If you roll into Los Angeles-based megachurch Mosaic on a Sunday morning, you might catch a glimpse of Pastor Erwin McManus in a $999 pair of Air Jordan 1s.
“Big homie’s literally wearing your pay check,” writes the creator of @PreachersNSneakers, an Instagram account dedicated to megachurch pastors and their fancy kicks.
Tyler Jones (not his real name) says he started the account just for fun. But in the three weeks since its founding, it has gained close to 70,000 followers.
In other posts, Hillsong Pastor Carl Lentz may have $792 Fear of God sneakers, and LA-based Chad Veach appears to be sporting a $1,980 Gucci backpack.
Jones says he’s an evangelical Christian himself, and he didn’t expect the account to take off the way it did. He’s not trying to roast the pastors, but he just wants to raise a question.
“I started questioning myself, ‘What is OK as far as optics … as far as pastors wearing hype or designer clothing?’” Jones told BuzzFeed News. “I don’t have an answer.”
Something about the account has resonated with Christians and non-Christians alike, and even some pastors have started to engage with it.
After Jones called out Veach for his Gucci backpack and $795 track pants, the pastor commented on the post, “Wanna know what’s crazy? I legit did not pay for one thing i am wearing. Is that wild to you? that’s wild to me… Thanks for the shout out tho. You’re a blessing.” Veach later deleted the comment and changed his Instagram handle.
Even if they were gifts, what kind of message are the designer digs sending to churchgoers who can’t drop almost a grand on gold-striped pants?
Some pastors aren’t concerned about the optics, though. One Dallas-based pastor actually asked to be featured.
From followers, @PreachersNSneakers has generated mixed reactions. Some have appreciated Jones’ humor or responded with gratefulness that he’s calling out the influential leaders.
Jones has said he started the account after listening to popular worship band Elevation Worship and noticing the lead singer wearing Yeezy 750s, which sell for about $800. After starting some research, he saw that Elevation Church’s pastor, Steven Furtick, also had a penchant for designer shoes: specifically, shattered backboard Jordan 1s, which cost almost a grand.
Other @PreachersNSneakers followers are not so pleased with Jones’ mission. If these pastors lead celebrities such as Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West (Rich Wilkerson Jr. of $600 Yeezy Boosts presided at their wedding) and Justin Bieber (Lentz and $980 Gucci pants Pastor Judah Smith count him as a friend), why shouldn’t they dress like the elite singers do?
Jones says he recognizes that the pastors want to fit in. Primarily based in East and West Coast hubs such as Los Angeles and New York City, these pastors may find that their fashion of fitting in is less of a distraction than dressing like a suburban dad.
So Jones isn’t trying to use his platform to shame people like Veach off Instagram. If the pastors are proud of their decisions, they should be able to defend them.
“I … want the leaders of churches to have to evaluate their stewardship of the funds and people of which they have been put in charge,” Jones told Eternity News. “They have such a heavy calling and need to understand the gravity of the example they are setting.”
If the pastors really want to avoid distraction, forget the Yeezys and track pants. They could always try imitating their traditional counterparts and wearing cassocks instead.
