cooperation, missionaries and candidates for appointment are asked to familiarize themselves with these policies. Those who have devoted their lives utterly to the giving of the Gospel of Christ to a lost world and who go forth in His Spirit of self-sacrifice and service will not look at these policies as irksome laws, but as guides to the harmonious working out of the plan of God through His Church.
Mission statement
Our purpose is to plant healthy, reproducing God-glorifying churches, which are winsomely Reformed in doctrine and Presbyterian in structure, in defined communities across geographic and cultural boundaries.
World Witness realizes this purpose by sending and supporting missionaries and by mobilizing ARP churches to do so. Our missionaries proclaim Jesus Christ as the only Savior and Lord through evangelism, discipleship, church planting, Christian education and works of compassion.
Statement of faith
The basic Statement of Faith of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian denomination is the Westminster Confession.
Donor confidence score
Transparency grade
C
To understand our transparency grade, click here.
Financial efficiency ratings
Sector: Foreign Missions
This ministry has not been rated.
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 6% | 0% | 3% | 5% | 4% | 4% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 5% | 0% | 3% | 5% | 4% | 4% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 99% | 97% | 96% | 99% | 98% | 96% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 5% | 0% | 3% | 5% | 4% | 4% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 1% | 3% | 4% | 1% | 2% | 4% |
| Operating ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 84% | 80% | 81% | 80% | 85% | 85% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 99% | 87% | 94% | 106% | 105% | 96% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 82% | 70% | 76% | 85% | 89% | 81% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 1% | 13% | 6% | -6% | -5% | 4% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 2% | 19% | 11% | -11% | -9% | 6% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 8% | 20% | 16% | 15% | 11% | 12% |
| Investing ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 1.35 | 1.22 | 1.59 | 1.78 | 1.59 | 1.39 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 1.22 | 1.08 | 1.07 | 1.05 | 1.05 | 1.19 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 2.02 | 1.32 | 1.69 | 1.87 | 1.68 | 1.66 |
| Liquidity ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 19.08 | 15.87 | 14.66 | 7.40 | 13.53 | 12.14 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.05 | 0.06 | 0.07 | 0.14 | 0.07 | 0.08 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 5.58 | 8.49 | 6.60 | 5.55 | 6.62 | 6.65 |
| Solvency ratios | Sector median | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 7% | 6% | 6% | 13% | 7% | 7% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 68% | 77% | 59% | 49% | 58% | 67% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Cash | $2,173,387 | $1,468,634 | $1,647,583 | $1,451,264 | $1,462,749 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $315,652 | $394,286 | $197,073 | $265,971 | $254,690 |
| Short-term investments | $1,308,689 | $1,242,209 | $1,177,369 | $1,415,544 | $1,292,032 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $3,797,728 | $3,105,129 | $3,022,025 | $3,132,779 | $3,009,471 |
| Long-term investments | $0 | $19,143 | $16,891 | $18,750 | $17,464 |
| Fixed assets | $296,011 | $191,969 | $136,249 | $149,587 | $561,576 |
| Other long-term assets | $20,263 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total long-term assets | $316,274 | $211,112 | $153,140 | $168,337 | $579,040 |
| Total assets | $4,114,002 | $3,316,241 | $3,175,165 | $3,301,116 | $3,588,511 |
| Liabilities | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $239,228 | $182,960 | $384,554 | $200,714 | $210,795 |
| Other current liabilities | $0 | $28,798 | $23,951 | $30,889 | $37,157 |
| Total current liabilities | $239,228 | $211,758 | $408,505 | $231,603 | $247,952 |
| Debt | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Due to (from) affiliates | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $24,274 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total long-term liabilities | $24,274 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total liabilities | $263,502 | $211,758 | $408,505 | $231,603 | $247,952 |
| Net assets | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Without donor restrictions | $1,636,709 | $1,111,397 | $885,008 | $1,208,380 | $1,255,337 |
| With donor restrictions | $2,213,791 | $1,993,086 | $1,881,652 | $1,861,133 | $2,085,222 |
| Net assets | $3,850,500 | $3,104,483 | $2,766,660 | $3,069,513 | $3,340,559 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Total contributions | $5,623,237 | $5,356,917 | $5,317,626 | $4,870,445 | $5,000,290 |
| Program service revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $151,878 | $235,720 | ($44,801) | $187,775 | $103,478 |
| Other revenue | $0 | $3,121 | $73,784 | ($70,305) | $81,624 |
| Total other revenue | $151,878 | $238,841 | $28,983 | $117,470 | $185,102 |
| Total revenue | $5,775,115 | $5,595,758 | $5,346,609 | $4,987,915 | $5,185,392 |
| Expenses | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Program services | $4,048,365 | $4,238,122 | $4,528,393 | $4,452,998 | $4,214,560 |
| Management and general | $980,733 | $848,821 | $848,736 | $596,382 | $581,540 |
| Fundraising | $0 | $170,992 | $272,333 | $209,126 | $188,296 |
| Total expenses | $5,029,098 | $5,257,935 | $5,649,462 | $5,258,506 | $4,984,396 |
| Change in net assets | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
| Surplus (deficit) | $746,017 | $337,823 | ($302,853) | ($270,591) | $200,996 |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | ($455) | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | $746,017 | $337,823 | ($302,853) | ($271,046) | $200,996 |
Compensation
Compensation data for this ministry has not been collected.
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 4/28/2023. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]
History
World Witness is the foreign missions agency of the ARP Church. Our first missionaries were sent in 1875 to Mexico and Pakistan. Our fields have broadened to now include England, Germany, France, Lithuania, Spain, Wales and Mobile Theological Training Team (MT3).
This includes Christian Hospital Sahiwal in Pakistan, reaching 40,000 Pakistanis annually, and Christian schools in Pakistan, educating 700 students annually. In addition, satellite TV ministries are reaching into unreached areas in the Middle East.