The business of religion for some can be a very profitable profession to enter. Most people think of that sentence in the spiritual sense, but this article is about the physical worldly dollar.
It might be argued that the reason why ministers are more likely to more money today is because they utilize more money making opportunities such as writing books, producing movies and speaking engagements.
Some of which make enough to have private planes (Eddie Long) refurbished arenas as churches (Joel Osteen) and flourishing press houses (Rick Warren).
There will be many who will say that these pastors shouldn?t be making this much money. Before you judge, keep in mind that the average yearly household salary in The Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa is $422, so they could be saying the same about you!
This article is not to bash anyone, it is written to inspire you to dream bigger. If you are not interested in making money, then that is your choice but here are men and women who inspire others while achieving their dreams.
1. Kenneth Copeland
Net Worth $760 Million
He runs Kenneth Copeland Ministries. His ministry?s 1,500-acre campus is a half-hour drive from Fort Worth includes a church, a private airstrip, a hangar for the ministry?s $17.5 million jet and other aircraft, and a $6 million church owned lakefront mansion. He is very close to being a Billionaire even though he already claims billion dollar status.
2. Pat Robertson
Net Worth $100 Million
Pat Robertson launched the Christian Broadcasting Network in Virginia, and the network is now broadcast in 180 countries. In the late 80s, he ran for President, but was unsuccessful. He runs a number of large companies, including the Christian Coalition, a Christian Right organization that exists to raise monetary and public support for conservative political candidates.
3. Benny Hinn
Net Worth $42 Million
Israeli televangelist, Benny Hinn is best known for his regular ?Miracle Crusades? ? revival meeting/faith healing summits that are usually held in large stadiums in major cities, which are later broadcast worldwide on his television program, ?This Is Your Day?.
4. Joel Osteen
Net Worth $40 Million
Joel Osteen is an author, televangelist, and pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. He took over his father?s role as a pastor and televangelist, despite having very little formal religious training, in 1999. Since then, the Lakewood Church broadcast has grown exponentially and can be seen in 100 different countries.
5. Creflo Dollar
Net Worth $27 Million
American Bible teacher, pastor, and the founder of World Changers Church International, Creflo Dollar, is one of the most successful preachers in America.
6. Billy Graham
Net Worth $25 Million
Billy Graham is a Southern Baptist who rose to celebrity status as his sermons were broadcast on radio and television stations around the country. In 1950 he founded the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Within a few years the civil rights movement began to sweep the nation. Billy, who had never really thought much about the plight of African Americans was instantly inspired to help the cause. He began refusing to speak or appear at events that were segregated. He joined the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 where he met and befriended Martin Luther King, Jr. In 1957, Billy invited Dr. King to join him during a 16 week Christian event held at New York City?s Madison Square Garden. This 16 week event attracted more than 2.3 million visitors from around the country and helped propel Dr. King and the Civil Rights movement into the mainstream conscience. Billy personally posted bail for Dr. King on several occasions after the MLK had been arrested during demonstrations. Billy Graham was also the official spiritual advisor to several Presidents including Nixon and Eisenhower. It has been estimated that during his lifetime, Billy?s sermons have reached an audience across television and radio of more than 2.2 billion people. He married his wife Ruth in 1943 and they remained together until her death in 2007.
7. Rick Warren
Net Worth $25 Million
Rick Warren founded Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California; it is now the country?s eighth-largest church. Warren is the author of a handful of books, including ?The Purpose Driven Church? and ?The Purpose Driven Life?. Warren believes in a five-point plan to bring global harmony to Earth; he calls it his ?P.E.A.C.E. Plan?. It calls for planting churches, equipping servant leaders, assisting the poor, caring for the sick, and education. He and his wife aim to live on ten percent of their income and donate the rest to charity.
8. Bishop T. D Jakes
Net Worth $18 Million
Bishop Jakes lives in a $1,700,000 mansion, he has been called America?s best preacher and has been featured on the cover of TIME magazine. He is a writer, preacher and movie producer. Thomas Dexter ?T. D.? Jakes, Sr. is the bishop/chief pastor of The Potter?s House, a non-denominational American mega church, with 30,000 members, located in Dallas, Texas.
