Depending on how skeptical your views are on the church and
religion, most people would agree that you don’t dedicate your life
to serving God or a ministry to get rich.
However, religion is one of the largest and most profitable
organizations in the world. Each year, billions (with a big B) of
dollars are spent on church renovations, advertising, religious
paraphernalia and more! Right before communion, a collection is
passed around every Sunday at service. This is supposed to be a
part of Christian “charity” for the week. But with the amount that
these pastors are making, we would be hesitant to believe they need
any more charity to sustain their divine lifestyles. Just how much
are pastors really making?
I found 10 of the richest pastors whose pay checks will shock
You.
10 Joseph Prince: $5 Million
Joseph Prince was born to a Sikh priest and originally wasn’t on
a religious path in life. Employed as an IT consultant, Joseph had
a change of heart and committed his life to his religion. He joined
the ministry and founded one of the largest churches in all of
Asia: New Creation Church.Helping Hand
His mega popularity is partially thanks to such friends as Joel
Osteen, of Lakewood Megachurch, who has hosted a number of his
sermons, and the internet has helped him gain fame. He has an
online video program called Destined to Reign with a following in
over 150 countries.Recognizing and Rewarding
In a 2008 interview with the Sunday Times, Prince acknowledged
that he was “well-paid,” but added that “money doesn’t have a hold
on me,” denying accusations that his salary was $50,000 a month.
However, Straits Times reported that the church paid one employee
between $500,001 and $550,000 in its last financial year. While not
confirming the identity of that specific employee, the church
responded that its policy is to “recognize and reward key
contributors to the church and Senior Pastor Prince is the main
pillar of our church’s growth and revenue.”9.T.B. Joshua: $10 Million
Joshua is a unique influence in his native country of Nigeria. He’s
the General Overseer of The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations and
considered a Prophet in the eyes of his congregation. He grew up in
Ondo State, Nigeria from a poverty-stricken family. He dropped out
of secondary school in and did everything from working in a poultry
farm to washing people’s legs in the muddy streets of Lagos to keep
his family afloat.Divine Calling
During a forty day fast he received a divine calling to start a
ministry with eight members. The church became extremely popular
and Joshua now has an impressive 1.5 million fan following on
Facebook. However popular he is with his congregation, other
pastors aren’t so quick to support him.Son of a Devil
Joshua has been publicly condemned by several prominent pastors
within Nigeria, with his most vocal critic being Pastor Kris
Okotie. He’s been described as a ‘son of the devil.’ Joshua was
blacklisted by the government of Cameroon in 2010, which agreed
with Pastor Kris’s accusations. Why the hate? Pastor Joshua
preaches a “healing faith” and encourages his followers that
praying alone will heal their ailments. In 2011, at least three
people in London with HIV died after they stopped taking their life
saving drugs on the advice of the pastor.8 Franklin Graham: $25 Million
Franklin Graham is the son of the famous pastor Billy Graham,
and the president of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and
Samaritan’s Purse. He was born and raised in the Appalachian
Mountains near Asheville, North Carolina with four other
siblings.After finishing his primary education at The Stony Brook School,
a Christian private school in New York, he attended LeTourneau
College in Longview, Texas. He wasn’t there for long before being
expelled from the school for keeping a female classmate out past
curfew.Rebel!
Building Success
Three years later, the 22-year-old had a conversion experience
where he fully committed himself to Jesus Christ in a hotel room
while on a trip to Jerusalem. After eight years of proving himself,
he was ordained in 1982 by the Grace Community Church in Tempe,
Arizona.During those years, Franklin was mentored by two senior members
of the Billy Graham Team and eventually took over organizing events
for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. He was so
successful, he became the CEO and president of the company and
continues to be today.Good and Bad
Despite his contributions to world relief, Franklin is not
without controversies. He was a supporter of the 2003 invasion of
Iraq and referred to Islam as “a very evil and wicked religion.”
