Net Worth: $5 million John MacArthur has been an evangelical preacher since the 1960’s. He is highly educated and has published more than 150 books so far, the most popular of which being, the MacArthur Study Bible. This bestseller has sold more than a million copies worldwide (and counting) and has also received prestigious awards from within the Christian literature community.
California-born, John MacArthur commenced his ministry at the Calvary Bible Church in the temperate climate of Southern California. Throughout his career, MacArthur has stuck to his home turf and now presides over the Grace Community Church in his hometown of Los Angeles.
Eddie Long
Net Worth: $5 million Coming from a background as a car salesman, Long started his ministry in a small church in Georgia. He worked his way up from there to the position he enjoys now as the senior pastor at yet another megachurch: the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church.
Like most, Long’s controversies all center around sex and money. A long investigation took place looking into just how Long’s ministry made the millions of dollars it was bringing in and whether the distribution was fair. While no charges were ever laid, donations did drop after news of the inquiry spread. Long is also a proponent of programs purporting to “cure” homosexuality. He has also been the center of sexual allegation charges, though he denied these stringently and the lawsuits were settled out of court. Whatever the truth may be, Long’s secrets are now forever sealed as the charismatic preacher passed away in 2017. According to his church, Long was afflicted with an aggressive form of cancer.
Kay Arthur
Net Worth: $5 million Kay Arthur is both a multi-millionaire and an internationally acclaimed bible teacher. She has won multiple awards as an author and is the co-founder of Precept Ministries International. Before her success, Kay had a tumultuous life. Her first husband suffered from bipolar disorder and eventually committed suicide. However, as she was raised in a Christian family, Kay found that, no matter how far she strayed from the path she was taught as a child, she always felt the draw to return to it.
When Kay returned to what she feels is the calling of her life, she returned with gusto. She now regularly travels both nationally and internationally to teach from the bible. She also hosts a daily bible-teaching radio program called Precepts for Life.
Paula White
Net Worth: $5 million This pastor looks as innocent as can be, yet she has created a remarkable amount of contention in her time. Over her years as non-denominational minister, she has drawn criticism for various statements that orthodox Christians feel go against the teachings of the bible. For example, she was quoted as saying that Jesus Christ was not the only son of God.
In addition to this, White is a proponent of seed faith, a form of theology in which people are asked to send money to the ministry and have faith that this donation will act as a seed to create prosperity in their lives. The idea is that you will receive exponentially more back from God than what you donated, so the more money you give, the more you’ll get back when your “seed” flourishes. Think what you will of this, but White is monstrously popular, particularly because she is known to include humor in her sermons.
Ravi Zacharias
Net Worth: $7.5 million Ravi Zacharias is one of the most colorful characters on the list. The Indian-born Christian apologist claims he was an atheist up until the age of 17, despite having been raised in an Anglican family in Delhi. Ravi attempted to take his own life by swallowing poison. He was brought a bible while recovering in hospital and from there, he says, his Christian awakening was spawned.
Ravi has authored many books, some of the award-winning. While he is an immensely popular evangelical preacher, Ravi has been called out for a number of inaccuracies in the stories he tells. For example, he supposedly adds the title “Dr” before his name on the regular, despite not having a medical degree nor a PhD in any field. There was also the matter of an awkward legal situation regarding possibly explicit communications between Ravi and a Canadian woman. The matter was settled out of court and Ravi denied any wrongdoing.