Why pastors* shouldn't be book authors

*Most. Plus, highlights from my convo with megachurch pastor JP Pokluda.

Since Celebrities for Jesus released last summer, I’ve had dozens of podcast conversations about it, the majority with folks who are squarely in the anti-celebrity camp. They’ve been vocal critics of megachurch culture, want to see greater pastor accountability, and/or want to give fellow Christians a renewed vision of ordinary faithfulness.

So I was intrigued — if a bit trepidatious — to hear from an actual celebrity pastor, who wanted me to come on his podcast. One who just happened to be amid a social media firestorm shortly after we locked in the podcast recording.

Jonathan “JP” Pokluda is the lead pastor of Harris Creek Baptist Church in Waco, Texas, and the author of several books. He is in his early 30s, married with kids, and came to Harris Creek in 2019 from Watermark Church in Dallas, where he had led a popular weekly young adult gathering called The Porch.

Courtesy of Liberty Champion

I couldn’t find numbers on how many people attend Harris Creek. This is the territory of past…