Pastor Harry Thomas This New Jersey pastor co-founded the Creation Festivals, held in central Pennsylvania and southeastern Washington, which are the largest yearly Christian music festivals in the U.S. and possibly in the entire world. Jerry Falwell, Jr., president of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, the world's largest evangelical Christian university. Im sure it was no small project to sift through the thousands of possibilities among the millions of Evangelicals to arrive at a mere 100. What followed was a House of Cards-worthy circle of blackmail that saw Gorman reinstated and Swaggart taken off the air for a spell. TobyMac has sold 10 million albums and won seven Grammy Awards. He has also produced Christian-themed movies and docu-dramas such as Second Chance and Facing Darkness. Their methods were questionable and their message was a horror show, but otherwise, it was an unspectacular enterprise. He stepped down from CT earlier this year to work with the John Templeton Foundation. New Hope is also listed as one of the top ten most innovative churches in America with Outreach Magazine listing them as one of the "top five churches to learn from.". Phil Robertson Known as the Duck Commander, Robertson is the patriarch of the Robertson family and founder of the successful Duck Commander company that was the subject of the hit TV show Duck Dynasty. Robertson has been outspoken about his Christian faith and has another TV show in the works about the dangers of political correctness. He has also been criticized for using donations to purchase private jets and a mansion. Here are Newsmaxs recommendations of the 10 best places in America to get away from it all. Rick Warren The founder and senior pastor of Saddleback Church, a megachurch in California, Warren became a household name with the release of his book The Purpose Driven Life, which sold more than 32 million copies and is widely billed as one of the best-selling nonfiction hardcover book in history. He was also accused of sexual abuse by Rev. He is credited to have initiated the Azusa Street Revival, an influential event in the rise of the Charismatic and Pentecostal movements. 73. 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. David and Steve Green This father-and-son founder and president, respectively, of Hobby Lobby operate close to 600 craft store locations in the U.S., which are closed on Sundays for religious observance. Joni Eareckson Tada For decades, Tada has been a popular speaker who has authored more than 40 books. At least, it is small in numbers compared to the vast quantity of people who fall within a standard label of evangelical and it is weak in influence compared to circles that are welcomed by the worlds most wealthy and powerful. Third, it shows that the label evangelical lacks any robust definition. He referred to the attacks as "what we deserve." Eugene H. Peterson A biblical scholar, Peterson has written more than 30 books including The Message Bible paraphrase, which many readers find to be more accessible and contemporary in its language than more traditional Bible translations. 51. Yeah, he died in jail. His whole life was all about spreading the news. . She is credited with co-founding the Trinity Broadcasting Network along with her husband Paul Franklin Crouch. All rights reserved. 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. This list may not reflect recent changes. . Alert:If You Collect Social Security, Please Read This Critical Information . His show Wisdom Keys with Mike Murdock has been a hit. 53. Art Rorheim As the co-founder of Awana, Rorheim helped create a weekly Bible club for kids that is now used in 19,000 churches in 100 countries and impacts nearly 1.5 million children each week. Vote Here Now. Televangelism feels a lot like Game of Thrones once you read enough about it. He just got a bald eagle. 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. Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil The founder of Overflow Ministries, Salter McNeil is devoted to racial and ethnic reconciliation and is a prolific speaker and writer on these topics. Five adoring children. Tebow has also written several books and supported philanthropic organizations like Cure International. Jan Crouch was an American media personality and religious broadcaster. He is also the author of dozens of books, in addition to pastoring the 9,500-member Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas. Newsmax recently released their picks for the 100 Most Influential Evangelicals in America. He only needed a small tithing of millions and millions of dollars to buy a sweet new Falcon 7X passenger jet. He was a student of the early Pentecostal minister Charles Parham. 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. Jones figured out who Ted was during his non-meth-and-solicitation hours and blabbed to the press. By Jen Krausz | Yes, Billy James Hargis was steadfast. Willie Robertson The CEO of Duck Commander, Robertson also produced and starred in the A&E show Duck Dynasty, where his family talked openly about their faith and prayed over family dinners in between conducting business and participating in other fun antics. Some were angry at Warnke for his deception, others were upset at the magazine for calling out a man who was bringing the word of God to the people. 