Zion Gate Ministries

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
872714731
IRS 990-EZ coverage
2021–2025
Forms available
Form 990-EZ 2025
Location
Flint, MI, USA
Phone
8109384173
Rating
51
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Christianity
Affiliation
Christianity

Reported finances

Revenue
$145,548
Expenses
$108,995
Assets
$203,174
Liabilities
$3,007

Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

3 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • EDWARD A WATTS (President)

People named in this filing

  • EDWARD A WATTS (President)
  • MARK CROSTHWAIT (Treasurer)
  • JAMES NESBIT (Secretary)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To make ready a people prepared for the lord

What it reported doing in 2025

Zion Gate Ministries had a very successful 2025 calendar year. Under the leadership of Rev. Edward Watts, Zion Gate Ministries traveled to 48 cities across 24 states. ZGM conducted 15 conferences and 81 teaching events in 24 states, helping churches, pastors, and ministry leaders fulfill their personal ministries to equip the body of Christ. Zion Gate Ministries partnered with 2 other ministries to help lead a large group of 53 people on an overseas mission, prayer, and teaching journey. From May 24 to May 31st, the team of 53 traveled to the ancient sites of the seven churches mentioned in the Book of Revelation, now in the modern nation of Turkey. From May 31st to June 4th, the group then journeyed to Israel for a teaching and prayer tour, visiting many ancient Biblical sites. From June 4th to June 6th, a smaller group of the 53 then traveled to Rome, Italy, visiting the Vatican and other ancient Biblical sites. Rev. Edward Watts and Zion Gate Ministries were in Utah monthly throughout 2025. Rev. Watts led several in-depth Bible seminars in Salt Lake City and Ogden. Multiple pastors, religious leaders, and Christians attended the gatherings and have invited Rev. Watts to minister in their churches. Abilene, Texas, was another city where ZGM and Rev. Watts ministered multiple times throughout 2025. During those visits, he held Bible seminars, teaching and training many local pastors for a week at a time. During the 2025 calendar year, Zion Gate Ministries and Rev. Watts were deeply involved in a para-church ministry called The Worship Barn. Rev. Watts has been integral to launching and establishing the Worship Barn. The Worship Barn is a neutral venue where Christian conferences are held semi-monthly to train, equip, and encourage pastors, leaders, and believers in the surrounding region. ZGM met all their 2025 goals and is very excited about the opportunities ahead. ZGM will continue to minister regularly in the Texas, Idaho, and Utah regions in 2026 and will help organize and facilitate a Biblical teaching and equipping journey to Israel if travel permits.

Operating model

Revenue model
Cannot be determined from the filing. The filing does not provide enough consistent revenue detail to tell how this nonprofit funds its work.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 93% 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

MIXED - The filed numbers largely add up and program spending has grown recently. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 21
  • Transparency & Controls: 82
  • Sustainability: 63
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 18.4%; rating input score 18
  • Program expense ratio: 24.6%; rating input score 25

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Limited

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 25.1%; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.86; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 35; 35th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 65%; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 30.6% per year; rating input score 100; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 30.6% per year; rating input score 100; 90th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 32% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 18.4% of revenue deployed · 24.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: Filed governance answers
  • Accomplishments: 1 filed program accomplishment · $27K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 3 people listed
  • Consistency: 8 of 8 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 2 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 5 filing years from 2021 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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 — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 18/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 25/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 2/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 35/100.