Ricky Temple Biography: Age, Wife, Church & Net Worth

Ricky Temple, widely known to his congregation as Pastor Rick, is an American pastor, author, and leadership consultant. He has served as Senior Pastor of Overcoming by Faith Ministries in Savannah, Georgia, since 1981.

Temple is a member of the Foursquare Gospel denomination and holds an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree. Over four decades of ministry, he has built a reputation as a straight-talking Bible teacher who mixes humor with practical life advice, and he’s the author of several books on marriage, singleness, and decision-making.

Ricky Temple at a Glance

Full Name	Ricky Temple
Known As	Pastor Rick, Dr. Ricky Temple
Age	Not publicly confirmed (see FAQ below)
Nationality	American
Occupation	Pastor, Author, Leadership Consultant, Speaker
Spouse	Diane Temple (married 40+ years)
Children	Ricky Temple Jr. and Christina Temple
Education	Theology degree, Life Pacific College; Master’s in Strategic Leadership
Denomination	Foursquare Gospel (Pentecostal/Charismatic)
Church	Overcoming by Faith Ministries, Savannah, Georgia
Senior Pastor Since	1981
Other Role	Lead Pastor, The Church on the Way, Van Nuys, CA (2011–2013)
Honorary Degree	Doctor of Divinity, International Church of the Foursquare Gospel (1997)
Books	Surviving Marriage, Surviving the Single Journey, Learning to Be Happy, Why Smart People Make Dumb Choices (co-author)
Website	rickytemple.com
Net Worth	Not publicly documented

Early Life and Background

Ricky Temple’s childhood and family background are not widely documented in public records or interviews. What is well established is his academic path into ministry.

He earned an undergraduate degree in Theology from Life Pacific College in Van Nuys, California, laying the groundwork for a lifetime spent behind the pulpit.

He later added a Master’s degree in Strategic Leadership, a choice that shows up clearly in how he runs his church today. Temple doesn’t just preach. He builds systems, trains leaders, and treats ministry like a discipline you can study and improve.

Education

Undergraduate: Theology, Life Pacific College, Van Nuys, CA
Graduate: Master’s Degree in Strategic Leadership
Honorary Doctorate: Doctor of Divinity, International Church of the Foursquare Gospel (1997)

Ministry Career: Four Decades at Overcoming by Faith

Ricky Temple has led Overcoming by Faith Ministries (OBF) in Savannah, Georgia, as senior pastor since 1981. That’s more than forty years at one church, a rare streak in modern American ministry, where pastors move between congregations far more often.

OBF sits at 9700 Middleground Road in Savannah and holds services on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Sundays at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., with a single family service on 5th Sundays at 11 a.m. Since 2007, Temple has pushed the church to build out a digital ministry platform alongside its physical campus, which is why sermon archives, livestreams, and devotionals are easy to find online today.

Temple’s communication style is often described as “down-home.” He takes complicated topics, whether it’s marriage, money, or grief, and breaks them into language regular people actually use.

That’s part of what’s kept him in demand as a speaker and consultant well beyond his own congregation. He’s also a certified member of the John Maxwell Leadership Team, the same coaching network built around leadership author John Maxwell, a network that has also drawn in pastors like Chris Hodges, known for growing Church of the Highlands into one of Alabama’s largest congregations.

Leading The Church on the Way

From June 2011 to December 2013, Temple took on a second major assignment. He served as Lead Pastor of The Church on the Way in Van Nuys, California, a well-known Foursquare congregation, while still overseeing Overcoming by Faith back in Savannah.

Running two churches on opposite coasts for over two years is not a common arrangement. It says something about the trust the Foursquare denomination placed in him, and it points to why his message reaches audiences well outside Georgia.

Books and Publications

Ricky Temple has written several books, most of them aimed at practical, everyday problems rather than academic theology.

Surviving Marriage
Surviving the Single Journey
Learning to Be Happy
Why Smart People Make Dumb Choices (co-authored with financial behavior author Debra Smith Pegues)

The titles alone tell you where his focus sits. Marriage, singleness, happiness, and decision-making are not abstract subjects for Temple. They’re the exact questions he’s fielded from his congregation for forty-plus years.

[IMAGE: Book covers of Ricky Temple’s published works]

Personal Life

Ricky Temple has been married to his wife, Diane Temple, for more than four decades. Together they raised two children, Ricky Temple Jr. and Christina Temple. Beyond that, the couple has kept their family life fairly private, and no further personal details about their children are publicly documented.

