Archived: Chinese Church Support Ministries Limited: mini-charity review

Mini charity review of Chinese Church Support Ministries Limited (CCS) as an organisation that seeks donations online. (Including the answers to the questions that the Australian charity regulator, the ACNC, suggests that you ask.)

Is it responsive to feedback?

• When sent a draft of this review, they…did not respond.

Is CCS registered?

• As a charity, yes.
  • But in its old name, Antioch Missions.
• Other registrations:
  • CCS is a public company, a company limited by guarantee.
  • It has the provisions in its constitution to allow it to omit ‘Ltd/Limited’ at the end of its name.

What do they do?

• The website www.amccsm.org describes what Chinese Church Support Ministries does in China, but has no page for Australia. However, we have this description of what CCS does from their Annual Information Statement 2016 (AIS 2016):
  • In Australia, every month we email prayer letters to supporters living in Australia, for purposes of educating those outside of China, about its needs. A major area where our donations are directed to is our Literature ministry which sees the printing of Bibles and Christian teaching material which is distributed throughout China. Organised teams for volunteers to go into China for short trips (2 weeks) to participate in Mercy Work projects, Prayer teams and Cross-Cultural-English Teaching ran throughout 2016 and will continue to do so in 2017. This is the main way that we get people outside of China into China to participate in supporting and serving China

Do they share the Gospel?

• Presumably those who go on the ‘short trips’ (see above) share the Gospel if they get the opportunity.

What impact are they having?

• No information found.

What do they spend outside the costs directly incurred in delivering the above impact, that is, on administration?

• The expenses in the AIS 2016 – CCS is not required to lodge accounts, and hasn’t – are not classified to allow this calculation.

Can you get a tax deduction?

• No

Is their online giving secure?

• PayPal is used, so yes.

What choices do you have in how your donation is used?

• ‘Printing Ministry’
• ‘Mercy Ministry’
• How the money gets to China is not disclosed.
  • ‘Grants and donations…for use outside Australia’ in the AIS 2016 is zero.
  • The AIS 2016 shows 100% of the expenses going on ‘Other expenses/payments’.

Is their reporting up-to-date?

• Yes. (Six and a half months after year end, two weeks before the deadline.)

Does their reporting comply with the regulator’s requirements?

• AIS 2016: Except for the absence of outcomes, yes.
• Financial Report 2016: Yes
  • Their size means that they are not required to lodge a Financial Report.
  • But their Associate membership of Missions Interlink requires them to “have available for [their] members and supporters a clear and appropriate financial statement which has been approved by its auditor.”
  • They could have lodged this voluntarily, but they chose not to.

What financial situation was shown in that Report?

• NA

What did the auditor say about the last financial statements?

• NA

If a charity, is their page on the ACNC Register complete?

• Not quite – ‘Phone’ and ‘Website’ are blank, and a postal address is given instead of the street address.

Who are the people controlling the organisation?

• Not mentioned on the website. But
• From ‘Responsible Persons’ on the ACNC Register:
  • Daniel Bao
  • Murray Cameron
  • Hercus Graham

To whom is CCS accountable?

• CCS is an Associate member of Missions Interlink. Missions Interlink has an accountability regime.
• CCS is also accountable to the ACNC.