My daddy used to drive a Deuce and a Quarter

What kind of car does your pastor drive?

The most recent "Fantastic Voyage", Tom Joyner's week-long "party with a purpose" fundraiser for historically black colleges and universities aboard a Royal Caribbean ship, featured a seminar titled, "Changing Face of the Black Church". The panelists were Dr. Bobby Jones, the noted gospel music impresario, Christopher "Play" Martin of Kid 'N' Play fame, political pundit Roland Martin and his wife Reverend Jacquie Hood Martin. The facilitator was Soledad O'Brien of CNN. ThisYouTube clip features an excerpt from the seminar. There are some provocative things said, especially from Roland Martin who says that he'll "cuss a pastor out" for asking for his W-2."

For me though, the most compelling thing shared was the observation from O'Brien, who said that she had crisscrossed the country interviewing pastors and that people were driving cars "like investment bankers I know on Wall Street." She wondered out loud if the cars driven by the leaders of congregations represented a contradiction to the image of Jesus Christ. I don't think this is hard one. Let your mind trip for a moment. Can you imagine the Son of God rolling up to your church in a Lexus, Mercedes, or that old standby, a Cadillac? Wearing a $1000 suit with crocodile shoes? No, I didn't think so. Now Martin thinks that the cars are a reflection of a pastor's motivation. I would not go that far, but I have heard from many a brother, on the corner and from 'round the way, brothers who do their dead level best to avoid church at all costs. Many of them, noting the local preachers' fine cars and clothes, feel that many pastors have "pimp tendencies" and can't be about the Lord's business for tending to his own. What do you think? Or better still, what kind of car does your pastor drive?