How Social Media Is Making Millionaire Pastors

Since Jesus died on the cross some 2,000 years ago, various people have come forth to preach his good word. In modern America, the good word often comes in the form of pastors with large churches. Beyond the gospel, churches provide community, fellowship, and belonging. Pastors with business mindsets offer increasingly extravagant services that bring in thousands upon thousands of followers.

Thanks to the proliferation of social media, some pastors have made millions. In many ways, social media provides the perfect platform for pastors. It allows them to deliver their message to untapped markets on a regular basis, steadily growing their follower counts and enriching their churches with millions of dollars. As such, let's take a look at some of the most popular pastors and learn how social media helped them earn millions. (For gambling, discover celebrities with unbelievable gambling wins.)

To compile a list of the most successful influencer pastors, 24/7 Tempo consulted a range of databases and religious resources including FeedSpot, The Richest, and Standard News. Next, we picked pastors with the biggest social media followings and sizeable net worths. After that, we confirmed aspects of the pastors' life stories and net worths using their church websites. These include FaithAliveNow.com and JoelOsteen.com, as well as Celebrity Net Worth.

Suffice it to say, the biggest pastor influencer followed in his father's footsteps. John Osteen started the Lakewood Church before his son Joel took over after Osteen died in 1999. It worked out well for Joel, as the Lakewood Church took over the former Compaq Center in Houston within four years. Currently, Osteen counts an impressive 5.6 million followers on Instagram alone.

Like many other pastors and preachers on this list, Osteen touts something called the prosperity gospel. While other church leaders focus on the nature of sin, Osteen takes a more benevolent approach, emphasizing the goodness of God. Furthermore, he spreads the belief that material gain is a reward for pious Christians via the will of God. While this has earned him some criticism, he's become arguably the most famous pastor in America. Currently, Osteen's net worth is estimated to be between $50 million and $100 million, with his church taking in at least $43 million in collections each year.

The son of a Baptist minister, Rick Warren attended the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary where he earned a Master of Divinity. After that, he earned a Doctor of Ministry at Fuller Theological Seminary. Starting with a humble bible study group, Warren has grown the Saddleback Church over the past 35 years to become a true megachurch with 80 different facilities and an average congregation of 20,000 people per week. His biggest success, however, came with his bestselling book "The Purpose Driven Life."

His strategies for growing churches and finding purpose within one's life have helped him become one of the biggest pastors in the United States. Currently, he has over a million followers on Instagram. Since his book (and its follow-ups) sold over 50 million copies, Warren stopped receiving a church salary and began donating 90% of his income to a group of charities. His net worth is estimated to be $25 million.

Unlike previous entries on this list, Steven Furtick did not grow up in a ministerial family. Instead, he felt called to the practice after reading "Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire" by Jim Cymbala as a teenager. Upon earning his Master of Divinity, he became a worship leader in North Carolina. Success in that position led to Furtick opening the Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. Besides being a bestselling author, Furtick made his name with much-publicized acts of charity through his church. Most notably, he gave his congregation $40,000 in envelopes of $5, $10, and $20, asking them to spend it kindly on others.

Despite Furtick's commitment to donating 12% of the church's income to global outreach programs, he remains relatively secretive about overall revenue. He has repeatedly declined requests to discuss his salary, the amount his church takes in, or how much he makes from book sales and speaking engagements. After replacing well-known pastor Kenneth Copeland on the Trinity Broadcasting Network, Furtick's name has grown to new heights. Currently, he has 3.8 million followers on Instagram. According to various sources, his net worth is believed to be around $55 million.

Since 2015, Pastor Michael Todd and his wife Natalie have spearheaded the Transformation Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Whereas other famous pastors take more material approaches, Todd seeks to center Christ and his cultural impact on family and community, exploring the gospels in a progressive, 21st-century way. Within a year of taking over Transformation Church, Todd exploded on the internet thanks to his web series "Relationship Goals." This netted him at least 6 million views in two short years.

Thanks to the popularity of the series, Todd and his wife adapted "Relationship Goals" into a bestselling book. What's more, an accompanying music single entitled "Relationship Goals (Revelation)" reached No. 10 on the Billboard R&B charts. Arguably a megachurch pastor, Todd counts 5,000 people attending his sermons each week in person, with 20,000 more attending via the internet. This success has brought Todd over 2.3 million followers on Instagram. According to various sources, Todd's net worth is expected to reach $12 million this year.

According to the "about me" page on his church's website, Keion Anderson received the call to preach the word of god at just 5 years old while listening to his pastor. At 21, he founded the Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church. Even though he was a full-time student, Anderson grew his congregation from just five members to over 600 in a few short years. In 2009, he founded the Lighthouse Church which has grown into a massive operation, with five campuses in different states, 15,000 weekly in-person congregants, and nearly a million more online viewers.

