$237,823 in Undisclosed Salaries &   an 85% Asset Drop Raise Serious Questions for Good Fight Ministries

Update — March 25, 2026Added after initial publication · Feb 26, 2026

Financial Transparency Update: “Books Were Checked” vs. Reported Reality

In response to earlier Berean Examiner reporting on financial transparency concerns at Blessed Hope Chapel & Good Fight Ministries, Pastor Joe Schimmel has allegedly directed internal staff to tell congregants that the books were reviewed by a retired member of the church with a background in financial analysis and internal auditing, who supposedly confirmed that everything was fine.

According to witnesses, the church staff told at least one concerned congregant that this individual had checked the books and they are “totally good.” However, those familiar with what happened say that individual privately told members he never conducted a formal review. He reportedly only glanced at a few pages, verified the salaries, but refused to examine expendables such as travel, food, car rentals, hotels, and fund allocations. No written report or substantive findings were produced — an unsurprising result given that this individual is retired, does not operate an active accounting firm, and holds no current professional certifications in forensic accounting or auditing. Placing the burden of financial assurance on a retired congregant rather than an independent credentialed auditor is itself a failure of fiduciary responsibility.

Public Account

“[A church member] checked the books. They are totally good.” — Reportedly conveyed by church staff to concerned congregants

Private Account

That individual reportedly stated they never conducted a formal review — only glanced at a few pages, verified salaries, and refused to examine expendables. No written report was produced.

If true, this falls far short of any professional standard of financial review. Presenting a retired congregant’s brief, informal glance as meaningful assurance to donors and members raises potential legal and regulatory concerns:

• California Corporations Code § 5231

  Nonprofit directors bear a fiduciary duty of care. Representing a superficial review as substantive financial assurance may fall short of that standard.

• California Business & Professions Code § 17510 et seq.

  Charitable solicitation laws prohibit misleading statements to donors. Assurances inconsistent with the actual level of examination performed risk violating these protections.

• California AG's Registry of Charitable Trusts / IRS

  Such assurances could invite scrutiny from the California Attorney General's charitable trust oversight authority or federal tax regulators.

This public reassurance — reportedly delivered through church staff — stands in sharp contrast to the reported private reality of a superficial glance. The discrepancy mirrors the same pattern of contradictory statements and narrative management documented throughout this investigation, and connects directly to the broader governance concerns raised in both this report and our ongoing Blessed Hope Chapel investigation.

Connected InvestigationLatest

The Church That Investigated Itself: An Open Letter Demanding Independent Accountability at Blessed Hope Chapel

The Berean Examiner Staff•March 27, 2026

When sexual misconduct allegations surfaced at Blessed Hope Chapel, the elder board did not call for an independent investigation. It investigated itself. Former congregants formally documented five charges — and leadership never responded.

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When questions arise inside a church community, they rarely begin with spreadsheets. They begin with trust. Over the past year, multiple former congregants of Blessed Hope Chapel have expressed concerns regarding leadership structure, governance practices, and the handling of serious internal matters. Among those concerns — raised privately before any public reporting — was a recurring theme: financial transparency.Several individuals stated that they sought clearer explanation regarding how Good Fight Ministries operates, how it relates financially to Blessed Hope Chapel, and what safeguards exist to prevent conflicts of interest between overlapping leadership structures. No formal allegation of financial misconduct has been filed in court or by regulators. However, when multiple congregants independently voice a desire for greater clarity, publicly available IRS filings provide a logical starting point for review.                                        Good Fight Ministries (led by Joseph Schimmel) and its sister work Blessed Hope Chapel have built a large online platform — nearly 290,000 YouTube subscribers and over 48 million lifetime views, plus hundreds of Patreon supporters — by calling the church to biblical discernment and exposing financial deception in other ministries.

A complete review of every public IRS Form 990-PF from 2019 through 2024 reveals an organization that spent far more than it took in, exploded non-officer payroll with zero names disclosed, and watched its total assets collapse 85% in a single year — all while providing donors and members virtually no voluntary transparency on where the money actually went.

Since the original reporting, accounts from multiple former congregants — shared within the community and reaching The Berean Examiner through those networks — have described similar experiences. Those familiar with their accounts say they repeatedly raised questions with leadership about finances, compensation, governance, and the ministry-church overlap — only to receive vague, shifting explanations and no documentation. Several left after feeling their biblical concerns about stewardship were dismissed.

In 2024 alone:

That one line consumed 68% of the ministry's entire $350,473 in operating and administrative expenses for the year.

The IRS does not require private foundations to name regular employees — only officers. Good Fight Ministries followed the letter of the law. But a ministry that publicly demands detailed financial accountability from others chose to give its own donors zero names, job titles, hours worked, or relationship disclosures.

An 85% drop in one year, driven by $350k in expenses against only $205k in revenue. The filings still list the same land/building basis ($152,421) with full accumulated depreciation, yet provide no narrative explaining what assets were spent down or liquidated to cover the $146k deficit.

