By Gary A. Johnson, Black Men In America.com
I have a feeling that after this show airs tomorrow night, people will refer to this show as “Pastors Gone Wild.” There is a lot about this show that makes me uncomfortable, and I mean very uncomfortable. That probably says a lot about me and the way I was raised and the churches that I attended growing up in Washington, DC.
The pastors featured on this reality show are charismatic and very different from the preachers that I grew up with. Do I know preachers that I believe are “shady?” You bet. I have run across some preachers that if their lips are moving they’re telling a lie about something.
The cast of “Preachers of L.A.” is composed of L.A. based pastors Bishop Noel Jones, Bishop Clarence McClendon, Pastor Wayne Chaney, Bishop Ron Gibson, Pastor Jay Haizlip and Pastor/Gospel singer Deitrick Haddon. The show offers viewers an inside look of these preachers’ lives beyond the pulpit.
Check out a couple of soundbites from the “Preachers of L.A.” trailer:
- “P. Diddy, Jay-Z, they’re not the only ones who should be driving Ferraris and living in large houses.” (Gibson)
- “The Bible says that those of us who sow among us should reap from us, that’s implying that preachers should be taken care of.” (Haizlip)
Haizlip, upset by suggestions that he and his cast mates were somehow more style than substance, maintained that the public need only give “Preachers of L.A.” a chance to see what the ministers are truly about.
Some Christian leaders asked by Christianity Today for their thoughts on “Preachers of L.A.,” were convinced the docu-series, would “(shine) a spotlight on some of the shameful abuses of those who claim to be evangelical Christians” and that it “epitomizes what is wrong with reality TV.” But others asked for their views were cautiously optimistic that the docu-series had the potential to “shine the light of Christ.” Time will tell.
Who are the people behind this show? “Preachers of L.A.,” conceived by Lemuel Plummer (“Vindicated” and “The Sheards”) and Holly Carter (“106 & Gospel” and “The Sheards”). Check out the Question and Answer interview with Plummer and Carter at the following link: http://preachers-of-la.oxygen.com/blogs/qa-producers-holly-carter-lemuel-plummer#fbid=SZU0t-YLnsu.
You can watch a preview of the show below to hear Minister Deitrick Haddon, Pastor Wayne Chaney and Bishop Ron Gibson talk about the show:
You can also watch the first episode of “Preachers of L.A.” online in its entirety right now. Here is the description of Episode 1 provided by the Oxygen Network:
Meet Pastor Jay Haizlip, Minister Deitrick Haddon, Pastor Wayne Chaney, Bishop Ron Gibson, Noel Jones, and Bishop Clarence McClendon, six pastors with fascinating backgrounds, strong faiths, and of course, beautiful women. In Episode 1, the pastors attend Deitrick Haddon’s gospel show, Deitrick faces his controversial past, Ron Gibson intervenes in a gang fight, and all the pastors hang out in their brand new man cave…and the results are explosive.
Click on the link below to watch the first full episode. (Note: video may not be viewable on smartphones & tablets.)
http://features.oxygen.com/videos/vid:26810511/#fbid=SZU0t-YLnsu
“Preachers of L.A.” premieres Wednesday, Oct. 9 at 10 p.m. ET on the Oxygen network. Find out more on the show online: http://preachers-of-la.oxygen.com.
Will you watch the show? If so, tell us what you think?
Black Men In America 