Famous Preachers

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. acted in "King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis," "Berkeley in the Sixties," and "Malcolm X."

Billy Graham gained influence as an evangelical Christian figure through his charismatic preaching and gospel commitment. Born November 7, 1918, in Charlotte, North Carolina, Graham grew up on a dairy farm. This experience built a strong work ethic that shaped his ministry. After graduating from Florida Bible Institute and Wheaton College, Graham started a pastoral career. He quickly earned recognition for his powerful sermons and magnetic personality. Graham's ministry spread beyond church walls when he beg

Jesus Christ, born around 4 BC and living until about AD 30 or 33, was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. Christians consider him the central figure. Most believe he is the incarnation of God the Son and the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament. Modern scholars generally agree Jesus existed historically. However, research into the historical Jesus yields little agreement about the Gospels' reliability or how well the Bible reflects that historical figure.

Joel Scott Osteen, born March 5, 1963, is an American pastor, televangelist, and author based in Houston, Texas. Over 7 million viewers watch his televised sermons weekly, and over 20 million watch monthly across 100 countries. Osteen wrote ten books that reached number one on The New York Times Best Seller list.

Harold Egbert Camping (July 19, 1921 – December 15, 2013) was an American Christian radio broadcaster, author, and evangelist. Starting in 1958, he led Family Radio, a California radio group reaching over 150 U.S. markets. He retired from broadcasting in October 2011 after a stroke but stayed with Family Radio until his death. Camping gained a global following and millions in donations by making a series of failed End Times predictions.

Thomas Dexter Jakes Sr., known as T. D. Jakes, is a pastor, author, and filmmaker. He leads The Potter's House, a non-denominational American megachurch. Jakes broadcasts his church services and sermons on The Potter's Touch, which airs on Lightsource.com, the Trinity Broadcasting Network, Black Entertainment Television, the Daystar Television Network, and The Word Network. His ministry includes the MegaFest festival, which draws over 300,000 people annually, and the women's conference, Woman Thou Art Loosed, plus gospel music.

Ted Arthur Haggard, born June 27, 1956, is an American evangelical pastor. Haggard founded New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado and started the Association of Life-Giving Churches. He served as President of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) from 2003 to November 2006. In November 2006, Mike Jones, a male prostitute and masseur, alleged Haggard paid him for sex for three years and bought and used crystal methampheta.

MC Hammer, Stanley Kirk Burrell, was born March 30, 1962. This American entertainer rose to fame as a rapper in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Hammer gained recognition for energetic performances, unique dance moves, and catchy hits. He played a part in popularizing rap music. Hammer was born in Oakland, California. His early life involved hardship; he lived in a small apartment in East Oakland with eight siblings. Music and dance offered him comfort despite these struggles. Charles O. Finley, owner of the Oakland Athleti, recognized his talent.

William Franklin Graham III, born July 14, 1952, is a Christian evangelist, missionary, and political pundit. Graham conducts Christian revival tours and offers political commentary. He currently serves as president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) and Samaritan's Purse, an international Christian relief group. Graham became a "committed Christian" in 1974 and was ordained in 1982. He has since become a public speaker and author. Graham is also the son of the American evangelist Billy Graham.

John Wesley, born June 28, 1703, died March 2, 1791. He was an English cleric, theologian, and evangelist. Wesley led a revival movement within the Church of England called Methodism. He founded societies that became the main form of the independent Methodist movement today. Wesley studied at Charterhouse and Christ Church, Oxford. He was elected a fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford in 1726. Wesley became an Anglican priest two years later. He led the "Holy Club," a group for studying and seeking a devout Christian life.

Aimee Elizabeth Semple McPherson (née Kennedy; October 9, 1890 – September 27, 1944), also known as Sister Aimee or Sister, was a Canadian-American Pentecostal evangelist and media star during the 1920s and 1930s. McPherson founded the Foursquare Church. McPherson pioneered modern media use. She used radio to gain attention from popular entertainment in North America. She included other media in her weekly sermons at Angelus Temple, a first megachurch. During her time, McPherson was the most publicized Protestant evangelist.

