Trinity Foundation, Wednesday, August 28, 2024 Keith Kraft preaches about the “Favourite Advantage” | Screenshot / Trinity Foundation
When a pastor lives a lavish lifestyle, it is appropriate to ask, “How does the pastor support his lavish lifestyle?”
Historically, America's richest pastors have made their fortunes by writing best-selling books.
However, a growing number of pastors are creating wealth through life coaching.
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Keith Kraft
One of the richest pastors in America is Keith Kraft, who heads Elevate Life Church in Frisco, Texas. Kraft charges clients $84,000 a year to participate in his Life Mastery Mastermind.
Keith Craft's personal website promotes his life coaching business. Screenshot/Trinity Foundation
Kraft owns two homes in Texas, two vacation homes in Destin, Florida, a mountain home in Colorado, a yacht, and a Cessna 650 jet.
The Trinity Foundation estimates Kraft's net worth is at least $13 million.
Before becoming a pastor and life coach, Kraft recorded a Christian rock album and joined the Power Team, a group of Christian bodybuilders who shared their testimonies on television and in church audiences across the country.
Kraft is an entrepreneurial pastor whose businesses include Servant Leadership, LLC, which operates Kraft Yacht Charters, and Kingdom Heir Aviation LLC, which owns Kraft's jet, a Cessna 650, available for charter through Trinity Private Jet Charter.
Nicole Crank
Author Nicole Crank charges $16,999 for the Inner Circle Mastermind, and that doesn't include travel expenses.
Nicole Crank Inner Circle Mastermind | Screenshot/Trinity Foundation
Nicole Crank's husband, David Crank, is a pastor at Faith Church, which has campuses in Florida, Illinois, and Missouri. The couple own a beach house mansion (over 11,000 square feet) in Ocean Ridge, Florida, that's valued at $5.6 million, according to real estate website Zillow.
Hope Carpenter
While Kraft holds pricey in-person coaching sessions from her beach house or mountain home and Crank uses his 15-acre vacation home in Tennessee, other life coaches offer cheaper options online.
Hope Carpenter, wife of televangelist Ron Carpenter, charges $29 per month, with the first month free. Hope is married to televangelist Ron Carpenter, who pastors Redemption Fellowship in San Jose, California, and Greenville, South Carolina.
Redfin photo of Carpenter Parsonage in Fremont, California, scheduled for sale in 2023. | Screenshot/Trinity Foundation
Ron Carpenter's personal website lists him as a mentor to CEOs, but does not disclose his fees for mentoring or life coaching.
John Maxwell
John Maxwell serves as teaching pastor for Christ Fellowship Church, which has 11 campuses in Florida.
Maxwell has sold over 25 million books on leadership and is a popular speaker at leadership conferences. The John Maxwell Company specializes in executive or business coaching, but there is some overlap with life coaching, as communication skills are important in both fields.
The John Maxwell Company offers certification programs for executive coaches, speakers, and trainers. According to ThePricer, “Basic tuition for a John Maxwell certification is $2,495 if paid up front.” When you add in coaching, textbooks, and travel expenses, the total can reach $4,000.
What is Mastermind?
Many life coaches refer to their coaching sessions as mastermind events, a concept popularized by self-help author Napoleon Hill in his book Think and Grow Rich.
In pursuit of personal and intellectual growth, Hill encouraged readers to create groups of like-minded people, which he called “masterminds.”
Hills' work promoting the Law of Attraction has been embraced by both televangelists and occult practitioners.
Economically luxurious lifestyle
Is God glorified when pastors make money from their congregations?
The lifestyles of prosperity gospel preachers and megachurch pastors often contradict the scriptures that teach Christians to pursue humility.
Micah 6:8 says, “The Lord has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you? To do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”
Originally published at Trinity Foundation
