Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada is a 4-star rated charity. It has a below average results reporting grade and its overhead costs are within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending. The charity has $21.3m in reserve funds which can cover just under a year of annual program costs.

Founded in 1919, Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC) is a Christian charity that spreads the gospel and works to inspire people to become disciples of Jesus Christ. The charity has over 1,100 churches across Canada and over 235,000 people attend its church services. The services are offered in over 40 languages. PAOC has three main programs: Mission Global, Fellowship Services and Mission Canada.

Mission Global – 79% of program spending in F2021

Mission Global strives to spread the message of Jesus amongst those with little or no access to the gospel. Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada reports that 42% of the world population falls into this category. In F2022, the charity had 257 global workers in 90 countries. The global programs include GlobalEd, GlobalWorks, Missions and Kids, STM Network and ZOE Network. These programs offer ways for individuals, churches or organizations to contribute to the charity’s mission through education, volunteering, and children and women ministries, on a global scale. In F2022, the charity distributed over 10,000 Bibles to poor families in Columbia and over 4,800 Bibles in Villages of Hope Africa safe centres. The charity also reports sponsoring 4,612 children in Africa and the Middle East, 1,656 children in Asia, 1,556 children in Latin America and the Caribbean and 80 children in Eurasia.

Fellowship Services – 13% of program spending in F2021

Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada’s Fellowship Services support the PAOC constituency and International Office to provide efficient church services. The charity has over 3,500 pastors and ministry leaders and over 275 missionaries in nine districts. In 2021, 1,733 people received baptisms. The charity reports a Sunday Morning service attendance of 271,893 people.

Mission Canada – 8% of program spending in F2021

The Mission Canada program strives to make the gospel more accessible in places where PAOC believes Jesus is not well represented. This includes campuses, people groups, and specific regions and communities. Mission Canada’s main initiatives focus on bringing the gospel to children, people in Quebec and francophones outside the province, newcomers to Canada, Indigenous communities and those living in growing urban centres. The charity supports the Canadian branch of Red Frogs at 19 university campuses.

Although the charity’s audited financial statements are publicly available, these are not posted in a timely manner. As such, the following financial analysis consists of the information from the charity’s F2021 audited financial statements.

Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada received $24.3m in donations in F2021. Administrative costs are 11% of revenues less investment income, and fundraising costs are 1% of donations. This results in total overhead spending of 12%. For every dollar donated, 88 cents are available for programs, which is within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending. 

PAOC has reserve funds of $21.3m net of $1.8m in interest-bearing debts. The charity could cover just under a year of annual program costs using net reserve funds.

Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada is the sole owner of two for-profit organizations: Pentecostal Financial Services Group Inc. (PFSG) and Covenant Securities Corp. (CSC). PFSG provides mortgages to Pentecostal churches in Canada to fund construction projects. CSC is the registered dealer for PFSG notes. These are unsecured, fixed-income promissory notes with a term to maturity of one to five years. PFSG is exempt from the usual reporting and capital requirements of financial services companies. The details of PFSG and CSC’s exemptions can be found here.

 Ci included PFSG and CSC’s net income in business activities but did not further consolidate the financial information of PAOC to reflect the operations of PFSG or CSC. 

PAOC has eight related parties, including charitable organizations and the above for-profit companies. Its financial statements are complex and worth reading.  

This charity report is an update that has been sent to Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on August 22, 2023 by Victoria Allder.