Frontiers 
Summary
Frontiers mission is to plant churches among the least evangelized peoples of the world through recruiting, training, and sending missionaries. Frontiers is a grace-oriented, field-governed coalition of semi-autonomous teams committed to accountability and eager for coaching, planting churches exclusively among Muslims. Some of Frontiers' missionaries are self-supported (tentmakers) and therefore a portion of their support is not reflected in the financial statements of Frontiers. Frontiers works in partnership with the international movement of Frontiers in accordance with the International Cooperative Agreement. Frontiers is at work in many parts of the world including, many cities and neighborhoods of North Africa, West Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia, the Balkans, the Indian Subcontinent, and Southeast Asia. Frontiers does not publish the particular locations of its teams, due to the delicacy that their tasks require.
This organization is a nonprofit. Contributions to it are fully tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. It is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA).
Contact information
Mailing address:
PO Box 60670
Phoenix, AZ 85082-0670
Website: www.frontiers.org
Phone: (800) 462-8436
Email: info-us@frontiers.org
Organization details
EIN: 953731505
CEO/President: Rev. Robert A. Blincoe
Chairman: Mr. Craig Stevenson
Board size: 12
Founder: Dr. Greg Livingstone
Year founded: 1982
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 06/30
Member of ECFA: Yes
Member of ECFA since: 1996
Purpose
Frontiers mission is to plant churches among the least evangelized peoples of the world through recruiting, training, and sending missionaries. Frontiers is a grace-oriented, field-governed coalition of semi-autonomous teams committed to accountability and eager for coaching, planting churches exclusively among Muslims. Some of Frontiers' missionaries are self-supported (tentmakers) and therefore a portion of their support is not reflected in the financial statements of Frontiers. Frontiers works in partnership with the international movement of Frontiers in accordance with the International Cooperative Agreement.
Frontiers is at work in many parts of the world including, many cities and neighborhoods of North Africa, West Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia, the Balkans, the Indian Subcontinent, and Southeast Asia. Frontiers does not publish the particular locations of its teams, due to the delicacy that their tasks require. The General Director is subject to the International Council, which is comprised of all team leaders. Team leaders are accountable to the Field Director. Team members are accountable to the team leader, who is accountable to the Field Director, who is accountable to the General Director.
The International Office (IO) oversees the field teams and their ministries, ensuring that teams receive adequate coaching and supervision. IO is also responsible for developing new sending bases. The US headquarters seeks to recruit, train, send, and serve U.S. missionaries to the Muslim world. Part of our service to the teams is our commitment to communications, through e-mail linkups and the latest technology.
This organization is a nonprofit. Contributions to it are fully tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. It is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA).
Mission statement
Frontiers uses the following to communicate its mission:
With love and respect, inviting all Muslim peoples to follow Jesus.
Statement of faith
Frontiers uses the following to communicate its faith:
We believe in the full, verbal inspiration of the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament: as authoritative, sufficient, infallible and without error in the original manuscripts, not only as containing, but as being in themselves the only written Word of God; and the need of the teaching of the Holy Spirit for a true and spiritual understanding of the whole.
We believe in one God, eternally existing as three co-equal persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We believe that human beings were created in the image of God, but were tempted by Satan and sinned, and are therefore under God's condemnation. As a consequence of Adam's Fall, human nature is totally depraved.
We believe in the absolute deity of our Lord Jesus Christ; His virgin birth; His real and perfect humanity; the authority of His teaching, and the infallibility of all His utterances; His work of atonement for the sin of the human race by His vicarious suffering and death; His bodily resurrection and His ascension into Heaven; His present high-priestly intercession for His people; and His lordship over His Church as its supreme Head.
We believe in the justification of the sinner, solely by faith, on the ground of the merits and vicarious suffering, death, and bodily resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
We believe in the necessity of the work of the Holy Spirit in conviction of sin, regeneration, and sanctification, as well as in ministry and worship.
We believe that the true Church is composed of only those persons who through saving faith in Jesus Christ have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit and are united together in the body of Christ of which he is Head.
We believe in the resurrection of the body; the judgment of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; the eternal blessedness of believers in Christ; and the everlasting, conscious punishment of unbelievers.
We believe in the imminent personal and visible return of our Lord Jesus Christ in glory.
We believe that Christ commanded the Church to go into all the world and make disciples of all peoples, baptizing and teaching those who believe.
