Billy James Hargis was the grandpappy of many televangelist trends, like mail fraud and swearing that the broadcast would go off the air if people didn't send money ASAP. 17. Let's get to know some of the richest pastors in America. Jennie Allen A Bible study teacher and author of several award-winning books, Allen also founded the IF: Gathering conferences to equip women for ministry. 44. Samuel Rodriguez A popular Assemblies of God pastor, Rodriguez founded of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, which is the largest Hispanic evangelical organization in the world, according to The Christian Post, with more than 40,000 members. F. Scott Fitzgerald famously noted that "there are no second acts in American lives." Cameron now appears in Christian films and has commented on political and societal issues as well as participating in several ministries, including his own TV series "The Way of the Master. 22. Scholars and authors reflect on the significance of African American leaders in the church. 57. A converted shoe salesman, Moody had a passion for seeing souls converted to Christ. But he's not the only one to make headlines. Vote in National Survey Here. She's also a former panelist on the daytime talk show The View.. Joel Osteen is an American pastor, author, and televangelist. Here are Newsmaxs recommendations of the 10 best places in America to get away from it all. 75. If you would like to write a letter to the editor, you can do so here. Their top-ten are Billy Graham, Franklin Graham, Joel Osteen, Mike Huckabee, Pat Robertson, Rick Warren, Jerry Falwell Jr., Joyce Meyer, Mike Pence, and the combination of Mark Burnett and Roma Downey. Jeremy Lin An NBA point guard, Lin recently kicked off his second stint with the Brooklyn Nets, but suffered a season-ending knee injury. Tebow has also written several books and supported philanthropic organizations like Cure International. John Piper One of the most prolific Calvinist writers of our time, Piper has authored more than 50 books on Christian faith. TobyMac A Christian hip-hop recording artist, music producer, and songwriter who made up one-third of the trio DC Talk, he has had 20 solo singles on Billboards Christian Songs list. She is an outspoken pro-life advocate according to her Lutheran beliefs, and remains an influential voice in conservative media. His ministry became so popular that he attracted between 8,000 and 10,000 worshipers to his megachurch every week, and his broadcasts brought in scores of letters with personal requests for prayer and (naturally!) Chris Tomlin An American contemporary Christian music artist, worship leader, and songwriter, Tomlin's albums have sold 7 million copies, won numerous Grammy and Dove Awards, and are used in churches with contemporary worship around the world. (No, Really, Men Can Make It Longer), China's Long, Fruitless History of Irritation with North Korea, By The Numbers: 10 Memorable Movie Accountants, Thieves Make off with Five Tons of Nutella in Germany, Bitter Pill: Why Medical Bills Are Killing Us. If Creflo Dollar, why not Benny Hinn? Miles McPherson A former San Diego Chargers player, McPherson is the current pastor of the Rock Church in San Diego, which boasts a weekly attendance figure of more than 15,000. A lot of that has to do with the minister's legal troubles and fall from public grace. The accusations are numerous and diverse. A satanic preacher. If God created man and man created the small two-way radios that Popoff and an assistant used to have secretly communicate while Popoff was performing, then hallelujah. Russell Moore As an ethicist, preacher, and president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, Moore handles public policy for the Southern Baptist Convention. The same thing happened to him, but with a private jet instead of new kicks. Arthur Cole Blessitt (born December 31, 1937) is an American celebrity evangelist, Morman, and retired Army warrant officer. John Hagee A megachurch pastor known for his strong support of Israel and his interpretation of prophecies surrounding the end times, Hagee broadcasts his messages from Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, which can be seen on various inspirational television channels around the world. Report: Google Fiber Heading to Austin as Cities Race to Boost Web Speeds, The Trouble Lurking on Walmart's Empty Shelves, Size Does Matter: Study Shows Women Judge Male Attractiveness by Penis Size, Ben & Jerry's Free Cone Day Is Today, April 9 And More Freebies Coming, Quebec's War on English: Language Politics Intensify in Canadian Province, Why Stretching May Not Help Before Exercise, Add Inches!! Small screen success led to high-minded ambitions, and the Bakkers soon began construction on Heritage USA, a Christian theme park with water slides, a 500-room hotel, and the staple of all amusement parks, tax exemption. His old jet (not to be confused with his other two old jets) was wearing a little thin at the seams, and he just knew his followers would help him, a humble servant of Jesus. Sorry, that was a typo. Robert A. Schuller is an American televangelist, author, and pastor. 