Bishop MB Jefferson Net Worth 2026: Deeper Life Founder
Bishop M.B. Jefferson founded Deeper Life Christian Church in Tampa and leads World Assemblies Fellowship International. No reputable outlet publishes a figure for his net worth.
- Full name
- Melvin B. Jefferson
- Known as
- Bishop M.B. Jefferson
- Profession
- Bishop, founder of Deeper Life Christian Church
- Nationality
- American
- Spouse
- Dr. Brenda Jefferson
- Relationship
- Married
- Source of wealth
- Church and ministry leadership
In this article
Bishop M.B. Jefferson, whose full name is Melvin B. Jefferson, is the founder of Deeper Life Christian Church in Tampa, Florida, and presiding prelate of World Assemblies Fellowship International. No reputable outlet has published an estimate of his net worth, and the $29 million figure that appeared on this page before had no source. The most concrete financial detail on record comes from the Tampa Bay Times, which reported in 2017 that he and his wife, Dr. Brenda Jefferson, paid $935,000 that year for a bayfront house in a gated community in Apollo Beach.
What is Bishop M.B. Jefferson's net worth?
There is no published figure from Forbes, Celebrity Net Worth or the Florida press. Churches do not file public financial returns the way most nonprofits do, so the ministry's income and his compensation are not disclosed. Any single number would be a guess, and this page does not give one.
What has been reported about his personal assets comes from investigative journalism. In 2003, an Associated Press summary of a joint newspaper and TV investigation, published by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, said he lived in a walled estate and owned a Bentley. In 2017, the Tampa Bay Times reported the Apollo Beach purchase and the renovations that followed, in an article that described the house as one of several questionable deals.
Income and salary
His salary has never been published. The earlier version of this page gave a yearly income of $1 million, with monthly and daily breakdowns; none of it had a source, and it has been removed. His income is tied to the ministries he leads, whose finances are private.
Ministries he founded
According to his ministry's official biography, Jefferson founded:
- MB Jefferson Ministries, his teaching and broadcast ministry.
- Deeper Life Christian Church, based on North Nebraska Avenue in Tampa.
- The House of David Help Center, a community outreach arm.
- World Assemblies Fellowship International, a fellowship of churches that he leads as presiding prelate and that holds an annual conference called The Gathering.
The biography says he has been in ministry for more than 50 years and describes his teaching as strictly scripture-based. Living In Victory Christian Church in Valrico, Florida, part of the same fellowship, lists him as presiding bishop, Dr. Brenda Jefferson as "Lady of the House," and Calvin Jefferson as executive pastor and bishop-designate. He also runs a YouTube channel under his name.
Legal history
Deeper Life has faced criminal and civil scrutiny, and reputable outlets have covered it:
| Year | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Jefferson and his second-in-command, Brenda Houston Lanier, charged in a food stamp fraud investigation by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office | The Ledger (AP) |
| 1999 | The church pleads guilty to trafficking in food stamps and dealing in stolen property; placed on five years' probation, fined $5,000 and ordered to pay $21,710 in investigation costs. Charges against Jefferson and Lanier dropped as part of the deal | The Ledger (AP) |
| 2003 | AP reports on a joint newspaper and TV investigation alleging he lived in luxury while poor women and children were sent on collection trips | Sarasota Herald-Tribune (AP) |
| 2017 | Tampa Bay Times reports the $935,000 Apollo Beach purchase among questionable deals | Tampa Bay Times |
According to The Ledger, prosecutors said in 1999 that it was the first time they knew of that a Florida church had been convicted as a felon; five other Deeper Life ministers also pleaded guilty and received probation. Jefferson himself was not convicted in that case.
Early life and education
Reliable sources say little about his early life. The AP's 2003 report said he had no theological training. The earlier version of this page described a Baptist-minister father, a homemaker mother, Boy Scouts, high school sports and business degrees; none of it had a source, and it has been removed.
Wife and family
Jefferson is married to Dr. Brenda Jefferson, whom his ministry describes as co-founder of its work, and who appears alongside him in church photos posted by Deeper Life Christian Church and in the Tampa Bay Times report. Calvin Jefferson serves as executive pastor at Living In Victory. The earlier version of this page also said the couple founded Living in Victory Christian Church; the church's own site describes it as part of their fellowship rather than a church they founded, so that wording has been corrected.
Net worth compared
Other church leaders profiled on this site include Bishop Vaughn McLaughlin and Bishop Herman Murray. For another profile linked from the earlier version of this page, see Bryce Cleveland.
Why no figure is given
A church's revenue, property and the pastor's pay are rarely public. The facts that can be checked for Jefferson are a 2017 house purchase, earlier reports of an estate and a luxury car, and the size of his ministry network. Those describe spending and assets at particular moments, not a net worth. Until a reputable outlet publishes an estimate, his net worth is unknown.
Frequently asked questions
What is Bishop M.B. Jefferson's net worth?
No reputable outlet has published an estimate. Churches do not publish finances, so his pay and the ministry's income are private. The Tampa Bay Times reported in 2017 that he and his wife paid $935,000 for a bayfront house in Apollo Beach. The $29 million figure once shown here had no source.
Who is Bishop M.B. Jefferson?
Melvin B. Jefferson is the founder of Deeper Life Christian Church in Tampa, MB Jefferson Ministries and The House of David Help Center, and presiding prelate of World Assemblies Fellowship International, according to his ministry's website.
Who is Bishop M.B. Jefferson's wife?
He is married to Dr. Brenda Jefferson. His ministry describes her as co-founder and co-laborer in its work, and Living In Victory Christian Church in Valrico, Florida, lists her as its Lady of the House.
Was Deeper Life Christian Church convicted of fraud?
Yes. In 1999 the church pleaded guilty to trafficking in food stamps and dealing in stolen property, was placed on five years' probation and fined $5,000, The Ledger reported. As part of the plea deal, prosecutors dropped the charges against Jefferson and his second-in-command.
What churches are part of World Assemblies Fellowship International?
The fellowship includes Deeper Life Christian Church in Tampa and Living In Victory Christian Church in Valrico, Florida, which lists Bishop Jefferson as presiding bishop. The fellowship holds an annual international conference called The Gathering.
Sources
- MB Jefferson Ministries: https://www.mbjeffersonmin.org/about.html
- Living In Victory Christian Church: https://www.livcc.org/about.html
- Tampa Bay Times: https://www.tampabay.com/news/business/a-1-million-bayfront-house-among-tampa-bishops-questionable-deals/2333658/
- Sarasota Herald-Tribune (AP): https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2003/09/23/report-bishop-lives-high-off-charity-for-poor/28766898007/
- The Ledger (AP): https://www.theledger.com/story/news/1999/06/09/church-found-guilty-in-fraud-case/26744319007/
- Deeper Life Christian Church (Flickr): https://www.flickr.com/photos/dlcctampa/8574499807/
