Ecosystem Vertical Scheme

Publisher: Global.Church · Created: 2026-05-12 · 22 concepts

https://ontology.global.church/core#EcosystemVerticalScheme

A controlled vocabulary of 22 ecosystem verticals organizing the Christian mission ecosystem into recognizable market segments. Each vertical sits in one tier from gc:EcosystemTierScheme (via gc:inTier), maps to one or more capabilities from gc:OrganizationalCapabilityScheme (via gc:expressesCapability), and declares the entity classes its products typically produce and consume (via gc:typicallyProducesType / gc:typicallyConsumesType). Sourced from Rich Pedersen's 2026-05-12 prototype diagram (16 verticals originally) with adjustments to give every named software cluster a distinct home.

Code	Label	Definition
`ECO-BC-CAB`	Coordination / Alliance Backbone	Alliance secretariats, partnership networks, roundtable conveners, coordination backbones, shared-strategy development for cross-organization initiatives. The meta-vertical that integrates the rest. Anchor orgs: Lausanne Movement, GACX, illuminations, GPTA, Future City Now, World Evangelical Alliance, Global.Church Alliance itself. Buyers: alliance executive directors, network coordinators, denominational ecumenical staff. Coordination is a meta-vertical: it integrates produce/consume flows from every other vertical. Its consumer list is intentionally broad — coordination services typically need to read across the whole graph. The producer/consumer matrix will show this vertical with disproportionately many edges by design.
`ECO-BC-MIR`	Mission Intelligence / Research	People-group research, demographic and reachedness data, mission-strategy intelligence, AI-driven gap analysis, geographic targeting. The data-and-research substrate the rest of the ecosystem cross-references. Anchor orgs: Joshua Project, MissionInsite, FaithX, IMB Global Research, Progress.Bible (research arm), Operation World. Buyers: mission agency strategy teams, denominational mission boards, funders.
`ECO-BC-MOC`	Mission Operations / Donor CRM / Impact Reporting	Donor and constituent CRM for mission agencies and nonprofits; fund accounting; monitoring, evaluation, and impact reporting; board reporting platforms. The operational backbone of mission agencies and nonprofits (distinct from the local-church ChMS vertical and from the funder-side capital vertical). Anchor products: Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud, Blackbaud (Raiser's Edge / Financial Edge), Bonterra, Neon One, Bloomerang, Kindful, Virtuous CRM, Sopact, DonorPerfect. Buyers: nonprofit operations directors, MEL leads, development directors.
`ECO-BC-PCF`	Philanthropic Capital / Funder Vehicles	Donor-advised funds, community foundations and grant-making intermediaries, funder networks and convening, grants-management platforms. The capital-supply side of the ecosystem. Anchor orgs / products: NCF, MacLellan, The Signatry, The Gathering, WaterStone, TrustBridge Global, Fluxx, GivingData, Foundant. Buyers: foundations, DAF program officers, philanthropic advisors, family-office mission directors.
`ECO-BC-SAT`	Scripture Access / Translation	Bible translation, audio scripture, sign-language scripture, scripture distribution platforms, Bible-study and reference tools. Anchor orgs / products: Wycliffe / SIL, Progress.Bible, YouVersion, Faith Comes By Hearing, Logos / Faithlife, Jesus Film, American Bible Society, unfoldingWord. Buyers: translation agency leaders, Bible-engagement program managers, church missions teams.
`ECO-BC-STA`	Standards & Accreditation	Financial-stewardship accreditation, academic-and-doctrinal accreditation, ministry-standards development, organizational peer review, charity rating and watchdog work. Anchor orgs: ECFA, ATS, ABHE, MAF, Charity Navigator, GuideStar / Candid. Buyers: organizational compliance directors, board members, donor-due-diligence staff.
`ECO-BC-TES`	Theological Education / Seminary Infrastructure	Seminaries, Bible colleges, accrediting associations for theological schools, faculty-development programs, online theological education at scale. The institutional substrate for ministry credentialing. Anchor orgs: ATS, ABHE, ICETE, Overseas Council, Gordon-Conwell, Dallas, Fuller, Asbury, individual seminaries. Buyers: seminary academic deans, denominational education boards, global theological networks.
`ECO-BR-CPM`	Church Planting / Multiplication	Church planting networks, multiplication coaching, DMM / CPM tooling, generational tree reporting. Anchor products / orgs: GACX, Disciple.Tools, The Timothy Initiative, V3, Stadia, NewThing, Acts 29, Strategic Launch Network. Buyers: church-planting network directors, planting coaches, sending churches.
`ECO-BR-ESR`	Evangelism / Seeker Response	Digital evangelism platforms, seeker-response funnels, follow-up handoff to local churches, evangelistic content distribution. Anchor products: Global Media Outreach, Gloo, YouVersion Connect, Cru.org / Jesus Film follow-up, Got Questions. Buyers: evangelism agencies and digital-evangelism directors.
