Joseph Prince
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| Joseph Prince | |
|---|---|
| Born | 15 May 1963 Singapore |
| Nationality | Singapore |
| Spouse(s) | Wendy Prince (m: 1994) |
| Children | Jessica Shayna and Justin David Prince |
| Website | Joseph Prince Ministries, Inc. |
|
Congregations served
|
New Creation Church |
| Title | Senior pastor |
Joseph Prince (born 15 May 1963) is the senior pastor of New Creation Church in Singapore.[1] He was one of the church's founders in 1983.[2]
Background
Joseph Prince, the son of a Sikh priest of Indian origin and a Chinese mother,[3] spent his primary school years in Perak, Malaysia.[3]
Prince changed his birth name to Joseph Prince during his previous occupation as an IT consultant.[3]
Prince has preached at churches in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Italy, Indonesia, the Netherlands, Norway, South Africa and the United States.[4]
Prince's TV program Destined to Reign is broadcast in more than 150 countries.[5] His broadcast program is also streamed online through Internet and podcasts.[6]
Prince publishes books, CDs and DVDs.[7] Prince has also been featured in Charisma magazine.[8]
Criticism and controversy
On 5 October 2008, in an interview with the Sunday Times, Prince, also the executive chairman of the church council, acknowledged that he was "well-paid" but also added that "money doesn't have a hold on me", dismissing allegations that his salary was $50,000 a month.[3]
On 30 March 2009, The Straits Times reported that the church paid one employee between $500,001 and $550,000 in its last financial year. Under the recommendations of the Code of Governance for charities then,[9] all charities and non-profit organisations in Singapore are encouraged to disclose the salary bands of their top executives to the Commissioner of Charities. While not confirming the identity of the employee, the church responded that its policy is to "recognize and reward key contributors to the church and Senior Pastor Prince is the main pillar of our church's growth and revenue."[10][11] On 15 April 2009, Matthew Kang, the Honorary Secretary of the church, responded that it was not a public charity and did not solicit public donations, asserting that "there is absolutely no compulsion to give whether in tithes or offerings, and any giving is done out of a willing heart", and that "every giver is appreciated and it is taken in good faith that he believes in the elected leadership and will trust them to make good decisions for the particular church he has chosen to attend, whether as a member or a visitor."[12]
On 7 June 2010, it was reported that Prince has not been on the church payroll since 2009.[13][14]
In October 2014, a list published by entertainment website richestlifestyle.com placed Prince as the 10th richest pastor in the world, with a reported net worth of S$6.4 million (£3.13 million).[15] New Creation Church dismissed the report, claiming that his actual net worth was 'substantially lower' than the reported figure.[15]
Personal life
Joseph Prince is married to Wendy Prince.[3] They have a daughter, Jessica Shayna Prince, and a son, Justin David Prince.[16]
References
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- ↑ Singapore's Code of Governance for charities
- ↑ $500,000 pay for New Creation Church leader
- ↑ Singapore church pays princely sum to leader
- ↑ Reply To The Straits Times Forum Online (Business And Religion: Where Do You Draw The Line?)
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Church rejects report on pastor's net worth
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