IS GOD NOT CAPABLE OF MAKING SOME SAINTS SUPERBLY RICH? -WEALTHY PEOPLE OF GOD III

Paul Cain

Net Worth: Approximately $1 Million. Pentecostal preacher, Paul Cain was an infamous revivalist of the ’50s, part of the Voice of Healing movement. He commenced his church-bound career at the remarkably early age of 18. By 1987, when Cain was 58 years old. he had shifted his association to the Kansas City Prophets. Not long afterwards, Cain shifted again to become part of John Wimber’s ministry.

February of 2005 brought some shocking revelations from Cain who admitted to a decades-long struggle with alcoholism and troubles reconciling with his sexual orientation. His confessions were so at odds with the beliefs of the religion he espoused that Cain stepped down from his leadership position. By 2007, he had apparently successfully gone through rehabilitation and was restored to his ministerial position.

Robert Tilton

Net Worth: Approximately: $50 Million With $50 million to his name, it should come as no surprise to you by now, that Robert Tilton is a proponent of the prosperity gospel. You’ve probably seen the American televangelist’s infomercial-esque program, Success-N-Life. While he doesn’t offer free knife sets, he does teach that any hardships viewers may be experiencing – poverty in particular – are as a result of their own sin. Conveniently, the best way out of the self-made predicament is to send money to Tilton, thus planting a seed of prosperity through the penance and faith embodied in the act. Tilton doesn’t ask for small amounts from these poverty-stricken people either. Apparently $1,000 is a minimum benchmark for impressing the Lord enough to be blessed with material abundance in return.

Tilton was investigated in the early ’90s by Diane Sawyer, who’s piece aired on ABC News. Among other shocking revelations, Sawyer depicted Tilton throwing away prayer requests from viewers, his only interest being in the money they were accompanied by. Around this time, Tilton’s ministry was hitting its peak, pulling in around $80 million each year. After his fraudulent ways were brought to light in the media, however, many donors sued the minister, meaning the incredible $50 million he’s sitting on today is actually a step down for him. Guess he needs to starts planting more seeds.

Janice Crouch

Net Worth: Approximately $50 Million. If there was a queen of controversial religious figures, Janice Crouch would be it. The American televangelist and entrepreneur (who crafted her look after a pink puppet she used to use in one of her kids shows) founded the Trinity Broadcasting Network with her husband, Paul, in 1973. After nearly 40 years of building her faith-based empire (which includes a theme park called The Holy Land Experience), Jan was taken to court over allegations that she was funding her lavish lifestyle with money illegally funneled from her religious enterprise.

Some of Crouch’s personal expenses included mansions, private jets, those custom wigs (the cost of which would surprise you), and an air-conditioned mobile home designed specifically for her little Maltese terriers. Crouch also rented adjoining rooms for herself and said pups at a deluxe Florida hotel for nearly two years while she was building her biblical theme park.

Enoch Adeboye

Net Worth: Approximately $55 Million. These Nigerian ministers are really doing well for themselves, huh? Enoch Adeboye was, for a long time, the pastor presiding over the Redeemed Christian Church of God. New laws in Nigeria prevent a single leader from holding sway over a congregation for more than 20 years, and this was the only reason the popular Adeboye stepped down from his position. He does still maintain a general overseer position.

While to English speakers, the preacher’s name lends itself more to being nicknamed “attaboy,” in his homeland, Adeboye is commonly referred to as “Daddy Go.” Due to his yearly prophetic declarations, Daddy Go is also often referred to as “the prophet of the world.” Indeed, he is intent on spreading the Redeemed Christian Church of God all over the globe, and while the majority of his campuses (14,000 odd) are located in Nigeria, he has already developed a global presence.

Jimmy Swaggart

Net Worth: Approximately $1.5 Million. Here’s a controversial one for you: the scandalous tale Jimmy Swaggart. Since the 1950’s, Swaggart has been working as an evangelical minister. The emotionally intense preacher launched his own radio show before turning his talents to television evangelism. His impassioned sermons were aired on an astounding 200+ networks, all of which shared his message (and his requests for donations).