Ian Richard Kyle Paisley, Baron Bannside (April 6, 1926 – September 12, 2014), was a loyalist politician and Protestant religious leader in Northern Ireland. He became a Protestant evangelical minister in 1946 and remained one his whole life. In 1951, he co-founded the fundamentalist Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster and led it until 2008. Paisley gained recognition for his intense sermons. He regularly preached and protested against Roman Catholicism, ecumenism, and homosexuality. He built a large group of followers called Paisleyites. Paisley got involved in Uls

Joyce Meyer, born Pauline Joyce Hutchison on June 4, 1943, is an American Charismatic Christian author and speaker. She is the president of Joyce Meyer Ministries. Joyce and her husband Dave have four grown children and live outside St. Louis, Missouri. Her ministry operates near Fenton, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis.

Dwight Lyman Moody (February 5, 1837 – December 22, 1899), also D. L. Moody, was an American evangelist and publisher. He connected with the Holiness Movement. Moody founded the Moody Church, Northfield School and Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts (now Northfield Mount Hermon School), Moody Bible Institute, and Moody Publishers. Moody gave the famous quote: “Faith makes all things possible... Love makes all things easy.“

Abdullah Yusuf Azzam (Arabic: عبد الله يوسف عزام‎, ‘Abdu’llāh Yūsuf ‘Azzām; 1941 – November 24, 1989), known as the Father of Global Jihad, was a Palestinian Sunni Islamic scholar and theologian. He was a founding member of al-Qaeda. Azzam preached both defensive and offensive jihad for Muslims to help the Afghan mujahideen against Soviet invaders. He raised funds, recruited people, and organized the international Islamic volunteer effort of Afghan Arabs through the 1980s. Azzam stressed the political side of Islam. Azzam taught and mentored Osama bin Laden, persuading bin Laden to come to Afghanistan.

Norman Vincent Peale (May 31, 1898 – December 24, 1993) was an American minister and author. Peale popularized positive thinking, especially via his book, The Power of Positive Thinking. He led the Marble Collegiate Church, New York, as pastor from 1932 until his death, guiding a Reformed Church in America congregation. Peale was a friend of President Richard Nixon. Donald Trump attended Peale's church growing up and married his first wife there. Peale's ideas and methods caused controversy, and he received f

George Whitefield (December 27, 1714 – September 30, 1770), also Whitfield, was an English Anglican cleric and evangelist. He founded Methodism and the evangelical movement. He was born in Gloucester. Whitefield attended Pembroke College at Oxford in 1732. There, he joined the "Holy Club." He met the Wesley brothers, John and Charles, who he worked with in his later ministry. Whitefield became ordained after earning his Bachelor of Arts degree. He started preaching right away, but he did not settle as a minister.

John Charles Hagee, born April 12, 1940, founded Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas. Hagee is the founder and National Chairman of Christians United for Israel, a Christian-Zionist organization. His televangelist message airs nationally in the United States and other places through his non-profit corporation, Global Evangelism Television, and others.

Jonathan Edwards was a Protestant preacher, philosopher, and theologian. Many acknowledge Edwards as America's most important and original philosophical theologian and one of America's greatest intellectuals. Edwards's theology covered a wide area. He rooted his work in Reformed theology, the metaphysics of theological determinism, and the Puritan heritage. Recent studies show how Edwards based his life's work on ideas of beauty, harmony, and ethical fittingness. The Enlightenment played a central part in his thinking.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon (June 19, 1834 – January 31, 1892) was an English Particular Baptist preacher. Many Christians across different denominations hold him in high regard, calling him the "Prince of Preachers." Spurgeon was a strong figure in the Reformed Baptist tradition. He defended the Church according to the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith. Spurgeon opposed liberal and pragmatic theological ideas in the Church of his time. He served as the pastor of the New Park Street Chapel (later the Metropolitan Tabernacle) in London for

Toufik Benedictus "Benny" Hinn, born December 3, 1952, is an Israeli televangelist. He is best known for his "Miracle Crusades." These are revival meeting or faith healing summits held in stadiums in major cities. These events get broadcast worldwide on his television program, This Is Your Day.

