Deitrick Haddon, one of the stars of the controversial reality television series Preachers of L.A., used social media to speak out against pastors preaching against the Oxygen network program from the pulpit.
“If your pastor’s message is all about #PreachersofLA this sunday I recommend that you find another church,” he tweeted Saturday to more than 180,000 followers. “Preach the word & that’s all! lol”
However, the gospel singer was open to criticism regarding his comment. JoAnn Williams Handy disagreed with him, responding, “@DeitrickHaddon That’s NOT a reason to go to another church if that’s where GOD placed for that season.”
Haddon replied by simply writing, “Amen…”
The 40-year-old Preachers of L.A. star’s comments came after several pastors were quoted speaking against the show on BET.com. Bishop T.D. Jakes of the Potter’s House recently spoke about the show to his Dallas congregation.
“Now, I know you been watching that junk on TV,” he said. “I want to tell you right now, not one dime of what you’re sowing right now will buy my suit. I want you to know my car is paid for.”
He added, “I want you to know I got my house on my own. I want you to know I’m not bling-blinging. I am not shake and bake. I had money when I came to Dallas, and I plan to have some when I leave. I’m not from L.A. I’m from Dallas.”
The Rev. James C. Perkins, pastor of Greater Christ Baptist Church in Detroit and vice president of the Progressive National Baptist Convention, says the show is likely to cause people to think church leaders are primarily interested in fame.
“I don’t think the show represents the best of the Black church tradition,” he told BET.com. “The downside is that people often paint all pastors with a broad brush and, after watching this show, they may well begin to associate all pastors with those behaviors. There are many pastors who are out here serving the people and not just serving themselves.”
Haddon recently explained why he joined the show in an interview with Sister 2 Sister magazine.
“I cannot pass up the opportunity to share the gospel with 100 million homes on a weekly basis for eight weeks,” he said in the November issue of the magazine. “People are interested in our culture and gospel music in the church, but everybody’s afraid to share the truth about who we are and what we do.
“And I think the next dimension of winning souls—or just sharing the gospel—is just being transparent. It’s not being fake and phony and up on the pulpit preaching to everybody else but not sharing who you really are or your flaws.”
He added, “We have yet to see the effect [the show] will have, but my agenda is to share my testimony with the world and show people who we really are as men of God and people who are trying to do what God has called them to do, even in their humanity.”
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