46. 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. If You Collect Social Security, Please Read This Critical Information . Tony Perkins The president of the Family Research Council, Perkins lobbies politicians in Washington, D.C., concerning conservative policies including traditional marriage and pro-life beliefs. Every year, you take the kids shopping for new shoes. If Creflo Dollar, why not Benny Hinn? "Blue Like Jazz" was later turned into a film. Flipboard Katie Serena Katie Serena is a New York City-based writer and a staff writer at All That's Interesting. A Singing Faith. We share news and information, stand up for persecuted believers, give True Love Awards and grow a Gideon's Army of faith. 43. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. donations. R.C. It's so hard to focus your anger sometimes! Just ask the king of televangelists, Joel Olstein, who's amassed a fortune as America's go to preacher. 78. Ted Haggard was the Chiclet-toothed face of evangelism for three years as the president of the National Association of Evangelicals. David Brody The chief political correspondent at the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), Brody's got a book on President Trump's spirituality in the works, and he recently launched a political talk show on Facebook Live called "Faith Nation." He began the "Two-by-Two Campaign" in 1978, touring the world as a Christian missionary. She is an outspoken pro-life advocate according to her Lutheran beliefs, and remains an influential voice in conservative media. Previous Post He lost. His shining quote: "Consent is puberty." Despite suffering a paralyzing injury that made her a quadriplegic at age 17, Tada's lifelong spirit and faith has made her an inspirational model. 94. He was producing shows nearly every day and being broadcast on hundreds of channels across the world. Evangelicals come from many different Christian denominations, but they all have a common belief in the holiness of scripture and the centrality of faith in Jesus Christ for their lives. He once sued Hustler for $45 million because they ran a parody piece making fun of him, and took the case all the way to the supreme court. James Robison is credited with founding a Christian relief organization called Life Outreach International where he also serves as the president. He was poised for a comeback in 2009 when HBO produced a documentary on his return to the righteous path, but wouldn't you know it, more allegationsof the abusive variety popped up. Quick recap: in 1973, Jim and his then-wife Tammy Bakker co-founded the Trinity Broadcasting Network, home of their program The PTL Club. Moore refused to endorse Donald Trump before the 2016 presidential election and encouraged Christians to vote for a third-party candidate. Melton separated from her husband in 2016 and married U.S. womens soccer player Abby Wambach in 2017. He is also renowned for performing exorcisms over Skype and on calls. Angley haspreviously been accused of operating a cult where followers are taught that enough prayer can heal HIV and "childless men are encouraged to have vasectomies and Angley who preaches vehemently against the 'sin' of homosexuality is himself a gay man who personally examines the genitals of the male parishioners before and after their surgeries.". On their way to such prodigious (if also dwindling) numbers, their leadership has for decades been rocked by scandal after scandal. Lin, who has been outspoken about his faith, runs an online prayer group. He now hosts "Huckabee" on the Trinity Broadcasting Network. 74. Ralph Reed Best known as the first executive director of the Christian Coalition in the 1990s, he went on to found the Faith and Freedom Coalition a nonprofit that acts as the bridge between the Tea Party movement and evangelical voters. There are quite a few others whose lives are unblemished by scandal, whose theology is untainted by heresy, and whose ministries consistently honor the Lord. 62. Tilton's message has been clear from the start: Poverty is the result of sin, and also please send money. 18. 61. Take a look at these twelve pastors who made religion look less than inspiring. He's also an executive producer for the show and produces the CBN childrens animated series Superbook.. He was involved in sex scandals in the late 1980s and early 1990s and suffered a temporary setback. 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. 