By Jeremy Reynalds

Compassion International, a leading child-development ministries, has been named one of 30 “Shining Light” Christian ministries for 2007 by MinistryWatch.com, a donor-advocacy organization.

This is the third year that MinistryWatch.com has released the list, and Compassion has been selected each time.

“Stewardship is one of our unalterable core values,” said Mark Hanlon, senior vice president of sponsor and donor development at Compassion International, speaking in a news release.

Hanlon added, “And while we practice and preach stewardship on a daily basis, it gives Compassion as well as our sponsors and donors an extra level of confidence when it is validated and honored by independent entities such as MinistryWatch.com.”

MinistryWatch.com helps Christian donors make more informed and effective giving decisions. It compiles its annual “Shining Light” list of 30 ministries from the nearly 500 organizations for which it has financial and ministry information. The ministries on the list have demonstrated outstanding effectiveness and efficiency in their ministry and financial operations.

“Compassion International is truly one of the ‘best of the best,’” said Rusty Leonard, founder of MinistryWatch.com, speaking in a news release.

“At a time when Sen. Charles Grassley is calling on some of the worst organizations to live up to their minimum responsibilities of financial self-disclosure,” Leonard said, “we are pleased to recognize Compassion International as a ministry that goes well beyond the minimum. The staff and supporters of Compassion International can be justifiably proud of their fine organization.”

Rod Pitzer, Managing Director of Research for MinistryWatch.com, said in a news release, “Making the selection is challenging, given the selfless work so many fine ministries do.” But he added that these ministries were truly “exemplary” in the following categories:

They have a legitimate non-profit ministry and purpose and treat donors fairly by earning a Transparency Grade of “A” from MinistryWatch.com. They are unashamed of being identified as an evangelical Christian ministry and MinistryWatch.com knows of no issue that would be of concern to donors.

Compassion works with more than 65 denominations and more than 4,000 indigenous church partners. It currently serves more than 900,000 children in Africa, Asia, Central and South America and the Caribbean. It costs only $32 a month to sponsor a child.

Since 1952, Compassion has touched the lives of more than 1.6 million children and has been recognized for superior financial integrity by several publications and financial-accountability groups.

For additional information about Compassion, go to www.compassion.com.

© Assist News Service