Pastor Rod Parsley

Rodney Lee Parsley (born January 13, 1957), an American televangelist, is senior pastor of World Harvest Church, a Pentecostal mega church in Columbus, Ohio and founder and president of The Center for Moral Clarity. He is also founder of Breakthrough Media Ministries, Bridge of Hope Missions, World Harvest Bible College, Harvest Preparatory School, World Harvest Ministerial Alliance, Metro Harvest Church, Latin Harvest Church, Reformation Ohio and The Women’s Clinic of Columbus.

In 1977, Parsley’s 17-person Bible study formed what became known as Sunset Chapel, and later Word of Life Church in Canal Winchester, Ohio, a Columbus suburb. The church has grown into what is now known as World Harvest Church, which encompasses 400,000 square feet (37,000 m²) and has a 400-person staff. The church’s first facility was built in 1979. It is now known as Alpha Hall, which is one of four buildings on what is now the campus of World Harvest Bible College. Several years later the church built a bigger structure adjacent to Alpha Hall, which is now known as Dominion Hall. In 1986, ground was broken on 57 acres (230,000 m2) to build what now includes a 5,200-seat sanctuary, Children’s and Youth Ministries, Family Life, Ministry Resource Centers, a Bookstore, and Administrative Offices. The church’s main property now comprises 132 acres (0.53 km2). Harvest Preparatory School, a private Christian prep school, operates on the church grounds.

Breakthrough Ministries
Breakthrough is the television ministries of World Harvest Church. It airs six days a week, and is available in 97 percent of the United States and most other nations. The show features Parsley’s sermons as well as interviews with guests in front of a live studio audience. Breakthrough is carried on 1,400 stations and cable affiliates, including Daystar Television Network, Cornerstone Television, World Harvest Television, The Church Channel, Trinity Broadcasting Network, TBN Enlace (which broadcasts in Spanish to 20 nations), and Vision TV (Canada).

Personal life
Parsley was born in Cleveland, Ohio, but spent most of his youth in Kentucky. He was raised as a Free Will Baptist, but became a Pentecostal in the 1970s. He considers the late televangelist Lester Sumrall his spiritual mentor. He is married to the former Joni K. Askoff, October 11, 1986. The Parsleys are parents of Ashton Blaire, born May 7, 1989, and Austin Chandler, born July 11, 1991.

Parsley holds a Bachelor of Arts in Ministry from Ohio Christian University, a Doctor of Divinity (honorary) from Indiana Christian University and a Doctor of Humanities (honorary) from Liberty University.