March 12,2009

Grassley Praises Ministry Accreditation by Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability

M E M O R A N D U M

To: Reporters and Editors
Fr: Jill Gerber for Sen. Grassley, 202/224-6522
Re: Ministry gets accreditation
Da: Thursday, March 12, 2009

Sen. Chuck Grassley, ranking member of the Committee on Finance, today made
the following comment on Joyce Meyer Ministries joining the Evangelical Council for
Financial Accountability (ECFA).

“This is a positive development. It’s good to see increased financial
accountability, transparency, board governance, and ethical fund-raising taken seriously.
These are good goals for every tax-exempt group. Since ministries have independence
from the IRS and don’t have to file material with the IRS, like most other tax-exempt
groups, ECFA membership is like a Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. It’s an
independent organization that audits members to maintain accreditation. I hope other
ministries, including the ones I’m looking at, will pursue accreditation. I met with ECFA
representatives today, while they were in town for their annual meeting, and they told me
about Joyce Meyer Ministries and Oral Roberts University joining the ECFA. In
addition, we discussed the status of my ministries inquiry. My staff and I continue to
review the information we’ve received from the ministries that cooperated, and we
continue to weigh our options for the ministries that have not cooperated.”

Grassley wrote to six ministries; Sen. Max Baucus, committee chairman, joined
him in a follow-up request. Joyce Meyer Ministries and Benny Hinn of World Healing
Center Church provided extensive answers to all questions in a series of submissions.

Randy and Paula White of Without Walls International Church, Eddie Long of New Birth
Missionary Baptist Church/Eddie L. Long Ministries, and Kenneth and Gloria Copeland
of Kenneth Copeland Ministries have submitted incomplete responses. Creflo and Taffi
Dollar of World Changers Church International/Creflo Dollar Ministries declined to
provide any of the requested information.

The ECFA release follows.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 12, 2009

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Palmer Holt @ 704-663-3303
PHolt@InChristCommunications.com

Joyce Meyer Ministries Accredited By National Financial Accountability Organization

WINCHESTER, Va. – The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) today
announced the accreditation of Joyce Meyer Ministries of Fenton, Mo.

ECFA accreditation is based on standards of responsible stewardship, including financial
accountability, transparency, sound board governance and ethical fund-raising.

Joyce Meyer Ministries (www.joycemeyer.org), in its 24th year, is a nonprofit organization
“focused on spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ, helping people through humanitarian efforts worldwide and teaching others the practical principles from God’s Word to help them enjoy their everyday lives.”

The ministry’s “Enjoying Everyday Life”TV and radio programs reach a potential audience of 3 billion people daily. In addition, hundreds of thousands annually attend the ministry’s conferences and crusades held in the United States and abroad.

“We are pleased to include in our membership a ministry which seeks to strengthen Christian
individuals and the environments in which they live, work and worship,” said Dan Busby ECFA
president.

ECFA, founded in 1979, provides accreditation to evangelical Christian nonprofit  organizations that faithfully demonstrate compliance with established standards for financial accountability, fund-raising and board governance. For more information about ECFA, including inforation about accreditation and a listing of ECFA-accredited members, visit www.ECFA.org or call 1-800-323-9473.

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