You may have heard by now that a pastor was fired after word got back to the Deacons that he attended “God Forgives, I Don’t” rapper Rick Ross’s concert.
The story, first told by AmericaPreachers.com, is steadily making its way around the Christian news circuit, sparking mixed reactions.
The ouster took place Saturday, August 3 with a Deacon’s vote of 11 to 3 in favor of giving the 26-year-old Hip Hop-loving pastor, Reverend Rodney Wills of Mt. Salem Baptist Church in Winston Salem, NC, his walking papers.
He had only occupied the position for just under 4 years, the shortest pastoral tenure ever in the 109-year history of the established church.
“We cannot have our leader supporting people of this world who are tearing down the kingdom of God,” said one of the anti-Hip Hop Deacons, Miles Langley, among those who met with Wills 9 months prior, when it was revealed that the pastor attended a Lil Wayne concert.
Heading out to see Maybach Music rapper Ross seemed indicative of a pattern—one that Mt. Salem leaders viewed as destructive enough to relieve Wills of his duties.
In recent history, both the named rappers have found themselves in trouble over offensive lyrics, leading to loss of endorsement deals and major public backlash in the secular arena.
In light of this, it would seem obvious that a pastor might want to refrain from supporting artists that even non-religious executives of corporate entities view as unwholesome and inflammatory.
“Pastors are watchmen for the souls of the flock who model the kind of behaviors followers of their ministry imitate. He should not have been using that platform to support these thugs,” wrote Charles Hanes, a North Carolina minister, in an email to EEW Magazine’s editors.
“Furthermore, I think if the Deacons spoke to him about it and he still didn’t change his ways, he was walking in open rebellion and deserved just what he got.”
But reactions have been split down the middle, with some agreeing with the dismissal and others condemning it.
“This is a contemporary society we live in and this young man is 26 years old. What do you expect him to listen to, Andrae Crouch?” wrote Bridgette in an email response to EEW, expressing how outraged she was by the leadership’s choice to fire the preacher. “This is so close-minded. As quiet as it’s kept, a lot of preachers are listening to Rick Ross and Jay-z and such. Let’s stop acting like it’s not happening!”
What do you think? Sound off in the comments below.
ALSO SEE: Pastor Jamal Bryant Took Daughter To See Beyonce, People Are Heated [POLL]