Granville Oral Roberts (January 24, 1918 – December 15, 2009) was an American Charismatic Christian televangelist. He was ordained in the Pentecostal Holiness and United Methodist churches. He became the godfather of the charismatic movement and is one of the most recognized preachers globally. Roberts founded the Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association and Oral Roberts University. As a well-known and controversial American religious leader of the 20th century, his preaching focused on seed-faith. His ministries reached millions of followers across the world over more than six decades.

Anthony "Tony" Campolo is an American sociologist, pastor, author, public speaker, and former spiritual advisor to U.S. President Bill Clinton. Campolo leads the Evangelical left and promotes progressive thought and reform in the evangelical community. He also leads the Red-Letter Christian movement, which focuses on Jesus' teachings. Campolo comments on religious, political, and social issues. He appeared on programs like The Colbert Report and The Charlie Rose Show.

Saint Francis of Assisi (Italian: San Francesco d'Assisi, Latin: Sanctus Franciscus Assisiensis), born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, informally named Francesco (1181/1182 – 3 October 1226), was an Italian Catholic friar, deacon, and preacher. Francis founded the men's Order of Friars Minor, the women's Order of Saint Clare, the Third Order of Saint Francis, and the Custody of the Holy Land. Francis remains one of history's most venerated religious figures. Pope Gregory IX canonized Francis on 16 July 1228. He was named Patron saint of Italy alongside Saint Catherine of Siena.

Richard Rossi (born March 2, 1963) is an American filmmaker, actor, writer, talk radio host, and former evangelical minister. In 1995, Rossi faced trial for attempting to murder his wife. His wife later withdrew her initial claim that Rossi attacked her and supported his innocence. The case resulted in a mistrial. The event became front-page news in Rossi's hometown of Pittsburgh and received wide coverage from syndicated television news programs. Rossi eventually got acquitted of attempted murder but pleaded no contest to aggravated assault.

Anwar al-Awlaki (also spelled al-Aulaqi, al-Awlaqi; Arabic: أنور العولقي‎ Anwar al-‘Awlaqī; April 21/22, 1971 – September 30, 2011) was a Yemeni-American imam. U.S. government officials claim that al-Awlaki was a senior recruiter and motivator, centrally involved in planning terrorist operations for the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda. However, they have not released evidence to back this claim. Al-Awlaki became the first U.S. citizen targeted and killed by a U.S. drone strike without due process. President Barack Obama ordered the strike.

Harry Emerson Fosdick (May 24, 1878 – October 5, 1969) was an American pastor. Fosdick became a central figure in the Fundamentalist–Modernist controversy in American Protestantism during the 1920s and 1930s. He was one of the most prominent liberal ministers of the early 20th century. As a Baptist, he served as pastor in New York City at First Presbyterian Church in Manhattan's West Village. He later served at the historic, inter-denominational Riverside Church in Morningside Heights, Manhattan.

David Ray Wilkerson (May 19, 1931 – April 27, 2011) was an American Christian evangelist. He wrote the book The Cross and the Switchblade. Wilkerson founded the addiction recovery program Teen Challenge. He also founded the non-denominational Times Square Church in New York City. Wilkerson's sermons, like "A Call to Anguish," speak directly about apostasy. He stressed obedience to Jesus' teachings. Wilkerson emphasized God's holiness and righteousness, God's love for people, and especially

Jeremiah Alvesta Wright Jr. (born 1941) is a pastor emeritus of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. He led the congregation for 36 years, growing membership to over 8,000 parishioners. After retiring, people examined his beliefs and preaching. This happened because segments of his sermons about terrorist attacks on the United States and government dishonesty were publicized in connection with the Barack Obama presidential campaign.

