On this week’s episode of Preachers of L.A: Chaney is being stretched to the max with his church, Noel Jones gets to the root of his commitment issues, Deitrick Haddon seems to want to focus on his singing career rather than preach, and Ron Gibson talks to Noel about his relationship with Loretta.
Pastor Wayne Chaney: Chaney is constantly busy with his church and it’s causing him stress, “I can’t be everything to everybody.” As a way to help lessen the burden on his shoulders he wants to bring in an executive pastor.
His wife, Myesha, does not mind taking the position of executive pastor because she sees how stressed he is and wants to help out. He asks her, “Do you feel called to full-time ministry?” and she tells him yes. She understands people may feel some type of way that she is his wife and she will be executive pastor, but she knows she has the credentials and the work ethic for the position.
The issue of the boundaries; keeping personal and professional life separate comes up. Chaney doesn’t want to show favoritism to his wife or treat her any differently than the rest of his employees, but the truth is that’s his wife and it would be hard for him to look at her as just his employee. He appears hesitant to make her executive pastor because he has seen marriages, when couples work together in ministry, end because home life became a part of work life. He doesn’t want that to happen with them.
Chaney decides to have a board meeting and talk to his staff about needing an executive pastor and giving his wife that position. None of the members seem on board with the suggestion, asking “Why do you want it to be your wife?”
Chaney feels that no one understands him better than his wife, so who better to make decisions that he might not be able to, than someone he completely trusts and knows how he operates. The word favoritism makes an appearance in the board meeting; they do not believe he will be able to not treat his wife like an employee. One member brought up that some older people who attend the church do not believe that a woman can lead a man. Therefore, they will not accept or respect Myesha’s authority as executive pastor. He takes their words into consideration before making his decision.
He shares his staff’s concern about bringing her on board as executive pastor and Myesha begins to cry. She just wants to help her husband; she does not have an agenda and she wants people to know that; “I’m willing to do whatever is necessary.” Once they agreed on setting boundaries, Myesha was brought on as executive pastor. I think it will be awesome to see how she does. Myesha very much just wants to help her husband shelter the burden of the church.
Bishop Noel Jones: He has just come back from Ghana and will be going to New Orleans, but he decided to throw his annual Fourth of July party and invite Haddon, Gibson, and Chaney, while Loretta cooks for the party. Deitrick visits Jones to talk and Jones asks him preaching, “How is your preaching coming? I haven’t heard you preach for a while.” Deitrick explains that after he had his daughter out of wedlock he was forced to step down as Senior Pastor of the church his father founded. Combined with everything he has been through, he doesn’t seem to have a passion for preaching as he does music. However, Jones thinks that preaching is what the minister needs to heal, “Deitrick needs to get back into preaching.”
During the Fourth of July party everyone praises Loretta for her cooking, the food does look good. Ron Gibson stated in episode three that he wanted to talk to Jones about his relationship with Loretta and decides to do so during a pool game against Jones. Gibson wagered that if he loses Noel can remain a bachelor, but if he wins Noel has to marry Loretta. Noel is perplexed and doesn’t agree to the wager. Gibson uses the wager to see what Jones is thinking when it comes to Loretta. When Gibson tells Jones that Loretta loves him, he asks him who said anything about Loretta loving him. “My common sense along with the inspiration Holy Spirit tells me you won’t find a woman like her,” Gibson responded.
Chaney and Deitrick are in disbelief and do not agree with Bishop Gibson’s decision to bring up marriage or Noels relationship with Loretta over a game of pool. “I can’t believe Ron got all up in Noel’s personal business. I thought we just came to hang out have some barbecue and play some pool,” Chaney said. “Ron is my boy, but he went too far trying to put that type of pressure on bishop over a pool game,” Deitrick said. Noel did not like Ron Gibson’s approach either, but he did not want to ruin their friendship over talk of marriage.
Lavette and Myesha talk to Loretta praising her for her cooking skills and Lavette tells her “Your merchandise is superb.” Although Loretta was unsure about what they were going to say to her, their questioning did lead her to talk to Noel about their relationship and what she wanted out of it. She told him the truth, “You don’t feel the pressure I feel. It’s been 16 years and the reason I’m so guarded about the relationship is the church world and how people think.” She tells him that he has commitment phobia, which Noel doesn’t deny. Loretta doesn’t know “how to force more out of a person who has no more to give.”
After talking to Deitrick in New Orleans about Gibson’s actions Noel asks himself an honest question, “What am I running from?” He knows he is running away, but from what he doesn’t know. Jones talks to a therapist, Dr. Bryant-Davis and the two begin to make lead way about his relationship with Loretta.
It comes to light that he felt abandoned by his mother and he views every woman as his mother. He admits that he gets defensive when cornered and his inability to believe that Loretta is serious about her feelings for him causes him to keep distance between them.
He comes to a startling conclusion about why he works as hard as he does, “I’m working trying to avoid personal problems.” Dr. Bryant-Davis tells Noel that he needs to take a break from Loretta and he agrees. Fortunately, he talks to Loretta and tells her what the therapist says and why he agrees. The therapy session truly opens Noel to the audience.
Dominique: Faye asks Dominique what is going on with Deitrick’s preaching and she tells her that he is focusing on his music. After Haddon had his daughter out of wedlock His father ultimately told him he could not preach, which has caused Deitrick to kind of turn away from preaching. They go to New Orleans for the Essence Festival, where Deitrick is performing. While walking around they see a woman named Donna, who is spreading the word of the lord, but does not ask for money. Deitrick prays with her and gives her money, the moment and the woman touch Detrick, “Ministry as a whole needs to go back to basics,” not focusing on money but touching people’s lives.
Noel Jones meets up with the couple in New Orleans and again asks Deitrick, “When are you going to do some pastoring?” Haddon tells him that he is unsure. The couple tells Bishop Jones that they eloped and Jones congratulates them and will still officiate their wedding during the official wedding. Deitrick feels that he can minister through song; “Now I won’t rule out ever preaching again, but right now I’m just going to enjoy ministering through song.”
Check out what happens next week Wednesday on Oxygen at 10/9c!
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