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.

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Timecodes:

(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 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-786-mike-todds-blasphemous-easter-service/id1359249098?i=1000608480872

Ep 551 | My Take on Pastor Mike Todd’s Spit Take https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-551-my-take-on-pastor-mike-todds-spit-take/id1359249098?i=1000548398419

Ep 528 | What Progressive Christianity & Prosperity Gospel Get Wrong About Jesus | Guest: Costi Hinn https://podcasts.apple.com/at/podcast/ep-528-what-progressive-christianity-prosperity-gospel/id1359249098?i=1000542874144

Ep 257 | Leaving the Prosperity Gospel Behind and the Deconversion of Christians | Guest: Costi Hinn https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-257-leaving-the-prosperity-gospel-behind/id1359249098?i=1000476404583

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