The Billionaire Pastors In Kenya & Africa.

Pastors are increasingly making their mark in the financial world, and African pastors are not being left behind. According to Forbes Magazine, on Africa’s list of the richest pastors, the five top positions are taken by Nigerians.

Bishop David Oyedepo estimated net worth is $150 million( Ksh 12.75billion.)
With a branch also in Kenya, Bishop David Oyedepo’s Winners Chapel is the largest worship centre in the world. It has a sitting capacity of 50,000 people inside and an outside overflow of 250,000 people. The church holds three services every Sunday.
It is rumored that the Sunday tithe collection exceed 30 million Naira (Kshs 56million).

Founded in 1981, it now has well over 400 branches. Its assets include two aircraft (Gulfstream 1 & Gulfstream 4) and a fleet of over 400 buses that convey worshipers to and from church. Plans are in the making to purchase a third aircraft for use by the vice president, Bishop David Abioye.

The Church also owns Dominion Publishing House, which churns out books and other materials written by Oyedepo. The church is also heavily involved in humanitarian causes thorough its subsidiary, World Mission Agency (WMA) which provides welfare and other health and humanitarian services to the needy in the society.

Diversified interests
Another rich church is the Christ Embassy headquartered in Lagos. Pastor Chris Oyakhilome’s estimated net worth is $50M (Shs 4.25 billion). With up to 30,000 members, the church owns a string of large business with interests in broadcasting, entertainment, banking, publishing, and the hospitality industries.

The major money spinning arms of the ministry includes LoveWorld Cyber Ministry, LoveWorld Television, Love World Christian Network, LoveWorld Multimedia Ministry and LoveWorld Publishing Ministry. Love World the first 24-hour Christian Network from Africa to the rest of the world. Monthly financial yields of the 2 billion Naira printing press is approximately 10m Naira. (Kshs 19.8 million).

The church is headed by Pastor Chris Oyakhilome. Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, is the founder and lead pastor of the Christ Embassy, a thriving congregation with branches in Nigeria, South Africa, London, Canada and the United States. His publishing company, Loveworld Publications, publishes ‘Rhapsody of Realities,’ a monthly devotional he co-authors with his wife.

It sells over 2 million copies every month at $1 apiece. That’s a cool $2m every month. He also owns television stations, newspapers, magazines, a hotel, a fast-food chain, and more. His Loveworld TV Network is the first Christian network to broadcast from Africa to the rest of the world on a 24 hour basis.

Miraculous healings
Nigeria’s most controversial clergyman is also one of its richest and most philanthropic. T.B Joshua heads the Synagogue Church of all Nations (SCOAN), a congregation he founded in 1987, which accommodates over 15,000 worshippers on Sundays. His estimated net worth $15 million (Shs 1.275 billion)

The Pastor has remained controversial for several years for his inexplicable powers to heal all sorts of incurable diseases, including HIV/AIDS, cancer and paralysis. For miracle-craving worshippers, it’s the perfect seduction. The church currently has branches in Ghana, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Greece.

In the past three years, he has given over $20 million (Sh 1.7 billion) to causes in education, healthcare and rehabilitation programs for former Niger Delta militants. He owns Emmanuel TV, a Christian television network, and was close friends with Ghanaian President Atta Mills.

Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo of Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC)
KICC is one of the richest churches in the United Kingdom. The church, which was started in 1992, has 12,000 members. Pastor Ashimolowo, who earns an annual salary of £100,000(Kshs 13.2million) bags more than the Archbishop of Canterbury, the official head of the British church.

KICC’s profit in 18 months was approximately £4.9m(Kshs 600m). It also has assets of £22.9m(Sh 2.99 billion), more than three times the amount held by the foundation, which maintains St Paul’s Cathedral in England. In 2008 the church received £9.5m(Sh 1.23 billion) in offerings and tithes, dwarfing the £33,000 (Sh 4.2 million) that the average Church of England congregation gave over the same period.

Under investigation
In 2005, KICC’s charity-The King’s Ministries Trust, was investigated by the Charity Commission for financial irregularities and mismanagement. The report alleged that Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo acted as both a trustee and a paid employee of the charity, contrary to existing UK charity law, and was responsible for approving payments and benefits to himself and his wife, Yemisi, totaling more than £384,000.

Benefits received included free accommodation for himself and family, an £80,000 car and purchase of a Florida timeshare property for £13,000 using a charity credit card. Over half a million pounds were paid out to Ashimolowo’s private companies, which were operated from church property and had unclear business relationships with the charity. New trustees were appointed. Ashimolowo earns his salary from preaching as well as royalties from sermons published in books and on DVDs through his own company.

Flamboyant congregation
Another rich church is Household of God Church owned by Pastor Okotie who made his first success as a popular pop musician in the 80s. Estimated to be worth $ 10m(Sh 850 million) he found the light, embraced the Bible and set up the Household of God Church, one of Nigeria’s most flamboyant congregations. His 5,000 member church consists predominantly of Nollywood celebrities, musicians, and society people. He contested and lost Nigerian presidential elections for the third time this year under the Fresh Party, a political party he founded and funds. An automobile lover, he owns a Mercedes S600, Hummer and Porsche among several others.

Renowned televangelist Benn Hinn caused an uproar in 2008 when in South Africa, he offered a two minute blessing on his followers credit cards. Hinn delivered a message about "you reap what you sow", then said the service would yield millionaires and billionaires within 24 hours.

God's blessing would last only two minutes and it would create 500 churchgoing millionaires or even billionaires- all they had to do was use their credit cards to pay $1000(Kshs 8,500) in offerings to televangelist Benny Hinn as "an exceptional blessing rested on $1 000."
 By David Odongo