Stewards Ministries

What Stewards Ministries does

Stewards Ministries is a private 501(c)(3) public charity classified by the IRS as a 509(a)(3) Type II Supporting Organization, headquartered in Schaumburg, Illinois. The organization exists to enable Plymouth Brethren Assemblies (also known as Christian Brethren or New Testament Assemblies) in the United States and internationally to perform scriptural ministries they cannot effectively perform alone. It operates four core programs: Strategic Grants (ranging from under $1,000 to over $30,000, with tiered approval routing through the President, Executive Committee, and Board of Trustees), Education Scholarships (Undergraduate up to $2,000/year, William K. Coyle Jr. Graduate up to $3,000, and a Commended Worker scholarship for seminars and conferences), Chaplaincy Endorsement (acting as the sole federal liaison for Brethren military chaplains and providing ecclesiastical endorsement for hospital and corporate chaplains), and a Senior Commended Workers program providing annual support gifts to retired ministers age 65 and older. A Travel Grants for Missionary Oversight program reimburses 50% of elder travel costs up to $3,000 per elder for oversight of distant missionaries.

The organization is governed by a self-perpetuating Board of Trustees currently consisting of seven members drawn from Assemblies across the United States. It traces its origins to 1934 (as Letters of Interest) and was reorganized under its current name in 1985. The organization is funded entirely by an endowment established from the 1982 divestiture of three hospitals (Belmont, Bethesda, and Auburn), plus ongoing investment returns; it generates no traditional revenue and charges no fees for its services. Since 1982, it has distributed over $32,000,000 in grants to churches, ministries, mission efforts, and educational institutions. Notable grants and partnerships include long-running support for Biblical Eldership Resources, Emmaus Ministry Resources, the One Truth Project, the 'On a Scroll' apologetic film, the Samfya Bible School in Zambia, and a $75,000 contribution to the Bujumbura Health Clinic expansion in Burundi (completed late 2024). The organization relies on word-of-mouth within the Brethren community for outreach and uses paper-based and online application forms; it does not employ a technology platform and conducts no active marketing.

Name

Stewards Ministries

Legal name

Stewards Ministries

Website

https://stewardsministries.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Stewards Ministries is a 501(c)(3) public charity that funds Plymouth Brethren Assemblies and associated ministries through strategic grants, education scholarships, chaplaincy endorsement, and senior worker support, using an endowment established from 1982 hospital divestiture proceeds.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Nonprofit Grant-Making Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Denominational & Ecclesiastical Governance Bodies (Dioceses, Synods, Conferences) (BPAGAJAB), Faith-Based Healthcare Ministries (Hospitals, Clinics, Medical Missions) (BPAGAJAH)

Keywords

• Religious grant funding
• Chaplaincy endorsement services
• Theological education scholarships
• Nonprofit ministry support
• Church planting grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Schaumburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Charitable Giving (Grant-Making): Stewards Ministries generates no revenue in the traditional sense. It is a not-for-profit organization funded by endowment proceeds from the 1982 sale of hospitals (Belmont, Bethesda, and Auburn). The organization makes strategic grants to Assemblies and associated ministries, provides scholarships to students, endorses chaplains, and supports senior missionaries. All programs are funded from the endowment and investment returns.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Stewards Ministries is a 509(a)(3) Type II Supporting Organization that provides grant funding, education scholarships, chaplaincy endorsement, and senior worker support to Plymouth Brethren Assemblies and associated ministries. Its portfolio includes Strategic Grants for church planting and strengthening, multi-tier Education Scholarships for the dependents of commended workers and graduate students in biblical studies, official Chaplaincy Endorsement for military and corporate chaplains, annual Senior Commended Workers gifts, and Travel Grants for Missionary Oversight. The organization is funded by an endowment established in 1982 from the sale of hospitals.

