June 1 …

Reverend Ike was a prominent and controversial mid-20th century preacher whose flamboyant delivery and promotion of a prosperity-centered faith reshaped aspects of popular religion, media ministry, and Black cultural life.

Born Frederick J. Eikerenkoetter II on June 1, 1935 in Ridgeland, SC to parents of Dutch-Antillean and African descent, Eikerenkoetter began his preaching journey as a teenager and served briefly as a chaplain’s aide in the U.S. Air Force. He earned a B.A. from American Bible College in Chicago in 1956 and held pastorates in South Carolina and Boston before establishing his prominent ministry in New York City during the mid-1960s.

Eikerenkoetter bought and extensively restored the Loew’s 175th Street Theatre. He later renamed it Palace Cathedral/United Palace, transforming it from an old movie palace into the flagship venue for his large, predominantly Black congregation.

Theologically, Eikerenkoetter blended Pentecostal charisma, New Thought philosophies, and elements of Christian Science and Norman Vincent Peale’s optimism into what he termed the “Science of Living.” This doctrine equated spiritual growth with material wealth and self-empowerment.

Eikerenkoetter’s signature practices included the “Blessing Plan,” where radio and TV listeners would send money in exchange for blessings, along with vivid prosperity visualizations. At his peak in the 1970s, his radio show reached thousands of stations and millions of listeners. While traditional clergy and civil rights advocates criticized his theology as shallow and commercial, supporters and some later ministers credited him with redefining economic aspiration as a legitimate religious desire.

Eikerenkoetter’s public persona and innovative methods significantly influenced later televangelists and prosperity preachers. Contemporary figures in the prosperity movement, such as Oral Roberts, Kenneth Hagin, and Kenneth Copeland, shared overlapping styles and teachings, while younger African-American pastors like Frederick K.C. Price, Creflo Dollar, and T.D. Jakes acknowledged the movement’s influence while distancing themselves from aspects of Ike’s flamboyance.

Although Eikerenkoetter had fewer visible mentors, his connection to New Thought and postwar healing revival leaders is evident. His son, Xavier Eikerenkoetter, became his primary protégé, eventually assuming leadership of the United Church/United Palace ministry.

Eikerenkoetter amassed considerable personal wealth and gained public recognition, becoming a multimillionaire through donations, radio and TV broadcasts, book and tape sales, and church businesses. His career also attracted investigations from the IRS and postal services. While formal ecclesiastical honors are scarce, he enjoyed significant cultural recognition, maintaining a strong presence in popular culture through music and comedy references, as well as the landmark United Palace building that he restored.

Reverend Ike died on July 28, 2009, but his legacy endures in the realm of prosperity theology, the use of mass media in Black preaching, and ongoing debates about the intersections of religion, consumption, and social uplift in American history.