MinistryWatch: 100 Highly Paid Ministry Leaders – 2025

By Warren Cole Smith - Posted at MinistryWatch:

Inspiration Network again tops the list

Published January 5, 2025

Below is a list of 100 highly paid Christian ministry executives. The information was derived from the latest available Form 990 prepared by the ministry itself.

We are not calling this list the “Highest Paid Christian Ministry Executives” because we know that many pastors and other church leaders who might make more are not on this list, because churches are not required to make their Form 990s available to the public.

Also, MinistryWatch has identified a growing trend among Christian ministries to identify as churches and thereby withhold their Form 990s. We think this is a troubling trend, and we have written about it repeatedly, most extensively here.

Now, nearly 100 ministries in the MinistryWatch 1000 who have made this election. They include: CRU/Campus Crusade for Christ, The Navigators, Gideons International, Willow Creek Association, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Joyce Meyer Ministries, Denison Forum, and Ethnos360/New Tribes Mission.

In addition, many megachurches and their related radio and television ministries also withhold their Form 990s. These organizations and individuals include: Joel Osteen, Benny Hinn, Creflo Dollar, and Kenneth Copeland.

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