Social media account-creator of PreachersNSneakers EXPOSES the dangers of 'designer pastors'



Why do some pastors embrace the role of celebrity, and does it hurt prospective believers interested in the church?

Allie Beth Stuckey sat down with Ben Kirby, the creator of the PreachersNSneakers Instagram account, to discuss the phenomenon of celebrity pastors who definitely dress the part.

“I just noticed that there was a whole subculture of pastors, preachers, [and] worship leaders that were wearing extremely expensive or rare or valuable sneakers, streetwear, belts, jackets, that kind of thing,” Kirby says.

On his Instagram account, Kirby posts pictures of the preachers in these expensive clothes, and he superimposes the price tag and brand of the clothing on the photo. The account has over 330,000 followers.

Pastors like Mike Todd are frequently featured on the account wearing sneakers that are worth thousands of dollars.

“This modern celebrity church culture/idea cares a lot about entertainment, aesthetics, being attractive and catchy. All things that just are not true components of what it means to be a Christian or what the calling is of being an actual pastor,” Kirby says.

“And so,” he continues, “the sneakers are a very surface level thing and come to find out there’s much deeper things there.”

Rather than show how much the pastors care about their religion by promoting themselves so shamelessly, Kirby says it shows how little they actually care.

“Do you actually care about shepherding the souls of the people that go to your church or are you just trying to build a brand for yourself? Are you trying to sell books? Sell tickets to conferences?” He asks.

Stuckey and Kirby both believe there’s an air of humility and modesty that a preacher should have surrounding him instead of Instagram likes.

“If the point of being a pastor is shepherding, pointing people to Christ, pointing people to God’s glory,” Stuckey says, “then we would want to do everything that we possibly can to don ourselves with humility.”


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Leaked audio reportedly shows Hillsong Church founder accusing disgraced ex-pastor of serial infidelity



Disgraced former pastor Carl Lentz — who was fired from Hillsong Church in November after reportedly engaging in immoral behaviors — is reportedly a serial cheater as well as a lying manipulator and abuser.

Following the firing, Lentz admitted that he'd cheated on his wife and asked for forgiveness and understanding as the story unfolded.

What are the details?

According to a Friday report in the Daily Mail, Lentz was reportedly guilty of having more than just one extramarital affair.

The outlet cited audio purporting to feature Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston who can be heard saying that Lentz was also guilty of exhibiting "general narcissistic behavior, manipulating, and mistreating people."

According to the audio, Lentz was also "constantly lying."

On the audio, Houston says that Lentz was found out after staff discovered "compromising" messages on the ex-pastor's computer.

"It was more than one affair," Houston says. "They were significant. And at least some bad moral behavior had gone back historically."

"I can honestly say before God the first time I heard any moral complaint against Carl was when [Hillsong East Coast Chief Operating Officer Tolu Badders] contacted me," Houston said. "'Tolu had a conversation with one of the staff members, and that staff member had found a very compromising chain of text messages on Carl's laptop or computer. And so that person went straight to Tolu. And Tolu, to her credit, the first thing she did was call me."

In the audio, Houston also says that Lentz was also a "difficult man to have any kind of direct conversation with, because it was always defensive. It would always be put back on the other person, as though they're the ones with the problem."

Lentz's alleged behaviors were reportedly fairly well known.

"Other [anonymous] Hillsong members," the Daily Mail reports, said that "Lentz used women he met backstage at church for affairs." Other members reported that Lentz had been sleeping with other women "for at least seven years."

What else?

The outlet also reported that the church may give Lentz a "golden parachute" despite his alleged behaviors.

"'We're working on a severance package which we're negotiating with them on," George Aghajanian, general manager and a director of Hillsong Church Australia said in the meeting," the outlet reported. "'We are trying to care for them as far as they are letting us care for them. And certainly our heart is to look after the children, to look after [Lentz's wife] Laura, and even Carl who needs a lot of help.'"

Hillsong founder shreds nation's 'discriminatory' COVID-19 restrictions — which permit 40,000 for rugby games, but only 100 for church services



Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston is hitting out at New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian over the COVID-19 regulations.

What are the details?

According to "Today," Houston criticized Berejiklian for allowing 40,000 fans to attend rugby's NRL grand final but refusing to open up churches to congregations of more than 100.

In new remarks on the disparity between rugby games and church, Houston said the restrictions are discriminatory at best.

Houston spoke out on Monday after the nation announced further relaxed COVID-19 restrictions — which excluded the church.

According to the Daily Mail, "Weddings can have up to 300 guests from December 1, while up to 40,000 footy fans will attend the NRL grand final between Penrinth Panthers and Melbourne Storm in Sydney on Sunday night."

"Strict limits," however, "remain in place for church services with attendances capped at 100."

The outlet pointed out that some of Sydney's megachurches have the capability of holding upward of 4,000 attendees.

Houston told NSW's "Today" Wednesday that the continued restrictions on church services are unacceptable.

"Of course watching the football and people are cheering and hugging and spitting and high-fiving, community event numbers are growing, but there has been absolutely no change to churches," he complained. "You can have 300 people indoors for a wedding. But you can't have anything like that, 100 people indoors obviously socially distanced, no matter how big the building."

Houston warned that people need church more than ever amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Some people wouldn't feel ready to come back yet, wouldn't feel safe," he said. "Other people are dying to get back here. ... Mental health, as we know, and health generally, well-being, is a big, big thing. Isolation doesn't help that at all. Church, part of what we do, is community and connection. I know a lot of people just longing for that sense of community and connection."

On Monday, Houston also tweeted, "So interesting that the NSW govt are about to allow 300 people to attend an indoor wedding, and things are being relaxed for the hospitality industry, but still no changes for churches."

He continued, "We have a building with space for 4000 people yet can only have 100 in there. Reason given is 'church ppl know each other (are to [sic] friendly). Do you think people are not friendly at weddings? It's getting to the point where it is discrimination."

On Instagram, he shared a screenshot of his Twitter remarks and added, "It's time church leaders unite to take a stand. We are all committed to keeping people safe, but it seems churches are not even being considered for a steady easing of restrictions."