Dear E-Free Church Family,
We are writing to make you aware of a disappointing development with one of the mission organizations our church supports. It has come to our attention that Gospel for Asia (GFA) has recently had their membership with the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA)* terminated for five violations. ECFA “provides accreditation to leading Christian nonprofit organizations that faithfully demonstrate compliance with established standards for financial accountability, transparency, fundraising, and board governance” (www.ecfa.org/Content/About). GFA had been a member of the ECFA for over 30 years.
As part of our investigation into this matter, we suspended our missions support to GFAimmediately upon ECFA’s termination in October and contacted a GFA leader to find out more. This leader made it clear that they have enacted measures to correct each of the ECFAviolations. However, we think it is wise stewardship at this time to discontinue our missions’ support of GFA. Therefore, effective October 2015 we have done so. Our Missions Planning Team will prayerfully reallocate remaining funds budgeted for GFA in fiscal year 2016 to other missions.
We are also informing you of this because many of you are individually supporting GFA (i.e. Bridge of Hope child sponsorship, missionary sponsorship, Christmas gift catalog, etc.). We encourage you to personally research this matter and pray about your continued support ofGFA. You can start your research by going to www.ecfa.org/FormerMembers.aspx and towww.gfa.org/ecfa.
As you read this letter, it may bring to your mind this question: Were the donations for the 2011 Christmas Giving Project actually used to drill Jesus Wells?
First, please note that at the time our leadership decided on GFA for our Christmas Project, they were in good standing with the ECFA. In our discussion with GFA leadership about this question, we were assured that the money we designated for the wells did indeed go to drill those wells. We can continue to pray that God uses these wells to draw people to Himself.
Please be in prayer for God to bring about the proper changes at GFA for His glory. If you have any questions you can contact Pastor Blair.
In Christ,
The Elders
* Not to be confused with the EFCA (Evangelical Free Church of America)
We are writing to make you aware of a disappointing development with one of the mission organizations our church supports. It has come to our attention that Gospel for Asia (GFA) has recently had their membership with the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA)* terminated for five violations. ECFA “provides accreditation to leading Christian nonprofit organizations that faithfully demonstrate compliance with established standards for financial accountability, transparency, fundraising, and board governance” (www.ecfa.org/Content/About). GFA had been a member of the ECFA for over 30 years.
As part of our investigation into this matter, we suspended our missions support to GFAimmediately upon ECFA’s termination in October and contacted a GFA leader to find out more. This leader made it clear that they have enacted measures to correct each of the ECFAviolations. However, we think it is wise stewardship at this time to discontinue our missions’ support of GFA. Therefore, effective October 2015 we have done so. Our Missions Planning Team will prayerfully reallocate remaining funds budgeted for GFA in fiscal year 2016 to other missions.
We are also informing you of this because many of you are individually supporting GFA (i.e. Bridge of Hope child sponsorship, missionary sponsorship, Christmas gift catalog, etc.). We encourage you to personally research this matter and pray about your continued support ofGFA. You can start your research by going to www.ecfa.org/FormerMembers.aspx and towww.gfa.org/ecfa.
As you read this letter, it may bring to your mind this question: Were the donations for the 2011 Christmas Giving Project actually used to drill Jesus Wells?
First, please note that at the time our leadership decided on GFA for our Christmas Project, they were in good standing with the ECFA. In our discussion with GFA leadership about this question, we were assured that the money we designated for the wells did indeed go to drill those wells. We can continue to pray that God uses these wells to draw people to Himself.
Please be in prayer for God to bring about the proper changes at GFA for His glory. If you have any questions you can contact Pastor Blair.
In Christ,
The Elders
* Not to be confused with the EFCA (Evangelical Free Church of America)