Christianity Today, the evangelical magazine launched by Billy Graham and fellow church leaders in 1956, is projected to end 2026 with a $3 million deficit, according to an internal financial report obtained by The Roys Report. The news comes as the publication marks its 70th anniversary and prepares for a smaller operating budget in 2027.
The Nov. 12 investigation, by former Christianity Today news editor Daniel Silliman, reported that revenue from subscriptions, advertising and product sales was running $80,000 to $90,000 below monthly targets. A proposed $14 million budget for 2027 calls for contributions to cover half of spending. To balance that budget, the organization would need nearly $1 million more in donations and another $1 million in other revenue, according to the report.
President and CEO Nicole Massie Martin acknowledged the staff reductions in a Nov. 12 letter to readers and said the organization was "now stable and positioned for sustainable growth in the years to come." Martin said Christianity Today would continue publishing across print, digital, audio and video under new editor in chief Erik Petrik.
Public tax filings show how much the nonprofit already depends on giving. Contributions accounted for more than half of its revenue in 2023 and about 46 percent in 2024, when the organization reported $10.5 million in contributions. The proposed 2027 budget leaves fundraising central to the magazine's operations as it works to bring in more from readers, advertisers and product sales.
