Central Ministries Inc

What Central Ministries Inc does

Central Ministries is a nonprofit Christian church organization headquartered at 5801 Schwartz Road, Fort Wayne, Indiana, operating two physical campuses: the Chapel Ridge campus in Fort Wayne and a second campus in Leo, Indiana. Founded circa 1970 from a former cow pasture in Northeast Indiana, the organization has operated continuously for over 50 years and serves a multi-generational congregation spanning infants through elderly members. Core offerings include weekend worship services (Fridays 6:30pm; Sundays 9am and 11am at Chapel Ridge; Sundays 10am at Leo), age-tiered discipleship programs (Central Kids for birth-3rd grade, EDGE for 4th-5th grade, Central BLAST for middle school, high school Engage, The Avenue for ages 18-29), men's and women's ministries, Life Groups (10-15 person home groups meeting in 10-12 week sessions), and local/global outreach. The organization is governed by an Elder board led by Head Elder Doug Fear, with pastoral leadership under Lead Pastor Jeremy Helmuth; it operates as a privately-held nonprofit with no parent company, PE backing, or public ownership.

The organization's technology stack is purpose-built on third-party church-management infrastructure. It operates a custom Central Ministries mobile application for iOS and Android built on the Subsplash platform, which integrates sermon access, secure single and recurring online giving, event registration, and push notifications. Sermon delivery combines live streaming at centralministries.online.church with an on-demand archive at stream.centralministries.com, supplemented by fillable Sermon Notes organized by series. Donation processing supports one-time gifts, recurring schedules, and a Freedom Giving automated electronic funds transfer (EFT) program for consistent tithing. Event management and Life Group signup flows run through Church Center. The digital surface is integrated with social channels (Facebook, Instagram) and email/newsletter distribution. Adjacent operating units include Central Christian School (a tuition-based preschool-8th grade institution at Chapel Ridge) and The Perk Coffee House (an on-campus hospitality/retail outlet).

The business model is donation-driven philanthropy supplemented by tuition and ancillary retail. Tithes, offerings, and online giving form the primary revenue stream; the Freedom Giving EFT subscription provides recurring commitments; Central Christian School tuition generates education-segmented subscription revenue; and The Perk Coffee House contributes retail/hardware sales. Pricing for worship and ministry participation is freemium (no fees to attend); school tuition rates are not publicly disclosed and donations are voluntary. Go-to-market is community-led: word-of-mouth referrals, neighborhood outreach, and mission partnerships locally (M.I.S.F.I.T.S. Ministries, Powerhouse Youth Center, Christian Community Health Care, Associated Churches of Fort Wayne, International House, A Hope Center, Woodburn Christian Children's Home, Purdue Fort Wayne Campus Ministry) and globally (Wycliffe in South Africa, Church 21 in Quebec, TEAM Global Missions in Canary Islands, FIGHT Ministries in Dominican Republic). The organization is currently executing the Truth and Love Expansion Project, a 4,200-square-foot facility addition at Chapel Ridge to accommodate staff and membership growth.

Name

Central Ministries Inc

Legal name

Central Ministries

Website

https://centralministries.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Central Ministries is a nonprofit Christian church organization in Fort Wayne and Leo, Indiana, operating two campuses with weekend worship, age-tiered discipleship programming, a preschool-8th grade school, and local and global missions outreach.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Christian Church Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311), Religious Organizations (813110), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL), Campus Spiritual & Religious Life (EDALAHAI)

Keywords

• Christian church services
• Religious education
• Community ministry
• Youth ministry
• Online sermon streaming

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Wayne

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Voluntary financial contributions from church members during weekend worship services, supporting general church operations and ministry programs.
2. Online Giving: Secure digital giving platform allowing single and recurring donations through the church website and mobile app.
3. Freedom Giving (EFT): Automated electronic funds transfer program enabling consistent tithing through direct bank withdrawals.
4. The Perk Coffee House: On-site coffee shop operated at Chapel Ridge campus, generating revenue through beverage and food sales to church attendees and visitors.
5. Central Christian School Tuition: Preschool through 8th grade Christian education with separate tuition-based enrollment at the Chapel Ridge campus.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Central Ministries is a multi-site Christian church operating two campuses (Chapel Ridge in Fort Wayne, IN and Leo, IN) that delivers weekend worship services, age-specific ministries spanning birth through adulthood, Life Groups, and a private Christian school (preschool–8th grade). The organization supplements in-person ministry with a mobile app, online sermon streaming, secure online giving, and The Perk Coffee House, supported by local community and global mission partnerships.

