Latest Rich Wilkerson Jr News | 91��

Florida pastor offers 'challenge' to people who stole his car

Tue, 18 Feb 2020 09:06:06 -0500

Celebrity pastor Rich Wilkerson, Jr. offered a special "challenge" on Valentine's Day to the people who stole his car, saying he wouldn't press charges.

The VOUS Church pastor, who hosted a Sunday Service with Kanye West ahead of Super Bowl LIV in Miami, announced on Instagram that his car had been found after it was taken from his driveway Wednesday.

CALIFORNIA PASTOR WHO PROPHESIED KANYE WEST'S TRANSFORMATION 4 YEARS AGO PREDICTS THIS ABOUT TRUMP

"Whoever you are that took our car," Wilkerson said, adding that it likely was three people. "We love you. We're for you, and thank you for leaving it somewhere that we could find it."

But he didn't stop there.

"Here's the deal. I want to challenge you right now," he said. "If you keep doing stuff like this, life is not going to be good for you. You're going to spend probably forever in prison, so here's a challenge."

The 36-year-old pastor invited them to come to his church on Sunday and come to the front.

'HISTORIC' CHRISTIAN EVENT BRINGS TOGETHER 140,000 YOUTH — AND BRAZIL'S PRESIDENT

"We want to give you an opportunity," he said. "I'm going to let you be an intern at VOUS Church for three months."

He explained, "Now, listen, I will not pay you. You did steal my car, but for three months I'm going to intern and mentor you, and I actually believe if you give us three months of your life, your life will change, you'll be on a much, much better path, and I think you can take this really bad thing that happened and we can turn it into a good thing."

Instead of pressing charges, he said he wants to love them.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE STORIES ON FAITH

"So if you stole my car, it's all good, bro," the father of two young boys concluded. "Thanks for leaving the stroller, that was very kind of you, but we love you! Come to church this Sunday..."

91�� did not immediately receive a response about Sunday's service and whether the suspect(s) attended.

Kanye West brings Sunday Service to Miami ahead of Super Bowl LIV

Wed, 29 Jan 2020 14:20:37 -0500

Kanye West and his Sunday Service Choir are not performing at Super Bowl LIV but they did team up with VOUS Church in Miami for a special Sunday Service event the morning of.

On Sunday, the rapper-turned-gospel artist hosted an 11 a.m. Christian worship service at the FPL Solar Amphitheater, which seats 7,500.

KANYE WEST HOLDS MIDNIGHT SUNDAY SERVICE IN HONOR OF KOBE BRYANT

The Super Bowl-day event comes on the heels of a one-and-a-half-hour service in December in which West joined longtime friend and pastor Rich Wilkerson, Jr. in front of a packed audience — including hundreds of thousands of followers online.

"He's been a faithful friend who has encouraged me, who's believed in me, seen things in me that I didn't see in myself," Wilkerson, who officiated Kim Kardashian and Kanye's wedding, said.

"I know in this new season you're in, there's sometimes a whole lot of criticism," the VOUS church pastor added. "I hope you know that all the people here at VOUS church, we love you; we're praying for you...I believe God is lifting you up for such a time as this."

West held a special midnight service Sunday in honor of his late friend Kobe Bryant.

"Kobe, We love you brother," he wrote in a tribute on Twitter. "We’re praying for your family and appreciate the life you’ve lived and all the inspiration you gave."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE STORIES ON FAITH

The Sunday Service Choir released its first album, "Jesus Is Born," on Christmas Day.

Celebrity pastor reveals what Kanye's Sunday Service is all about: 'Coolest church service I've ever been to'

Wed, 24 Jul 2019 08:40:28 -0400

Pastor Rich Wilkerson, Jr. made it very clear this week what Kanye West's "Sunday Service" is all about. It's "not a concert," he said.

The Miami Vous Church pastor who married West and Kim Kardashian in 2014 preached to the crowd gathered on a mountain outside Los Angeles. There has been growing buzz about the weekly gatherings since West held a service at Coachella.

JUSTIN BIEBER'S PASTOR IS BRINGING CHURCH TO 'THE PALM OF YOUR HAND'

“If you’re new to Sunday Service, we just want to let you know we’re so glad you’re here," Wilkerson said atop a boulder in the 11-minute video he posted on Instagram. "You are welcome to be here, but you should probably know that this is not a concert, this is not a performance, but rather an old-fashioned worship service of Jesus Christ.

He later added: "This is the coolest church service I've ever been to, and I've been to a lot."

Wilkerson clarified that it wasn't a "vibe" or "energy" that those gathered were feeling, but rather the "tangible presence of a living God."

