Dr Don Wilton Net Worth 2026: Billy Graham's Pastor, Author

No reputable publication has estimated Dr. Don Wilton's net worth, and the $12.5 million figure shown on this page before had no source, so it has been removed. What is on record is his career: Wilton, a native of South Africa, was senior pastor of First Baptist Church Spartanburg in South Carolina from 1993 until his retirement in December 2022, served as Billy Graham's pastor for the last decade of the evangelist's life, founded The Encouraging Word television ministry, wrote several books including Saturdays with Billy, and now teaches at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

What is Dr Don Wilton's net worth?

There is no published figure from Forbes, Celebrity Net Worth, a newspaper or a religious-news outlet. Pastors' salaries at individual Southern Baptist churches are set by the congregation and usually not disclosed, and churches do not file public tax returns the way many charities do. Book royalties and speaking fees are also private. A responsible answer is that his wealth is not publicly known.

The earlier version of this page gave an annual income of $500,000 attributed to "a recent survey." No such survey could be found, so the income table has been removed.

Where his income comes from

• Pastoral salary: 30 years as senior pastor of First Baptist Spartanburg, a church that MinistryWatch reported had more than 5,000 members and 2,000 to 2,500 people at Sunday services. His pay was not disclosed.
• Teaching: After leaving the pulpit he joined NOBTS as professor of preaching and pastoral ministries, mentoring Doctor of Ministry students. He had earlier taught evangelism and preaching there for 15 years, according to Baptist Press.
• Books: Titles include Saturdays with Billy: My Friendship with Billy Graham (2021), Totally Secure, The Absolute Certainty of Life After Death and When God Prayed.
• Speaking and travel: He is a frequent speaker for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and its schools of evangelism, The Cove and Samaritan's Purse, and he leads tour groups to Israel.
• The Encouraging Word: The television, radio and online ministry he founded and leads as president. As a nonprofit ministry it does not pay dividends to its founder.

Career timeline

The earlier version of this page said Wilton had been senior pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia, and that he graduated from Baylor University. Neither claim appears in any source we found, and his own faculty biography lists Rhodes University and NOBTS instead, so both have been removed.

Related Article: Ck Mcwhorter Net Worth

Billy Graham's pastor

Wilton's best-known role is his friendship with Billy Graham. According to the Biblical Recorder, Graham telephoned him after his first sermon at First Baptist in 1993, which the church broadcast on television. Graham joined the church in 2008 and remained a member until his death in 2018. Baptist Press reported that for more than two decades Wilton visited Graham, and Ruth Graham until her death in 2007, at their home in the mountains of western North Carolina; their meetings became weekly. Wilton led Graham's funeral and later wrote Saturdays with Billy about their friendship.

Retirement from First Baptist Spartanburg

Wilton announced on August 14, 2022, that he would retire, saying planning had begun in 2018 and been delayed by the pandemic. The same month, MinistryWatch reported that the church had reviewed its finances and that its chief administration officer had been placed on leave and then resigned; the church's letter said its external auditors had not found material financial discrepancies. Wilton was not accused of wrongdoing in that report. He stayed on until December 2022 and told Baptist Press he disliked the word "retirement" and planned to keep preaching, teaching and mentoring pastors.

Dr Don Wilton's wife and family

Wilton is married to Karyn Wilton. The couple have three adult children and eight grandchildren, according to his NOBTS biography. Baptist Press reported in 2022 that their son Greg was dean of Leavell College at NOBTS, their son Rob was a church planter and founding pastor of The Vintage Church in Pittsburgh with the North American Mission Board, and their daughter Shelley held a senior role at Samaritan's Purse.

Read Also: Avi Dishi Net Worth

Age and height

Wilton's date of birth has not been published by a reliable source. The age of 52 on the old version of this page cannot be right for someone who arrived in the United States as a married man in the late 1970s and pastored for 30 years. His height and weight were also unsourced and have been removed.

Net worth compared

Few pastors have published net worth figures, and those that exist for megachurch leaders are usually estimates. For other ministry profiles on Celebclan, see Aaron Brockett and Cedric Pisegna.

Why there is no reliable estimate

A pastor's wealth depends on salary, housing allowance, retirement plan, book income and speaking fees, and in Wilton's case none of these has been reported. Churches are not required to publish compensation, and no outlet has reported on his property or investments. We list what is documented and will add a figure only if a reputable publisher reports one.