Reverend Ike

Birth Name: Frederick Joseph Eikerenkoetter II

Date of Birth: June 1, 1935

Place of Birth: Ridgeland, South Carolina, U.S.

Date of Death: July 28, 2009

Place of Death: Los Angeles, California, U.S.

Ethnicity: African-American

Reverend Ike was an American minister and evangelist. He founded Christ Community United Church, now United Palace of Spiritual Arts, in Manhattan, New York City. He was known for his preaching of prosperity theology. His weekly sermons were carried across hundreds of radio stations across the U.S. Reverend Ike was featured in Hank Williams, Jr.’s hit country song “Mind Your Own Business.”

Reverend Ike was the son of Rema and Joseph Frederick Eikerenkoetter, who were born in Georgia. He began his work as a teenage preacher. He was married to Eula M. Dent, with whom he had a son, minister, preacher, and televangelist Xavier Eikerenkoetter.

Reverend Ike’s paternal grandfather was named William Eikerenkoetter (the son of Joseph Eikerenkoetter and Margaret). William was born in South Carolina, to parents who were also born in the state. Joseph was born in Grahamville.

Reverend Ike’s paternal grandmother was named Addie Mills.

Reverend Ike’s maternal grandfather was named Eddi Mathews. Eddi was born in Georgia.

Reverend Ike’s maternal grandmother was Mary Lee Pratt (the daughter of H. T. Pratt and Laura Grant). Mary Lee was born in Georgia.

Many sources say that Reverend Ike’s father was of Dutch-Indonesian descent, or from the Netherlands Antilles. This does not appear to be accurate. His father and all of Ike’s other traceable ancestors are listed as “black” or “mulatto” on the U.S. Census. The name Eikerenkoetter traces back to a German immigrant family of slaveowners in South Carolina.

Sources: Genealogy of Reverend Ike – https://www.familysearch.org

Obituary of Reverend Ike – https://www.nytimes.com