Televangelists and the Decline of Christianity in America
While we often blame secularism and pop culture, we should recognize the role of American Christianity in its own decline.
Televangelists and pastors of America’s many Mega-Churches have amassed large fortunes by preaching the Prosperity Gospel. For those not familiar with this teaching, many American Evangelicals teach that the clearest sign of God’s love is money.
Often this will be used to extort donations - often from those least able to give. Televangelist Mark Murdock, for example, asked his viewers to donate a thousand dollars, adding "as you use your faith, God is going to wipe out your credit card debts."
And in the mind of this pastor's followers, why wouldn’t God do this? After all, the pastor taught them that anything they want, they can simply “speak it into existence” though the Holy Spirit.
As Televangelist Leroy Thompson shouted: "God said: 'it is time to tell the money you don't belong to the wicked, you belong to us.' (..) Money come to me now!"
Who are the wealthiest pastors in America?
1. Kenneth Copeland
Worth an estimated $300,000,000 net worth, Kenneth Copeland is by far the most successful Televangelist. This is down from the 2021 estimate of $760,000,000. The Houston Chronicle found that Copeland lives an 18,000 square foot mansion worth an estimated $7 million.
Copeland drew fire in 2019 after buying a private jet from Tyler Perry. When confronted by a reporter, Copeland stated that “[Tyler] made that airplane so cheap for me I had to buy it.” In the interview, he claims that people who believe it’s wrong for a pastor to live in extravagant wealth “misinterpret the Bible.”
2. Joel Osteen
Coming in at number two is Joel Osteen at $100,000,000. Osteen was in third place prior to the death of Pat Robertson in late 2023, and his wealth has long been the butt of jokes. His public image took a major hit in the wake of Hurricane Harvey in August 2017. Having lost everything, many Houstonians approached his Lakewood Church seeking shelter. This was a seemingly reasonable move since the stadium-like facility had not lost power or air-conditioning and boasted commercial kitchen space. Osteen refused them, citing the new carpets which had been installed.
In 2021, a plumber at the church noticed one of the toilets was loose. He removed a tile behind it to find nearly $600,000 in cash and checks - reported to have been stolen from the offering collection in 2014. The money was released to the Church.
3. Benny Hinn
At number three is pastor Benny Hinn with a comparatively modest sixty million dollars. Hinn, much like his colleagues, is not only rich, but an all-around bizarre human being. He once joked that he wished he had a “Holy Ghost machine gun” to shoot his enemies with. He is known as a “faith healer” - as many of these folks are.
In 2011, Hinn was photographed leaving a hotel in Rome, hand-in-hand with fellow televangelist Paula White - yes, that Paula White. Both were married at the time.
Hinn has divorced twice - the same woman. The couple initially split in 2010. They later remarried, and once the DVD sales of the ceremony were finalized, they divorced a second time.
This is the “Christianity” which is most familiar to Americans - it’s been aired on every television for decades. Is it any wonder then that religiosity in America has been in steep decline for decades?
While this decline seems to be leveling out, statisticians can't seem to understand why.
It has leveled out because previously disenfranchised or irreligious Americans have been flocking to more traditional liturgical churches.
Protestant pastors are beginning to realize what is happening. As a result, YouTube has seen a sudden, sharp increase in anti-orthodox polemical videos from Protestant pop-apologists.
Clearly, this is a hasty response to their realization that all those young men and families who quite showing up are now going to the Orthodox Church up the road - the one that's building a new temple and bursting at the seams. Fortunately for us, they haven't actually taken the time to look into Orthodoxy. In their minds, Orthodoxy is just a more ethnic, mystical, and "idolatrous" Roman Catholicism.