As the ’80s and ’90s rolled around, an already wealthy Swaggart hit the news for all the wrong reasons with a number of sex scandals involving prostitutes coming to light. Swaggart made an epic confession, taking his characteristic intensity to the max with his tearful declaration, “I have sinned” (imagine in a Louisiana accent). Swaggart was defrocked and de-affiliated. No organised religions were keen on having him represent them and even his most ardent supporters pulled away. However, Swaggart didn’t give in. He continued his ministry unaffiliated and, through his incessant efforts, rebuilt both his following and his millionaire status.

David Oyedepo

Net Worth: Approximately $150 Million. David Oyedepo is a man of many skills: preacher, author, architect, shrewd businessman and megachurch founder. He serves as the Bishop for Living Faith Church Worldwide. The clever businessman in him was clearly behind its other title: the Winners’ Chapel. Who wouldn’t want to go there? Oyedepo’s pursuits have led him into quite lucrative fields of work, allowing him to amass a wealth that puts him in the top echelon of wealthy preachers the world over.

Oyedepo also holds the honor of being Faith Tabernacle’s senior pastor. Featuring a massive, 50,000 seat auditorium, Faith Tabernacle was recognized by the Guinness Book of Records as the largest church in the world.

Richard Rossi

Net Worth: Approximately $1 Million. Richard Rossi took a surprising pathway into the life of an evangelical minister: it all started with a drug overdose! Inspired by his jazz guitarist father, Rossi got into the music scene at a young age. Even during these tumultuous early years, Rossi harbored a fascination for faith healers. After his father’s hospitalization for bi-polar disorder, and Rossi’s own subsequent drug overdose, the young man decided it was time for a drastic change. Rossi became a Christian and then set to work getting qualified to preach. He then blended his two passions by touring as a “rock ‘n’ roll preacher.” In the early ’80s, Rossi started his own church which bore the technically innocent, yet somehow deeply ominous name, The Fellowship. A decade later, in 1994, that its impossible to pin down darkness manifested in the form of outright violence.

Rossi’s wife was found beaten half to death in a ditch by the side of a road. The investigation and attempted murder trial were nothing short of a circus, with stories constantly changing and accusations being made and then withdrawn. After the jury failed to reach a unanimous decision, Rossi agreed to a plea deal and served a sentence for second-degree aggravated assault. His congregation during this time dropped from 300 to 12. However, Rossi was able to stage a remarkable turnaround, rebuilding his church and regaining his fortune by working in the entertainment industry.

Pat Robertson

Net Worth: Approximately $500 Million. Our second wealthiest pastor on the list is almost as well known for his mouth as he is for his monumental fortune. Pat Robertson got his start, back in the early ’60s as minister of the US-wide Southern Baptist Convention church. However, he is better known for his TV program, The 700 Club; and more specifically, for the extreme declarations he makes on said show.

Pat Robinson isn’t a fan of non-Baptist denominations (of which there are a fair few) and, in the past, has declared that the Protestant faith harbors the antiChrist, Islam is Satanic, and Hinduism is demonic. In an interview just after the September 11 terror attacks, Robertson told the interviewer that  “the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays, and the lesbians helped it happen.” That’s just one of many golden quotes that have, over the years, stirred up furious reactions from the public.

Edir Macedo

Net Worth: Approximately $1.1 Billion. Those of you who have been observing the patterns on this list were probably expecting our top Bible-slinging preacher to be from Nigeria or the US. However, the richest pastor in the world, who is a confirmed billionaire, is actually from Brazil. Edir Macedo is founder of a church with the most grandiose name we’ve encountered so far: the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God. The evangelical leader also owns Rede Record, Brazil’s second biggest TV network.

While he breaks the location pattern of the list, he most certainly conforms to the seed faith pattern we’ve seen emerge as the net worths shot up. Macedo has used the funds obtained from this money-making ministry to purchase his television network, radio stations, real estate, a health insurance company, and a flipping airline. As you might have expected, Macedo has been criticized for using money from vulnerable people to buy things like mansions and airlines. However, he glibly countered: “if I preach prosperity and my clothes are ragged, who will follow me?” Clearly the takeaway here is, if you want to be mega wealthy, don’t simply follow the prosperity gospel, preach it.