Product overview

Stewards Ministries operates as a 509(a)(3) Type II Supporting Organization for Plymouth Brethren Assemblies, offering a portfolio of interconnected programs including Strategic Grants for church planting and strengthening, multi-tier Education Scholarships (Undergraduate, William K. Coyle Jr. Graduate, and Commended Worker), Chaplaincy Endorsement services for military and corporate chaplains, and Support Services for Senior Commended Workers. The organization also provides Travel Grants for Missionary Oversight and partners with Apologetics Resources and Biblical Eldership Resources to produce educational materials. Recent initiatives include the Bujumbura Health Clinic expansion and Samfya Bible School support in Africa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategic Grants Tiered grant program funding efforts to plant and strengthen Plymouth Brethren Assemblies, primarily in the United States, including sponsorship of church plants, conferences, leadership training, and book distribution. Grant amounts range from under $1,000 to over $30,000 with three approval tiers.
• Education Scholarships Multi-tier scholarship program for unmarried dependent children of full-time commended workers (undergraduate scholarships up to $2,000 per academic year), the William K. Coyle Jr. Graduate Scholarship for full-time graduate students in biblical studies or theology (up to $3,000), and the Commended Worker Scholarship for training courses, seminars, and conferences.
• Chaplaincy Endorsement Official ecclesiastical endorsement service for Plymouth Brethren chaplains serving in the U.S. Navy, Army, Air Force, hospitals, and corporations. Includes Federal Government liaison and pastoral/training support for endorsed chaplains.
• Senior Commended Workers Program Annual gift program providing financial support to men and women who have committed their lives to full-time Christian service and have reached retirement age (65), including widows, to support their continued lives and ministry.
• Travel Grants for Missionary Oversight Reimbursement program covering 50% of travel costs (air, food, lodging) up to $3,000 per elder, for a maximum of two elders per chapel per year, to facilitate oversight of commended missionaries living abroad.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $32,000,000 in grants distributed since 1982
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Biblical Eldership ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFor over 30 years, Stewards Ministries has partnered with Biblical Eldership Resources to fund the production of literature to help train church leaders. They have supported the production of 'Biblical Eldership' and many other books by Alexander Strauch. These tools have been used by churches around the world to raise up a generation of church leaders who cherish eldership as a church leadership model.
• One Truth ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed by apologist Beth Pelota, One Truth Project produces apologetic resources designed to help Christians minister to their Muslim neighbors. In print or online, these tools address issues of theology, history and culture. Stewards Ministries partners with One Truth Project to equip the church in this gospel mission.
• On a Scroll Film ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStewards Ministries underwrote the development of the apologetic film 'On a Scroll' produced by missionary and film producer Roger Malstead. The film uses the Dead Sea Scroll of Isaiah as the basis of an argument for Christ. The film has been translated into multiple languages.
• Emmaus Bible CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrom 2000-2010, Stewards Ministries partnered with Emmaus Bible College to fund Emmaus Ministry Resources. The goal was to leverage the human talent of the college to strengthen Assemblies. The Iron Sharpens Iron Conference and Emmaus Online are projects that grew from this effort and continue to this day.
• Bujumbura Health Clinic (Burundi, Africa)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe clinic is operated by Assemblies and fills an important healthcare need in Burundi. SM contributed $75,000 towards expanding inpatient capacity from 20 to 50 beds. The project opened for service in late 2024. A portion of clinic profits support churches across the nation.
• Samfya Bible School (Zambia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSamfya Bible School sits on the shores of Lake Banguwewlu in the Luapula Province of Zambia. Founded by missionaries, the school is led by Zambians training men and women from rural areas. It is the only source of theological training accessible to these individuals. The school offers first-year Bible training in Lunda and second-year advanced training in English.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• National Association of Evangelicals (NAE): Umbrella organization supporting evangelical churches, ministries, and chaplaincy policy at a national level. Comparable to Stewards Ministries on the chaplaincy-political liaison dimension and broader denomination-support mission, though NAE operates as a membership convener rather than a direct grantmaking foundation.
• Presbyterian Church (USA) Foundation: Denominational foundation supporting the Presbyterian Church (USA) through endowment management, planned giving, and ministry grants. Operates a parallel model to Stewards Ministries — providing financial services, scholarships, and grants to congregations and ministry workers — but at a larger denominational scale.
• Church of the Nazarene Foundation: Denominational foundation providing planned giving, investment management, and educational loans/grants to Nazarene churches, pastors, and missionaries. Closely mirrors the full-stack model of Stewards Ministries — endowment-based, mission-aligned, with scholarships and senior worker support — but at a larger denominational scale.
• Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA): Large faith-based nonprofit that supports evangelism, chaplaincy (military and event-based), and Christian education programs. Comparable to Stewards Ministries on the chaplaincy endorsement and ministry-support dimensions, though operating at significantly larger scale and a broader evangelical audience.
• National Christian Foundation: One of the largest Christian grantmaking foundations in the US, distributing hundreds of millions annually to faith-based nonprofits and ministries. Functions as a donor-advised fund and direct grantmaking intermediary, directly comparable to Stewards Ministries' grantmaking and endowment deployment model across a broader evangelical footprint.
• United Methodist Church Foundation: Affiliated foundation supporting United Methodist churches, clergy, and ministries through planned giving, loans, and grants. Shares the same grantmaking-and-economic-support structure for a denomination and its full-time workers, with a comparable range of scholarships, ministerial support, and capital grants.
• Assemblies of God Financial Services Group: Provides financial services, retirement planning, insurance, and ministry grants to Assemblies of God churches, pastors, and missionaries. Comparable to Stewards Ministries as a denomination-tied financial intermediary supporting full-time workers and church plants, though broader in financial product offerings.

Direct peers

• National Association of Free Will Baptists: Denominational governance and support body providing grants, missions funding, and chaplaincy coordination for Free Will Baptist churches and workers. Closely parallels Stewards Ministries' role for Plymouth Brethren Assemblies, including chaplaincy oversight and centralized funding of member-led ministry work.

Others

• Christian Leadership Alliance (CLA): Faith-based community providing training, resources, and certification for Christian ministry leaders and finance executives. While not a direct grantmaker, it serves the same ecosystem of Christian nonprofit and church financial leaders who steward endowments and grantmaking — overlapping with Stewards Ministries' network of board members and Assembly trustees.
• The Foundation for American Innovation: Grantmaking foundation supporting the Christian and conservative movement through grants and ecosystem investments. While more politically-oriented, it shares the endowment-funded grantmaking thesis and serves as a benchmark for foundation-style resource deployment in faith-based communities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stewards-ministries

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Stewards Ministries