Joseph Schimmel is both President of the ministry and pastor of Blessed Hope Chapel. Lisa Schimmel is Secretary. The ministry's media studio operates from the second floor of the church building at 23 W Easy Street, yet the official IRS address is a separate residential address (1610 Mellow Lane).

The ministry openly promotes its massive online reach as a funding source. Yet the 990-PF reports only broad categories (contributions + product sales profit) with no separate breakout of YouTube ad revenue, Super Thanks, channel memberships, or Patreon income — and no unrelated business income tax reporting.

Good Fight Ministries is not merely a small local ministry. It maintains a substantial digital media presence with a national and international audience.

The ministry operates a YouTube channel under the Good Fight Ministries name with approximately 290,000 subscribers and hundreds of published videos. It also produces regular podcast programming, including The Good Fight Radio Show and 5:11 News, and promotes ongoing engagement through platforms such as Patreon and other subscription-based outlets.

Subscriber counts alone do not establish revenue figures, and online presence does not automatically translate into reportable income. However, when an organization maintains a significant digital footprint and acknowledges receiving online support, questions about how those revenue streams are structured and under which legal entity they are reported naturally arise.

This context is particularly relevant because Good Fight Ministries operates within a broader Christian discernment space, frequently evaluating and critiquing other churches, pastors, and ministries. In that environment, financial and governance transparency becomes part of the public credibility equation.

Good Fight Ministries is structured as a private foundation rather than as a public charity. Under IRS rules, private foundations are subject to strict self-dealing prohibitions and must disclose detailed information regarding leadership, compensation, and charitable activities.

According to Good Fight Ministries’ Form 990-PF filings from 2017 through 2024, Joseph Schimmel is listed as President of the foundation. In multiple filings, Lisa Schimmel is listed as Secretary.

The leadership structure appears consistent across reporting years.

The foundation’s Form 990-PF filings list its official address as 1610 Mellow Lane in Simi Valley, California.

Blessed Hope Chapel publicly lists its address as:

Public communications from Good Fight Ministries indicate that its media studio operates from space located on the second floor of the Blessed Hope Chapel building at 23 W Easy Street. Weekly video broadcasts and podcast recordings are produced from that location.

While the foundation’s IRS filings list a different official mailing address, its operational media activity appears to take place within the church’s building.

The Form 990-PF filings reviewed do not clearly describe any lease, rental, or reimbursement arrangement governing the foundation’s use of church property. The filings also do not provide narrative clarification regarding whether the foundation pays rent to the church, receives donated space, or operates under another written agreement.

When affiliated entities share leadership and operational space, transparency regarding financial boundaries becomes especially important. The public filings provide officer and compensation disclosures but do not elaborate on the structural relationship between the church and the foundation beyond listing officers and addresses.

Across multiple years, Good Fight Ministries reports land and building basis of approximately $152,421 along with accumulated depreciation.

The filings report property values but do not clarify how property is utilized operationally relative to the church building from which the ministry broadcasts its weekly content.

Compensation in nonprofit organizations is lawful and common. The issue is not the existence of compensation but the clarity surrounding how funds are allocated relative to programmatic output.

From the filings alone, it is not immediately clear what percentage of annual revenue is directed toward direct charitable activities versus administrative or operational costs. Nor do the filings provide detailed narrative explanation of measurable outcomes associated with annual expenditures.

In public communications, leadership has acknowledged that online platforms generate financial support for ongoing media production. The Form 990-PF filings reviewed do not separately itemize online media income categories, leaving open questions regarding how such revenue streams are structured and under which entity they are reported.

Form 990-PF includes a section titled “Summary of Direct Charitable Activities,” intended to describe the foundation’s primary charitable work. According to Good Fight Ministries’ 2023 Form 990-PF, this section is present as required.

However, narrative detail describing specific program outputs appears limited in the publicly available copies reviewed.

The IRS form is designed not only for compliance but also for transparency. Donors and the public are meant to understand what charitable work is being conducted and how funds are being deployed.

Public IRS Form 990-PF filings from 2016 through 2024 reveal several patterns that, while not establishing wrongdoing, raise questions regarding transparency and disclosure completeness.

This article does not allege fraud.

It does not assert IRS violations.

It does not claim embezzlement or self-dealing.

It does not accuse any individual of criminal conduct.

It examines publicly available IRS filings and places them in context alongside the ministry’s public influence and the concerns voiced by former congregants.

When trust is strong, paperwork rarely becomes controversial. When trust erodes, even routine filings are examined more closely.

If Good Fight Ministries wishes to clarify how its media operations are financially structured, how affiliated entities maintain operational boundaries, or what written safeguards govern insider leadership, this publication welcomes a formal response and will publish it in full.

Form 990-PF Filings (2016–2024)

This link goes directly to Good Fight Ministries’ nonprofit profile on ProPublica, where all available Form 990-PF filings can be viewed in HTML format or downloaded as PDFs.