Written by | Ray Cornelius
Yours truly was in the building Thursday night for the press dinner celebrating the season two return of OWN’s popular docu-series, The Book of John Gray. The private meet and greet took place at the new Simon’s Restaurant in Midtown and was hosted by Pastor John and First Lady Aventer Gray. We enjoyed a variety of southern bites along with a sneak peek of the new season followed by a lively Q&A session.
Southern Bites at Simon’s Restaurant
The Book of John Gray follows the Associate Pastor at Joel Olsteen‘s megachurch in Houston, TX as he tries to manage ministry and marriage at the same time. Last week’s season two opener showed the Grays dealing with the devastating affects Hurricane Harvey had on Houston and their attempt to restore order to hundreds of families impacted by flooding. Pastor Gray also counseled Aventer’s friend and reality star Tami Roman. She was concerned with her negative TV persona.
This new found fame for the husband and wife team is all part of God’s plan states Pastor Gray. However, he nor she is looking to become celebrities. They would rather all of the attention go to the one in whom they serve—Jesus Christ.
Pastor John Gray
“This show is about two super normal people who serve a supernatural God. And so the celebrity of it doesn’t change us and we made a commitment that it’s not going to change us. We’re not going to walk around with sunglasses at night not speaking to people. That’s stupid! The whole idea of a Christian celebrity is an oxymoron anyway. There is no such thing as a Christian celebrity. You don’t get to use Jesus’ name and not speak to people. You don’t get to use Jesus’ name and not connect with people,” said Gray.
The couple also announced that the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) has ordered more episodes of the series and they’re currently in production for six additional weeks. They are also relocating their ministry from Houston, TX to Greenville, SC where they intend to pastor the new Relentless Church.
First Lady Aventer and Pastor John Gray
“I am not interested in having 55 campuses across the country. I’m interested, along with my wife, in building that congregation and meeting the needs of the people that are there and connected to Relentless Church,” said Gray.
Check out the rest of my interview with the Pastor John and First Lady Aventer Gray during tomorrow’s edition of my arts and entertainment radio show, UPFRONT. It airs at 9 a.m. on Jazz 91.9 WCLK and online at WCLK.com
Check out a sneak peek of tomorrow night’s episode below:
Ray Cornelius with Pastor John Gray
Photo Credits: RayCornelius.com