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 | | 201 of 439 | 34 of 77 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 327 of 439 | 65 of 77 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 166 of 439 | 29 of 77 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 142 of 439 | 25 of 77 |
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Median % for all ministries in MW database | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 7% | 11% | 11% | 11% | 12% | 12% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 6% | 11% | 11% | 10% | 12% | 11% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 95% | 98% | 98% | 98% | 99% | 98% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 6% | 11% | 11% | 11% | 12% | 12% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 5% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 1% | 2% |
| Operating ratios | Median % for all ministries in MW database | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 82% | 85% | 83% | 83% | 82% | 82% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 99% | 98% | 95% | 96% | 98% | 96% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 81% | 83% | 79% | 79% | 80% | 78% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 1% | 2% | 5% | 4% | 2% | 4% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 2% | 4% | 10% | 10% | 5% | 10% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 10% | 5% | 6% | 6% | 6% | 7% |
| Investing ratios | Median measure for all ministries in MW database | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 1.27 | 1.90 | 1.95 | 2.00 | 2.15 | 2.22 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 1.54 | 1.23 | 1.24 | 1.29 | 1.34 | 1.36 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 2.45 | 2.34 | 2.42 | 2.58 | 2.89 | 3.03 |
| Liquidity ratios | Median measure for all ministries in MW database | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 8.05 | 58.76 | 54.99 | 55.51 | 44.49 | 38.70 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.11 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.03 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 4.07 | 5.05 | 4.88 | 4.58 | 4.05 | 3.85 |
| Solvency ratios | Median % for all ministries in MW database | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 10% | 3% | 2% | 3% | 3% | 3% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 63% | 51% | 50% | 49% | 45% | 44% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Cash | $4,942,170 | $4,661,680 | $4,561,286 | $4,117,131 | $3,402,934 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $377,906 | $485,622 | $250,104 | $561,809 | $394,690 |
| Short-term investments | $9,640,825 | $8,944,842 | $7,527,042 | $6,099,587 | $6,265,438 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $14,960,901 | $14,092,144 | $12,338,432 | $10,778,527 | $10,063,062 |
| Long-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed assets | $3,423,030 | $3,364,429 | $3,562,634 | $3,703,389 | $3,667,124 |
| Other long-term assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total long-term assets | $3,423,030 | $3,364,429 | $3,562,634 | $3,703,389 | $3,667,124 |
| Total assets | $18,383,931 | $17,456,573 | $15,901,066 | $14,481,916 | $13,730,186 |
| Liabilities | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $254,606 | $256,276 | $222,274 | $242,261 | $260,027 |
| Other current liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current liabilities | $254,606 | $256,276 | $222,274 | $242,261 | $260,027 |
| Debt | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Due to (from) affiliates | $235,785 | $64,348 | $228,678 | $260,733 | $191,631 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total long-term liabilities | $235,785 | $64,348 | $228,678 | $260,733 | $191,631 |
| Total liabilities | $490,391 | $320,624 | $450,952 | $502,994 | $451,658 |
| Net assets | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Unrestricted | $6,666,946 | $5,989,693 | $4,613,185 | $4,059,540 | $4,015,714 |
| Temporarily restricted | $11,226,594 | $11,146,256 | $10,836,929 | $9,919,382 | $9,262,814 |
| Permanently restricted | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Net assets | $17,893,540 | $17,135,949 | $15,450,114 | $13,978,922 | $13,278,528 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Total contributions | $34,940,506 | $35,110,676 | $32,605,419 | $31,647,213 | $31,133,588 |
| Program service revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $601,951 | $361,511 | $435,155 | $36,058 | $504,887 |
| Other revenue | $173,561 | $249,218 | $205,287 | $218,839 | $183,830 |
| Total other revenue | $775,512 | $610,729 | $640,442 | $254,897 | $688,717 |
| Total revenue | $35,716,018 | $35,721,405 | $33,245,861 | $31,902,110 | $31,822,305 |
| Expenses | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Program services | $29,571,132 | $28,287,366 | $26,239,378 | $25,616,326 | $24,878,502 |
| Management and general | $1,631,482 | $1,967,358 | $2,050,915 | $1,871,101 | $1,997,390 |
| Fundraising | $3,755,813 | $3,780,846 | $3,484,376 | $3,714,289 | $3,649,079 |
| Total expenses | $34,958,427 | $34,035,570 | $31,774,669 | $31,201,716 | $30,524,971 |
| Change in net assets | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Surplus (deficit) | $757,591 | $1,685,835 | $1,471,192 | $700,394 | $1,297,334 |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | $757,591 | $1,685,835 | $1,471,192 | $700,394 | $1,297,334 |
Response from ministry
No response has been provided by this ministry.
History
Founded in 1982 by Greg Livingstone, Frontiers teams are planting churches in restricted-access countries. Begun in the United States, today more than 20 Frontiers sending bases have been started in Europe, Latin America and Asia. About half of the Frontiers teams are led by non-Americans. The international office moved to Europe in 1992. The total number of field workers is more than 1100.
Program accomplishments
Frontiers express its accomplishments as follows:
In the year 2000-
- A 10% increase in the number of fellowships and churches of Muslim background believers .
- A 19% increase in the number of teams engaged at the highest levels of church planting.
- A 7 % increase in the number of Frontiers teams.
- A 12% increase in the number of field workers affiliated with Frontiers.
- The highest enrollment of new recruits in Candidate School in Frontiers history.
- A commitment from 6 agencies for a goal of 1000 new workers for service among the Muslims.
Needs
If you are interested in becoming a Frontiers missionary candidate, call 1-800-GO-2-THEM or email Frontiers at recruiting@us.frontiers.org and ask for an "I'm Interested" pre-application form. This will allow Frontiers to hear about your vision for loving Muslims.