Relatable With Allie Stuckey

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