Thanks to bestselling books and a prominent online presence, Anderson counts over 1.6 million followers on Instagram and another 5 million on Facebook. While not necessarily a prosperity gospel-type preacher, Anderson has come into controversy for suggesting that his followers won't receive God's blessing for giving money to the poor. Instead, he said, they will receive blessings for tithing to his church. Despite these instances of controversy, Anderson's profile continues to rise. His net worth is estimated to be around $8 million.

In many ways, Rich Wilkerson Jr. was fated for a life in ministry. He is the son of Robyn and Rich Wilkerson Sr., operators of the Trinity megachurch in Miami. Plus, his cousin David Wilkerson wrote the bestselling book "The Cross and the Switchblade." Wilkerson got his start operating a youth ministry out of his parent's church. In 2015, it became its own church known as Vous Church. While other pastors cling to scripture, Wilkerson incorporates elements of modern popular culture to connect with his congregants.

He became famous to the wider world in 2014 when he officiated the highly publicized wedding between Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. Now household names, Wilkerson and his wife created the "Rich In Faith" television program on the Oxygen network not long after. Since then, he's become a bestselling author and earned over 14 million subscribers on YouTube, with over a million more on Instagram. His net worth is believed to be between $40 million and $60 million.

Though Chad Veach grew up as the son of successful youth pastors, he didn't connect much to the faith. As a teenager, Veach remained ambivalent about the church until he attended a Promise Keepers event which reignited his ministerial purpose. After attending Life Pacific College, he became a youth pastor and teen counselor in Southern California. In 2013, he began an association with the next entry on this list, Judah Smith. This helped rocket him to the mainstream. In short order, he began growing his congregation and following Justin Beiber on his Purpose World Tour.

Besides his ministry, Veach has grown his status through a series of popular books regarding faith, purpose, and leadership. A proverbial "cool guy" pastor, Veach has made a name for his use of comedy, bilingualism, and poking fun at other church leaders to reach his congregation. Like many of the most popular pastors, Veach teaches the prosperity doctrine under the belief that money is given to God through the church. He maintains a prominent social media influence with over 4 million followers on Facebook. While there is not much information online regarding his net worth, he charges between $25,000-$39,999 per speaking engagement.

Another one of the millennial-connecting pastors is Judah Smith. Spurned on by prophetic visions he received as a teenager, Smith worked as a youth pastor before starting his church. As the lead pastor of The City Church in Seattle, Smith has become well-known for rubbing shoulders with celebrities like Lana Del Rey and Justin Bieber. Perhaps thanks to these connections, Smith is the bestselling author of the book "Jesus Is ______."

Currently, Smith counts nearly a million followers on Instagram and hundreds of thousands more on Facebook. Message-wise, Smith preaches the love of Jesus for his fellow man, connecting with audiences using modern references while dispelling the more mystifying elements of the Bible. He's come under controversy, however, after being sued for allegedly forcing staff members to donate 10% of their earnings to his church. Online estimates put Smith's net worth to be around $27.5 million.

Born in Williamsburg, Virginia, Carl Lentz started his life as more of an athlete than a man of god. He attended North Carolina State University where he was a walk-on player for the school's basketball team. After that, he attended Hillsong International Leadership College in Sydney, Australia. There, he befriended Joel Houston, the son of Hillsong Church's founder. They came up with the idea to open a new Hillsong location in New York City. Lentz made his name there as the heavily tattooed, leather jacket-wearing youth preacher.

Seemingly cut from a radically different cloth than other pastors, Lentz began rubbing shoulders with celebrities like Justin Bieber and Kevin Durant. In 2017, he published the book "Own the Moment." Lentz's career has not been without controversy, however. In 2020, Hillsong Church fired him for leadership issues and breaches of trust. A year later, Lentz was accused of sexual abuse, manipulation, and bullying by the wife of another Hillsong pastor. Nevertheless, he counts over a million followers on X and earns around 3 million views per month on Instagram. His net worth is estimated to be around $3 million.

Born in 1970, Mark Driscoll is an evangelical pastor and author based in Scottsdale, Arizona. After graduating from Highline High School in Burien, Washington, Driscoll attended Washington State University. As a freshman, Driscoll claimed God spoke to him and told him to preach his word, amass followers, and open churches. After graduation, Driscoll attended the Antioch Bible Church in Seattle. Within a few short years, however, Driscoll and others founded the Mars Hill Church. Along the way, Driscoll founded the Acts 29 Network which, over time, "planted" hundreds of new churches across the United States.

Eventually, the Mars Hill Church grew into something of a megachurch. Driscoll gained a reputation as a "bad boy pastor" while maintaining a literalist interpretation of the Bible. Thanks to several primetime television specials and controversial opinions on gender roles, Driscoll's status grew. In recent years, however, Driscoll has endured a series of controversies regarding allegations of abuse and spreading a culture of fear within his church organization. Nevertheless, he remains a popular online pastor with hundreds of thousands of followers spread across Instagram and Facebook. His net worth is estimated to be $2.5 million.

