Clarence McClendon, Deitrick Haddon Among Cast for "Pastors of L.A." Show to Premiere Fall 2013 on Oxygen

Bishop Clarence McClendon

NEW YORK, NY – May 13, 2013 – Oxygen Media has teamed up with Lemuel Plummer, the creator and executive producer of “Vindicated” and producer of “The Sheards,” and Holly Carter, creator and executive producer of “106 & Gospel” and executive producer of “The Sheards,” for the network’s latest series greenlight, “Pastors of L.A.” (working title), an authentic new docu-series set to premiere in the fall of 2013. “Pastors of L.A.” will give viewers a candid and revealing look at six boldly different and world renowned mega-pastors in Southern California, who are willing to share diverse aspects of their lives,

from their work in the COMMUNITY and with their parishioners to the very large and sometimes provocative lives they lead away from the pulpit.

‘Pastors of L.A.’ documents these larger than life characters who are rock stars in their communities, with a

Deitrick Haddon

fresh, unique perspective that will resonate with our young audience,” said Rod Aissa, Senior Vice President of Original Programming and Development, Oxygen Media. “By teaming up with Lemuel and Holly who are some of the best creative minds in the business and heavily respected within this COMMUNITY, we can deliver this authentic series with integrity, while also staying right on brand with Oxygen.”

“We are delighted to work with Oxygen to develop this groundbreaking series on the extraordinary lives of some of the most prominent pastors in America,” said Lemuel Plummer. “I come to this project with a respect and understanding of their world, having grown up as the son of a pastor and religious broadcasters. We intend to portray the human side of these pastors and the real world in which they live and work.”

“This show documents a journey of transparency from one man to the next as they endeavor to lead others

Bishop Noel Jones

to their own truth and self-discovery,” adds Holly Carter who holds a doctorate of divinity with an emphasis on marketplace ministry and is the daughter of a pastor and an industry veteran in faith and inspirational development and programming. “It’s a dose of reality and a pound of redemption coming from a creative team reared in the church.”

MEET THE CAST OF “PASTORS OF L.A.”:

Bishop Noel Jones (@BishopNoelJones)

A Jamaican born into poverty, Bishop Noel Jones has made his way to the other extreme, now living on a hilltop with a view of the Pacific Ocean, Malibu at his feet, and across the street from the former home of the late L.A. Lakers owner, Jerry Buss. The pastor of a church full of celebrities, and the brother of Grace Jones, Bishop Jones is headed towards retirement and looking for a successor who he can entrust his life’s work. But finding the right man is harder than it sounds.

Deitrick Haddon (@DeitrickHaddon)

The son of a bishop and an evangelist, Deitrick was preaching at the age of eleven and conducting the church choir at thirteen. At twenty-three he married the woman he was expected to marry – the lead soprano of the church choir. However, everything didn’t continue as perfectly as the church had hoped. Deitrick and his wife got a divorce and the members of the church shunned him. Aside from the call on his life, the one thing that helped him from hitting rock bottom was his music. A dynamic personality, singer, songwriter, and preacher, Deitrick finds himself at animpasse in life. Which road will he choose?

Bishop Clarence McClendon (@BishopMcClendon)

Bishop Clarence McClendon appears throughout the world on his weekly international broadcast, which is available in 250 million homes worldwide. This charismatic and ubiquitous bishop has been noted for his contemporary and relevant approach to the Gospel. He believes the Gospel is not only for the down and out but for the up and out. His ministry spans from skid row to the estates of Bel Air. When challenged about what many have called his prosperity Gospel, Bishop replies, “there is no other kind of Gospel.”

Pastor Wayne Chaney

At the age of twenty he got the call from God and has grown to become a prominent pastor of the church his grandfather built. Fast-forward 10 years later, Antioch is the leading church in its COMMUNITY. With an ability to communicate complex truths in a simple way, Pastor Chaney has helped remarkably grow the church, along with the help of his secret weapon, his wife, gospel artist Myeshia Chaney. While Antioch is poised to become the next mega-church with the ability to reach millions worldwide, there’s an obstacle in the way and it comes from within Pastor Wayne’s own family.