46. He also heads the Creflo Dollar Ministries, Creflo Dollar Ministerial Association, and Arrow Records. And what about some of those silent, faithful people who wield tremendous influence from behind the scenes? He kept going, and now does infomercials selling his patented Miracle Manna, a guaranteed cure for, according to Popoff, basically everything. Televangelists Who Were Anything But Holy. 9. His leadership on the New York Knicks during the 2012 turnaround season inspired the nickname Linsanity from basketball fans around the world. It wouldn't be his political views that would bring him down. The personification of this phenomenon might well be Peter Popoff. If you're one of the people on this list, you're almost definitely going to say the devil made you do it. From buying a $200,000 . Al Gore was by no means the first. He also founded StoryBrand, a marketing firm that helps businesses build their messages and branding. Their ministry fell pretty clearly under the umbrella of "that's absolutely a cult" when it was discovered that they had followers working in a sweatshop, producing high-end denim jackets that were sold for hundreds of dollars. 79. Falwell Jr. also invested $5 million of Libertys endowment in Israel in 2016. The decisions that have been made and the tweets that have been tweeted have led to deeply divided public opinion and celebrity impersonations being hammered so far into the ground that they could be used to secure a subterranean mole people transcontinental railroad. Paula White Often called President Trump's spiritual adviser, the multicultural megachurch pastor in Florida hosts the television show Paula White Today. White also chairs the evangelical advisory board for President Donald Trumps administration, and she delivered the invocation at his inauguration, becoming the first clergywoman to ever pray the invocation at a swearing-in. Hal Lindsey is an evangelist and Christian writer. Among his other supposed accomplishments: his doctorate in philosophy, his two bachelor's degrees, and the somewhere-between-two-and-five wounds he accumulated in Vietnam. In 1989, Bakker was convicted on 29 counts including mail fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy, and sentenced to 45 years in prison. If Trip Lee is on the list, then why not Lecrae? Oral Roberts King is a dedicated pro-life advocate and director of Civil Rights for the Unborn. Early frequenters of YouTube know him as The Farting Preacher. Luis Corts Jr. Based in North Philadelphia, Corts founded and has continued to run Esperanza, "the premiere Hispanic faith-based Evangelical network in the United States," according to its website. AAE promotes the Christ-centered gospel and biblical worldview for human flourishing. They made blood sacrifices. Loren Cunningham The founder of the international mission organization Youth With a Mission and University of the Nations, Cunningham has given thousands of Christian young people the opportunity to serve and do outreach around the world. Rev. Asa Alonso Allen (March 27, 1911 June 11, 1970), better known as A. It is good and right to see names like Tim Keller, Trip Lee, John MacArthur, John Piper, R.C. In a broadcast from 2015, Duplantis and fellow preacher Kenneth Copeland said it was because regular airliners are filled with people who would constantly be asking them to pray. 40. Jack Van Impe was an American televangelist best remembered for his weekly TV series Jack Van Impe Presents. No, for real, why doesn't God want televangelists flying business class? He began the "Two-by-Two Campaign" in 1978, touring the world as a Christian missionary. Osteen's televised sermons are seen by over 7 million viewers weekly and over 20 million monthly in over 100 countries.He is the author of ten books which have been ranked number one on The New York Times Best Seller list. His influence has been marked by appearances in the media, conversations with sitting presidents, and consultations with the Senate over immigration reform. Yeah, praying for people would be a bummer. These are in no particular order. He pastors the largest church in America, Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, with some 45,000 weekly attendees. List of famous televangelists (also known as "TV evangelists"), with photos where possible. Newsmax recently released their picks for the 100 Most Influential Evangelicals in America. Welcome to the online home of Tim Challies, blogger, author, andbookreviewer. 71. He was made of stuff too stern for something as trifling as a complete lack of moral fiber to knock him out of the box. Kenneth Copeland: Net Worth $760 Million Kenneth Copeland Ministries / Wikicommons Kenneth Copeland, who leads the "Believer's Voice of. When he talked, the people in his community listened. Truly, we are all human, and even the best among us must strive to be better. Things get creepier the more you read about the Alamos. Five of his books have been New York Times best-sellers, most notably Financial Peace and The Total Money Makeover. He was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2015. Roma Downey and Robert George are both devout and vocal Roman Catholics and, by any good definition, cannot be evangelicals. A month later, they've outgrown the darned things, and you have to ask your parishioners for $54 million to buy new ones. What did he make you do? 80. 