Light Bearers Ministry

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
911320416
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2023
Forms available
Form 990 2023, Form 990-T 2023
Location
Collegedale, TN, USA
Phone
5419883333
Rating
62
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Christianity
Affiliation
Christianity

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$2,341,642
Expenses
$2,606,141
Assets
$2,384,500
Liabilities
$277,477

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2023. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

9 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • TY GIBSON (DIRECTOR/PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • TY GIBSON (DIRECTOR/PRESIDENT): $179,712 total reported compensation
  • DON OTIS (CHAIRMAN/SECRETARY): $111,846 total reported compensation
  • DAVID ASSCHERICK (BOARD MEMBER): $111,024 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2023. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

It is the mission of light bearers to assist the world church in hastening the glorious coming of jesus christ by helping to execute his mandate to proclaim the gospel to all the world.

What it reported doing in 2023

Preachas an evangelistic and revival ministry, light bearers is the launch pad for an on-fire team of speakers who exalt christ as the living center of all truth while preaching the full-spectrum message of his word.first, we hold public evangelistic meetings. These are preaching events hosted in local venues throughout the world. The messages are crafted for the specific purpose of introducing christ and his matchless love against the backdrop of the end-time message of bible prophecy.second, we are committed to revival ministry in the church. Evangelism

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 93% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence and a relatively small share of voting board members are independent.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 66
  • Transparency & Controls: 65
  • Accountability: 65
  • Sustainability: 24
  • Growth: 40

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 70%; rating input score 70
  • Program expense ratio: 62.7%; rating input score 63
  • Fundraising efficiency: $17.39 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 55.6%; rating input score 56; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -11.3%; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.91; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.12; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 18.7%; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -0.7% per year; rating input score 0; 14th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 1.1% per year; rating input score 100; 18th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -3.3% per year; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 70% of revenue deployed · 62.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 9 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $1.6M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $180K · 9 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $122K reported
  • Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 10 filing years from 2011 to 2023
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 filed money-flow records
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 56/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 13/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 55/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 9 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 34/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 13/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 57/100.