Dallas Willard Ministries

What Dallas Willard Ministries does

Dallas Willard Ministries (DWM), legally Dallas Willard Ministries, Inc., is a California-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that preserves and distributes the teachings of the late philosopher and Christian author Dallas Willard (1935-2013). The organization serves individual Christian learners, pastors and ministry leaders, and the academic/philosophical community by providing free access to a comprehensive digital library that includes over 30 years of original audio recordings, video teaching series, articles, books, philosophy syllabi, and a curated Speakers Bureau. Its core product surface is the dwillard.org website, which functions as the central content hub, complemented by a weekly podcast distributed via Buzzsprout, a YouTube channel, an email newsletter through MailChimp, and active organic social media presence on Facebook, Twitter/X, and Instagram.

The organization extends its reach through structured learning experiences such as the School of Kingdom Living, a cohort-based in-person residency program, and online courses tied to works such as 'The Divine Conspiracy' and 'The Disappearance of Moral Knowledge.' The Moral Knowledge Initiative addresses the cultural decline of moral knowledge and reflects Willard's final academic work. The technology stack is intentionally lightweight and non-proprietary: standard web infrastructure, third-party hosting and distribution platforms, and affiliate links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and ChristianBook.com, where DWM earns commissions on qualifying book purchases. Dallas Willard's authored works, including Hearing God, The Spirit of the Disciplines, The Divine Conspiracy, Renovation of the Heart, Knowing Christ Today, The Great Omission, Renewing the Christian Mind, and the 2024 release 'The Scandal of the Kingdom,' form the backbone of the catalog.

DWM operates a donation-only business model: all digital resources are provided free of charge to a global audience, and the organization is funded entirely by voluntary charitable contributions accepted via check, Venmo, Zelle, credit card, and donor-advised funds. There are no paid product tiers, no enterprise contracts, and no published revenue figures. The organization is volunteer-supported and governed by an independent board, with a current staff of approximately 5 employees and strategic institutional relationships with Renovaré, Fuller Theological Seminary, and the USC School of Philosophy.

Name

Dallas Willard Ministries

Legal name

Dallas Willard Ministries, Inc.

Website

https://dallaswillardministries.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Dallas Willard Ministries is a California-based 501(c)(3) non-profit that freely distributes over 30 years of philosopher-theologian Dallas Willard's audio, video, articles, and books to Christian learners, pastors, and academics worldwide, funded entirely by voluntary donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Christian Spiritual Formation Content

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Religious Education & Catechetical Publishing (Sunday School, Catechism, Study Guides) (MPAJAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Religious Nonfiction & Theology Publishing (Apologetics, Doctrine, Ethics) (MPAJAHAG), Sermon, Homiletics & Ministry Resource Publishing (Preaching Aids, Pastoral Resources) (MPAJAHAD)

Keywords

• Spiritual formation content
• Christian education resources
• Philosophical theology
• Discipleship training programs
• Christian teaching library

Headquarters

HQ city

Agoura Hills, California

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Dallas Willard Ministries is a crowd-funded 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All resources are provided free of charge. The organization accepts donations via check, Venmo, Zelle, credit card, and donor advised funds. Contributions are tax-deductible.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Dallas Willard Ministries operates a free digital content ministry platform distributing the teachings of philosopher and Christian author Dallas Willard (1935-2013). The platform provides open access to over 30 years of audio recordings, video teaching, articles, philosophy syllabi, and a weekly podcast, supplemented by a cohort-based in-person discipleship program (School of Kingdom Living), an online course series tied to Willard's work on moral knowledge, a Speakers Bureau of trained teachers, and a publishing effort for "expanding legacy" books.

