Richard Preston Wilkerson Jr. (born March 28, 1984)[1] and his wife DawnCheré are the pastors of Vous Church in Miami, Florida.
Rich Wilkerson Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | Richard Preston Wilkerson Jr. March 28, 1984 |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Pastor |
| Spouse |
DawnCheré Wilkerson (m. 2006) |
| Children | 3 |
Wilkerson is the son of the Robyn and Rich Wilkerson Sr, who run Trinity Church, a megachurch in Miami that is part of the Assemblies of God; Wilkerson Sr is a cousin of David Wilkerson, who wrote The Cross and the Switchblade.[2]
Vous was spun out of Trinity in 2015; it started as a young adult and youth ministry program within Trinity called The Rendezvous, later shortened to The Vous.[2][3][4][1] Vous incorporates elements of contemporary popular culture, as other ministries aimed at young people have done in the past.[4]
In 2014 Wilkerson officiated at the marriage of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West; Kanye had first come to a Vous service after being invited by Chris Julian, who co-owns LeBron James's Miami boutique where Kanye shopped, and who attended Trinity.[2] The press coverage of the wedding led to Wilkerson and DawnCheré becoming household names.[2] The Oxygen television network created a reality show called "Rich In Faith" centered on the couple that ran for ten episodes in 2015 and 2016.[1][5]
In 2015 Wilkerson released a book called Sandcastle Kings with artwork by Kanye West,[6] in 2018 he released a book called Friend of Sinners: Why Jesus Cares More About Relationship Than Perfection.,[7] and in 2022 he released his third book called Single and Secure.
References
edit- ^ a b c Helling, Steve (October 8, 2014). "Kim & Kanye's Reality TV-bound Pastor". People Magazine. Retrieved October 8, 2014.
- ^ a b c d Sharlet, Jeff (26 August 2016). "The Millennial Pastor Who Keeps Kanye in the Pews". Esquire.
- ^ Naar, Katrina (12 March 2013). "Miami Gardens Pastor Will Eat a Cockroach if Enough People Attend Church Tonight". Miami New Times.
- ^ a b Barnett, Caroline (16 February 2016). "Hipster Church: Reality Show 'Rich in Faith' Is a Little Too Real". Sojourners.
- ^ "Rich in Faith to Be Soon Renewed for Season 2?". Premiere Date News. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
- ^ Helling, Steve (June 23, 2015). "See The Book Cover Kanye West Designed For His Pastor". People Magazine. Retrieved June 23, 2015.
- ^ "'We've All Missed the Mark': Pastor Rich Wilkerson on Celebrities & People Who Judge Him for the Company He Keeps". CBN News. 12 April 2018.