Reverend Ike

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Reverend Ike, formally the Right Reverend Dr. Frederick J. Eikerenkoetter II (June 1, 1935, Ridgeland, South Carolina - ), Th.B., D.Sc.L., Ph.D., founder and pastor of the Christ United Church, is an American minister and radio evangelist based in New York City.

Reverend Ike's ministry reached its peak in the mid 1970s, when his weekly radio sermons were carried by hundreds of stations across the United States. He is still active as of 2006.

He allegedly owns a fleet of Rolls-Royces (a different color for every day of the week, appointed in mink), diamond rings, expensive suits, and multiple mansions. He restored and owns the Christ United Church in Manhattan's Washington Heights section, formerly the Loews 175th Street movie theatre.

Ike has influenced a succeeding generation of "prosperity teachers" such as Bishop E. Bernard Jordan and Atlanta's Creflo Dollar. He also influenced non-Christian spiritual prosperity teachers such as Neale Donald Walsch.

He is the subject of an unpublished song by Billy Joel. [1]

[edit] Quotes (attributed)

”I love money and money loves me.”
"The lack of money is the root of all evil."
"The Bible says that Jesus rode on a borrowed ass. But I would rather ride in a Rolls Royce than to ride somebody's ass!"
"Be proud of the way I look, because you spend $1,000 a week to buy my clothes."
"The best thing you can do for the poor is not be one of them."
From Reverend Ike's voice mail message that he sold to his followers:

1. "Money is wonderful!" 2. "Calling money!"