In town for Pastor Chad Veach's ZOE conference, Wilkerson preached from a passage of Scripture that makes it clear Jesus is the only way to heaven.

MILLENNIALS CREATE BIBLE FOR THE INSTAGRAM GENERATION

He read, in part: "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"

Wilkerson, who recently posted a photo with "brother" Justin Bieber, addressed people who say the passage is polarizing, accusing Jesus of being "exclusive."

LA PASTOR SHARES BATTLE WITH ANXIETY, CANCER AND HIS MISSION TO FIND 'INNER PEACE'

"I would ask is He being exclusive or is He just being specific?" the celebrity pastor said, offering an example that if someone wanted to get to his home in Miami from Key West they would need to take I-95.

"He's saying I want to be so specific with you because I love you so much," Wilkerson said. "and I am for you. I want to give you clear-cut directions. I am the greatest GPS you could ever have...He is a constant companion."

HOLLYWOOD WORSHIP BAND THAT STARTED IN A NIGHTCLUB: 'WORSHIP CAN BE FUN, TOO'

Kourtney Kardashian, in attendance on Sunday, posted a photo with Wilkerson, Hillsong pastor Carl Lentz, and Bieber's Drew House co-creator, Ryan Good, with a caption referencing Sunday's message: "check your circle."

Wilkerson ended with a call for salvation.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"He's not mad at you, He's madly in love with you," he said. "Jesus didn't come to make bad people good. Get a new narrative. It's way bigger than that. He came to make dead people alive in Him...God is here and He loves you."

Justin Bieber shares pastor’s message on overcoming fear

Fri, 21 Jun 2019 13:06:38 -0400

Justin Bieber recently shared a message from a celebrity pastor in Florida about trusting God, as a way to promote both his faith and his new clothing line.

The "Sorry" singer, who has been open about his mental health struggles with his 114 million Instagram followers, reposted a clip of Pastor Rich Wilkerson, Jr.'s talk during VOUS Conference 2019 in Miami.

Wilkerson, who also officiated Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's wedding, was wearing a coveted "Drew House" T-shirt.

JUSTIN BIEBER'S PASTOR IS BRINGING CHURCH TO 'THE PALM OF YOUR HAND'

"I'm telling you over and over again, leadership is this feeling, 'I'm scared but I'm trusting that I'm prepared,'" Wilkerson said.

"Jesus, He says something here in this text that's kind of amazing to me because here he is going, 'Father, not my will but your will. Let this cup pass from me. I don't really want to do this. I don't really feel like doing this. This is scary. This is a big deal going to the cross."

DawnCheré, Wilkerson's wife, who struggled for many years with infertility until they had their son Wyatt Wesley last year, called it a "special" session. Wilkerson is seen speaking with fellow pastors Mike Todd of Transformation Church in Tulsa, Okla., and Chad Veach of Zoe Church in Los Angeles, Calif., during an afternoon panel.

HAILEY BIEBER SAYS HER PURPOSE IS TO 'REPRESENT JESUS' IN THE MODELING INDUSTRY

"[Jesus] says the flesh is weak but the spirit is willing, and I think today is what we want to try to attempt to answer a little bit is, what does it look like to prepare a ready spirit? What does it look like to have a spirit that is prepared and available for when God says 'it's time to step out and go,' that although you are afraid, you will remind yourself of God's word, that it's not by might, nor by power, but by the spirit of God."

MILLENNIAL STARTUP REIMAGINES 'FAITH AND CREATIVITY' IN INSTAGRAM ERA

"Can I get a witness in this afternoon session if you know what I'm talking about?" Wilkerson concluded in the clip. "You might be scared but I got a feeling God wants to prepare you."

The yearly VOUS (short for Rendezvous) Conference, which aims to help people "encounter God, equip the church and empower next generation leaders," is special for Bieber and his wife, Hailey Baldwin, who frequently attend Hillsong Church together. The two have shared it was there where they rekindled their love last year.

LA PASTOR SHARES BATTLE WITH ANXIETY, CANCER AND HIS MISSION TO FIND 'INNER PEACE'

“The common denominator, I promise you, is always church. By then we were past the drama. I just gave him a hug. By the end of the [2018] conference, he was like, ‘We’re not going to be friends.’ I was like, ‘We’re not?’" she said, alluding to Bieber's plans for more.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Within a month, the two were engaged and months later married. This year they attended as a married couple.

Instagram account calling out celebrity pastors who wear pricey sneakers goes viral

Thu, 11 Apr 2019 13:19:09 -0400

"Bad and Boujee? More like God and Gucci ayyyee."

That's the tagline for an Instagram account called "@PreachersNSneakers" that blew up to over 120,000 followers in a few weeks, posting photos of celebrity pastors and their costly kicks.