Temple has spoken often about humor being part of his personality, both in the pulpit and off it. He describes his later-life mission as becoming a “Lastologist,” his own coined term for someone who studies what makes leaders, marriages, and families actually last, instead of just starting strong and fading.

Theology and Ministry Philosophy

Ricky Temple ministers within the Foursquare Gospel denomination, a Pentecostal tradition founded by Aimee Semple McPherson. The name comes from four core beliefs about Jesus Christ: Savior, Baptizer with the Holy Spirit, Healer, and Coming King.

Foursquare churches are charismatic in worship style and place a strong emphasis on the active work of the Holy Spirit in everyday life.

Temple’s own approach leans practical. Rather than heavy theological lecture, he tends to ground biblical teaching in real situations: bad marriages, poor choices, and the daily grind of staying faithful to something for the long haul. That’s consistent with a man who’s spent over forty years pastoring the same church and calls his life’s mission “helping things last.”

Influence and Legacy

Ricky Temple’s influence shows up less in headlines and more in longevity. Forty-plus years leading one congregation, a two-year stretch leading a second church across the country, a certified spot on the John Maxwell Leadership Team, and a shelf of books aimed at ordinary struggles.

Add it up, and you get a pastor whose reach runs through leadership training, radio, television, and now digital streaming, rather than one viral moment.

His honorary Doctor of Divinity from the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel in 1997 formally recognized what his congregation already knew: sustained, committed ministry over decades, not just charisma in the moment.

Net Worth

There is no publicly documented net worth figure for Ricky Temple. No financial disclosures, court records, or credible financial outlets have published a reliable estimate. Any specific dollar figure circulating online should be treated as unverified.

Interesting Facts About Ricky Temple

He coined his own term, “Lastologist,” to describe his life’s later-career mission of helping leaders and families build habits that endure.
He led two churches on opposite coasts at the same time, Savannah and Van Nuys, for more than two years.
He’s a certified member of the John Maxwell Leadership Team, connecting his ministry work to broader leadership consulting.
He co-authored a book with financial behavior expert Debra Smith Pegues, blending faith and practical decision-making.
Overcoming by Faith Ministries has run a digital ministry platform since 2007, well ahead of when most churches adopted livestreaming.

Timeline of Key Events

1977 (approx.): Completes undergraduate theology studies at Life Pacific College.
1981: Becomes Senior Pastor of Overcoming by Faith Ministries in Savannah, Georgia.
1997: Receives an Honorary Doctor of Divinity from the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel.
2007: OBF begins building its digital and broadcast ministry platform.
June 2011: Takes on the role of Lead Pastor at The Church on the Way in Van Nuys, California.
December 2013: Steps down from The Church on the Way, continuing full-time at Overcoming by Faith.
2026: Continues as Senior Pastor of Overcoming by Faith Ministries, active in speaking, writing, and leadership consulting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Ricky Temple?

Ricky Temple is an American pastor, author, and leadership consultant. He’s served as Senior Pastor of Overcoming by Faith Ministries in Savannah, Georgia, since 1981.

What denomination is Pastor Rick?

Pastor Ricky Temple ministers within the Foursquare Gospel denomination, a Pentecostal tradition emphasizing salvation, Spirit baptism, divine healing, and the return of Christ.

Who is Ricky Temple’s wife?

His wife is Diane Temple. The couple has been married for more than 40 years and has two children, Ricky Temple Jr. and Christina Temple.

How old is Ricky Temple?

Ricky Temple’s exact age and date of birth have not been publicly confirmed. Based on his 1977 theology graduation and 1981 appointment as senior pastor, he’s understood to be in his late sixties to early seventies as of 2026, though no confirmed figure exists.

What is Ricky Temple’s net worth?

No credible, publicly available source has confirmed a net worth figure for Ricky Temple.

What church does Ricky Temple lead?

He leads Overcoming by Faith Ministries in Savannah, Georgia, where he has served as senior pastor since 1981.

Can I watch Pastor Ricky Temple’s sermons online?

Yes. His sermons are available through Overcoming by Faith Ministries’ website and his personal site, rickytemple.com, which also hosts livestreaming, devotionals, and leadership content.

Does Ricky Temple livestream his services?

Yes. Overcoming by Faith Ministries has offered digital livestreaming since 2007, well before it became standard practice for most churches.