67. A. For example, how does Al Mohler get left off the list? With a whole cult. Ted Baehr As chairman of the Christian Film & Television Commission, Baehr is also a publisher of "Movieguide," a journal that evaluates movies and other forms of entertainment from a Christian perspective on suitability for family consumption. Michael L. Brown The conservative radio talker Brown hosts the nationally syndicated The Line of Fire and heads the Coalition of Conscience, a Charlotte, North Carolina-based Christian networking organization. The best-selling author of "The Martyr's Oath: Living for the Jesus They're Willing to Die For," Moore also owns The KAIROS Company, which does PR for many Christian organizations and personalities. Negative, captain. King, James Earl Massey, Calvin Miller, Lloyd John Ogilvie, Stephen F. Olford, Haddon Robinson, J. Alfred Smith, John Wesley White and William Willimon, along with several more. Tilton's rebuttal? Their methods were questionable and their message was a horror show, but otherwise, it was an unspectacular enterprise. . Shane Claiborne A leader in the New Monasticism movement and a founder of the Simple Way community in Philadelphia, Claiborne advocates for nonviolence and service to the poor and wrote the book The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical.. Popular televangelists have faced great criticism, especially if they act as faith-healers. The only son of Arvella Schuller and Robert H. Schuller, who founded the Crystal Cathedral, Schuller served as a minister on the weekly television program Hour of Power, which was aired from the Crystal Cathedral. Johnnie Moore A speaker, communications expert, and frequent guest at the White House, Moore has advocated for persecuted Christians and was one of the first to identify ISIS as a threat. Jerry Falwell, Jr., president of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, the world's largest evangelical Christian university. He has made controversial remarks about gun rights and endorsed Donald Trump for the Republican nomination, speaking at the 2016 Republican National Convention in his support. Is Christ Really Returning? He played a major role in the spread of Pentecostalism to various parts of America. He has penned several bestsellers, such as Absolute Power, andis also known for his controversial concepts, such as the blood moon prophecy. He had a lot of feelings. 29. 25. As one commentator put it, Pence doesnt simply wear his faith on his sleeve he wears the entire Jesus jersey.". He has written two books as part of his ministry. 48. Tilton's message has been clear from the start: Poverty is the result of sin, and also please send money. Penny Nance As the CEO and president of Concerned Women for America, the largest public policy womens organization in the U.S., Nance has spoken out on the sanctity of human life, education, healthcare reform, religious liberty, and other issues related to faith. 99. 35. That original group included Stuart Briscoe, Maxie Dunnam, Jim Henry, David Allen Hubbard, John Huffman, D.E. Because he totally used to be a satanist. He was also an editor for Christianity Today and still remains an editor-at-large. Sproul, and Joni Eareckson Tada on the list. The top-11 includes three who are first politicians and several others who use their influence equally in both worlds. 90. However, he was able to salvage his image and returned to televangelism. Their methods were questionable and their message was a horror show, but otherwise, it was an unspectacular enterprise. It all started in 1969 with a small ministry an hour outside Hollywood run by married couple Tony and Susan Alamo (ah-LAH-mo, but who cares). A sentence reduction later, Bakker was paroled in 1994, and it wasn't long before his cherubic face was once again warmed by studio lighting and the liberal application of pancake makeup. All content Tim Challies, 2002-2023. 23. Haggard's responses to the accusations varied over the next few months, running the gamut from "I don't know who that guy is" to "I bought meth from that guy but I threw it away" to, eventually, "yeah, I did all that stuff.". He was a senior adviser for both of Mitt Romney's presidential campaigns. He'd been operating his businesses as tax-free nonprofits, which the IRS called bull on pretty hard. 91. Keller has built Redeemer on wrestling with the challenges of scripture rather than promising good feelings and fortune. We've included a short list of African-American televangelists who've managed to . He is still on the YWAM Global Leadership Team. #10) Wayne Cordeiro is the founding pastor of New Hope Christian Fellowship in Honolulu, Hawaii with over 14,500 in weekend attendance. Known for his baritone voice and his signature goatee, T. D. Jakes is a bishop at The Potter's House and a filmmaker, too. 81. It's also extra-strength shady, according to allegations made by Jan and Paul's granddaughter Brittany Koper. William J. Seymour was an African-American holiness preacher. 13. He has produced and appeared in films such as Jumping the Broom and Not Easily Broken, the latter being based one of his novels. Sproul The writer of more than 100 books, including the highly praised The Holiness of God and Not a Chance, Sproul also hosts the widely heard radio program Renewing Your Mind. His Ligonier Ministries, which produces the show, is based in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, area.