African American ministers share views on pop culture, news and spirituality
“The Preachers” daytime talk show debuted July 11 for a three-week run on FOX TV stations. The panel-style program features four African American male ministers discussing topics ranging from current events to spirituality.
The co-hosts are familiar names in faith communities across the nation. The Rev. John Gray is a musician and associate pastor at Lakewood Church in Houston, which is led by Pastor Joel Osteen. Dr. E. Dewey Smith, Jr., is the senior pastor of The House of Hope Atlanta and The House of Hope Macon in Georgia.
The Rev. Orrick Quick is the pastor and founder of God Seekers Church in High Point, North Carolina, and the Rev. Dr. Jamal Bryant is the pastor and founder of Empowerment Temple AME Church in Baltimore, Maryland. Bill Geddie, the co-creator and executive producer of “The View” for 17 seasons, is the executive producer of “The Preachers.”
Explaining their attraction to the project, the co-hosts believe that the show has the potential to expose millions to the Gospel as well as persuade un-churched believers to unite with a house of worship.
“A great number of millennials no longer go to church, but they all watch television. That‘s the goal. This (show) affords me an opportunity to reach people who have no relationship with God,” said Bryant.
“It’s not designed to replace church, but to open people’s minds to church, to bring God back into their minds and spirit,” noted Smith.
The co-hosts are frank about using the program as a medium to reach the key demographic of 25-to-40-year-olds. Many churches report that age group has declined as their congregations age. But the ministers hope that their conversations in the show will encourage millennials to revise their thinking on the subject.
“Our job is to sow the seed. We won’t know until we get to heaven who we reached, but our job is to reach them without compromising and with integrity,” said Gray.
Quick added, “Jesus called us to be fishers of men, but all fish don’t eat the same bait. Sometimes the church tries to use the same bait to catch different fish. How you reach a 12-year-old is not the same way you reach an 80-year-old. We should be married to the message, which is Jesus, but date the method. The message never changes, but the method changes.
“This gives us an opportunity to talk about pop culture, sports and entertainment from a spiritual perspective. We’ll laugh, but at the same time, they’ll know the message about Jesus Christ.”
“The Preachers” airs weekdays on FOX 11 at 1 p.m. through July 29. For information, visit thepreacherstv.com.