13. Bishop Eddie Long
Net Worth $5 Million
Bishop Eddie Long is the senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, a megachurch in DeKalb County, Georgia. When Long started as pastor for New Birth Church in 1987, there were 300 church members, which grew to 25,000. A best-selling author, Bishop Long’s captivating and powerful messages are captured in a number of books, including: It’s Your Time: Reclaim Your Territory for the Kingdom, The Elect Lady, I Don’t Want Delilah, I Need You, What a Man Wants, What a Woman Needs, Called to Conquer, Gladiator: The Strength of a Man and his most recent: 60 Seconds to Greatness: Seize the Moment and Plan for Success.
14. Bishop Noel Jones
Net Worth $5 Million
Bishop Noel Jones earned his Ph.D from the International Circle of Faith. He then became pastor of the Bethel Temple of Longview in Texas. In the mid-90s, he became the pastor of the Greater Bethany Community Church in Los Angeles, California. When he first became pastor, the church had 1000 members. Less than ten years later, the size of the church had grown exponentially, and the congregation had a membership of 17,000 people. An additional building was built to accommodate the number of parishioners. The church’s choir, the City of Refuge Sanctuary Choir, also released a successful gospel album in 2007. The album charted on the Billboard 200, and reached #1 on the gospel charts.
15. Minister Louis Farrakhan
Net Worth $3 Million
Louis Farrakhan reached his net worth through his leadership and brief musical career. Born Louis Eugene Walcott on May 11, 1933, Bronx, New York, he made a name for himself as the leader of the Nation of Islam (NOI) movement. Louis Farrakhan joined the organization in 1955, and he was instrumental in preserving the original teachings of the longtime NOI leader, Elijah Muhammad.
He was the man to stand behind the rebuilding of NOI, once it was disbanded by Elijah Muhammad’s son, Warith Deen Muhammad, who started the orthodox Islamic group American Society of Muslims. Farrakhan restored the name Nation of Islam for the organization in 1981 and went on to regain most of the Nation of Islam’s National properties like the NOI National Headquarters Mosque Maryam, as well as over 130 NOI mosques throughout America and the world. In the process, his controversial political views and outspoken rhetorical style have been either praised or widely criticized.
Black religious and social leader as he was, Farrakhan earned the tag “antisemite” by Southern Poverty Law Center. In October 1995, he led the Million Man March in Washington, D.C., where he called on black people to renew their vows to their families and communities. Today, Louis Farrakhan continues to be active in the NOI, but he has dramatically reduced his responsibilities due to health issues.
