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Jesse Duplantis (born July 9, 1949) is a Evangelical Charismatic Christian minister based in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. This televangelist is the founder of Jesse Duplantis Ministries.

[edit] Early Life and Conversion Experience

Duplantis, a Cajun, was born on July 9, 1949 and raised in Houma, in southeastern Louisiana. Before becoming a Christian, he played in a back-up band for rock groups^{[citation needed]}. Jesse Duplantis abused hard drugs in the 1970's and was in financial debt before starting his church. In his book, Close Encounters of the God Kind, he claims that he was a rock singer named Jerry Jackson. He also sang lead vocals at some point up to Labor Day weekend of 1974, at which point he claims to have been converted to Christianity.

[edit] International Ministry and Local Church

Duplantis is an itinerant evangelist who has traveled throughout the world since 1978 preaching and evangelizing. Much of his preaching generally tends to feature long comedic sketches. He is the founder of Jesse Duplantis Ministries (JDM), which has its international headquarters in America and additional offices in the United Kingdom and Australia. As a result of his efforts, Dr. Duplantis is moderately well known in the evangelical Christian world, especially since he has been seen on a variety of Christian television stations such as Trinity Broadcasting Network, Daystar, and LeSEA, in addition to other secular networks such as ABC, NBC, CBS. His program is also broadcasted throughout Australia, Central America, South America, the Caribbean, Europe, the United Kingdom, Israel, and the Middle East, because of Trinity Broadcasting Network.^{[citation needed]}

In 1997, he and his wife, the Reverend Cathy Duplantis, founded Covenant Church, a local outreach of JDM on the International Headquarters property in Destrehan, Louisiana.

Jesse Duplantis says that he is often told that he is "the only preacher my husband and kids will listen to!"^[1] While he is known for his joy and his exuberant, evangelistic spirit, he has stated that his primary goal is evangelizing the world.^{[citation needed]}

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.

Duplantis' books have been translated into thirteen languages, including Braille, and are distributed and sold worldwide.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Criticism

His critics have called him an anti-intellectual bully (despite his honorary doctorate) and he has been criticized for his literal views on the Holy Bible.^{[citation needed]} His most serious criticisms revolve around his views on prosperity, preaching a type of "health and wealth" gospel.^{[citation needed]}

Lawrence Vanyi, in his book Subtle Deception: How False Teachers Betray Christianity, While Enriching Themselves^[2], claims that some of Duplantis' teaching is heretical. Duplantis states that he went to heaven and met Jesus, and that Jesus asked Jesse to "make me laugh." Vanyi writes, "Apparently Jesse Duplantis believes that he is so original in comedic thought that he can think of jokes that God would not already know."

[edit] Trivia

• The Make-a-Wish Foundation asked a girl named Krystal, who at the time was fourteen years old and diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, to "make a wish" and her wish was to visit Jesse Duplantis.^[3]

[edit] References

1. ^ Church Channel Biography of Jessie Duplantis. Trinity Broadcasting Network (2007). Retrieved on 2007-01-29.
2. ^ Lawrence P. Vanyi (2005). Subtle Deception: How False Teachers Betray Christianity, While Enriching Themselves. iUniverse. ISBN 0595358969. 
3. ^ Krystal cruises with her favorite reverend. Reggaerun.com (2007). Retrieved on 2007-01-29.

[edit] Bibliography

[edit] Jesse Duplantis' Writings

• Jesse Duplantis (1994). Ministry of Cheerfulness. Tulsa, Oklahoma: Harrison House. ISBN 0-89274-799-4. 
• Jesse Duplantis (1996). Heaven: close encounters of the God kind. Tulsa, Oklahoma: Harrison House. ISBN 0-89274-943-1. 
• Jesse Duplantis (1999). Breaking the Power of Natural Law: Finding Freedom in the Presence of God. Tulsa, Oklahoma: Harrison House. ISBN 1577942248. 
• Jesse Duplantis (2000). Jambalaya for the Soul. Tulsa, Oklahoma: Harrison House. ISBN 1-57794-304-X. 
• Jesse Duplantis (2001). God Is Not Enough, He's Too Much!. Tulsa, Oklahoma: Harrison House. ISBN 1-57794-397-X. 
• Jesse Duplantis (2001). Wanting a God You Can Talk to. Tulsa, Oklahoma: Harrison House. ISBN 1-57794-315-5. 
• Jesse Duplantis (2003). One More Night with the Frogs. Louisiana: Jesse Duplantis Ministries. ISBN 0-97287-125-X. 
• Jesse Duplantis (2003). What in Hell Do You Want. Louisiana: Jesse Duplantis Ministries. ISBN 0-97287-128-4. 
• Jesse Duplantis (2003). The Battle of Life. Jesse Duplantis Minstries. ISBN 0-9728712-2-5. 

[edit] Cathy Duplantis' Writings

• Cathy Duplantis (2001). How to Behave in a Cave: It's What You In the Cave That Gets You Out of It. Tulsa, Oklahoma: Harrison House. ISBN 1-57794-311-2. 
• Cathy Duplantis (2003). Keeping a Clean Heart. Jesse Duplantis Ministries. ISBN 0-9728712-7-6. 

[edit] External links

• Jesse Duplantis Ministries Online (Official website)
• Itinerary of Jessie Duplantis (from ChristianHappenings.com)
• Jesse Duplantis on Myspace
• The "God Channel" interviews Jesse Duplantis
• TV.com Trivia on Jesse Duplantis
• Full length video of Duplantis "Close Encounters of the God kind"
• Video Clips of Jesse Duplantis on Youtube.com

[edit] Critical of Duplantis

• Jesse Duplantis: American Television and Audience Evangelist
• Jesse Duplantis A man with a short theology and tall tales
• More Rampant Anti-intellectualism from the Anointed Gnostic - Mr. Jesse Duplantis
• The ‘Pilgrim Path’ of Jesse Duplantis (quotes from March 1988 and August 2000)
• Jessie Duplantis False Preacher (from Forgottenword.org)
• Jesse Duplantis Whopper

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