Product overview

Central Ministries is a multi-site Christian church operating from two campuses (Chapel Ridge in Fort Wayne and Leo, Indiana) offering a comprehensive portfolio of faith-based products and services. The core offering consists of weekend worship services with online streaming capabilities. Supporting programs include age-specific ministries: Central Kids (birth-3rd grade), EDGE Pre-Teens (4th-5th grade), Central BLAST Middle School, High School Ministry, The Avenue Young Adult Ministry, Women's Ministry, and Men's Ministry. Additional offerings include Life Groups (small group Bible studies), The Perk Coffee House hospitality outlet, Central Christian School (preschool-8th grade), mobile applications for iOS/Android, sermon streaming and sermon notes platforms, and online giving tools. The church also conducts outreach and missions programs locally and globally, with an ongoing facility expansion project at the Chapel Ridge campus.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Perk Coffee House: Coffee house ministry operated by the church
• The Avenue
• EDGE
• Central Kids
• Central BLAST

Products and services

• Weekend Worship Services Weekend worship services held at two campuses — Chapel Ridge (Fort Wayne, IN) on Fridays at 6:30pm and Sundays at 9am & 11am, and the Leo Campus on Sundays at 10am — featuring engaging music and biblical teaching, with online streaming available for remote participation. Open to individuals and families in Northeast Indiana.
• Central Kids Children's Ministry

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50 years of continuous ministry
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• M.I.S.F.I.T.S. MinistriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal community partner organization. Central Ministries collaborates with M.I.S.F.I.T.S. Ministries to serve the Fort Wayne community through outreach programs.
• Powerhouse Youth CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal youth-focused community partner. Central Ministries supports Powerhouse Youth Center in reaching young people in the Fort Wayne area.
• Christian Community Health CarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal health care ministry partner providing health services to the community. Central Ministries participates in supporting this outreach.
• Campus Ministry - Purdue Fort WaynecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollege campus ministry partner with staff member Chase Wagner serving the Purdue Fort Wayne campus community.
• Associated Churches of Fort WaynecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterchurch organization providing Food Bank Network, A Baby's Closet, Care for Veterans, and Rising Stars partnership with Harris Elementary. Central Ministries participates in these collaborative community programs.
• International HouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal organization serving international residents and immigrants in Fort Wayne. Central Ministries supports their mission to help people navigate life in a new country.
• A Hope CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization providing hope and resources to those in need in the Fort Wayne area.
• Woodburn Christian Children's HomeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChristian children's home serving orphaned and displaced children. Central Ministries supports this ministry through outreach and giving.
• The Workman Family (Wycliffe Bible Translators)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal mission partner: Jesse and Stephanie Workman serving with Wycliffe Bible Translators in South Africa, working in 12 of 17 countries in the region. Jesse is a Translation Consultant-in-Training.
• The Bernier Family (Church 21)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal mission partner: Dwight and Jessica Bernier engaged in church planting with Church 21 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
• Alcides Velasquez and Pedro Ruiz (TEAM Global Missions)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal mission partners continuing the ministry of the Albrechts with TEAM Global Missions in the Canary Islands of Spain, reaching diverse populations.
• FIGHT MinistriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal mission partner in Dominican Republic working to restore children with hope and healing through Jesus Christ, fighting oppression of human trafficking through education and empowerment.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Others

• Subsplash: Church engagement platform that powers Central Ministries' mobile app, sermon streaming, sermon notes, and online giving — a key infrastructure peer whose product capabilities directly shape Central Ministries' digital offering.
• Church Center: Events, registration, and people platform from Planning Center that Central Ministries uses for event signups, Life Group registration, and connection forms — a closely integrated operational vendor.

Direct peers

• Crossroads Church: Multi-site evangelical church in the Cincinnati metro area operating several campuses with comparable age-segmented programming (children, students, young adults), online streaming, and small-group-driven community — directly comparable in scale and operational model to Central Ministries.
• McLean Bible Church: Northern Virginia multi-site evangelical church with age-specific ministries, online streaming, and global missions partnerships — comparable mid-size multi-campus evangelical model serving suburban families.
• Newspring Church: South Carolina-based multi-campus evangelical church with age-tiered ministries, online giving, and a strong production-driven worship model — operates at a similar mid-size multi-site scale and serves a comparable demographic of families and young adults.
• Bayside Church: Sacramento-area multi-campus evangelical church with extensive children's and student programming, Life Group small-group model, and digital outreach — closely comparable in operational structure and target demographic.
• North Coast Church: Southern California multi-site evangelical church with comparable life-stage programming, online giving, and small-group-centric community model — directly analogous in service delivery.

Broad incumbents

• Elevation Church: Charlotte-based multi-site evangelical church known for digital-first worship production and broad age-segment programming — substantially larger but exemplifies the same multi-site evangelical model with digital reach.
• North Point Community Church: Large Atlanta-area multi-campus evangelical church led by Andy Stanley that pioneered the strategic multi-site model with age-tiered ministries — operates at materially larger scale but defines the category Central Ministries operates within.

Emerging players

• Transformation Church: Growing multi-site evangelical church with strong digital presence, age-tiered family ministries, and online streaming emphasis — comparable mission and programming mix at a slightly smaller and faster-growing stage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CentralChristianSchool
• Instagraminstagram.com/theavefw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/central-ministries-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Central Ministries Inc