New Members Include Spectrum of Evangelical Ministry Leaders

Contact: Ty Mays, 770-256-8710; Bios/photos @ www.ecfa.org/Content/Board-of-Reference

WINCHESTER, Va., Feb. 21, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- Leaders from an array of Christian nonprofits will join the slate of ministry executives whom ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability) has selected to serve on its board of reference, the organization announced today.

The advisory panel supports ECFA leadership in its mission to help Christ-centered nonprofit groups maintain financial and ethical best practices essential to earn and keep the public's trust.

"Each person on the ECFA board of reference provides us with immeasurable wisdom and ministry practice to enhance our services to churches, parachurch ministries and other evangelical nonprofits," said Dan Busby, ECFA president. "These newly appointed members bring new voices to join those currently serving, further affirming ECFA’s vision and values."

New board of reference appointees include:

• Nancy Alcorn, founder and president, Mercy Ministries, a transformational, free-of-charge Christian residential program in seven cities worldwide for young women who want help.
   
• Steve Chang, founding pastor of the Light Global Mission Church, Fairfax, Va., and founding member of the KOSTA (Korean Students Abroad) movement. Chang serves as a leader of KASM (Korean American Sharing Movement), Interaction and NCNK (National Committee on North Korea).
   
• Erika E. Cole, managing attorney for The Law Offices of Erika E. Cole, LLC, in Owings Mills, Md., which serves church and ministry clients. Cole is founder of The Church Compliance Conference, an annual event designed to inform and inspire pastors and leaders about legal compliance matters.
   
• Luis Cortés Jr., founder of Esperanza, Philadelphia, one of the largest Hispanic evangelical networks in the nation. Esperanza has provided technical assistance and training to more than 450 Hispanic nonprofits, with funding of nearly $10 million.
   
• Chico Daniels, president and CEO of Mel Trotter Ministries, founded in 1900 by Mel Trotter. Daniels has worked as an overseas missionary, in California prison ministry and inner-city evangelism, and in rescue missions. He is president of the Midwest district of the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions.
   
• Raleigh Washington, president and CEO of Promise Keepers, and founder and pastor emeritus of Rock Of Our Salvation Evangelical Free Church in Chicago. Westminster College granted Washington its third Doctor of Peacemaking award, previously awarded to Mother Teresa and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. 
   
• Dolphus Weary, president of the Rural Education and Leadership (R.E.A.L.) Christian Foundation, and fundraiser for Mission Mississippi, a racial reconciliation ministry that encourages unity within the church. For more than 25 years, Weary has spoken on college campuses and in churches, seminaries and conferences nationwide.

These seven appointees will join previous appointees Barry H. Corey, president of Biola University; Mart De Haan, president of RBC Ministries; Stephen Douglass, president of Campus Crusade for Christ; Jack Eggar, president and CEO of Awana; Franklin Graham, president and CEO of Samaritan's Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association; Jack Hayford, founder and president of The King's University; and Chip Ingram, president of Living on the Edge.

Previous appointees also include Bruce Johnson, president of SIM USA; Robert Lonac, president and CEO of CRISTA Ministries; Paul Nyquist, president of Moody Bible Institute; Dennis Rainey, president and CEO of the Campus Crusade for Christ subsidiary FamilyLife; Wess Stafford, president of Compassion International; Joseph M. Stowell, president of Cornerstone University; Joni Eareckson Tada, founder and CEO of Joni and Friends International Disability Center; and Ravi Zacharias, founder and board chairman of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.

The board of reference will be updated periodically on the state of ECFA and other relevant topics. It will provide feedback to the organization and serve as its ambassadors.

Bios and photos of board of reference members can be found at www.ecfa.org/Content/Board-of-Reference.

ECFA, founded in 1979, provides accreditation to leading Christian nonprofit organizations that faithfully demonstrate compliance with the ECFA standards pertaining to financial accountability, fundraising and board governance. For more information about ECFA, including accreditation and a listing of ECFA-accredited members, visit www.ecfa.org or call 1-800-323-9473.

To schedule an interview with Dan Busby or board of reference member, contact Ty Mays at 770-256-8710 or tmays@inchristcommunications.com.