Last year, he wrote a column titled “Putin’s Olympic Controversy,”
in which he praised the Russian leader’s anti-gay crusade.Extremely different views than his beloved father, who is
covered next.No 7, Billy Graham: $25 Million
Billy Graham is one of the most well-known pastors on the planet
and has earned the nickname, “America’s Pastor.” He was born in
1918 and thus has been involved in many historical events including
bailing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. out of jail during his fight for
civil rights, and directly writing for and supporting Nixon during
the Vietnam War.Global Crusades
He’s estimated to have had an audience during his life long
career of over 2.2 billion, but it obviously didn’t start out that
way. While attending college, Graham became the pastor of the
United Gospel Tabernacle and continued to preach all over the
world. Since his ministry began in 1947, Graham conducted more than
400 crusades in 185 countries and territories on six
continents.Feminist Philosophy
Compared to other pastors on this list, Billy’s list of
controversies are quite tame. They mostly stem from him being
extremely religious, duh, like his views on women. In 1970, Graham
stated that feminism was “an echo of our overall philosophy of
permissiveness,” and that women did not want to be “competitive
juggernauts pitted against male chauvinists.” He then stated that
the role of wife, mother, and homemaker was the destiny of “real
womanhood” according to the Judeo-Christian ethic… okay.No 6, Kenneth Copeland: $25 Million
Before dedicating his life to Christianity, Kenneth was a
recording artist and his song, “Pledge of Love” made it to #17 on
the top 40 billboard hits in 1957. After his conversion, Kenneth
concentrated his passion on the gospel and ministry work.Pastor and Pilot
Kenneth has a love for flying. He got his pilot license to
become the personal pilot of Oral Roberts before starting his own
ministry. Unfortunately, even this led to some questionable
decisions. Using church donations, his ministry bought five private
jets.Not only that, Kenneth Copeland Ministries have taken advantage
of a Federal Aviation Administration program that keeps flights
private from tracking websites. United States Senator Chuck
Grassley has questioned some of the flights taken by these
aircrafts, including layovers in Maui, Fiji, and Honolulu. The
ministries responded saying the stopovers were for “preaching or
for allowing pilot rest.” Convenient.According to the Washington Times, Kenneth Copeland has defended
his “use of private jets as a luxury means of travel, arguing that
commercial planes are full of ‘a bunch of demons’ that will bog
down their busy schedules with prayer requests”.Faith Healing
Setting that aside, Kenneth and his wife have been criticized for
their anti-vaccination preachings. Gloria Copeland would often
preach that doctors give patients “poison that will make you
sicker” and that the church is an alternative to medical treatment:
“Which do you want to do? Do you want to [get vaccinated] or do you
want to sit here on a Saturday morning, hear the word of God, and
let faith come into your heart and be healed?”No 5, Creflo Dollar: $27 Million
True to his name, Creflo is known as one of the flashiest of
America’s Ministers to date. He owns a Rolls Royce, and multiple
$2.5 million estates. His beginning wasn’t that lucrative, however.
Creflo began developing World Changers Church International (WCCI)
in 1986. He held the Church’s first worship service in the
cafeteria of an elementary school in College Park with eight people
in attendance.Growing Fast
His following grew quickly and on December 24, 1995, WCCI moved
into its present location—an 8,500-seat facility known as the World
Dome. The church has said that the $18 million to build the World
Dome was done without any bank financing, which isn’t that
surprising seeing as of 2007, the congregation reported having
around 30,000 members, and $69 million in revenue.Sketchy Scandals
In 2013, Creflo was arrested for allegedly attacking his own
daughter. The charges were dropped after he attended several anger
management groups.A year later, Creflo’s private Gulfstream III jet ran off the
runway, but there were no serious injuries. To replace the old jet,
Creflo launched a fundraising campaign to get his congregation to
pay around $60,000,000 for a new jet. The suggested donation was
“$300 or more,” but the campaign was canceled after an immense
backlash. Followers were still given the option to donate for the
jet on a page of the ministry’s website and lo and behold, several
months later, the board of WCCI announced that they were ready to
acquire a Gulfstream G650.No 4, E. A. Adeboye: $39 Million
Enoch Adejare Adeboye began his career in preaching during a
professorship at the University of Lagos, Nigeria. With his Ph.D.
