Touching Lives

What Touching Lives does

Touching Lives is a 501(c)(3) non-profit Christian religious ministry headquartered in Duluth, Georgia (with a mailing address in Sterling, Kansas), organized in September 1995 under the leadership of Dr. James Merritt, who serves as Chairman of the Board and CEO. The ministry's mission is to present the Gospel to those who are spiritually seeking ("the lost") and to provide ongoing biblical teaching to established believers ("the found"). It distributes content across broadcast television (TBN, TBN Inspire, and TCT networks in all 50 US states and 140+ countries), digital platforms (website, YouTube, social channels including Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads), mobile and streaming applications (iOS, Android, Amazon, Roku, Apple TV via the Subsplash white-label platform), and direct mail (the monthly printed teaching letter "The Reach"). Core products include the "Touching Lives with James Merritt" television program, daily devotionals, sermon teachings, Bible study series (such as the First Corinthians study), the evangelism training course, and published books.

Revenue is generated entirely through voluntary donations and contributions from supporters; the organization does not publicly disclose revenue and financial statements are available only via Form 990. The ministry is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability and is governed by a board that includes CFO Chris Fruitticher and Secretary William Luallen alongside additional directors. Go-to-market operates as a hybrid event-driven and community-led model: broadcast and digital distribution create reach while prayer walls, devotional subscriptions, pastoral resources (via PastorsEdge.com), and international tours/build community engagement. There are no patents, no proprietary technology platforms, no AI or ML capabilities, and no disclosed customers, partnerships, or acquisitions; the technology stack centers on outsourced broadcast carriage and the Subsplash app platform rather than any in-house technology product.

Name

Touching Lives

Legal name

Touching Lives, Inc.

Website

https://touchinglives.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Touching Lives is a 501(c)(3) Christian ministry founded in 1995, broadcasting gospel-centered teaching via TV, apps, and digital platforms in 50 US states and 140+ countries, funded by donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Broadcasting & Digital Ministry Content

NAICS

Broadcasting and Content Providers (516), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Devotional & Prayer Publishing (Devotionals, Prayer Books, Meditation Guides) (MPAJAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Religious Fundraising / Telethon & Ministry Support Channels (MPABALAO), Denominational & Community Periodicals (Church Magazines, Diocesan/Temple Newsletters) (MPAJAHAI), Religious & Spiritual Print-on-Demand (Bibles, Devotionals) (MPAJANAG)

Keywords

• Christian broadcasting ministry
• Religious content production
• Bible teaching resources
• Evangelism training programs
• Nonprofit media ministry

Headquarters

HQ city

Duluth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Touching Lives is primarily funded through voluntary donations and contributions from individuals who support the ministry's mission. The organization accepts general donations and likely receives designated gifts for specific purposes.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Touching Lives is a Christian broadcast ministry that produces and distributes biblical teaching content centered on Dr. James Merritt's preaching. Its primary offering is the 'Touching Lives with James Merritt' television broadcast, supplemented by free digital content (daily devotionals, sermon recordings, Bible studies), a monthly printed teaching letter, an evangelism training course, mobile applications, and live events. The content is offered free to consumers and supported entirely by donor contributions.