Nicholas James Vujicic (VOY-chitch; born December 4, 1982) is an Australian Christian evangelist and motivational speaker. Vujicic was born with tetra-amelia syndrome, a rare disorder called phocomelia. This disorder involves the absence of arms and legs.

Jack Leo Van Impe (born February 9, 1931) is an American televangelist. He hosts the half-hour weekly television series Jack Van Impe Presents. This series offers an eschatological commentary on the week's news through Bible interpretation. The program airs worldwide via religious broadcasters and paid commercial television time. Van Impe is known as the "Walking Bible" because he memorized many scriptures. His wife, Rexella, co-hosts his TV ministry.

Blind Willie McTell (born William Samuel McTier; May 5, 1898 – August 19, 1959) was a Piedmont blues and ragtime singer and guitarist. McTell played with a fluid, syncopated fingerstyle guitar technique common among Piedmont blues exponents. Unlike his peers, he used twelve-string guitars exclusively. McTell also played slide guitar, which was unusual for ragtime bluesmen. His vocal style, a smooth, often laid-back tenor, differed from the harsher voices of Delta bluesmen like Charley Patton. McTell performed in various musical styles, including blue

Eddie Lee Long (May 12, 1953 – January 15, 2017) was an American pastor. He led New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, a megachurch in unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, from 1987 until his death in 2017. Long started with 300 members; the church grew to 25,000. A Senate investigation examined if Long personally gained from the church's tax-exempt status. The investigation finished without finding wrongdoing. Civil lawsuits also targeted him for sexual abuse allegations.

Peter John Gomes (May 22, 1942 – February 28, 2011) was an American preacher and theologian. He held the Plummer Professor of Christian Morals at Harvard Divinity School and served as Pusey Minister at Harvard's Memorial Church. Harvard's president called him "one of the great preachers of our generation, and a living symbol of courage and conviction."

Solomon Burke (born James Solomon McDonald, March 21, 1936 or 1940 – October 10, 2010) was an American preacher and singer. Burke shaped rhythm and blues, becoming a founding father of soul music in the 1960s. People called him "a key transitional figure bridging R&B and soul" and noted his "prodigious output." He released hits like "Cry to Me," "If You Need Me," "Got to Get You Off My Mind," "Down in the Valley," and "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love." Burke earned honors such as "King Solomon," "King of Rock 'n' Soul," and "Bishop of Soul."

Robert Holmes "Rob" Bell Jr., born August 23, 1970, is an American author, speaker, and former pastor. Bell founded Mars Hill Bible Church in Grandville, Michigan, pastoring it until 2012. Under his leadership, Mars Hill became one of America's fastest-growing churches. He wrote the New York Times bestseller *Love Wins* and wrote and narrated a series of spiritual short films called NOOMA. Time named Bell one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2011. Bell now works as a freelance writer and speaker.

George Bush, born June 12, 1796, in Norwich, Vermont, and died September 19, 1859, in Rochester, New York, was an American biblical scholar, pastor, abolitionist, academic, and advocate for restoring Jews to the Holy Land. He has distant ties to the Bush political family.

Donald Andrew "Donnie" McClurkin, Jr., born November 9, 1959, is an American gospel singer and minister. McClurkin won three Grammy Awards, ten Stellar Awards, two BET Awards, two Soul Train Awards, one Dove Award, and one NAACP Image Award. He is one of the top-selling Gospel music artists, selling over 10 million albums worldwide. Variety called McClurkin a “Reigning King of Urban Gospel.”

Abdul-Halim Salamovich Sadulayev (listen AHB-dool kə-LEEM sy-duu-LY-ev; Chechen: Сайд-Iелийн Абусаламин кІант Iабдул-Хьалим Sadulin Abusalamin-Kant Abdulhalim, Russian: Абдул-Халим Саламович Сайдулаев Abdul-Khalim Salamovich Saydulayev; June 2, 1966 – June 17, 2006) served as the fourth President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. Sadulayev held the presidency for just over a year. Then, FSB and pro-Russian Chechen forces killed him in a gun battle. Sadulayev became the first Chechen rebel leader attempting to unite Islamic rebel forces outside Chechnya after winning something.

