There’s an unending debate whether pastors should amass wealth at the expense of the congregation or not. A typical church pastor performs religious activities, directs church operations, provides spiritual counseling, and lots more. All these add more responsibility to their shoulders.
However, many are of the opinion that preachers ought to live a moderate life devoid of worldly pleasures just to set a good example for the congregation. Also, it is widely believed that pastors make their money from their congregations in the form of offerings, tithe, donations, etc. This might be true, but most pastors are also seasoned businessmen.
Most wealthy pastors have diversified their source of income, some of them are into other businesses that fetch them a lot of money. many of them are authors, some own universities, TV stations, publishing houses, film production companies, etc.
Here we will look at the top 27 richest pastors in the world, their net worths, and how they make their fortune.
27. Noel Jones – $5 Million
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Noel Jones is a Jamaican-American preacher and a Pentecostal bishop. Bishop Jones is the senior pastor of the City of Refuge Church in Gardena, California. The church has about 17,000 members.
The church has expanded with time, and its choir has successfully released an album that made it to the number one spot on the Billboard 200 gospel chart.
26. Paula White -$5 Million
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Also featured on our list of richest preachers in the world is Paula White with an estimated net worth of $5 million. Paula White is an American preacher, author, and televangelist. Her gospel centers around the prosperity message.
White was the senior paster of New Destiny Christian Center in Apopka, Florida. Prior to then, she was the co-pastor of Without Walls International Church in Tampa, Florida, a church she co-founded with the pastor and then-husband Randy White.
Paula was appointed by President Trump into the Faith and Opportunity Initiative at the Office of Public Liason. She is also an author of many Christian books.
25. John Hagee – $5 Million
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John Hagee is an American preacher and televangelist with an estimated net worth of $5 million. Hagee is the founder of John Hagee Ministries. His teachings are telecast to the United States and Canada. He is also the founder and chairman of the Christian-Zionist organization Christians United for Israel.
John Hagee Ministries has more than 20,000 members. Hagee is the CEO of Christian Evangelism Television.
24. Joseph Prince – $5 Million
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Joseph Prince is a Singaporean preacher and senior pastor of New Creation Church located in Singapore. He is the richest pastor in Singapore and one of the wealthiest in the world.
In an interview report published by Sunday Times, Prince acknowledged that s the executive chairman of the church council, he was well-paid with his salary going up to $50,000 a month. Joseph Prince is also an author of many Christian books.
23. Matthew Ashimolowo – $6 Million
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Featured at number 23 on our list of wealthiest preachers in the world is Matthew Ashimolowo. He is a Nigerian preacher and the senior pastor of Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC) located in London, UK.
His teachers are aired on various radio and television stations within and outside the UK. His teachings are centered around prosperity. The church attracts an estimated 300,000 weekly worshippers in the UK.
Matthew Ashimolowo’s net worth is estimated at $10 million. The church accounts confirmed that he earns an annual salary of £100,000 ($138,000). However, the majority of his wealth comes from the sale of Christian literature and documentaries from his media company, Matthew Ashimolowo media. Pastor Matthew is also the Chancellor of Kings University.
22. Joyce Meyer – $8 Million
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Joyce Meyer is an American preacher and author and the president of Joyce Meyer Ministries. The headquarters of her ministry is located in the St. Louis Suburb of Fenton, Missouri.
Meyer whose net worth is estimated at $10 million owns several homes and travel in a private jet (Gulfstream G-IV). She was reported to be earning $900,000 per year from Joyce Meyer Ministries. Meyer also earns from donations and royalties from book sales.
21. Brian Houston – $10 Million
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Brian Houston is an Australian pastor and evangelist with an estimated net worth of $10 million. Housten is the founder and senior pastor of Hillsong Church, located in Sydney. He was also the National President of the Australian Christian Churches.
Housten is an executive producer for Hillsong Music Australia (HMA), the music ministry of Hillsong Church. The music ministry of the church has been releasing chart-topping albums from Hillsong United.
20. Juanita Bynum – $10 Million
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Juanita Bynum is an American televangelist, singer, and author, with an estimated worth of $10 million dollars.
Bynum makes her wealth from selling tickets for her lectures, DVDs and books have allowed him to build a fortune. She attracts thousand of devotees for her lecture series. She broke her record in Kenya by attracting more than 750,000 people.
19. Franklin Graham – $10 Million
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Franklin Graham is an American preacher and one of the richest preachers in the world. Following the death of his father, Billy Graham, Franklin is now president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) and of Samaritan’s Purse, the philanthropy arm of the ministry.
Graham is also a public speaker and author and frequently takes part in Christian revival tours. Franklin Graham has an estimated net worth of $10 million.