in mathematics, he worked as a lecturer in mathematics at the
Universities of Lagos. At the time, Adeboye joined the Redeemed
Christian Church of God.Math and Religion
As an extra job, Adeboye began translating the sermons of the
RCCG Pastor and founder, Rev. Josiah Olufemi Akindayomi, from
Yoruba into English. When Rev Akindayomi died, Adeboye took over
preaching and eventually gave up his university position to preach
full time.Reaching His Goals
Going full time, Adeboye put forth a goal to put a church “within 5
minutes” of every home in the world. He was quite successful and
now his teachings are broadcast in over 100 countries and he has
over 14,000 branches in Nigeria alone.No 3, Benny Hinn: $42 Million
If you were to think “controversial American Televangelist,”
Benny Hinn would come to mind. He’s best known for his regular
“Miracle Crusades”— faith healing summits that are usually held in
stadiums in major cities. Followers believe that if they are prayed
over, they can be healed of any ailment.Miracle Crusades
Upon moving to the United States, Benny claimed that God was
using him as a conduit for healing, and began holding healing
services in his church. At Benny’s Miracle Crusades, he has
allegedly healed attendees of blindness, deafness, cancer, AIDS,
and severe physical injuries.Shady Dealings
He’s been investigated by the United States Senate for manipulation
of tax status, and his Ministry has been flagged with a “Donor
Alert” by Ministry Watch several times. Regardless of his shady
financial dealings he still has a solid following in both Canada
and the United States.No 2, Chris Oyakhilome: $50 Million
Pastor Chris’s teachings, like Benny Hinn, center on “faith
healing;” Chris claims he can inspire faith that will heal any
illness… including AIDS. Despite his questionable teachings, his
religious “business” is quite impressive. His ministry runs several
different branches including the Healing School, Rhapsody of
Realities, LoveWorld Books, and an NGO called the Inner-city
Missions for Children.Commanding Television
Additionally, they own three Christian television channels:
LoveWorld TV, LoveWorld SAT and LoveWorld Plus. The television
programs feature the famous faith healings and miracles and have
garnered over 2.5 million viewers in a single night’s event.Under Scrutiny
The Government of South Africa and Treatment Action Campaign have
both criticized Chris’s claims that he can cure HIV/AIDS.In 2016, the South African government threatened to put Chris in
jail if his organization didn’t reveal what they do with the
donations they receive.No 1, Bishop T.D. Jakes: $147 Million
Bishop Jakes is one of the more acceptable pastors on this list.
He’s accompanied President Bush (during the Hurricane Katrina
aftermath) and Obama (leading a morning church service in 2009),
who have both commented on his good intentions and actions.
President Bush described Jakes as “a kind of man who puts faith
into action.”Abstinence is Everything
Jakes is the bishop of The Potter’s House, a Nondenominational
American megachurch with a 30,000 person congregation. He is a
strong advocate of abstinence and has spoken on the subject widely
ranging from Good Morning America to Dr. Phil.A Jake of all Trades
While he does make an impressive salary as a pastor, most of his
money comes from his sales of gospel music, books and numerous
syndicated appearances. He’s even won a Grammy for his music.
So there you have it! Some of the richest Mega Pastors in the
world! What do you think about their wealth and life style? Let Me
know your thoughts
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Saxo Bank's annual series of
outrageous predictions is here with this year's theme
covering a world that is increasingly saying "enough is
enough."
- Saxo Bank annually publishes a list of outrageous
predictions for the year ahead. - This year’s forecast features recessions in two
economic heavyweights, and the possibility of solar-related
chaos. - The predictions include a surprise potential buyer to
take Tesla private.
Saxo Bank’s annual series of outrageous predictions is here with
this year’s theme covering a world that is increasingly saying
“enough is enough.”
The Danish firm has compiled 10 possibilities with a low chance
of happening, but that challenge investors to think outside the box
on risk within financial markets and the world more generally.
While these predictions are not Saxo’s official expectations for
the year ahead, they point out some of the risks that have been
unallocated by the market so far.
“This year’s edition has a unifying theme of ‘enough is
enough,’ said Steen Jakobsen, Chief Economist at Saxo Bank. “A
world running on empty will have to wake up and start creating
reforms, not because it wants to but because it has to.”
“The signs are everywhere,” he said. “2019 will mark a
profound pivot away from this mentality as we are reaching the end
of the road in piling on new debt and next year will see us all
beginning to pay the piper for our errant ways.”
Check out the compilation of Saxo’s 10 outrageous
predictions below.
1. EU announces a “debt jubilee”
Saxo said that unsustainable levels of public debt, a
populist revolt, rising interest rates from European Central Bank
(ECB), and sluggish growth could lead the EU to announce a debt
jubilee in 2019, writing off large amounts of debt across the
continent.
Possible eurozone contagion could lead to the ECB backing
monetisation if the EU lurches into recession. Italy’s budget
crisis and Greece’s ongoing issues could damage confidence while
the yellow vest protests in France indicate that people are unhappy
with the status quo.