Product overview

Dallas Willard Ministries operates as a content ministry platform offering free digital resources centered on the teachings of philosopher and spiritual formation author Dallas Willard (1935-2013). The core offering is a comprehensive website providing free access to articles, audio recordings spanning over 30 years, video teaching content, books, philosophy syllabi from his USC tenure, and a Speakers Bureau. The product portfolio includes: (1) Dallas Willard's five core Christian books in sequence - Hearing God, The Spirit of the Disciplines, The Divine Conspiracy, Renovation of the Heart, and Knowing Christ Today - plus The Great Omission and Renewing the Christian Mind; (2) an expanding collection of legacy books by other authors continuing his work; (3) the Dallas Willard Podcast distributed via Buzzsprout; (4) the School of Kingdom Living, a cohort-based discipleship program; (5) the Moral Knowledge Initiative addressing cultural decline in ethics; and (6) various online courses and webinars. All resources are provided free to users through crowd-funded support, with the ministry operating as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dallas Willard Ministries Website Resources A comprehensive digital ministry platform offering free access to articles, audio recordings, video content, books, philosophy syllabi, recommended reading lists, and a Speakers Bureau featuring colleagues who continue Willard's teaching work. For individual Christian learners, pastors, ministry leaders, and academic scholars worldwide.
• Hearing God First book in Dallas Willard's core five-book sequence, exploring God's existence, personal nature, and the conversational relationship central to Christian walk. Available via DWM links through third-party bookstores.
• The Spirit of the Disciplines Second book in Willard's core sequence, addressing deepening relationship with God and living in His kingdom through training, grace, and spiritual disciplines.
• The Divine Conspiracy Third book in Willard's core sequence, focusing on Jesus Christ as the model of a good person, rediscovering Him as teacher through the Sermon on the Mount.
• Renovation of the Heart Fourth book in Willard's core sequence, addressing how to love God with whole heart, mind, soul, and strength, and the path to renewing heart, mind, soul, and body.
• Knowing Christ Today Fifth book in Willard's core sequence, addressing culture's influence on believer's ideas about knowledge and helping with the renewing of the mind regarding faith, belief, truth, reality, and knowledge.
• Dallas Willard Podcast Weekly podcast featuring remastered selections of Dallas Willard's teaching in uncut form, ranging from 30-minute sermons to 90-minute conference lectures, distributed via Buzzsprout and all major podcast platforms. For individual Christian listeners worldwide.
• School of Kingdom Living A cohort-based in-person residency program designed to bring participants into a more interactive life with God while forming meaningful relationships, offering resources and content for discipleship journeys. Includes scheduled residency weeks and requires online application.
• Speakers Bureau Network of fellow pilgrims who studied and worked with Dallas Willard, offering speaking engagements to share his teachings in unique areas of expertise. For churches, conferences, and Christian organizations.
• Moral Knowledge Initiative Initiative addressing the decline of moral knowledge in culture, connected to Dallas Willard's final academic book 'The Disappearance of Moral Knowledge.' Includes online courses and articles.
• The Disappearance of Moral Knowledge Online Course Online course introducing main themes of Dallas Willard's final academic book on the disappearance of moral knowledge. For students, scholars, and church leaders.
• The Divine Conspiracy Course Online course based on Dallas Willard's book 'The Divine Conspiracy' for deeper study of its themes.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Renováre InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDallas Willard worked closely with Gary W. Moon to develop the Renovaré Institute for Spiritual Formation during the 1990s. Renovaré, founded by Richard Foster, is a well-known organization dedicated to spiritual formation. This partnership produced teaching courses and programs that extended Willard's academic approach to spiritual formation into ministry settings.
• Richard FostercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRichard Foster, founder of Renovaré and author of Celebration of Discipline, met Dallas and Jane Willard in the 1970s in the San Fernando Valley. They encouraged and partnered with each other in ministry throughout their lifetimes, with Foster being a noted spiritual formation author and Dallas a philosopher-theologian.
• Bill Vaswig (Preaching and Prayer Ministries)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBill Vaswig, founder of Preaching and Prayer Ministries and author of I Prayed He Answered, was part of the close ministry circle with Dallas Willard and Richard Foster during the 1970s in the San Fernando Valley. The three men partnered in ministry throughout their lifetimes.
• Fuller Theological Seminary DMin ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDallas Willard became an annual part of the Fuller Theological Seminary Doctor of Ministry program in the 1990s, teaching week-long courses in the MDiv program. This academic partnership allowed his philosophical and spiritual formation teaching to reach seminary-level students.
• Gary W. MooncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGary W. Moon worked closely with Dallas Willard to develop the Renovaré Institute for Spiritual Formation and was instrumental in bringing Willard's teaching into formal ministry education contexts. Moon authored Eternal Living, a collection of reflections on Willard's teaching published in 2014.
• University of Southern California (USC) School of PhilosophycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDallas Willard joined the USC faculty in 1965 and directed the School of Philosophy from 1982 to 1985. He taught at USC for over 40 years, making it a primary platform for his philosophical and theological integration. USC is cited as the institution that made possible his unique bridging of academic philosophy and Christian thought.
• BibleGateway.comminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBibleGateway.com distributes a daily devotional reading from one of Dallas Willard's books, extending reach to BibleGateway's existing user base through a content licensing arrangement. This brings Willard's teaching to a wider Christian audience in devotional format.
• Book Retailers (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, ChristianBook.com)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDWM links to book retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and ChristianBook.com and earns affiliate commissions on qualifying purchases. These partnerships drive revenue while also directing new users to discover free DWM resources.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Christianity Today: Major Christian media organization publishing articles, podcasts, and resources on theology, ministry, and Christian thought. Wider scope than DWM but overlapping audience of intellectually engaged Christians.
• Fuller Theological Seminary: Major evangelical seminary where Dallas Willard taught in the DMin program. Offers theological education, free resources, and continuing education content that overlaps with DWM's audience.
• InterVarsity Christian Fellowship: Christian campus ministry where Dallas Willard spoke at the 2003 'Following Christ' Conference. Operates campus programs, conferences, and content resources that overlap with DWM's spiritual formation focus.
• Biola University: Christian university offering theological education, online courses, and free resources (e.g., the BibleMesh platform). Serves similar audiences seeking rigorous Christian intellectual content.
• BibleGateway.com: Major Christian content platform with which DWM has a content distribution partnership. Reaches a broader Christian audience for devotional content and Bible study resources.

Direct peers

• Renovaré Institute: Spiritual formation organization founded by Richard Foster, who co-developed the spiritual formation approach with Dallas Willard. Closely aligned mission and overlapping content focus on spiritual formation and Christian discipleship.
• The Gospel Coalition: Christian content platform offering free articles, podcasts, courses, and conferences focused on gospel-centered theology and ministry. Similar content distribution model and theological depth.
• Desiring God: John Piper's ministry producing free articles, podcasts, books, and conference resources on Christian living and theology. Same community-led, donation-funded content distribution model for an engaged Christian audience.
• C.S. Lewis Institute: Non-profit organization dedicated to discipleship and spiritual growth based on the legacy of C.S. Lewis. Similar model of perpetuating a single Christian thinker's legacy through free resources and community programs.

Emerging players

• Servants of the Word: Smaller Christian spiritual formation community specializing in弟兄 mentorship and spiritual disciplines. Overlaps with Dallas Willard's emphasis on spiritual disciplines and intentional discipleship communities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/dallasawillard
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@dallaswillard
• Facebookfacebook.com/dallas.willard.0717
• Instagraminstagram.com/dallas_willard_ministries
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dallas-willard-ministries

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Dallas Willard Ministries