HALF OF PASTORS SAY THEY WORRY ABOUT SPEAKING OUT ON HOT-BUTTON ISSUES, OFFENDING PEOPLE

The account, which garnered humor, judgment, and awareness to what some describe as a pretty shocking phenomenon, features celebrity pastors like Carl Lentz, Judah Smith, Chad Veach, Steven Furtick, and Rich Wilkerson, Jr. with shoes that cost from a few hundred dollars up to $5,000.

A 29-year-old evangelical sneaker fanatic, who has remained anonymous, started the account after he was searching for a Christian song online and recognized an expensive and extremely rare pair of shoes that a worship artist was wearing. It started as an insta-story but after he turned it into an account, it quickly went viral.

"This started purely as comedy for my friends, but it's since turned into a much larger conversation," he said during a Q&A on Instagram. "I want people to consider how they are stewarding their money and ask the same of their leaders."

Some of the pastors have said the shoes were given to them as gifts.

NOTORIOUS GANG LEADER NOW PREACHES JESUS: 'I'M A RADICAL SOLDIER FOR GOD'

The account uses StockX as the market price for the shoes and features celebrity pastors Lentz, lead pastor of Hillsong Church in New York City who is friends with Kevin Durant and famously baptized Justin Bieber; Veach, founder and pastor of Zoe Church in Los Angeles where Chris Pratt frequently attends; Erwin McManus, the founder and pastor of Mosaic Church in LA; and several others.

LA PASTOR SHARES BATTLE WITH ANXIETY, CANCER AND HIS MISSION TO FIND 'INNER PEACE'

Followers generally have two very passionate points of view. One group says "who cares" while the other is raising concerns with pastors and their role in the church.

"I didn't want to start any kind of movement or theological discussion, but I guess at the back of my mind I was commenting on it because it did seem ridiculous," the account creator said. "Mack Brock, who was wearing those Yeezy's that I saw initially. I did have the question of like how is he, like why is he wearing $800 resell sneakers? and why is Steven Furtick wearing these shattered backboard ones which are impossible to get in the retail market now?

A lot of users have had fun with the account.

BOY WHO INSPIRED FAITH SURVIVAL STORY 'BREAKTHROUGH' SAYS 'GOD STILL DOES THE IMPOSSIBLE'

"I see all of you judging these pastors, but none of you have walked a mile in their shoes," one person commented.

Another made a reference to this being a modern-day Reformation: “This account is like the 21st-century version of Martin Luther nailing his theses to the church door.”

AN UNLIKELY JOURNEY FROM AGNOSTIC GAY MAN IN PRISON TO EVANGELICAL BIBLE PROFESSOR

The founder, who said he has time because he works in tech and is attending grad school, points out that many church attendees didn't realize how much their pastor's clothes were actually worth.

"Absolutely make as much money as you can selling books, doing speaking deals, and being an influencer, but also be aware of the optics that surround you in your position," he said.

MILLENNIALS CREATE A BIBLE FOR THE INSTAGRAM GENERATION

He says it "seems like something worth talking about," but the @SneakersNPreachers founder said he doesn't have an opinion on whether the Christian leaders are flaunting footwear that's too expensive.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"What's a reasonable amount to spend on shoes?" he asked, "I honestly have no idea and it's not up to me."

FNM Exclusive: Pastor Rich Wilkinson Jr. Tells Us How He Came to Meet (and Marry) Kim and Kanye

Wed, 16 Dec 2015 11:16:58 -0500

You might know Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr. as the man who married Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, but he's been spreading his message of love and faith since way before Kimye were even an item.

Wilkerson, who recently published his first book "Sandcastle Kings: Meeting Jesus in a Spiritually Bankrupt World," has been hosting wildly successful Bible meetings since 2007, when he and his wife DawnCheré founded a youth study group called "The Rendezvous" at his parents' church.

These days, Wilkerson has branched out to open his very own place of worship — and it's all being documented on Oxygen's new series "Rich in Faith."

"This first season is really watching as my wife and I take a big step of faith as we get ready to plant, or start, a church in the downtown Miami area called Vous Church," Wilkerson tells FNM. "The show really has one big overall storyline, which is watching as we take this step of faith, leaving mom and dad's church. We kind of begin with no location, no staff … really trying to make a vision, a dream, into a reality."

Aside from his family and friends, one of Wilkerson's biggest supporters also happened to be Kanye West, who stopped by to visit Wilkerson's family church a few years back.

"We just struck up a friendship, and we continue to be friends," says Wilkerson of Kanye and Kim. "When it came time to get married, they asked if we would perform the wedding, and we were honored to do so." (Kanye's creative agency DONDA also designed the cover of Wilkerson's book.)

