William W. Gothard Jr. popularly known as Bill Gothard is an American Christian minister, speaker, writer, and the founder of the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP), an ultra-conservative Christian organization. The motive of his organization was to encourage Bible memorization, large families, homeschooling, aversion to debt, male superiority and female obedience, and conservative dresses. He has written numerous books on different topics, but many of his books contain teachings for Christians. Currently, Gothard has a net worth of around $3-$5 million; but at some point in his career when Gothard was very influential, he had a net worth of around $100 million.
Quick Facts about Bill Gothard
| Original Name: | William W. Gothard Jr. |
| Date of Birth: | 2nd November, 1934 |
| Current Age: | 89 Years old |
| Place of Birth: | Hinsdale, Illinois, USA |
| Known For: | Founder of the Institute in Basic Life Principles |
| Net Worth: | $3-5 million |
Bill Gothard’s Net Worth
Bill Gothard has a net worth of about $3-$5 million as of 2024. He earned a lot more money during the peak of his career when he was active. But after the allegations of sexual harassment of more than 30 women in 2014, Gothard’s income and net worth declined. According to the sources, Gothard now lives peacefully in his hometown Illinois.
Source of Income
Bill arranges seminars for his organizations, where he guides people to follow his teachings. Gothard invested his money in various aspects, which still provided him enough money to be recognized. He had many political connections, which benefited him financially. According to various news outlets, he charges $20k to $50k for a seminar
Early Life
Bill Gothard was born on November 2, 1934, in USA. His father William Gothard was an insurance salesman and his mother Carmen Gothard was a homemaker. He has brothers and sisters. Bill completed his B.A. in biblical studies from Wheaton College in 1957, and then completed his M.A. in Christian education in 1961. He completed his Ph.D. in biblical studies at Louisiana Baptist University in 2004 at the very old age of 70 years.
More information about Bill Gothard
| Father:- | William Gothard |
| Mother:- | Carmen Gothard |
| Occupation:- | Instructor, Author |
| Marital Status:- | Unmarried |
Professional Life
After completing his M.A. in Christian education in 1961, Bill started Campus Teams in the same year. The organization’s name was changed twice; first, in 1974, it was named the Institute in Basic Youth Conflicts (IBYC) and for the second time in 1989, the organization’s name was changed to the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP). It was the last change in the name of the organization and the organization still runs with the same name. Gothard was the president and a board member of the organization until his resignation in 2014 after multiple sex allegations.
Gothard’s organization taught people to memorize the Bible and act according to the Bible. In 1984, Bill founded the Advanced Training Institute (ATI), a homeschooling program with a curriculum based on the Sermon on the Mount.
At the peak of his career, Gothard had close political connections with multiple Republican political leaders, including Sonny Perdue, Mike Huckabee, and Sarah Palin.
Allegations of Sexual Harassment
In 2014, Gothard was accused of harassing several female employees and volunteers. The organization placed Bill on uncertain administrative leave till the investigations. Gothard denied all those allegations. Although Gothard was not found guilty, yet his actions were found inappropriate. Thus he never got a chance to enter the organization again. It totally impacted his career but according to him, he worked quite well in the organization and is still doing it through social media.
Since the allegations, Gothard has been a highly controversial figure. In 2023, a docu-series named Shiny Happy People released on Amazon Prime narrated the story of Bill Gothard and his connections with the Duggar family.
Conclusion
Bill Gothard, an American Christian minister, author, and founder of IBLP was a successful and famous figure. But after the sexual harassment allegations in 2014, he has been sidelined from his own organization. His conservative teachings inspired many people to follow his rules as he has written in numerous books. Gothard still manages a net worth of around $3-5 million, which is quite impressive.
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FAQ’s
Is Gothard’s organization IBLP still active?
According to the sources, IBLP is still active and works in the same way as ever.
What is the net worth of Bill Gothard?
Reportedly, it is more than $3 million.
Why is Bill Gothard Famous?
Bill Gothard is famous for his conservative teachings, which is still followed by numerous people.
What is the name of the docu-series based on Bill Gothard?
Shiny Happy People, a docu-series released on Amazon Prime in 2023, revealed many informations about the sexual harassment allegations against Bill Gothard