Product overview

Touching Lives is a Christian ministry offering digital and print content centered on biblical teaching and evangelism. The core product is the television broadcast 'Touching Lives with James Merritt' and associated digital content including daily devotionals, sermon recordings, Bible studies, and the monthly print teaching letter 'The Reach.' The ministry also provides an evangelism training course and publishes books and resources. Mobile applications are available across iOS, Android, Amazon, and Roku platforms. The ministry is broadcast on TBN, TBN Inspire, and TCT networks in all 50 US states and over 140 countries worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Touching Lives with James Merritt (Television Broadcast) National/international television broadcast program 'Touching Lives with James Merritt' aired on TBN, TBN Inspire, and TCT networks across all 50 US states and 140+ countries, featuring Gospel-centered preaching and Bible teaching.
• Daily Devotionals Daily devotional email publications written by Dr. James Merritt, delivered free to subscribers' inboxes and accessible on the website.
• Teachings (Sermon Recordings) On-demand sermon recordings and teaching series by Dr. James Merritt covering various biblical topics and themes, accessible online and through mobile apps.
• Bible Studies Structured Bible study materials, including the First Corinthians Bible Study series, designed for individual or group study by Christian believers.
• The Reach (Monthly Teaching Letter) Free monthly printed Bible teaching letter mailed from Dr. James Merritt to US subscribers, offering ongoing biblical instruction.
• Evangelism Training Course Free 3-part video training course by Dr. James Merritt designed to equip believers to confidently share the gospel with others, accompanied by a downloadable study guide.
• Touching Lives Mobile App Mobile application available on iOS, Android, Amazon Appstore, and Roku Channel Store allowing users to watch/listen to messages, follow Bible reading plans, read devotionals, and receive push notifications.
• 7 Things to Do Before You Die: Jesus' Last Words for Living Book by Dr. James Merritt offering guidance on living with clarity, purpose, and peace based on Jesus' final teachings from the cross.
• Events and Tours Live ministry calendar featuring tours, trips, and special events with Dr. James Merritt, including international engagement opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Millions of people have been affected through the ministry
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• In Touch Ministries: In Touch Ministries, founded by Dr. Charles Stanley, is a long-standing evangelical broadcast ministry with TV, daily devotionals, missions, and mobile distribution — essentially the same content and channel architecture as Touching Lives, and the canonical comparison for SBC-aligned pastor-led ministries.
• Focus on the Family: Focus on the Family is a large evangelical broadcast and content ministry with daily radio programs, devotional content, parenting resources, and pastoral tools — directly comparable in the broadcast-plus-resource-publishing combination that Touching Lives operates.
• Billy Graham Evangelistic Association: BGEA is one of the largest evangelism-focused Christian ministries, combining TV/radio broadcast, decision-tracking, training resources, and global crusades. Touching Lives' evangelism training course and broadcast-first strategy directly mirror BGEA's approach at a smaller scale.
• Faith Comes By Hearing: Faith Comes By Hearing distributes free audio Bible content globally via broadcast, streaming, and mobile apps — directly comparable to Touching Lives in combining free devotional-style content with a global, multi-platform distribution strategy.
• Ligonier Ministries: Ligonier Ministries produces Reformed teaching via broadcast (Renewing Your Mind), devotionals, online courses, and an extensive book publishing operation. Its content-library-and-teaching model overlaps substantially with Touching Lives' Bible study and teaching products.
• Christianity Today: Christianity Today is a major evangelical media organization producing digital articles, magazines, newsletters, and broadcast-adjacent content. It overlaps with Touching Lives on the publishing and devotional-content side of the operation, though its distribution skews more toward editorial than broadcast.
• Turning Point Ministries: Turning Point Ministries, founded by Dr. David Jeremiah, is a broadcast-and-devotional ministry operating from a Southern Baptist background, with TV, radio, daily devotionals, mobile apps, and global distribution. Its content-and-broadcast operating model is the closest analogue to Touching Lives.

Broad incumbents

• Salem Media Group: Salem Media Group is the largest US commercial broadcaster of Christian and conservative content, owning radio stations, networks, and digital platforms that distribute programming from many independent pastors. Touching Lives' broadcast distribution relies on similar network infrastructure, making Salem a key industry incumbent comparable in distribution economics.
• EWTN Global Catholic Network: EWTN is the world's largest religious media network, operating owned TV and radio infrastructure, a global streaming platform, and extensive publishing. It is a much larger incumbent in the religious broadcasting space that uses a similar content-to-broadcast pipeline to Touching Lives.

Others

• Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN): TBN is one of the world's largest Christian broadcast networks and is Touching Lives' primary distribution partner, airing the program across all 50 US states and 140+ countries. It is an ecosystem participant rather than a competitor.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/touchinglivestv
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@touchinglivestv
• Facebookfacebook.com/TLonFB
• Instagraminstagram.com/touchinglivestv
• TikToktiktok.com/@touchinglivestv

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Touching Lives