By: Ayana Bryant-Weekes
So, maybe you’ve heard or maybe you
haven’t, Preachers of L.A. is coming to Detroit! Not the actual preachers of
L.A., but Oxygen is soon to premier the Detroit edition of the controversial
reality show starring prominent local preachers. That’s right, Detroit, Mi will
be the next city to feature its Pastors and other church figures…on a reality TV
show. I’ll admit, I have always been leery of the church getting involved with
this type of platform because of the stigma that comes with reality TV – drama,
controversy, and real ratchet behavior – so when The A Team got invited to the
Preachers of Detroit press dinner at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History this past Thursday, Though I was hesitant to fully
support the idea, I took it as an opportunity to finally get a better
understanding of the show and the cast.
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| L to R Ayana Bryant-Weekes - Blog Manager, Brittney Robinson - Videographer, Ambrea Curry - Host |
The Preachers of Detroit cast
includes Bishop Charles Ellis III, Senior Pastor of Greater Grace Temple
who believes “it’s one thing to pray, but when you’re done praying, you have to
get up and do something.” Bishop Ellis talked passionately about how the
pressure of being a 3rd generation preacher gave him a solid
foundation for a sound message despite people’s expectations for you to “become
what you came from.” “Each man must minister to his own generation.” Bishop Ellis also encouraged us to embrace our
pasts but remain focused on the future. “You cannot minister to an iPad generation
with an 8 track ministry… [You have to] give something for everybody, you to
have some Amazing Grace and Blessed Assurance, some STOMP and some We Lift Our
Hands in the Sanctuary.”
Bishop Corletta
Vaughn is the Senior Pastor of The Holy Ghost Cathedral and Chief Apostle to Go
Tell It Evangelistic Ministry Worldwide. Bishop Vaughn “shattered the stained
glass ceiling of the church world” by becoming a female Bishop against her
Baptist church’s strict rules. The message that Bishop Vaughn is extremely
passionate about is women and how women are going to shape the next few
generations. “I want women who have grown weary of the political, sexual battle
in the church to take hope in watching a female bishop.” Her passion, she
hopes, leads to remind women that, “There are options, [women] can do great
things and are not limited by their gender. Gender is not a curse and women can
soar and impact a generation.”
Evangelist Dorinda Clark-Cole, administrator
at the Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ (Bishop J. Drew
Sheard), member of the iconic gospel group, The Clark Sisters and three-time
Grammy Award-winner who believes that as women continue to rise to prominent
positions in their careers and in the church, there still remain pressures that
women can’t handle that men can. During the panel discussion Evangelist Cole
stayed confident and steadfast in voicing her opinion that men are better
leaders, and that as women continue to be more liberated they should remain
submissive to male leaders, citing her Church of God in Christ upbringing for
the importance of honoring feminine roles in the church.
Pastor Don William
Shelby Jr., Pastor and founder of Burning Bush International Ministries Church
of God in Christ (alongside wife, Bonita Shelby) brought up a
point of nostalgia as he sang the PURITY song with his children in an adorable
clip from the show. Pastor Shelby shared that his responsibility as a family man
comes first, “I am no better of a preacher than I am of a husband and father… It
is Jesus’ business to take care of his bride [the church] and my business is to
take care of mine.” Pastor Shelby shared with us the Importance of living a
life that young people can follow. “I can be a much better leader to them if I
show them as opposed to telling them.” As a product of Purity Class who married
his wife as a virgin, it was inspiring to hear Pastor Shelby describe how he
equips his 5 children to deal with the temptations of premarital sex by being
an example and model, walking before them in purity and righteousness. “It is
so important for my children to see me love my wife and be accountable to [my children]
as it relates to sexual cleanness.” It was also hilarious listening to him
describe his desire for 10 children and the compromise of Mrs. Shelby to give
him 5!
Pastor Tim Alden who ministers
at the City of Praise Christian Church shares Pastor Shelby’s sentiment of
preaching abstinence and purity and wants to, “…Open the dialogue about the
issues of pop culture... we need to shape the culture the way the church is
supposed to.” As a virgin in his early fifties, Pastor Tim believes “There is
an honor in being unmarried and having integrity and walking in sexual purity.
