Esther Sarvananthan is an award winner with the Press Services International Young Writers Program. She attends Waverley Christian College, Melbourne Australia. This is her award winning article.
In early April, a new Instagram account called ‘PreachersnSneakers’ started changing the way both Christians and non-believers view many beloved and reputable Church leaders and pastors.
The Instagram account, created by evangelical Christian Tyler, birthed from an inside joke and the marriage of Tyler's two passions: Christianity and the sneakerhead collecting-and-selling lifestyle. The ‘PreachersnSneakers’ account features pastors and other church leaders, who have large amounts of followers on social media, with screenshots of the shoes or clothes they wear accompanied by the item’s price tag.
Initially, ‘PreachersnSneakers’ received only a trickle of new followers—mostly friends and friends of friends. But when PNS posted a shot of Chad Veach, the pastor of Los Angeles’ Zoe Church (and a friend of Justin Bieber’s) carrying a $1,980 Gucci backpack and wearing $795 Rhude trackpants, things escalated quickly.
The PreachersnSneakers account soon became a place of both celebration and controversy over pastors and their expensive shoes. This account also led to the discussion concerning Church leaders and their clothing choices.
Pastors should be allowed to wear whatever they want. It's not like they would wear specific clothing just to show off. Their expensive fashion also doesn't necessarily reflect how much they make. Some people can own some "expensive" clothing pieces despite not earning much money.
Even though the Instagram page was created for the laughs, it should not be the reason as to why highly regarded pastors and leaders receive much hate and persecution. The ‘PreachersnSneakers’ account also enables non-believers, who don't truly know what goes on inside of the church or how much pastors really earn, and even some Christians to develop a negative and false perception on Christian society their pastors.
Imagine: You’re sitting in church one Sunday morning listening as they introduce the speaker. The man at the front claims that this speaker is a well-known and loved preacher from the other side of the world. Intrigued, you lean in ever so slightly, wondering who this speaker - that will be sharing what you hope to be a touching message - is. After a welcoming applause from the congregation, the preacher proceeds to walk up the stage in a dirty shirt and jeans that are ripped – and not in the stylish kind of way. His hair is a mess and it looks like he hasn’t had a decent shower in days. Based on this man’s appearance, you immediately get out your phone and cease listening.
Outward appearance
Appearance is something that many people are concerned with and you would be lying if you claimed you have not once judged a person based on the clothes they are wearing. As Christians, we should be the last people to judge others because of their outward appearance. God never regarded people a certain way in the Bible due to the clothes they wore or the way they looked. In Samuel 16:7, God clearly explains to Samuel that He “does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” If God doesn't care about people's outward appearance, why are we then so caught up in what pastors and even those around us wear?
Showcasing pastors wearing expensive clothing, accompanied by the price tag, for all to see doesn’t exactly give the church a good image. The Instagram page leads non-believers and even some who are part of the church to question how much pastors earn. In reality, being a pastor does not provide one with much income, and many are forced to take up multiple jobs in order to get by. We may often hear our pastors go on about how their job is low earning and it’s true. Full-time working Australians earn an average of $82,436 annually, while the average Pastor can earn from as little as $49,718 to as much as $73,929 yearly.
Despite not earning as much as the average Australian, Pastors should still have the right to treat themselves to nice clothes. This doesn’t mean that they are stealing money from the church or anything like that. Right now, there are people who may not have a lot of money but still own the odd Gucci belt or Champion track pants.
Tyler, the creator of the ‘PreachersnSneakers’ Instagram page, did not intend to defame famous pastors, but maybe this can be a learning experience despite all the damage done them. These pastors have now most likely have seen the effect their clothing has had on society and seek to change it, making sure they don’t add to the hate the church already receives. Then again, pastors should also be given the freedom to buy and wear whatever they want without worrying about the reaction of the people.
Being rich is not condemned in the Bible, but a lack of generosity is. As Christians, we need to lead by example and start by not judging people because of their outfit choice or hairstyle.
Esther Sarvananthan is an award winner with the Press Services International Young Writers Program. She attends Waverley Christian College, Melbourne Australia.
Jeremy Dover is a former sports scientist and Pastor
Jeremy Dover's previous articles may be viewed at https://www.pressserviceinternational.org/jeremy-dover1.html
And https://www.pressserviceinternational.org/jeremy-dover.html
Jeremy Dover is a former sports scientist and Pastor
Jeremy Dover's previous articles may be viewed at https://www.pressserviceinternational.org/jeremy-dover1.html
And https://www.pressserviceinternational.org/jeremy-dover.html