9. Juanita Bynum
Net Worth $10 Million
Juanita Bynum is an American actress, singer, author, and televangelist. Her 1997 video and audiotape series, ?No More Sheets?, catapulted her into the spotlight in Christian circles. The reprise of the program was one of the most popular portions of the ?Woman, Thou Art Loosed!? Conference in 1999, and was attended by 52,000 people. She also organized the annual ?Women?s Weapons of Power Conference? until 2006. She appears regularly on the Trinity Broadcasting Network, and has released a number of audiobooks and recordings of her sermons.
10. Joyce Meyer
Net Worth $8 Million
In 2005, she ranked #17 on the list of ?25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America? by TIME Magazine. In 2003, she and her husband started a television ministry which still airs today,Enjoying Everyday Life. Meyer only travels via private jet and responded to her critics by saying that she doesn?t have to apologize to anyone about her being blessed.
11. Rev John Hagee
Net Worth $5 Million
Pastor John Hagee net worth: Pastor John Hagee is the founder and senior pastor of Cornerstone Church. He lead the Trinity Church in the early to mid-70s, and then founded his own church, The Church at Castle Hills, in 1975. Since then, he has gone on to head one of the most wide-reaching and successful Christian organizations in the world. The Cornerstone Church now has 20,000 members, and he is the CEO of John Hagee Ministries, a Christian multi-media empire, the CEO of Christian Evangelism Television, and the National Chairman of Christians United for Israel.
12. Paula White
Net Worth $5 Million
Pastor Paula White is a Christian evangelist, teacher, author, and television personality. She became a Christian in the mid-80s, and went on to launch her own church with her then husband Randy White, called Without Walls International Church. The church, which was originally known as the South Tampa Christian Church, struggled during its early years, and the Whites lived off the kindness of the congregation and the government. The church eventually grew to 20,000 members. She hosts the popular show, ?Paula White Today? on the Trinity Broadcast Network, and has published ten books.
13. Bishop Eddie Long
Net Worth $5 Million
Bishop Eddie Long is the senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, a megachurch in DeKalb County, Georgia. When Long started as pastor for New Birth Church in 1987, there were 300 church members, which grew to 25,000. A best-selling author, Bishop Long?s captivating and powerful messages are captured in a number of books, including: It?s Your Time: Reclaim Your Territory for the Kingdom, The Elect Lady, I Don?t Want Delilah, I Need You, What a Man Wants, What a Woman Needs, Called to Conquer, Gladiator: The Strength of a Man and his most recent: 60 Seconds to Greatness: Seize the Moment and Plan for Success.
14. Bishop Noel Jones
Net Worth $5 Million
Bishop Noel Jones earned his Ph.D from the International Circle of Faith. He then became pastor of the Bethel Temple of Longview in Texas. In the mid-90s, he became the pastor of the Greater Bethany Community Church in Los Angeles, California. When he first became pastor, the church had 1000 members. Less than ten years later, the size of the church had grown exponentially, and the congregation had a membership of 17,000 people. An additional building was built to accommodate the number of parishioners. The church?s choir, the City of Refuge Sanctuary Choir, also released a successful gospel album in 2007. The album charted on the Billboard 200, and reached #1 on the gospel charts.
15. Minister Louis Farrakhan
Net Worth $3 Million
Louis Farrakhan reached his net worth through his leadership and brief musical career. Born Louis Eugene Walcott on May 11, 1933, Bronx, New York, he made a name for himself as the leader of the Nation of Islam (NOI) movement. Louis Farrakhan joined the organization in 1955, and he was instrumental in preserving the original teachings of the longtime NOI leader, Elijah Muhammad.
He was the man to stand behind the rebuilding of NOI, once it was disbanded by Elijah Muhammad?s son, Warith Deen Muhammad, who started the orthodox Islamic group American Society of Muslims. Farrakhan restored the name Nation of Islam for the organization in 1981 and went on to regain most of the Nation of Islam?s National properties like the NOI National Headquarters Mosque Maryam, as well as over 130 NOI mosques throughout America and the world. In the process, his controversial political views and outspoken rhetorical style have been either praised or widely criticized.
Black religious and social leader as he was, Farrakhan earned the tag ?antisemite? by Southern Poverty Law Center. In October 1995, he led the Million Man March in Washington, D.C., where he called on black people to renew their vows to their families and communities. Today, Louis Farrakhan continues to be active in the NOI, but he has dramatically reduced his responsibilities due to health issues.
){kind=link}
){kind=link}