Nathan Apffel

Founder

Apffel grew up in a household where faith was both a source of comfort and deep questioning. Raised in a religious community, he witnessed firsthand the beauty of spiritual devotion—and the silence that often surrounded moral failure. These early experiences planted the seeds for The Religion Business, a decades-long investigation born from a personal need to reconcile faith with truth, and to give voice to those silenced within sacred spaces. With a deep passion for documentary storytelling, he believes in the power of visual narratives to expose hidden realities and spark meaningful change. His latest work, The Religion Business, is the culmination of years of investigative effort, delving into the sacred and the profane—shedding light on both spiritual devotion and the moral failures that plague religious institutions and the nonprofit sector. For him, documentary filmmaking is not just a medium—it’s a mission. In The Religion Business, Nathan Apffel challenges audiences to confront the uncomfortable truths often shielded by tradition, influence, and institutional reverence. The series doesn’t merely reveal systemic abuse and corruption; it calls for accountability, transparency, and reform. With unflinching courage and compassion, the director creates space for survivors' voices, while also honoring the power of faith untainted by exploitation. His vision is clear: to bring integrity back to the institutions meant to serve humanity and to empower viewers to become agents of change in a world that desperately needs it. Through the journey of creating The Religion Business, Apffel discovered a potential non-governmental solution to solve for the lack of transparency and accountability: a groundbreaking technology platform designed to bring transparency, ethical oversight, and financial accountability to the nonprofit and religious sectors—empowering communities to track, report, and reform the very systems meant to serve them. The mission: give knowledge and power back to the generous individuals that fund it all.

Christopher Ayoub

Founder

Chris Ayoub is a father of four, a decorated war veteran with 64 combat missions in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and a successful entrepreneur who served as President of a company named to the Inc. 5000 five times and conducted approximately 20 mergers and acquisitions. Today, he channels that same courage and conviction into The Religion Business and Broken Shepherds. Chris believes that where there is no transparency, humans will exploit the darkness. He is committed to shining light into this space so donors and congregants—the body of Christ—can hold organizations accountable. Transparency will usher in reform, leading to measurable impact: disciples made of all nations, the body of Christ rising in unity, human flourishing, the sick healed, the poor fed, and the marginalized loved. Just as a tree planted in light multiplies and bears much fruit, so too will a reformed church transform the world. Chris is calling all members of the faith community to demand transparency for every donor dollar. This is not simply about numbers—it is about stewardship, trust, and accountability before God. When generosity is stewarded with integrity, giving becomes a seed that multiplies into food for the hungry, healing for the broken, and a living testimony of the gospel in action. The vision is bigger than financial accountability—it is about human flourishing. A transparent and reformed system paves the way for a world where the poor are fed, the sick are healed, and the marginalized are uplifted. Just as importantly, this flourishing flows from the Word of God itself, nourishing hearts and restoring souls. With transparency, reform brings life—and the Church can once again reflect its true calling: to make disciples of all nations, to be salt and light, and to bear much fruit that will endure for generations.