“How do pastors wear luxury goods every week?”
Pastor Juda Smith wearing a Gucci jacket. Photo = Ben Kirby SNS capture.
[아시아경제 김봉주 기자] Instagram, which exposes the extravagant life of some famous religious people in the United States, is a hot topic.
According to the Washington Post (WP) on the 22nd (local time), Ben Kirby, 31, who lives in Dallas, runs the Instagram account.
He said that when he saw a pastor singing hymns wearing sneakers for the price of his monthly rent, he began to wonder how such a life would be possible.
He also discovered that Pastor Stephen Putick, a popular American preacher, appears almost every week in new designer outfits.
Kirby started posting posts on social media that let people know what these people wear and wear since 2019.
It is a format in which a pastor wearing expensive shoes is photographed and the price is given.
As Kirby’s post became popular, his social media was followed by more than 100,000 people within a month. Currently, more than 240,000 people follow.
Pastor TD Jakes from Dallas was seen wearing a Christian Louboutin bag for $1,250 (about 1.41 million won), and Pastor Guillermo Maldonado of Miami was seen wearing a 2,541 (about 2.86 million won) crocodile leather belt.
Pastor TD Jakes wears a Christian Louboutin bag around his waist. Photo = Ben Kirby SNS capture.
Pastor Paula White, the most trusted of former President Donald Trump, wore Stella McCartney sneakers for $785.
Pastor Juda Smith, who is also familiar with singer Justin Bieber, wore a Gucci jacket for $3,600 (4,600,000 won) and pants for $980 (1.1 million).
Kirby explained that the number of priests wearing expensive sneakers has increased, especially in recent years.
The Nike Air Easy 2 Red model worn by Pastor John Gray is priced at $5,600 (631 million won) per pair.
The Nike Air Easy 2 red model worn by Pastor John Gray. The price of a used pair is 5600 dollars (631 million won). Photo = Ben Kirby SNS capture.
Kirby plans to summarize these cases and even publish a book called’Pastor and Sneakers’.
In the local area, Kirby’s posts are gaining popularity as they arouse the curiosity of the public.
but Some point out, “Is it appropriate to enjoy the luxury by selling the Gospel and earning enormous income that believers can’t even dream of?”
About this, Kirby’s past He recalled the confusion of seeing the pastor driving a Harley Davidson motorcycle, which is more expensive than a year’s tithing from his parents.
Kirby concluded that “a successful ministry and a booming business are just the same.”
He said, “Some pastors have their own entrances, private parking areas, secretaries, and God’s protection will follow as much as they are faithful to the church. I am not telling you to give up fashion or star as a pastor, but it is much more transparent than now. “You have to do it and have a sense of responsibility,” he insisted.
Famous clergymen often receive expensive shoes or clothes as gifts from believers, but this is not the only source for them to enjoy luxury.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates the average annual salary for a clergy in 2019 at $53,180 (about 60 million won).
It is said that the income of famous pastors is much higher. This is because it is generating profits other than rewards through sales of books and albums.
Some pastors make money by selling’goods’ (souvenirs). Socks that say’Jesus is walking’ are sold for 50 dollars, and a shirt with’the Holy Spirit’ is sold for 225 dollars.
WP asked several pastors who appeared on Kirby’s Instagram, but said no one responded.
Reporter Kim Bong-ju [email protected]