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Back to God Hour

Rating
Sector:

Educational Media

Total
Revenue:

$9,836,772

Total
Expenses:

$9,677,365

Net
Assets:

$3,655,827
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Profile Contents

Research Analysis
Financial Information

Ministry Pie Chart

Ministry Pie Chart

Age Size Box:

>50
Yr(s)25-50
<25
<$1m$1m-
$5m
>$5m

Summary

The Back to God Hour ("Back to God Hour") is the broadcast agency (radio and television) of the Christian Reformed Church. It produces radio programs in nine major world languages and television in four languages. Back to God Hour programs are evangelistic, and present the claims of the historic Christian faith as understood by the Reformed branch of Protestantism. Each minister uses his native tongue in the broadcast. No solicitation of funds is made on the air. Listeners and viewers are offered free printed material dealing with various aspects of the Christian faith. Tapes are available at a nominal cost. Back to God Hour works in conjunction with churches within its denomination and also other Christian churches in North America and abroad. Back to God Hour publishes a daily devotional bimonthly called "Today, The Family Altar." Back to God Hour broadcasts in a number of different languages and mission fields, including: English, French, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, Arabic, Japanese, Chinese, and Indonesian.

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: [ Back to top ]

Mailing Address:6555 West College Dr.
Palos Heights, IL
60463-1770
Website: www.btgh.org
Phone:(708) 371-8700, (800) 873-6555
Email:You need to enable javascript to see the email

Organization Details [ Back to top ]

EIN: 362284261
CEO/President: Mr. Robert Heerspink Tax Deductible: Yes
Chairman: Fiscal Year End: June 30
Board Size: Financial info from:
Founder: Member of ECFA: Yes
Year Founded: 1939 Member of ECFA since: 1989

Purpose [ Back to top ]

The Back to God Hour ("Back to God Hour") is the broadcast agency (radio and television) of the Christian Reformed Church. It produces radio programs in nine major world languages and television in four languages. Back to God Hour programs are evangelistic, and present the claims of the historic Christian faith as understood by the Reformed branch of Protestantism. The weekly half-hour radio program, The Back to God Hour, has carried a message of redemption in Christ for almost 60 years. Each minister uses his native tongue in the broadcast. No solicitation of funds is made on the air. Listeners and viewers are offered free printed material dealing with various aspects of the Christian faith. Tapes are available at a nominal cost. Back to God Hour works in conjunction with churches within its denomination and also other Christian churches in North America and abroad. Back to God Hour publishes a daily devotional bimonthly called "Today, The Family Altar." Back to God Hour broadcasts in a number of different languages and mission fields, including: English, French, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, Arabic, Japanese, Chinese, and Indonesian.

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 [ Back to top ]

Need Mission Statement

Program Accomplishments [ Back to top ]

  • Through their radio program they have the potential to reach 270 million people in 22 Arab countries.
  • Over 5,000 Japanese have visited The Back to God Hour’s websites where visitors can hear sermons, meet fellow seekers and believers in chatrooms, order Bible correspondence courses and CDs, and sign up for an online magazine.
  • The Back to God Hour is celebrating the fortieth anniversary of its Spanish ministry. Nearly 450 stations carry their radio programs, and their television program La Vida Ahora is aired on nearly 100 stations.
  • Over 200 Russian language Bibles are distributed each month by The Back to God Hour.
  • Global Impact:
    • BTGH airs programs on 200 television stations around the world.
    • BTGH has radio broadcasts on 1,125 different radio stations, plus shortwave radio.
    • There are 1,000 listeners per year who request Bible Correspondence courses.
    • BTGH has internet ministries in English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Indonesian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, and Russian.

Statement of Faith [ Back to top ]

The Christian Reformed Church subscribes to the following confessions:

The Belgic Confession
The Canons of Dordt
The Heidelberg Catechism

History [ Back to top ]

The Christian Reformed Church was founded in 1857 and is a Protestant church in the Calvinist tradition. It is biblically based, worships the triune God and teaches a worldview centered on faith, action and the family. The Christian Reformed Church is committed to Christian education and is active in media, missions, publishing, relief and development, pastoral care and youth ministry.

The weekly half-hour radio program, The Back to God Hour, has carried a message of redemption in Christ for almost 60 years. The Spanish language ministry of The Back to God Hour began in 1965, launched by pioneer radio minister Juan Boonstra, who directed its growth until his retirement in 1992. This ministry now beams its message over more than 400 radio stations, as well as on dozens of television stations, which air its popular thematic specials.

