The Brooklyn pastor who was robbed of reportedly more than $1 million in jewelry at gunpoint during his church sermon last week has returned to the pulpit.
Bishop Lamor Whitehead went viral over the past week after masked gunmen raided his New York church. The flashy man of God was robbed of all of his jewelry — later reported to be more than $1 MILLION in assets. It was horrifying that the burglary was caught on a video livestream of the service, of course. But when the apparent cost of his blingy possessions came out later, people all over the world were shocked at the flashy, unapologetic pastor. And now, he’s back for more…
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On Sunday, Bishop Whitehead preached another sermon at his Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministry in the NYC borough. In his first public statement back since the infamous heist last month, he took time out to recall the scary events. There were “about 20 worshippers” in the church, according to the New York Daily News. But even with the sparse crowd, Whitehead didn’t hesitate to address the scary situation. He told them at one point:
“We could’ve been planning our funerals. But we made it.”
He marveled at the worldwide viral attention that came from the robbery, too. Recalling how far the news spread, he told parishioners about a message he received last week about the video:
“I got a phone call. They said, ‘You’re in Ukraine.'”
One of the central aspects of the story going so viral was, of course, Whitehead’s flashy and expensive jewelry. Seemingly unusual for a pastor, the cost of the stolen merchandise shocked everyone who heard the story. He apparently hasn’t changed his ways, either. On Sunday, according to the NYDN, he was decked out in designer clothing from Gucci and Balenciaga, to go along with Gucci loafers, a “heavy gold watch,” and an “oversized red gemstone” in a ring on his right hand.
Bishop Whitehead also slammed those who continue to be skeptical about his materialism. Mimicking their criticisms, he said at one point during the sermon:
“I’m gonna wear my Gucci, because God says, ‘You are my chosen vessel.’ He didn’t tell me I couldn’t wear what I want to wear. ‘Why’s he gotta wear Gucci?’ Because I want to. It is my civil right to wear what I want to wear. … We are a church of wealth. We’re not a church of poverty.”
Ummm…
During the nearly three-hour-long sermon, Whitehead also recreated his reaction to the robbery. While remembering the scary ordeal, the pastor lay down on the floor and revisited the fear he had after being accosted by the masked bandits. You can see that, as part of the entire event, at about the 2:21:00 mark in the video (below):
And that’s not all! Whitehead is also drawing attention for a new livestream video in which he shows off his “prayer closet” to his followers.
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In the clip, the pastor appears more concerned with designer brands than his relationship with God. Taking footage from inside the expansive closet, he says to the camera:
“This is my prayer closet. One would think that, ‘Wow, look at your closet.’ I’ve got all my priestly robes and more. Designer coats, you name it. Gucci, Louis [Vuitton], you name it. Fendi, you name it.”
And then he moves into the shoe section, adding:
“And then when you walk into my shoe closet, every designer wear. Designer wear for days. For days, for days, for days.”
You can see that clip HERE. IG users reacting to the “prayer closet” livestream were, uhh, not impressed:
“It’s giving scammer vibes Lord get him”
“How he went from prayer closet to flexin”
“We see where the church money going”
“He better relax before the govt. audit his behind”
“Why his closet look better than that tacky ass church???”
“Someone let their bishop know this ain’t helping”
“what’s his point right now doing this. He’s gonna get robbed again. Unless this was a whole set up”
“Sir that’s not a prayer closer, NEXT!”
“They gonna rob his closet next and pray for forgiveness”
Jeez!!
What do y’all think??
[Image via Lamor Whitehead/Instagram]