That’s a standard and example that’s missing in our culture today where ¼ young
adults has an STD.” During the season we can look forward to seeing how his
love for the presence of God detached him from his Catholic roots and led him
to a life of fulfillment in the Pentecostal church, a life in worship that
keeps him full and not looking for something in the world to satisfy him, “I
was so attracted to the joy, passion, and presence of God [in the Pentecostal
church] and I didn’t feel it in the Catholic church… Whatever they told me I
had to do to experience that kind of joy I was willing to do.” Pastor Tim gravitated
towards a holy lifestyle not knowing the impact or understanding the time in
history that God would raise him up to chariot this cause and message, “It’s
the Purity Revolution to counteract the Sexual Revolution of the 60’s.”
Bishop Clarence
Langston (congratulations on being recently elevated to the office off Bishop)
the Founder and Senior Pastor of Word in Action Christian Center (joined in
ministry by his wife, Co-Pastor Robyn Langston) called himself a miracle as he
sat on the same panel as other men and women of God who had been brought up in
church and in godly homes with total families, as someone who didn’t even know
his family was broken until he saw a whole family under the guidance of his
spiritual father. Bishop Langston plans to promote the dynamics of a total
family, the presence of Godly men and the blessing of the family in loving God.
And the final member of the Preachers of
Detroit cast includes activist and Pastor of Greater St. Matthew Baptist
Church, David Bullock, who stands by what he believes to be the essence of
religious impulse – action. Pastor Bullock’s “love is ministry” approach to
ministry is steeped in a tradition of social, political economic action, “I
don’t want to be so heavenly minded that I am no Earthly good.” As a single
Pastor, along with Pastor Tim Alden, Pastor Bullock knows there is pressure on
him and follows the example of the people of God that came before him and
weren’t married (Jesus, Paul, Joan of Arc etc.). Pastor Bullock also knows the
importance of intimacy but wants to shed a different light on the idea, “ You
cannot have a successful worship experience without intimacy…if we are the
bride of Christ then in some deep, spiritual sense, unless I have an
understanding of intimacy, I cannot experience God to a certain caliber.” Pastor
Bullock added, “There is so much about
the human experience that is erotic and requires intimacy in order for it to be
valuable and significant…The church is so afraid that people are going to slip
into sex that we don’t teach people that you can practice a focused,
disciplined, spiritual and significant, holy intimacy that will free you and
allow you to experience levels of joy and have heaven on Earth.”
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| Live from the Preachers of Detroit Press Dinner Red Carpet |
Sounds like an
amazingly well rounded cast that is sure to give us good TV and still uphold a
Godly standard, which was the reason most of the cast decided to embark on a
journey they collectively described as “Insightful, reflective and life
changing.” Bishop Vaughn intends to “show Detroit as a part of God’s restoration
plan and to show the world the most wonderful, gutsy, hopeful, Godly people.”
Bishop Ellis’s hopes to shed light on “Some of the great things the churches
(and pastors) are doing for the community in a much broader audience.” Pastor Don
Shelby hopes his role on the show will, “Share the importance of family and
walking in holiness and integrity as a man of God.” Pastor Bullock chimed in
with a quintessential description of what filming the show has been like for
the cast, “It was empowering to work with people with the same message but a
different method. “ Listening to these great men and women of God and hearing
their stories most definitely changed my preconceived notion about religious
leaders and reality TV. As far as I’m concerned, the message of Christ is being
broadcasted on national television through the lives of these preachers who go
through the same issues as anyone else.
“This is a reality
show…. not a church service or panel discussion [but] a chance to instill
significant life moments in a 45 minute episode and we want it to be exciting… it
will elevate Preachers, Pastors, Bishops and congregations in a way they
wouldn’t have been elevated before. Maybe someone will peep in and have a
desire to be saved. [And] If the hate comes it’s coming from the saved.”
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| Ayana & Ambrea on the Preachers of Detroit Red Carpet |
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| Ambrea & Brittney |
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| Ayana |
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| Brittney & Ambrea in action |
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