OXYGEN has revealed the supertrailer for "Preachers of L.A." and you'll see why this is going to be one of the most-talked about reality shows to hit the small screen. Watch the controversial promo inside.
There's a new reality show headed to the small screen and it stars a group of handsome men in LA who drive Bentleys, wear expensive clothes and jewelry, live in fancy homes, have tons of women (wives, girlfriends and baby mommas) AND some gang affiliation. It could be the perfect brew for an urban reality show about athletes or rappers, but.....it's about men of the cloth.
Though previous reality tv series devoted to "the church" failed to connect with audiences (remember The Sisterhood?), the supertrailer for "Preachers of L.A." looks like it has the right amount of foolywangery to connect with folks at the watercooler.
According to the press release,
"Preachers of L.A." will give viewers a candid and revealing look at six boldly different and world renowned mega-pastors in Southern California, who are willing to share diverse aspects of their lives, from their work in the community and with their parishioners to the very large and sometimes provocative lives they lead away from the pulpit."
And from the looks of it...the lives they lead aren't too different from the ish we see on "Basketball Wives" and "Love & Hip Hop".
Here are the cast bios:
Bishop Noel Jones (@BishopNoelJones)
A Jamaican born into poverty, Bishop Noel Jones has made his way to the other extreme, now living on a hilltop with a view of the Pacific Ocean, Malibu at his feet, and across the street from the former home of the late L.A. Lakers owner, Jerry Buss. The pastor of a church full of celebrities, and the brother of Grace Jones, Bishop Jones is headed towards retirement and looking for a successor who he can entrust his life’s work. But finding the right man is harder than it sound.
Deitrick Haddon
The son of a bishop and an evangelist, Deitrick was preaching at the age of eleven and conducting the church choir at thirteen. At twenty-three he married the woman he was expected to marry – the lead soprano of the church choir. However, everything didn’t continue as perfectly as the church had hoped. Deitrick and his wife got a divorce and the members of the church shunned him. Aside from the call on his life, the one thing that helped him from hitting rock bottom was his music. A dynamic personality, singer, songwriter, and preacher, Deitrick finds himself at an impasse in life. Which road will he choose?
Bishop Clarence McClendon
Bishop Clarence McClendon appears throughout the world on his weekly international broadcast, which is available in 250 million homes worldwide. This charismatic and ubiquitous bishop has been noted for his contemporary and relevant approach to the Gospel. He believes the Gospel is not only for the down and out but for the up and out. His ministry spans from skid row to the estates of Bel Air. When challenged about what many have called his prosperity Gospel, Bishop replies, “there is no other kind of Gospel.”
Pastor Wayne Chaney
At the age of twenty he got the call from God and has grown to become a prominent pastor of the church his grandfather built. Fast-forward 10 years later, Antioch is the leading church in its community. With an ability to communicate complex truths in a simple way, Pastor Chaney has helped remarkably grow the church, along with the help of his secret weapon, his wife, gospel artist Myeshia Chaney. While Antioch is poised to become the next mega-church with the ability to reach millions worldwide, there’s an obstacle in the way and it comes from within Pastor Wayne’s own family.
Bishop Ron Gibson
Born in Compton, addicted to drugs before he was a teenager, a leader of the Crips by the time he was sixteen, a robber and a pimp, Bishop Ron Gibson was the least likely person to end up a preacher. He now changes the lives of 4,500 people each week at the Life Church of God in Christ, which he started with only nine people in the congregation. Through it all he’s accumulated great wealth, power and purpose. However, there’s one thing he and his wife would give it all away for – a child.
Pastor Jay Haizlip (@jayhaizlip)
One of the pioneering greats of competitive skateboarding, Pastor Jay Haizlip, originally from Gadsden, Alabama, collected big trophies, bigger paychecks and high-end sponsors, but fell deep into drugs, and into the crack houses of Huntington Beach and Long Beach, California. Back in the crack houses again, this time he’s not there for drugs – he’s helping rescue souls for the Kingdom. Serving as Senior Pastor of The Sanctuary of Huntington Beach, Pastor Jay Haizlip reaches out to troubled youth, finding them in prisons, skate parks and the same crack houses he once shot dope in.
It's worth mentioning that some sources saidLisaRaye would be appearing as Bishop Noel Jones love interest. However, we didn't see her in the trailer. In fact, Noel was dating "another" woman. Perhaps they're saving LisaRaye for a big reveal?
Watch the promo here:
Photo via Gospelhype