18. Ayo Oritsejafor – $15 Million
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Ayo Oritsejafor whose net worth is estimated at $15 million is one of the richest pastors in the world. Pastor Oritsejafor is the founder and Senior Pastor of Word of Life Bible Church, Warri, Nigeria. He was the president of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) and the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
His ministry owns the African Broadcasting Network (ABN), an international satellite Christian television station intended to serve as a voice for the gospel of Christ from Africa to the world. The TV station is currently viewed in over 75 countries of the world.
17. Jesse Duplantis – $20 Million
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Jesse Duplantis is an American preacher with an estimated net worth of $20 million. He is the founder of Jesse Duplantis Ministries located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States.
His ministry also owns a private jet, which Duplantis had used to preach the gospel all over the world. Several media outlets accused Duplantis of asking his followers to donate money to him so that he could buy a new $54 million private jet, the Dassault Falcon 7X.
However, Duplantis responded to the criticism on his ministry website by saying – “I’m not asking you to pay for my plane, I’m asking you to pray for my plane”.
16. Bishop TD Jakes – $20 Million
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Bishop TD Jakes is an American bishop, author, and one of the wealthiest preachers in the world. He is the founder and bishop of the American megachurch, The Potter’s House.
Bishop TD Jakes is also the author of many Christain books and also a filmmaker operating under the “TDJ Enterprises”. Bishop TD Jakes has an estimated net worth of $20 million.
15. Rick Warren – $25 Million
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Richard Duane Warren is the founder and senior pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California. The church is one of the largest churches in America that averages a weekly attendance of 20,000 people.
Warren is also an author of many Christian books including the best-selling book “A Purpose Driven Life”, which Amazon reports have sold more than 35 million copies since its release in 2002. Rick Warren’s net worth is estimated at $25 million making him of the richest pastors in America and in the world.
14. Creflo Dollar – $27 Million
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Creflo Dollar is an American pastor, televangelist, and the founder of Christian World Changers Church. Dollar is one of the wealthiest pastors in the world with an estimated net worth of $27 million. His teachings are based on prosperity.
The preacher is also an author of many Christain books. He publishes CHANGE Magazine, which is a quarterly international publication with over 100,000 subscribers.
Creflo owns two Rolls-Royce, a private jet, and several high-end real estates worth millions of dollars.
13. Ray McCauley – $30 Million
Ray McCauley is a South African pastor and ranked on our list of richest pastors in the world with an estimated net worth of $30 million. McCauley is the senior pastor of Rhema Bible Church, the largest single church congregation in Southern Africa.
McCauley has authored several Christian books. The ministry also has a TV station called Rhema Television (RTV) in which Ray McCauley’s teachings are aired.
12. Enoch Adeboye – $45 MIllion
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Pastor Adeboye is a Nigerian pastor and the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, in Lagos. The pastor popularly referred to as Daddy GO has an estimated net worth of $45 million, making him one of the wealthiest preachers in the world.
He is considered as a preacher of the Prosperity gospel, a claim he does not deny. His source of wealth ranges from multiple strings of private investment, donations, and gifts from his congregation.
11. Chris Oyakhilome – $60 Million
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Chris Oyakhilome is one of the richest pastors in the world with an estimated net worth of $60 million. The Nigerian pastor is the founder and president of LoveWorld Incorporated, also known as Christ Embassy, based in Lagos, Nigeria.
His ministry holds meetings in the UK, and the US, and has “healing school” sessions in South Africa, Lagos, and Canada. Oyakhilome brands himself as a faith healer, thereby gathering many followers who hope their pastor can heal their illnesses.
10. Uebert Angel – $60 Million
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Uebert Angel is a British-Zimbabwean businessman, preacher, and the founder of Spirit Embassy, a Pentecostal ministry in the United Kingdom. Angel is one of the richest preachers in the world with an estimated net worth of $60 million.
Uebert is the author of a number of Christian books. He is also the founder of “The Angel Organization” which is the parent company for a number of his other businesses.
9. Benny Hinn – $60 Million
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Benny Hinn is an Israeli televangelist, and one of the wealthiest pastors in the world. Hinn who is best known for his “Miracle Crusades” revival meeting or faith healing summits has an estimated net worth of $60 million.
Benny Hinn founded the Orlando Christian Center in 1983 and began holding his healing services there. He claims that God was using him only as a conduit for healings.
What’s more, Benny Hinn is also the author of a number of Christain books. His thirty-minute TV program “This Is Your Day” is among the world’s most-watched Christian programs, seen on various Christian television networks.
8. Estevam Hernandes Filho – $65 Million
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Estevam Hernandes Filho is one of the richest pastors in the world. Filho is the founder of the Apostolic Reborn in Christ Church. He is also the founder of Rede Gospel and several other media companies.
Estevam has an estimated net worth of $65 million according to Forbes. In 2007, Filho and his wife were arrested in Miami, accused of carrying more than $56,000 in undeclared cash. Some of the money was stuffed between the pages of their Bibles, according to the US customs agent who detained them.