Samani Pulepule (October 13, 1923 – June 4, 2013), the Chief Apostle Dr. Samani Pulepule, served as a Samoan minister starting in the early 1950s within the Assemblies of God movement. Dr. Pulepule also led the Samoan Assemblies of God in New Zealand for more than 40 years. He won election as the World Chairman of the Samoan Assemblies of God International. His leadership also extended to the Tokelauan Assemblies of God and Tuvaluan Assemblies of God. The Right Reverend was the senior pastor for the Grey Lynn Samoan A/G congregation in Auckland.

Zakir Abdul Karim Naik, born October 18, 1965, is an Indian Islamic televangelist and Islamist preacher. He founded and leads the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF). Naik also started Peace TV. People call him an "authority on comparative religion," "perhaps the most influential Salafi ideologue in India," "the rock star of tele-evangelism and a proponent of modern Islam," and "the world's leading Salafi evangelist." Naik's lectures use everyday language in English, not Urdu or Arabic, and he usually wears a suit and tie. Before becoming a p

Tomáš Štítný ze Štítného (c. 1333 – 1401/1409) was a Czech nobleman, writer, theologian, translator, and Christian preacher. He led the early Czech Reformation. Štítný wrote and translated Christian tracts for the nobility, aiming to aid wise governance. The Klementinum Codex collects essentials for Christian practice and daily life. He also wrote parables for common people and works just for fun. A bronze bust of Tomas Stitny resides in the National Museum of Prague.

Muhammed Fethullah Gülen, born April 27, 1941, is a Turkish Islamic scholar, preacher, and the de facto leader of the Gülen movement. The Gülen movement is an international, faith-based civil society organization currently banned in Turkey as an alleged "armed terrorist group." Gülen was an influential Ottomanist, Anatolian panethnicist, Islamic poet, writer, social critic, and activist–dissident. He developed a Nursian theological view embracing democratic modernity. As a citizen of Turkey until the government denaturalized him in 2017, he served as a local state imam from 1959 to 1981. Over the years, Gülen became a

Johnny Lee Clary (June 18, 1959 – October 21, 2014) led the Ku Klux Klan. He later became a Pentecostal Christian. Clary traveled the world preaching the gospel. He taught against racism and hate groups, including the Ku Klux Klan, Neo Nazis, and the Aryan Nations. Johnny Angel was also his name. He succeeded as a professional wrestler, achieving success in the 1980s in the National Wrestling Federation (NWF).

David Unaipon (born David Ngunaitponi) (September 28, 1872 – February 7, 1967) was an Indigenous Australian of the Ngarrindjeri people. He acted as a preacher, inventor, and author. Unaipon's work helped break many Indigenous Australian stereotypes. The Australian $50 note features him to honor his work.

Daniel Ernst Jablonski (November 20, 1660, Nassenhuben (Mokry Dwór), Royal Prussia, Crown of Poland – May 25, 1741, Berlin) was a German theologian and reformer of Czech origin. He worked to unite Lutheran and Calvinist Protestants.

James Theodore (Ted) Richmond, also known as "Twilight Ted" (May 26, 1890 – December 3, 1975), was an American writer, conservationist, non-denominational preacher, and noted librarian.

Amr Mohamed Helmi Khaled (Arabic: عمرو محمد حلمي خالد‎; born September 5, 1967) is an Egyptian Muslim activist and television preacher. The New York Times Magazine described Khaled in its April 30, 2006 issue as "the world's most famous and influential Muslim television preacher," referencing his popularity in Arab countries. Time Magazine recently named Amr Khaled one of the world's 100 most influential people.

Born Lee Conley Bradley in 1893, Big Bill Broonzy became an influential blues musician. He started in Scott, Mississippi, then moved to Chicago in the 1920s. This move shifted his career from country blues to urban blues, which defined his music. Broonzy was a key figure in the Chicago blues scene. He mentored other musicians, shaping the careers of famous artists.