Today we're joined by Ben Kirby, founder of Instagram account PreachersNSneakers and author of "PreachersNSneakers: Authenticity in an Age of For-Profit Faith and (Wannabe) Celebrities," to discuss the state of the church when it comes to wealth and prosperity and how we elevate pastors to the role of celebrity. The PreachersNSneakers account posts photos of celebrity pastors, such as Steven Furtick and Mike Todd, wearing extremely expensive clothes and sneakers and leaves the questions up to us: Should we be glorifying this type of wealth when it comes to the role of pastor, and does this help or hurt prospective believers interested in the church? We discuss the relationships that have formed from this account, with some pastors engaging in good-hearted discussions with Ben about their clothing choices and others responding with more vitriol. We also discuss the two recent Hillsong documentaries that highlight the rise and fall of celebrity pastor Carl Lentz. Then we explain the seriousness of the pastoral calling and explain why many pastors who tend to show off their wealth also preach a toxic prosperity gospel with shallow and vapid messaging.

Ben's Instagram:
  / preachersnsneakers  

Ben's book:
https://www.amazon.com/PreachersNSnea...

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Timecodes:

00:00 Intro
01:24 PreachersNSneakers
07:16 What is the point of the posts?
10:20 Why do some pastors wear expensive clothes?
23:07 Did you form relationships with pastors?
30:21 Do these clothes attract people to church?
34:20 Hillsong documentaries
42:45 Prosperity gospel & shallow messaging
52:20 PreachersNSneakers: Authenticity in an Age of For-Profit Faith and (Wannabe) Celebrities

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Relevant Episodes:

Ep 786 | Mike Todd’s Blasphemous Easter Service
   • Mike Todd’s Blasphemous Easter Servic...  

Ep 551 | My Take on Pastor Mike Todd’s Spit Take
   • My Take on Pastor Mike Todd’s Spit Ta...  

Ep 528 | What Progressive Christianity & Prosperity Gospel Get Wrong About Jesus | Guest: Costi Hinn
   • What Progressive Christianity & Prosp...  

Ep 257 | Leaving the Prosperity Gospel Behind and the Deconversion of Christians | Guest: Costi Hinn
   • Leaving the Prosperity Gospel Behind ...  

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Hillsong, Steven Furtick & the Dangers of 'Designer' Pastors | Guest: Ben Kirby | Ep 846