Before he became a pastor of worldwide renown, William McDowell was a musician best known for his Christian-themed gospel songs. Over the years, he released five albums to critical acclaim including "As We Worship," "Arise," "Withholding Nothing," and "Sounds of Revival." For these releases, McDowell earned a Dove Award, a Stellar Award, and even a Grammy Award nomination. Thanks to this success, he became the head pastor at Deeper Fellowship Church in Orlando, Florida.

Whereas other pastors on this list tout a more material-minded message, McDowell reinforces his faith and the faith of his followers through a love of God, worship of God through music, and a strong sense of community. Thanks to his popularity, McDowell has preached in over 50 countries. Due to his successful music background, McDowell's social media follower count ranks in the hundreds of thousands. His net worth is estimated to be $5 million.

Jonathan R. Miller grew up in a ministerial family like a few other pastors on this list. He got his start in the family business as a youth pastor under his parents Bishop Eddie L. and Pastor Diana Miller at their church, the Faith Apostolic Temple Inc. in South Bend, Indiana. Upon entering adulthood, Miller created an offshoot of his parent's church called Faith Alive Ministries. Beyond that, Miller is something of a renaissance man.

Besides being the author of books like "Intentionally Random" which depicts moments of divine inspiration and wisdom in his life, Miller is also a noted musician. Like other younger pastors, Miller has gained a reputation for sermons that are witty, engaging, and take bold stances in the name of Jesus Christ. He counts over half a million followers on Instagram and hundreds of thousands more on other social media platforms.

Based in Nigeria, Blessed Uzochikwa is a pastor, entrepreneur, and IT specialist. He runs the Grace and Truth (GNT) Nation in Nigeria. Message-wise, Uzochikwa teaches the truth of God's word through music, outreach, and charity. Thanks presumably to his technology background, he's grown his church into a popular online ministry. He counts hundreds of thousands of followers across social media platforms. Online sources estimate his net worth to be around $2 million.

John Hagee is a well-known pastor based in Texas. Besides opening a series of successful churches in the state, he's become known as a more "fire-and-brimstone" type leader with strong stances regarding abortion, the state of Israel, and biblical prophecy. Thanks to his continual endorsements of various politicians, including Donald Trump, Hagee's social media presence has grown to include hundreds of thousands of followers. His estimated net worth is around $5 million.

As a pastor, Robert Morris made his name as the founder and lead pastor of the Gateway megachurch in Southlake, Texas. To this day, his church draws in around 25,000 congregants per week. He also found success as an author and television personality with his programs reaching over 80 countries. Despite leaving the fellowship after being accused of sexual misconduct with an underage girl, Morris still retains a sizeable social media following with over a quarter of a million followers on Instagram. His net worth is estimated to be $117 million. (For other notable people who became embroiled in controversy, learn about infamous figures that drew the wrath of a nation.)

While other pastors on this list find their followings through church congregations, Pastor Troy found his crowd through a series of highly successful rap releases over the past few decades. After being a member of the popular hip-hop group Down South Georgia Boyz, Troy embarked on a solo career exploring diverse avenues of music. His content touches on both street themes and spirituality. He has hundreds of thousands of followers across various social media platforms. His net worth is estimated to be $5 million.

After suffering a violent and dysfunctional childhood, Greg Locke converted to Christianity. He founded the Global Vision Baptist Church which has grown into a massively successful church. Along the way, Locke cultivated a controversial social media presence which earned him criticism for his harsh judgments while also netting him millions of followers. While he's best known for book burnings and claims of demonic possession in children with autism, he's also produced several successful documentary films. His net worth is estimated to be $150,000.

Pastor John F. Hannah is best known as the founder of the New Life Covenant Church Southeast, which is a nondenominational church based on the south side of Chicago. Thanks to his internet acumen and well-produced sermons regularly released on YouTube, he's gained millions of social media followers. Estimates put his net worth to be around $11.2 million.

Like other pastors on this list, Marcus Gill took to the internet and social media like a fish to water. He has earned millions of followers and views thanks to a multitude of online ministries, YouTube videos, and television programs on networks like ABC, NBC, and The CW Network. Thanks to several successful books and a message that bridges cultures and generations, Gill has become one of the more popular American pastors. His net worth is estimated to be $4 million.

A native of New Orleans and the only female pastor on this list, Debra B. Morton is the founder of the Greater Women of Excellence Ministry. She also serves as the general overseer of the women's division of the Daughters Of The Promise of the Full Gospel Baptist Church. Thanks to a committed web presence that includes seminars and life coaching, Morton has racked up hundreds of thousands of followers across various social media platforms. (For wealthy criminals, discover the most infamous white-collar criminals in history.)