KBM Joins ECFA
September 14, 2010
That “alphabet title” may seem mysterious, but we think it’s very good news.
Last week we received word that Keep Believing Ministries has been approved for membership in the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA). Suffice it to say that ECFA represents the “gold standard” for evangelical ministries in the realm of integrity, transparency, recordkeeping, fundraising and all aspects of financial accountability.
From our earliest days we talked about joining ECFA. Their standards require that you cannot apply until your ministry is at least three years old. But back then, in those early days when we received only a handful of donations each month, we set a goal of someday achieving membership in ECFA. Displaying their seal is like having the “Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.”
We started working in earnest on our application nine months ago. In January I told the board that achieving membership in ECFA was one of our major goals for 2010. That may not sound very important, but if you have ever thought about giving to KBM or to any other Christian ministry, it ought to matter. Belonging to ECFA means you have met their stringent standards regarding how the ministry is structured, how the board operates, and most important, how we handle fundraising and financial recordkeeping.
I want to give special recognition to MaryAnn Spiegel who served with great distinction as our Treasurer from the beginning. She deserves enormous credit for setting up and maintaining our financial records. Dave Hoy and Marlene worked long hours to ensure that the application was ready to be turned in.
We know that integrity starts with a commitment to do the right things in the right way. It can’t be guaranteed simply by displaying an ECFA seal. But the seal is our way of saying to you, our friends, prayer partners and financial supporters, that we truly mean to live up to the highest standards. We may not be the largest ministry around, but we intend to do our work with as much integrity and openness as any ministry anywhere.
That’s our commitment to you and to the Lord.