2. Apple “secures funding” to buy Tesla at $520/share
Elon Musk’s controversial tweet suggesting that Tesla had
secured funding at $420 a share drew the ire of investors and later
the SEC. Saxo playfully suggests that Apple, rather than Saudi
Arabia, could be a new option for the electric vehicle maker.
Saxo points out that Apple is keen to move deeper into consumers
lives and suggests that automobiles could be the next frontier as
vehicles become increasingly connected to technology. A 40% premium
on Tesla’s share price could make another Musk “funding secured”
tweet a possibility in 2019.
3. Trump tells Powell: “You’re fired”
Former Apprentice star and current US President Donald Trump has
made no secret of his displeasure at the Federal Reserve in recent
months and Saxo reckons Jerome Powell could hear the immortal words
“you’re fired” in 2019.
December’s proposed rate hike could send equity markets off a
cliff in Q1 2019, according to Saxo’s outrageous predictions,
giving Trump the opportunity to bring in the dovish Minnesota
Fed President Neel Kashkari instead.
4. Prime Minister Jeremy Corbyn sends the pound to parity with
the dollar
One of Saxo’s outrageous predictions is that 2019 sees Labour
sweep to a large general election win and sets off on a
“mid-20th century-style socialist scorched earth campaign to
even out the UK’s gross inequalities.”
Rising inflation, fleeing wealthy non-domiciled
individuals, and lower business investment sees sterling plunge to
parity against the dollar, for the first time ever.
5. A corporate credit crunch pushes Netflix into trouble
GE’s debt struggles in 2018 have been well documented with Saxo predicting more
companies could enter the vortex of a corporate credit crunch with
Netflix one of those affected.
Investors start to fret about Netflix’s excess leverage
with a net debt to EBIDTA after CAPEX ratio of 3.4 and over
$10bn in debt on the balance sheet causing the company’s funding
costs to double.
The impact of the unfavorable conditions hits Netflix’s
ability to invest in new content just as Disney launches its own
rival streaming service.
6. Australia’s central bank launches QE to solve the housing
bust
Saxo says Australia could fall into recession for the
first time in 27 years after a plunge in property prices destroys
household wealth and consumer spending. The bust also contributes
to a sharp decline in residential investment, which in turn hits
the country’s banks.
Saxo suggests that Australia’s banks would be unable to
independently service this exposure leading to a bailout from the
Reserve Bank of Australia, and the introduction of quantitative
easing.
7. Germany enters recession
Not content with financial turmoil in just Australia, Saxo also
suggests Europe’s largest economy could slip into recession in
2019, with weaker car sales dragging the country into trouble.
Saxo points out that by 2040 55% of all new car sales will be
electric vehicles and that Germany, a global automotive leader, is
well behind the trend. A recession as early as Q3 next year could
be on the cards if sluggish car sales continue, according to
Saxo.
8. A solar flare creates chaos and inflicts $2 trillion of
damage
Like something out of a flimsy Hollywood script a massive solar
flare could wreck Western Hemisphere satellite technology in 2019
and cause around $2 trillion in damage, according to Saxo.
A new solar cycle kicks in during 2019 and excess radiation
could have devastating effects if the sun decides to rain chaos on
its intergalactic neighbor.
9. A Global Transportation Tax is enacted as climate panic
spreads
Another insanely hot summer in Europe could make the aviation
and shipping industries the targets of a new tax on transportation
to limit the damage of climate change in 2019.
Saxo points out that the industries currently have substantial
tax benefits which could see them hit by a new Global
Transportation Tax (GTT).
In Saxo’s prediction, the tax is eventually backed by China and
reluctantly the US, sending aviation and other transportation
stocks lower despite higher ticket prices and maritime freight
prices.
10. IMF and World Bank announce intent to stop measuring GDP,
focus instead on productivity
In an interesting development which could have far reaching
consequences Saxo suggests that the IMF and World Bank could turn
their back on GDP in 2019, and instead use productivity as a growth
measure.
“They [IMF and World Bank] argue that GDP has failed to
capture the real impact of low-cost, technology-based services and
has been unable to account for environmental issues, as attested by
the gruesome effects from pollution on human health and the
environment in India and elsewhere around the world.”
If a country is looking to improve people’s happiness and
health, it needs to produce more per worker than it did in the
past, according to Saxo, making it a potentially more interesting
measure of the world.