E. Bernard Jordan

Archbishop E. Bernard Jordan
Born (1959-06-11) June 11, 1959 (age 65)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
OccupationPastor
Years active1983-present
Organization(s)Zoe Ministries (founder), P.O.M.E. Prophetic Order of Mar Elijah
Known forProphetic Accuracy in people lives
Notable workSee Published works
MovementProsperity ministry
SpouseDebra Jordan (m. 1979)
ChildrenNaomi Jordan Cook, Bethany Jordan, Joshua Jordan, Aaron Jordan, Yakim Manasseh Jordan,
Parent(s)Mary L. Jordan, Walter Jordan
WebsiteBishopJordan.com, ZoeMinistries.com

Elijah Bernard Jordan (born June 11, 1959) better known as E. Bernard Jordan, is an American television evangelist, founder of Zoe Ministries, and writer of books on prosperity theology.

Jordan grew up in Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant area and believed he received his calling through a dream when he was 15 years of age. When he was 23 years of age he founded the Zoe Ministries in New York City. Jordan studied at the Tabernacle Bible Institute in Brooklyn and the Manhattan Bible Institute. Jordan received a purported Ph.D. from Friends International Christian University, an unaccredited mail order and online university.[1] He also briefly attended Kepler College, an uncredited online, certificate granting institution, pursuing a degree in astrology. In 2019, Jordan earned a Master of Divinity degree from Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University, a historical Black College and University. He also earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University in 2022.

Jordan was raised to the bishopric in 1994 by Roy E. Brown of the Pilgrim Assemblies International denomination.[2][3]

The first edition of Jordan's The Laws of Thinking made the New York Times Best Seller list in 2007.[4]

Prosperity ministry

Initially Zoe Ministry services were conducted in a member's home, then in several New York City hotels before they were held in a theatre. His "Power of Prophecy" television show aired from 1991 to about 1997, when it became too expensive to maintain. His ministry is based upon the premise that if one sows money, such as contributions to his ministry, they will reap prosperity for themselves.[1] In his book God is Not a Christian, Nor a Jew, Muslim, Hindu..., Carlton Pearson references Jordan's discussion of the inner spiritual divine as the essence of who we are, rather than our physical body as Jordan described in his book The Laws of Thinking.[5]

Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley honored Jordan for his ministerial work in 2007. Al Sharpton is numbered as one of his friends and he has celebrity mentees, such as Joseph "Reverend Run" Simmons of Run-DMC and MTV's Run's House,[6] having named him "Protege of the Year Award" in 2004. The same day, symbolic of his "Prosperity Ministry", there was a "Rolls-Royce parade outside the Plaza Hotel in New York City, " featuring Jordan's Phantom Rolls-Royce.[7] The new $325,000 Phantom had been a gift from Reverend Run as a "thank you" for his mentoring support.[8]

Although he lives a life of luxury, he is sometimes dressed in a black, hooded robe, such as at Zoe Ministries retreats in Woodbourne, New York in the Catskill Mountains.[1]

Family

Jordan lived with his wife Debra and five children in a gated community, Tuxedo Park in Orange County, New York.[1] Jordan now resides in a 26,000 square foot mansion in Saddle River, New Jersey. Jordan was connected with Reverend Frederick J. Eikerenkoetter II ("Reverend Ike"), a radio and television preacher who preached prosperity and "positive self-image psychology", who died in 2009.[9]

Criticisms

Critics of Jordan's work question his being labeled a "prophet" and question the monetary pledges for spiritual enlightenment.[10][11][12]

Lawsuits

A federal judge entered a default judgement against Jordan in 2019.[13] This followed a year-long failure by Jordan to respond to a class suit action by Jeffrey Molitor who complained of robocalls from the ministry.

In a separate case in 2018, an Ohio woman also sued for compensation and punitive damages due to unauthorized robocalls and text messages from Manasseh Jordan Ministries.[14] A corporation that provided phone services was sued[15] Additional lawsuits have been filed in California.[16]

Published works

This is a partial list of Jordan's published works:[17][18]