Bishop Ron Gibson

Born in Compton, addicted to drugs before he was a teenager, a leader of the Crips by the time he was sixteen, a robber and a pimp, Bishop Ron Gibson was the least likely person to end up a preacher. He now changes the lives of 4,500 people each week at the Life Church of God in Christ, which he started with only nine people in the congregation. Through it all he’s accumulated great wealth, power and purpose. However, there’s one thing he and his wife would give it all away for – a child.

Pastor Jay Haizlip (@jayhaizlip)

One of the pioneering greats of competitive skateboarding, Pastor Jay Haizlip, originally from Gadsden, Alabama, collected big trophies, bigger paychecks and high-end sponsors, but fell deep into drugs, and into the crack houses of Huntington Beach and Long Beach, California. Back in the crack houses again, this time he’s not there for drugs – he’s helping rescue souls for the Kingdom. Serving as Senior Pastor of The Sanctuary of Huntington Beach, Pastor Jay Haizlip reaches out to troubled youth, finding them in prisons, skate parks and the same crack houses he once shot dope in.

“Pastors of L.A.” (working title) is produced by L. Plummer Media in association with Relevé Entertainment, with Lemuel Plummer, Holly Carter and Chris Costine serving as Executive Producers.

Source: TV By The Numbers

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Michael Winans, Jr. Speaks Out Before Beginning Prison Sentence

(May 9, 2013) Michael Winans Jr., of the prominent gospel-singing Winans family, was sentenced in February to nearly 14 years in prison for an $8 million Ponzi scheme carried out in Christian churches. Now, after a judge refused to delay the start of his sentence, Winans is speaking out.

“There are numerous stories out there that claim I stole millions of dollars from innocent people. That is not true,” Winans declares in a video statementposted Thursday on Vimeo and on his website, which aims to shed new light on his case after he was convicted of wire fraud and sentenced to 165 months in prison.

Winans—son of Michael Winans Sr., a member of the Gospel Hall of Fame quartet The Winans—pleaded guilty in October to lying to more than 1,000 people who thought they were investing in Saudi Arabian crude oil bonds. But he is now saying he is not fully to blame.

“I'm not blameless, and I'm willing to take responsibility for my mistakes. But I am not willing to take responsibility for what others did in my name,” he pleads. “Let it be clear: I did not start this investment. My name was used without my permission to solicit money by a lot of people, including Tim Hunt, the creator of the fraudulent oil investment.”

The 30-year-old recording artist and music producer claims he is only responsible for approximately $1.2 million in losses and says he has already paid back more than 75 percent to investors. Winans is blaming his attorney for his sentence.

“My attorney failed to do his job for me,” Winans explains in the video statement. “He told me not to comment at all on the case, even though I wanted to explain that I have paid back a lot of people. … He failed to make an objection to the claim that I was responsible for the losses by people I didn't know and money that I never even received.”

Winans says he now has a defense team that is “exploring all of my options, trying to get me re-sentenced based on the amount of losses I'm responsible for and not those caused by others.”

The team, headed by attorney Frank D. Eaman, filed a motion on May 1 to Judge Sean Cox to extend the date Winans must self-surrender to the Federal Correctional Institute by 60 days so he could work with his lawyers on his case.

“We are disappointed that the Honorable Judge Cox did not grant the motion to extend Michael's self-surrender date,” Eaman said in a written statement. “Michael wanted to continue working with his counsel and the government to clear up some major errors that occurred in this case. We will continue our appeal process.”

During Winans' trial, Cox read some of the 50 letters written by the scheme's victims, who say the Maryland native ruined their lives.

“This didn't just impact people's pockets,” Cox said. “Families broke up. The defendant would have people recruit other people for him. When this came out as a fraud, [investors] were not only upset with the defendant; they became upset with the people they gave money to.”

Eaman now says he and his team are working on establishing a re-sentencing based on crimes for which they believe Winans is responsible.