Estevam Hernandes Filho and his wife oversee more than 1,000 churches in Brazil and abroad, including several in Florida.
7. Joel Osteen – $100 Million
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Featured on our list of richest preachers in the world is Joel Osteen. Joel Osteen is an American pastor, televangelist, and author with an estimated net worth of $100 million.
Osteen is the senior pastor at Lakewood Church, the largest Protestant church in the United States. He inherited the church and television ministry from his late father, John Osteen. Today, the Lakewood Church is the largest in America with an estimated attendance of more than 50,000 people.
One of his books ‘Your Best Life Now’ was on the New York Times Best Seller list for about 200 weeks. Osteen generates about $55 million per year from book sales, public speaking, fees, and church collection.
6. Pat Robertson – $100 Million
Marion Gordon “Pat” Robertson is one of the wealthiest pastors in the world. Robertson is an American televangelist, media mogul, and former Southern Baptist minister. He is the chairman of the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) which now broadcasts shows in 180 countries in 71 languages.
He makes a daily appearance on ‘The 700 Club’ CBN’s flagship television program. Robertson is also the chancellor and CEO of Regent University.
5. Romildo Ribeiro Soares – $125 Million
Romildo Ribeiro Soares is a Brazilian preacher, author, and businessman. He is the founder of the International Church of God’s Grace. The church is among the largest Pentecostal denominations in Brazil.
His prosperity and faith-based teachings are aired on the networks of Rede Bandeirantes and CNT. The International Church of God’s Grace has more than 900 churches throughout Brazil with branches in the UK, Portugal, etc.
Soares is also the owner of the Graça Artes Gráficas and Editora Ltda, the gospel record label Graça Music, Grace Editorial (editor), and Graça Filmes (movie distributor). He has an estimated net worth of $125 million according to Forbes.
4. Silas Malafaia – $150 Million
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Silas Malafaia is a Brazilian pastor, author and televangelist. He is one of the richest “men of God” in the world. Malafaia’s net worth is estimated at $150 according to Forbes. Silas is te leader of the Pentecostal church Assembleia de Deus Vitória em Cristo (Assembly of God Victory in Christ).
He is also the CEO of Central Gospel Music and vice president of the Interdenominational Council of Evangelical Ministers of Brazil (CIMEB). His gospel is that of the prosperity message.
In 2011, Malafaia launched a campaign called “The One Million Souls Club” that aims to raise $500 million (R$ 1 billion) for his church to create a global television network that would broadcast in 137 countries. In return, contributors will receive a book.
He also owns one of the four biggest record companies in Brazil’s gospel segment, and the second-largest gospel publishing company, Central Gospel.
3. David Oyedepo – $200 Million
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David Oyedepo is a Nigerian pastor, author, and businessman. He is also the founder and presiding Bishop of the megachurch Faith Tabernacle, in Ota and Living Faith Church, also known as Winners’ Chapel International. Oyedepo is the wealthiest preacher in Nigeria and Africa with an estimated net worth of $200 million.
The church owns four private jets and several estates and properties in Nigeria, London, and the United States. He has also authored and published over 70 books. Oyedepo is also the Chancellor of Covenant University and Landmark University.
The church network is located in over 50 countries of the world. In 2021, Oyedepo announced that despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the church was able to plant over 10,000 churches.
3. Valdemiro Santiago – $220 Million
Valdemiro Santiago is a Brazilian evangelical pastor and leader of the Universal Church of God’s Power. Santiago has an estimated net worth of $220 million according to Forbes.
He left the UCKG to found the World Church of the Power of God. In a short period of time, the church had temples full of members in all Brazilian States. His message is about the prosperity gospel. His messages are aired online, on television, and on radio stations.
2. Kenneth Copeland – $760 Million
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Kenneth Copeland is the second richest pastor in the world with an estimated net worth of $760 million. Copeland is an American televangelist and author. He is currently the head of Kenneth Copeland Ministries with headquarters in Tarrant County, Texas, United States.
Kenneth’s preaching centers around abundance and prosperity. Kenneth Copeland’s ministries is reported to own five private jets, one of which is valued at $17.5 million.
1. Edir Macedo – $950 Million
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Edir Macedo Bezerra is the richest pastor in the world with an estimated net worth of $950 million. The Brazilian evangelical bishop is the founder of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG). He is also a successful businessman.
Macedo is also the founder of Grupo Record, the largest media group in Brazil. He is the owner and chairman of the second-largest television network in Brazil, RecordTV. The UCKG built a US$300 million replica of Solomon’s Temple in São Paulo
These people are just in it for the money, but we all will stand before God one day an answer for our sins..
A man like Pat Robertson did tremendous good! However, on money side he blew it! ($100 million hoarded!).
Christ’s Golden Rule is violated by the hoarder of money, therefore, their preaching is hypocrisy!
Wealthy pastors reveal they fear GOD not!