  • 1973 – 10 Things Americans Wish They Had Known and 7 Things They Have to Know[19]
  • 1992 – The Power of Money[20]
  • 1994 – Spiritual Protocol[21]
  • 1995 – Keys to Liberation[22]
  • 1995 – The Power of the Dime[23]
  • 1995 – What Every Woman Should Know About Men[24]
  • 1995 – Written Judgements Volumes 1–4. Zoe Ministries, Inc.[25]
  • 1996 – The Achiever's Guide to Success[26]
  • 1996 – His Color Was Black: A Race Attack[27]
  • 1996 – The Spirit Of Liberation[28]
  • 2005 – "Cosmic Universe: The Universal Keys to Wealth"[29]
  • 2008 – The Laws of Thinking: 20 Secrets to Using the Divine Power of Your Mind to Manifest Prosperity. is a book that explains 20 Laws that govern God's operation on this earthly plane.[30] Spanish version.[31] French version.[32]
  • 2008 – The Business of Getting Rich (12 Secrets to Unveiling the Spiritual Side of Wealth In You).[33]
  • 2009 – Beyond the Laws of Thinking[34]
  • 2011 – The Laws of Prosperity[35]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d McKenna, Chris. (September 14, 2003). "The Prophet of Profit shows the seeds of wealth." Times Herald-Record.
  2. ^ "Bishop e. Bernard Jordan". 17 June 2016.
  3. ^ "History".
  4. ^ New York Times Best Seller list. The New York Times. March 18, 2007. Retrieved December 27, 2011.
  5. ^ Pearson, Carlton. (2010). God is Not a Christian, Nor a Jew, Muslim, Hindu... New York: Atria Books, Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4165-8443-8.
  6. ^ "Bishop Jordan honored in Chicago." Jet. April 23, 2007. Retrieved December 26, 2011.
  7. ^ "Rev. Ike and Rev. Run honored." Jet. July 12, 2004. Retrieved December 26, 2011.
  8. ^ "Thank you." Jet. May 10, 2004. Retrieved December 26, 2011.
  9. ^ "Reverend Ike, Preacher of Material Prosperity, Dies at 74." Huffington Post. July 30, 2009. Retrieved December 26, 2011.
  10. ^ Bishop Bernard Jordan, False Prophet Forgotten Word Ministries. Retrieved December 26, 2011.
  11. ^ Bishop E. Bernard Jordan And The New Psychic Friends Network. Archived 2012-01-05 at the Wayback Machine New York Bureau, Preachers Investigation Bureau. Posted January 14, 2011. Retrieved December 26, 2011.
  12. ^ E. Bernard Jordan, Master False Prophet. Apprising Ministries. Posted June 25, 2010. Retrieved December 26, 2011.
  13. ^ Holland, Scott. "Federal court grants default judgment against 'prophet' who's made millions from millions of robocalls". Cook County Record. Retrieved 2022-07-08.
  14. ^ Asbury, Kyla. "Woman sues prophet, Manasseh Jordan Ministries for TCPA violations". West Virginia Record. Retrieved 2022-07-08.
  15. ^ ""The Lord Spoke To Me Personally About You": How Mass-Blasted Messages From a "Prophet" Landed One Phone Carrier in TCPA Hot Water". The National Law Review. Retrieved 2022-07-08.
  16. ^ "Ferguson v. The Prophet Manasseh Jordan Ministries". Plain Site. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021.
  17. ^ Open Library: E. Bernard Jordan works. Retrieved December 26, 2011.
  18. ^ World Cat: E. Bernard Jordan works. Retrieved December 26, 2011.
  19. ^ Jordan, E. Bernard (1973). 10 Things Americans Wish They Had Known and 7 Things They Have to Know. Foghorn Publishers. ISBN 1934466220.
  20. ^ Open Library: Jordan, E. Bernard. (1992). The Power of Money Zoe Ministries. ISBN 1-881787-01-X.
  21. ^ Jordan, E. Bernard. (1994). Spiritual Protocol Zoey Publishing; 4th edition. ASIN: B000B9W9EA.
  22. ^ Jordan, E. Bernard. (1995). Keys to Liberation Zoe Ministries ASIN: B000X2A48I.
  23. ^ Jordan, E. Bernard. (1995). The Power of the Dime Zoe Ministries. ASIN: B000BANGNW.
  24. ^ Jordan, E. Bernard. (1995). What Every Woman Should Know About Men Zoe Ministries Publisher. ASIN: B0012KW6WM.
  25. ^ Jordan, E. Bernard; Jordan, Debra. (1995). Zoe Minisitries. Multiple ISBNs.
  26. ^ Jordan, E. Bernard. (1996). The Achiever's Guide to Success Zoey Publishing; 2nd edition. ISBN 0-939241-10-2.
  27. ^ World Cat: Jordan, E. Bernard. (1996). His Color Was Black: A Race Attack New York: Zoe Ministries Publisher. OCLC 45705546.
  28. ^ Jordan, E. Bernard. (1996). The Spirit Of Liberation Zoe Ministries; 2nd Printing edition. ISBN 978-0-939241-09-5.
  29. ^ Open Library: Jordan, E. Bernard. (2005) "Cosmic Universe: The Universal Keys to Wealth" AuthorHouse. ISBN 1-4208-6080-1.
  30. ^ Open Library: Jordan, E. Bernard. (2008) [2007]. The Laws of Thinking: 20 Secrets to Using the Divine Power of Your Mind to Manifest Prosperity. Second edition. Hay House. ISBN 1-4019-1799-2.
  31. ^ World cat: E. Bernard Jordan. Translator Graciela Frisbie. (2011). Las leyes del pensamiento : 20 secretos para utilizar el Poder Divino de tu mente para alcanzar la prosperidad. México D.F. : Grupo Editorial Tomo S.A. de C.V. ISBN 6074152624.
  32. ^ World Cat: E. Bernard Jordan; translation Nadine Lachance. (2008). Les lois de la pensée : 20 secrets pour trouver la prospérité en utilisant le pouvoir divin de votre pensée Varennes, Québec : AdA. ISBN 2-89565-701-7.
  33. ^ Jordan, E. Bernard. (2008) The Business of Getting Rich (12 Secrets to Unveiling the Spiritual Side of Wealth In You) ISBN 1-934466-04-2.
  34. ^ Jordan, E. Bernard. (2009) Beyond the Laws of Thinking Foghorn Publishers. ISBN 1-934466-19-0.
  35. ^ Open Library: Jordan, E. Bernard. (2011). The Laws of Prosperity. Hillsboro, NY: Atria Books. ISBN 978-1-58270-316-9.