The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) is a community of churches and ministries committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity. Youth-Reach is proud to be a member, as the seal of approval demonstrates our willingness to operate responsibly.
EFCA’s Seven Standards of Responsible Stewardship™ ensure that accredited organizations stay above reproach in the areas of board governance, financial oversight and fundraising. Now, a new accreditation standard is being developed to support healthy ministry leadership.
Record numbers of ministry leaders have reported their struggles with isolation and burnout in recent years. Many of us have witnessed beloved pastors and trusted leaders fail morally or flame out emotionally. EFCA’s new Leadership Standard is designed to bless organizations by providing proactive, holistic care for their leaders. The new standard offers a framework for boards along with resources to help leaders thrive.
“As a pastor, I’ve seen firsthand the weight leaders carry, often alone. ECFA’s new Leadership Standard will spur organizations to bring clarity to a leader’s responsibility for staying anchored in Christ. This is about more than organizational integrity. It’s about intentionally building a Christ-centered culture where leaders are held both in love and accountability by the people they serve.”
– Craig Groeschel, Senior Pastor of Life.Church & New York Times best-selling author
“I am so glad to see this. If anything, this is tardy and I am grateful that they are taking up this cause.”
– Curt Williams, Youth-Reach Founder & Executive Director
The proposed Leadership Standard is currently in draft mode, and ECFA is collecting feedback as they seek to finalize the specifics by fall 2024. The chairmen of both Youth-Reach Houston and Youth-Reach Gulf Coast have begun working on our own draft of the policy that this standard requires. We believe this is a positive step toward encouraging healthy, Christ-centered leadership and enhancing trust in our ministry.
