| Jesse Duplantis | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 9, 1949 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Church | Christianity (Pentecostal) |
| Congregations served | Covenant Church |
| Offices held | President, JDM Int'l Headquarters |
| Title | Pastor, Covenant Church Co-Founder, Jesse Duplantis Ministries (JDM) Host, Jesse Duplantis TV program Co-Founder, Christians United for Israel (CUFI) Co-Founder, Covenant Compassion Center (CCC) |
Jesse Duplantis (born July 9, 1949) is an Evangelical Charismatic Christian minister based in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S., and the founder of Jesse Duplantis Ministries.
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Jesse Duplantis, born on July 9, 1949, was raised as a Catholic and a Cajun. He grew up in Houma, Louisiana. As a member of the band "Summer Wine," he performed under the stage name "Jerry Jaxon." He earned a living as an opening act and back-up band for rock groups. Duplantis also performed as a heavy metal replacement guitarist for several high profile bands on tour. He became interested in religion after hearing Billy Graham speak about salvation and Jesus. Duplantis just finished building a massive "Plantation style" home down the street from his church in Destrehan, LA. [1]
Duplantis preached his first sermon in 1976.[2] He was introduced by John Hagee as "The Apostle of Joy" on an international TBN, a phrase that became his professional PR slogan. He has been a full-time evangelistic minister since 1978, using his music and comic talent in his work. In the book "Close Encounters of the God Kind" Duplantis writes about his daily relationship with God, the reality of eternity, perspectives on Heaven and the depth of the compassion, forgiveness and love God has for humankind.[3]
He is the founder of Jesse Duplantis Ministries (JDM), which maintains an international headquarters in America and branches in the United Kingdom and Australia. In 1997, he and his wife, Cathy Duplantis, founded Covenant Church, a local outreach of JDM on the International Headquarters property in Destrehan, Louisiana. The JDM official website states: "Jesse Duplantis Ministries is an evangelistic ministry dedicated to reaching people and changing lives with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our vision is world evangelism and our desire is to see God bless everyone in every way."[4] Duplantis' books have been translated into thirteen languages, including Braille, and are distributed worldwide. Duplantis appears on the internet via webcasts, a variety of Christian television stations such as the Trinity Broadcasting Network, Daystar, and LeSEA, in addition to secular networks inclusive of the ABC, NBC and CBS.
In the fall of 2005, Covenant Compassion Center was opened at the JDM International Headquarters in response to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. JDM and the Covenant Compassion Center provided shelter for hundreds of relief workers, rented homes for displaced Katrina victims, provided finances for displaced people and churches in addition to distributing a spectrum of necessities inclusive of food, water, clothing, hygiene and household items.
In early 2006, Duplantis was invited to become the first Louisiana Director of Christians United For Israel. He states, "CUFI has asked me to be the Louisiana Director, and it’s an offer I’ve accepted. I believe that Christians like us should stand for Israel and the Jewish people."[5]A diverse group of Christian leaders met in San Antonio February 7–8, 2006 to form the organization, which is chaired by John Hagee.[6]
In recognition of his "many years of effectively sharing God's message of salvation through Jesus Christ to the world," Jesse Duplantis was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Divinity degree from Oral Roberts University in 1999.
In May 2009, a reporter for Fox 8 News reported that Duplantis was building a 35,000-square-foot (3,300 m2) mansion in Destrehan, Louisiana, angering residents who saw it as an excessive display of wealth.