`ECO-BR-JAP`	Justice / Advocacy / Persecution Response	Anti-trafficking and victim rescue, religious-liberty advocacy, persecution response, legal defense for believers, human-rights documentation. Anchor orgs: IJM, Open Doors, A21, Voice of the Martyrs, ADF International, The Exodus Road. Buyers: justice ministry directors, advocacy network coordinators, sending churches with persecution-focused commitments. Per §6.4 (open question), the per-incident persecution record class is not yet modeled; gc:Endorsement and gc:ActivityReport carry the closest fit today.
`ECO-BR-LTS`	Long-Term Sending / Worker Deployment	Long-term cross-cultural worker recruitment, pre-field training, deployment, agency-internal field tracking, support-raising / MPD platforms. Anchor products: MissionNext, MPDX, Pioneers Connect, agency-internal CRMs (Frontiers, IMB, etc.). Buyers: mission agency mobilizers, sending churches with long-term workers.
`ECO-BR-MCW`	Member Care / Worker Wellbeing	Cross-cultural worker care: counseling networks, debriefing services, MK schools and care, security and crisis support, retreat centers. Anchor orgs: Global Member Care Network, Barnabas International, Le Rucher, MK Care, OnField, Mobile Member Care Team. Buyers: agency member-care directors, sending-church global teams.
`ECO-BR-MRD`	Mercy / Relief / Development	Disaster relief, sustainable community development, child sponsorship, healthcare missions, food security, microfinance — humanitarian work carried out alongside or under Christian mission framing. Anchor orgs: Compassion International, World Relief, Samaritan's Purse, World Vision, CarePortal, Convoy of Hope. Buyers: relief and development directors, sponsorship managers, church mercy ministries.
`ECO-BR-PRM`	Prayer Mobilization	Prayer mobilization platforms, people-group prayer adoption, prayer-walking networks, intercessor coordination, prayer movements. Anchor products / orgs: PrayerMate, Prayercast, Operation World, 24-7 Prayer, Pray for Zero, Joshua Project's pray-for-a-PG features. Buyers: prayer mobilization leaders, church prayer pastors, mission-mobilization staff.
`ECO-BR-STM`	Short-Term Mobilization / Trip Management	Short-term mission trip management software: application, screening, trip logistics, donor / supporter portals for trip participants, post-trip reporting. Anchor products: ManagedMissions, ServiceReef, GoMethod, GivingTools, Trail Life mobilization. Buyers: short-term mission directors at local churches, sending agencies.
`ECO-LC-CMM`	Congregational / Ministry Management	Church management systems (ChMS): member directory, attendance, child check-in, group rosters, room scheduling, contact records. The operational backbone of a local congregation. Anchor products: Planning Center, Rock RMS, Realm/ACS, Breeze ChMS, Church Community Builder, Servant Keeper. Buyers: church executive pastors / operations directors.
`ECO-LC-DGC`	Discipleship / Groups / Care	Small-group and life-group management, discipleship curriculum delivery, pastoral care workflows, devotional content for congregations. Anchor products: RightNow Media, Disciple.Tools (local-church deployments), YouVersion devotion plans, Churchteams, Faithlife Equip. Buyers: discipleship pastors, small-group directors, care pastors.
`ECO-LC-DPC`	Digital Presence / Communications	Church website, mobile app, podcast / sermon hosting, mass email and SMS, social-media management, livestream platforms. Constituent-facing digital communications operations. Anchor products: Subsplash, Tithely Apps, Clearstream, Gloo, Buzzsprout, Mailchimp for Churches. Buyers: communications directors and operations pastors.
`ECO-LC-LGS`	Local Giving / Stewardship / Church Finance	Online giving, kiosks, recurring giving + pledge management; church fund accounting and finance software. Anchor products: Tithely, Pushpay, PCO Giving, Subsplash Giving, QuickBooks for Churches, Aplos, IconCMO. Buyers: church finance teams and stewardship pastors.
`ECO-LC-LTI`	Leadership / Training (Church-Internal)	Lay leadership training, staff development, learning management for church-internal use. Distinct from the Big-C seminary vertical: this is the church-as-buyer side of training (not the seminary as offering). Anchor products: Ministry Grid, Pathwright, BibleMesh, Logos (church-staff use), Right Now Media Equip. Buyers: church training pastors, executive pastors.
`ECO-LC-VES`	Volunteer / Events / Safety	Volunteer recruitment and scheduling, background checks and safe-ministry vetting, child protection policy administration, event-day operations, incident reporting and compliance. Anchor products: VOMO, MinistrySafe, Protect My Ministry, PCO Check-Ins, Sterling Volunteers. Buyers: volunteer coordinators, safety officers, executive pastors.
`ECO-LC-WGP`	Worship / Gathering Production	Worship service planning + production: order-of-service tools, lyrics + slide presentation, multitrack playback, song licensing and chart libraries. Anchor products: PCO Services, ProPresenter, WorshipTools, MultiTracks, SongSelect, Loop Community. Buyers: worship pastors and tech directors.