Net Worth of America's Top Religious Leaders

by Brother Carlton 
07/18/16
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There's nothing wrong with making money if you do it legally and ethically.  Historically pastors were men of the holy Bible who nurtured their flock with spiritual food and were given a measure of wealth in return for their spiritual labors.  Today those passing for pastors seem to have an alternative motive in mind.  Instead of caring for the down trodden and spiritually sick the top pastors of America seem more bent on raking in millions to feed themselves by luxurious living.  

The following is a list of America's wealthiest pastors.  Keep in mind that most of these pastors preach a message that is considered a false gospel and/or they have serious doctrinal errors. Just compare the message of the Bible with the message these religious leaders are teaching and you'll see most of these people of false teachers that the scriptures warn about.

 God only knows who is and who is not in a state of grace.  Based on what we know of these men and their teachings and beliefs we can state almost without exception that most of these men are not God's chosen vessels for spreading truth and doing God's work.  They are business men using religion to earn their living and they do so knowing that many under their care are poor and barely getting by and/or are aspiring to greater wealth just like the religious leaders they follow.

The danger of these false teachers is that those gullible souls who follow these people will also end up in the same place of destruction when they come to face God at the judgment unless the Lord in mercy grants such people true repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

If the apostle Paul were living today he would without a doubt be much harder on these individuals than I am.  Before examing the list let us read what the Holy Spirit has spoken concerning such people.


“Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” 2 Timothy 3:5

"For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ, And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light,  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the minsters of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works,"   2 Cor. 11:13-15

Colossians 3:5 - Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

Ephesians 5:5 - For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Hebrews 13:5 - [Let your] conversation [be] without covetousness; [and be] content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Luke 12:15-21 - And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.  

1 John 2:15-17 - Love not the world, neither the things [that are] in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  

NOTE: It is interesting that most of these false teachers believe in speaking in tongues, extra revelatin, visions, miracles, being slain in the Spirit" and other such phenomena which is not according to godliness.  From such turn away.  The only exception may be Billy Graham but his gospel is one of free will and even Mr. Graham is not as faithful to the gospel he once preached in his younger years.

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

OPat 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.

 Carlton Pruitt ministers the gospel to the Los Angeles area. Formerly a Hollywood actor (SAG member) and junk removal expert he now spends most of his time studying the scriptures, writing articles, hymns and poems and doing street preaching. See all his videos on https://www.YouTube.com/user/LAStreetPreacher CONTACT at [email protected]