Preachers of L.A.
Starts Wednesday, October 9 at 10/9 Central on Oxygen.
By Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog
Watching the premiere episode of the new series Preachers of L.A. left me utterly conflicted.
On one hand, I respect the pastors who are the focus of this new reality drama. Most overcame one or more personal challenges—addiction, divorce, gang membership, poverty—to build sizable churches at a time when many denominations are seeing a dramatic drop off in attendance. The men are honest about their past and provide their testimonies on the opening episode.
On the other hand, the program’s focus on the Tinseltown trappings of the pastors’ success instead of the substance of their ministry disturbed me. I recognize that reality television (ahem, unscripted drama) has in its DNA a fascination with celebrity, self-indulgence, and overabundance, and that one purpose of the series is to show that pastors are human, too.
Still, it will be difficult for the average payday-to-payday American, including many thousands of pastors, to empathize with the plights of individuals who drive Bentleys and live in palatial homes. We’ve already seen this to be true in the corporate sector: it’s called Occupy Wall Street. Although I’m no fan of the prosperity gospel, there’s nothing wrong with success. It is discomforting, however, when celebrity trumps calling.
The six pastors are gospel singer Deitrick Haddon, Pastors Jay Haizlip and Wayne Chaney, and Bishops Ron Gibson, Clarence McClendon, and Noel Jones. The opening episode introduces them and their significant others, but their ministries are given very little airtime. One exception is Bishop Gibson’s efforts to convert gang members to Christianity. After persuading them to attend a Deitrick Haddon concert and bringing them on stage for an altar call, he is quietly expedited off the platform by a time-sensitive Haddon.
The apex of the first episode is the Man Cave scene. The Man Cave is a home where the six pastors go to discuss their issues openly and honestly. It doesn’t take much imagination to know what can happen when six self-confident Alpha Males gather in one small room. No spoilers here, only to say that Haddon places the elephant squarely on the table.
Preachers of L.A. is provocative and will undoubtedly stimulate much animated conversation among church folk. Whether it will succeed in bringing more souls to Christ, however, is highly doubtful.
For more information, visit http://preachers-of-la.oxygen.com/.
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Written by : Bob Marovich
Bob Marovich is a gospel music historian, author, and radio host. Founder of Journal of Gospel Music blog (formally The Black Gospel Blog) and producer of the Gospel Memories Radio Show.
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I just watched this show and I had to turn it off. I can’t watch when “THEIR CHRUCH” is all about money and their goods. There are many so called churches popping up. They make their money and then they are no longer. I don’t think God did not live like this. I got tired of seeing their big houses ect. GREED AND MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVILS
I only watched the trailer of this WICKED show and have no desire to watch and increase ‘Oxygen’ revnue ! I noticed these pimps preach about what they have and not what they do for our Father in Heaven. I believe in my heart these people are Masons and these men -(and women) are leading a path for each of these people who sit in these (ministers’) pews are making a bee-line to Hell!
I did some research on Detroit; you have to see the huge mega church in the worse section of the city luring people in with false hope of prosperity. You might say ‘Well this is what ‘those’ people need.’ I tell you this- please do your research and find out who’s building these buildings and you’ll understand evil is in the chruches.
I also see how MOST nieve black people are; they lack education in the 3-R’s.