In 1958, the Back to God Hour and Rev. Bassam Madany pioneered a radio ministry to people in the Arabic-speaking world. The Back to God Hour's 15 minute program, Window to Tomorrow, is beamed each weekday evening to all of Japan. Morning Word, a five-minute program is also heard each day in the greater Tokyo area. Rev. Paul M'Pindi, a native of the Democratic Republic of Congo(formerly Zaire), began preparing messages for the French broadcast ministry of the Back to God Hour in 1998, while completing his doctoral studies at Calvin Seminary. Many Reformed-confessing churches have sprung up in French-speaking Africa as a result of the French language radio and literature ministry of the Back to God Hour. The broadcast also reaches French-speaking people in the Caribbean. For the past 25 years, The Back to God Hour has blanketed Indonesia with a variety of programming formats designed to reach this youthful audience. More than 1,000 Bible study groups, each comprised of 10-15 listener participants meet regularly to study Back to God Hour-prepared correspondence courses and help each other grow in faith.

Ministry Needs [ Back to top ]

This organization has not offered MinistryWatch.com with specific needs to be posted on the profile. At such a time that MinistryWatch.com receives a response from the ministry, it will be posted immediately.

Research Analysis

Transparency Grade [ Back to top ]

Transparency Grade of : B
Criteria categoryGradeOther Comments
Timeliness:7011/7/2011 10:01:54 AM: Organization made financial information available greater than 7 ½ months.
Financial Information:100
Foundational Clarity:10011/7/2011 10:01:58 AM: Descriptive information was abundant and thorough.
Level of Cooperation:
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MinistryWatch.com 5 Star Financial Efficiency Ratings [ Back to top ]

This ministry has not been rated

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Ministry Statement or Response [ Back to top ]

This organization has not offered MinistryWatch.com with an official statement or response for their profile. This area is meant as a mechanism for the profiled ministry to communicate anything they may choose. It is open ended as to the topic, issues, facts or news to address. It is not negative if there is no official statement as many don’t have anything to add than what is already on the profile. This section is not tied to transparency or to communication in general. Many very open and talkative ministries with us choose not to post an official statement. This section is just an open ended offering to the profiled ministry for anything extra to say as they may choose.

Financial Information:

Financials[ Back to top ]

Balance Sheet
Assets20042003200220012000
Cash$971,771$663,530$1,099,461$889,031$1,805,892
Receivables, Inventories & Prepaids$220,063$181,005$299,896($839,625)$609,131
Short-Term Investments$4,662,058$4,709,147$4,483,776$4,967,913$0
Other Current Assets$0$0$0$0$0
Total Current Assets$5,853,892$5,553,682$5,883,133$5,017,319$2,415,023
Long-Term Investments$0$0$0$0$5,085,277
Fixed Assets$637,866$751,257$909,544$2,510,780$1,156,253
Other Long-Term Assets$0$0$0$0$0
Total Long-Term Assets$637,866$751,257$909,544$2,510,780$6,241,530
TOTAL ASSETS$6,491,758$6,304,939$6,792,677$7,528,099$8,656,553
Liabilities20042003200220012000
Payables & Accrued Expenses$474,863$482,356$421,063$433,430$336,866
Other Current Liabilities$2,361,068$2,326,023$2,251,309$2,098,855$0
Total Current Liabilities$2,835,931$2,808,379$2,672,372$2,532,285$336,866
Debt$0$0$0$0$593,640
Due To (From) Affiliates$0$0$0$0$0
Other Long-Term Liabilities$0$0$0$0$1,510,986
Total Long-Term Liabilities$0$0$0$0$2,104,626
TOTAL LIABILITIES$2,835,931$2,808,379$2,672,372$2,532,285$2,441,492
Assets20042003200220012000
Unrestricted$3,537,881$3,378,614$4,002,359$4,828,998$6,053,243
Temporarily Restricted$18,177$18,177$18,177$67,047$62,049
Permanently Restricted$99,769$99,769$99,769$99,769$99,769
NET ASSETS$3,655,827$3,496,560$4,120,305$4,995,814$6,215,061
Revenue and Expenses
Revenue20042003200220012000
Total Contributions$8,928,582$9,232,428$9,097,502$8,475,812$8,258,654
Program Service Revenue$0$0$0$0$0
Membership Dues$0$0$0$0$0
Investment Income$812,692$268,499$32,336$295,490$302,555
Other Revenue$95,498$71,595$47,665$111,539$223,944
Total Other Revenue$908,190$340,094$80,001$407,029$526,499
TOTAL REVENUE$9,836,772$9,572,522$9,177,503$8,882,841$8,785,153
Expenses20042003200220012000
Program Services$7,833,966$8,571,754$8,618,290$8,683,547$8,060,781
Management & General$556,111$513,123$470,664$599,798$537,938
Fundraising$1,287,288$1,092,720$964,058$818,743$850,036
TOTAL EXPENSES$9,677,365$10,177,597$10,053,012$10,102,088$9,448,755
Change in Net Assets20042003200220012000
SURPLUS (DEFICIT)$159,407($605,075)($875,509)($1,219,247)($663,602)
Other Changes in Net Assets$0$0$0$0$0
TOTAL CHANGE IN NET ASSETS$159,407($605,075)($875,509)($1,219,247)($663,602)