69. These are in no particular order. He has written two books as part of his ministry. Television preachers and ministers actually have their roots in radio, later spreading to TV as the technology became available. A. Allen was an American evangelist best remembered for his deliverance ministry and faith healing programs. Judah Smith Known as the pastor to the stars including Ashley Benson, Russell Wilson, and Justin Bieber, Smith is working to create faith-based projects for millennials including television, digital, and books. Rich Stearns The president of World Vision U.S., Stearns runs an aid organization that works with the poor around the world to better their lives and teach them how to be self-sustaining. He has produced and appeared in films such as Jumping the Broom and Not Easily Broken, the latter being based one of his novels. He is credited with founding the Jack Van Impe Ministries International, which strives to preach the teachings of Christ around the world. Gordon Robertson The CEO of the Christian Broadcasting Network and son of founder Pat Robertson, Gordon Robertson often hosts The 700 Club as a fill-in for his father when needed. Peter Popoff is a German-born American faith healer, debunked clairvoyant, and televangelist. Falwell Jr. also invested $5 million of Libertys endowment in Israel in 2016. All content Tim Challies, 2002-2023. Robert Tilton is an American televangelist best known for his TV program Success-N-Life, which was aired in 235 American television markets during the peak of his ministry in 1991. The top-11 includes three who are first politicians and several others who use their influence equally in both worlds. He began his TV ministry in the early 1970s and soon became a household name in US. What did he make you do? Jimmy Swaggart is a Pentecostal evangelist. 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. The author of bestsellers such as Wisdom for Winning and Dream-Seeds, he has also writte the Topical Bible series and released gospel tracks. Osteen's televised sermons are seen by over 7 million viewers weekly and over 20 .more Kirk Cameron Age: 52 Dave Ramsey The author, radio host, and motivational speaker encourages listeners to get out of debt and live debt-free as well as being generous givers to charity. Dr. James Dobson A psychologist who founded Focus on the Family in 1977, Dobson has written many books on parenting and family life and hosted radio programs for both Focus on the Family and his later nonprofit Family Talk, which he founded in 2010. A televangelist can have his own congregation and church (sometimes large enough to be referred to as a "megachurch"), or he can work solely through television. David Wise This youth minister also happens to be a gold medal-winning Olympic freestyle skier. This Newsmax list of the 100 Most Influential Evangelicals in America includes pastors, teachers, politicians, athletes, and entertainers men and women from all walks of life whose faith leads them to live differently and to help others in a variety of ways. Donald Miller A best-selling author and public speaker, Miller wrote Blue Like Jazz and other memoir-style books about his faith journey. You've been to Europe? If so, what are your thoughts on it? F. Scott Fitzgerald famously noted that "there are no second acts in American lives." 92. Joyce Meyer A charismatic Christian author, Meyer has written more than 100 books and hosts a popular TV show, Enjoying Everyday Life, that teaches people how to live the Christian life and overcome their problems with faith in Christ and common sense. He absolutely claimed all of that. 1. He now heads both the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan's Purse. It sometimes seems that theres no scandal bad enough, no denial deep enough, and no heresy terrible enough to keep people outside the bounds of evangelicalism. Well, Jesse Duplantis feels your pain. 30. 8. Mark DeMoss A former Liberty University board member, DeMoss resigned when Jerry Falwell Jr. endorsed Donald Trump for president. If you're one of the people on this list, you're almost definitely going to say the devil made you do it. Stuart Epperson The co-founder and chairman of the board of Salem Media Group, Epperson has guided the media company that syndicates radio content and provides internet, magazine, and book content to Christian, conservative, and family audiences. And what about some of those silent, faithful people who wield tremendous influence from behind the scenes? As his ministry evolved, Moody found himself . Vote in National Survey Here. Featuring Black preachers, televangelists who recently died, and more, this list has them all. 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. It was a touching moment of humility from atop a pillar normally reserved for moral superiority. (Photo Credit: Billy Graham Evangelistic Association) The conservative news website Newsmax.com has released a list of 100 most influential evangelicals in America, which consists of many of the biggest names in evangelical Christianity and a few surprises.. Glennon Doyle Melton She has written several best-selling books that were featured by Oprah Winfrey, and she also created the online community Momastery and the nonprofit Together Rising, which has raised millions of dollars for women and children in crisis. 63. 58. 99. What makes Warnke's case all the more fascinating is that he was actually outed as a fraud by a Christian publication, Cornerstone Magazine, in an expos in 1991. The show has hosted several celebrities like Steven Curtis Chapman, Robert Selden Duvall, and George W. Bush.