For more from Pastor Rich and his new series "Rich in Faith," be sure to watch the rest of his interview above.

Rich Wilkerson: From pastor to reality star

Wed, 23 Dec 2015 12:53:47 -0500

Rich Wilkerson Jr. first made headlines last May when he officiated Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's wedding. Now, the fourth generation pastor has his own reality show called "Rich in Faith" which airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on Oxygen. The 31-year-old hopes to "bring faith to our generation in a whole new way." Wilkerson spoke to FOX411 about the show, his faith and, of course, Kim and Kanye.

FOX411: You married Kim and Kanye. How did that come about?
Rich Wilkerson: They've been friends of ours for a while. Kanye came to our service a few years ago and we just hit it off and just continued to be friends. We were there for their engagement just as friends and when it came time for their wedding, they asked us to be there for the wedding day and oversee the ceremony. It was just a big honor. It was a lot of fun as well. I know them as close friends so I get to see a different side of them.

FOX411: Why did you decide to do a reality show?
Wilkerson: We were excited to do reality TV, a language of our culture and we thought it was a great opportunity to encourage people and show people in 2015 church life and people of faith. We've got regular problems and how our faith gets us through those things.

FOX411: What do you mean by regular problems?
Wilkerson: I just think that a misconception could be that your pastor's marriage is perfect, that people in your life don't get sick, that family members in your life don't have financial problems, the list can go on and on and on. So I think this show is going to be real and authentic in that area. That it's not just perfect all the time. That's there's storms, there's battles, there's obstacles, there's adversity, there's pain but our faith carries us through.

FOX411: What does the show tackle?
Wilkerson: It really tackles this past year. My wife and I were on staff for eight years with my parents at a church called Trinity Church in North Miami and in September of 2014 after a lot of talks with my Dad and the church, we decided that we would step out and plant a brand new church. So for eight years I led a Bible study group called the Rendez Vous and we call it the Vous for short. This past year we just began the journey, no staff members, nobody getting paid, just volunteers. The first time we met was in a bar and held meetings and trying to get it going and then in September 2015 we opened the doors first time. Fifteen weeks in, it's been a great journey. Really the show captures that whole first year, the early days of that. The challenges of that. I think it's a show the whole family can watch but also for anybody that has a dream. I think it's really encouraging to watch the show unfold.

It also shows what is church about. Is it about a big crowd on Sunday? Or is church about individual people that you're doing life with.?You see stories of people that are going through real pain like cancer to drug addiction to marriage problems. You see how the church is out in the community trying to make a difference.

And then, of course, it shows my wife and I. We've been married for nine years, been together since we were 17. It centers around our marriage and our home and I think it's funny and entertaining. Our marriage is not perfect, but I think we do have a good marriage, and we hope that whatever challenges we've had people can find hope through that.

FOX411: Did you feel pressure to become a pastor?
Wilkerson: I'm sure there were moments where I probably had some of those feelings but that wasn't the overriding feeling of my childhood. I think the overriding feeling of my childhood was I felt centered to God and always felt centered to people and wanting to help people and wanting to encourage people. But really at 17 years of age is where I had a moment where I felt like I was called to God and kind of had this moment where God spoke to me. From 17 on I've always had a desire to be a preacher.

FOX411: When people meet you are they surprised that you're a pastor?
Wilkerson: Yeah I think sometimes they are and I think that's where the show comes from and kind of challenges them a bit. People sometimes have a misconception that a preacher or a pastor is supposed to look a certain way or be a certain age or wear certain clothes. I think there's a whole new generation of people that have no idea what a pastor should look like and be like.

FOX411: Talk about your faith.
Wilkerson: My faith is the center of my life. Every decision that I make. For me my relationship with God through Jesus is everything. It motivates me, it encourages me, it comforts me, it challenges me. I think it's always giving me hope and it's always carried me when I feel that I can't keep going forward. I'm so, so grateful for it.

Latest Rich Wilkerson Jr News | 91����

Florida pastor offers 'challenge' to people who stole his car

Kanye West brings Sunday Service to Miami ahead of Super Bowl LIV

Celebrity pastor reveals what Kanye's Sunday Service is all about: 'Coolest church service I've ever been to'

Justin Bieber shares pastor’s message on overcoming fear

Instagram account calling out celebrity pastors who wear pricey sneakers goes viral

FNM Exclusive: Pastor Rich Wilkinson Jr. Tells Us How He Came to Meet (and Marry) Kim and Kanye

Rich Wilkerson: From pastor to reality star

Latest Rich Wilkerson Jr News | 91��