“The calculation of loss that Michael Winans is responsible for is a complicated matter that was never undertaken by Michael Winans’ trial counsel,” Eaman states. “Currently, I am undertaking that calculation and it appears that Michael was held responsible for more than six times the amount of loss that he caused.”

Winans “repented” in court on Feb. 27, insisting that he carried out the scheme in good faith, saying he wanted to help people better their lives.

“I caused financial and emotional damage,” Winans told the judge. “For that I repent.

“There was zero malicious intent on my part,” he added. “This investment was presented as a good thing to me, and I wanted people to have a better life.”

Winans concluded his video by asking for “the benefit of the doubt, and also your prayers, until all of the facts have been presented.” He is also accepting donations for his legal fund.

Source: Charisma News

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Bishop T.D. Jakes to Host Talk Show on BET

(April 10, 2013)  Bishop T.D. Jakes will host his own talk show on BET beginning this fall. Jakes' new show, called "T.D. Jakes Presents: Mind, Body & Soul" is part of the network's move toward more faith-based programming. According to BET Networks, Jakes' show will offer "better talk," and will deal with issues like finance, relationships and health and wellness. The talk show is tied to BET Gospel programming that includes shows like "Celebration of Gospel," "Sunday Best" and "Bobby Jones Gospel." The network already airs Jakes' ministry program, "The Potter's Touch," which reaches 67 million households every month through various outlets. BET Senior Vice President of original programming Charlie Jordan Brooks said in September 2012 that the network, which caters to African-American viewers, was "trying to bring [spiritual themes] into the fabric of our programming in general." Jakes' talk show will air on Sundays.

Source: Christianpost.com

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New Reality Show "The Sheards" Premieres on BET

(April 7, 2013) "The Sheards", the new reality show starring Grammy award winner Karen Clark Sheard, her daughter Kierra, son J. Drew and husband Bishop J. Drew Sheard, premiered Sunday night on BET. The first episode offered some insight into some of the issues the show will address with the superstar musical family. Kierra organizes her Bold Right Life (BRL) Conference for the first time, spending over her budget and trying to figure out how to increase registration. J. Drew deals with relationship problems with his son's mother as well as the pressure of trying to follow his own dream of doing music and production instead of carrying on the family legacy of a pulpit ministry. And, Karen and Bishop Sheard display tough parenting skills with their adult children while doting on their only grandson, J. Drew's son. "The Sheards" airs Sundays at 8 p.m. Eastern, 7 p.m. Central.  

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EMI Gospel, Motown Partner to Create Motown Gospel Label

(April 2, 2013) Motown Records and EMI Gospel have inked a 50/50 joint venture partnership to create new label Motown Gospel, according to Billboard.

Motown Gospel is expected to officially launch later today with a press reception in Los Angeles.

The team behind the former EMI Gospel label, headed by president Ken Pennell, is to handle day-to-day operations and report to Capitol Christian Music Group president and CEO Bill Hearn, who will report to Capitol Music Group chairman and CEO Steve Barnett.

Billboard reports that profits will be split between Island Def Jam/Motown and the Capitol Christian Music Group/Capitol Music Group.

Grammy Award-winning songwriter/producer Aaron Lindsey has been appointed as A&R VP.

Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group East Coast Label Group Barry Weiss told Billboard: “This is a great opportunity to create a fresh, new approach to gospel.

“We’re taking the pre-existing roster of the already strong EMI Gospel and will hopefully become a magnet for the best gospel talents in the world.

“And they will have access to the Island Def Jam promotion/marketing machinery, offering broader urban AC crossover potential and further opportunities and synergy between Motown Gospel artists and the Motown and Island Def Jam urban roster,” he added.

“I was given a mandate from [UMG chairman] Lucian Grainge that he wants our brands to be meaningful and powerful, not just logos,” said Weiss. “This is a step in that direction in terms of fortifying the Motown brand in addition to what [Motown senior VP] Ethiopia Habtemariam is doing with new artists like B. Smyth and Broadway’s upcoming ‘Motown: The Musical.’"

Source: Music Week

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