“Religious Leader” and “stinkin’ rich” don’t sound like they should go hand and hand, but oftentimes, the opposite is true. Admittedly, doing God’s work, as some of them put it, isn’t cheap, and you need to have a personal jet to spread the Good Word. Check out our list of some of the wealthiest religious leaders this world has ever seen. You’ll undoubtedly know who sits on the third spot.
1. Walter Mercado – $5 Million
The late Walter Mercado was a spiritual leader that would leave his audience hanging onto his every word. The Puerto Rico native took an unorthodox approach at religion, influencing his Latin viewers to accept nonconforming roles based on gender. The dancer-turned-singer-turned-astrologer-turned-spiritual leader passed away in late-2019 from kidney failure. Many of his extravagant capes have been auctioned off.
“Religious Leader” and “stinkin’ rich” don’t sound like they should go hand and hand, but oftentimes, the opposite is true. Admittedly, doing God’s work, as some of them put it, isn’t cheap, and you need to have a personal jet to spread the Good Word. Check out our list of some of the wealthiest religious leaders this world has ever seen. You’ll undoubtedly know who sits on the third spot.
2. Eddie Long – $5 Million
The late Eddie Long was an incredible pastor for the megachurch in DeKalb Country, GA. His exuberant approach to spreading the word was what increased the church’s congregation to unforeseen numbers. He liked to teach that a faithful lifestyle would make a person prosperous in life, and he certainly could talk the talk. He traveled by private jet, had several luxury cars, and would return to a million-dollar mansion at the end of the day.
3. Paula White-Cain – $5 Million
Paula White-Cain was a nondenominational pastor for the megachurch in Apopka, Florda. She’s successful today, but she had to struggle through hardship and hardship to get there. Her father had passed away while she was still a child, and she had experienced all kinds of trouble from her peers. She turned to religion as a source of comfort, and the rest is history.
4. Juanita Bynum – $10 Million
Juanita Bynum is an incredibly talented religious leader. Most of her colleagues can write and preach, but she takes it to a different level with her amazing singing voice. She recently made headlines when she canceled a preaching gig after one of the pastor committee members barged into her hotel room. As a person of religion, the pastor could have at least knocked first.
5. Joseph Prince – $5 Million
The young Pastor Joseph Prince has spread the Bible’s message through best-selling titles, but he also broadcasts his sermons to millions of viewers across the globe. Joseph is a co-founded the New Creation Church where he was promoted to senior pastor. His active involvement in the church was what brought it national attention.
6. Reinhard Bonnke – $4 Million
Evangelical Reinhard Bonkke is recognized for his part in the Crusade event that drew in a crowd of over 6 million people across Africa. He claimed to have received a call to preach in Africa during his earlier years, but his travels brought him to Wales and Germany as well. He was a prominent preacher in Africa until he passed in 2019.
7. T.D. Jakes – $18 Million
Accomplished author T.D. Jakes leads the Potter’s House Church in Dallas, TX. He makes sure that all 30,000 members of his congregation are fully aware of this writing achievements by purchasing his books. He often takes a few moments to promote his daughter’s book while delivering his sermons. He helped found the megachurch in 1996 and has expanded it into the $45 million piece of real estate it is today.
8. Kirk Cameron – $20 Million
Most people only recognize Kirk Cameron from the sitcom Growing Pains. He claims to have been an atheist while growing up but became a born-again Christian at 17 during the peak of his acting career. Because of religion, he asked the Growing Pains writers to remove inappropriate scenes and to try and incorporate religion onto the show.
9. Clifton Davis – $3 Million
Clifton Davis is credited for writing ghostwriting for the Jackson 5 back in 1971. He was a prominent figure in the world of music, often taking part in musicals on the Broadway stage and even co-hosting an awards show for gospel music for a four-year period. His musical history is what helped him gain a foothold in the religion scene, drawing in crowds with his charisma and natural showmanship.
10. Rick Warren – $25 Million
Pastor Rick was one of the key figures behind the founding of Pastors.com and the Saddleback Church. Saddleback was founded in Lake Forest and received up to 30,000 attendees regularly every week spread across 19 locations, four of which are international sites. He uses Church.com as a means to promote not only the Good Word but also to train aspiring bishops on how to do their job.
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