A docuseries that debuted on the Lifetime channel this month featuring four self-proclaimed female “prophetesses” who use means such as chest-bumping and spitting in the faces of attendees to bring about deliverance has been canceled for insufficient viewership.
As previously reported, “Preach” premiered nationwide on June 5th and was touted by the network as being a positive program where “prayers are about to be answered.”
“With the religious leadership world primarily dominated by men, the show produced by CORE Media Group follows four powerful female leaders who believe God has given them the ability to heal the sick, see the future and rid people of their addictions,” an outline of the broadcast read on the program website.
“Known as ‘prophetesses,’ these women speak as the interpreter through whom the will of God is expressed,” it continued. “In order for their legacy to continue, they must enlist a ‘protégé’ and teach them how to carry on their gift. These Queens of the Church each have different styles and their own special way of delivering God’s message, but all are united in their love of the Lord.”
Belinda Scott, one of the women featured in the docuseries, is stated to have given counsel to celebrities and politicians across America.
“[Scott] has the ability to predict child birth and specializes in blessing the wombs of barren women,” her bio reads.
Taketa Williams was stated by the network to be the “Beyonce of the preaching world” and is mentoring a single mother of three to carry on her preaching and prophetic work.
Others featured on the broadcast included Linda Roark, also called the “blue-eyed soul sister,” and Kelly Crews, who desires a relationship but “has trouble finding a man who can handle her gift.”
A short promotional video for the docuseries showed the women becoming physical with those who come to their meetings to purportedly bring about deliverance. In addition to laying hands on some, one clip showed Willams chest-bumping a man in the isle, and then later blowing and/or spitting in the face of another woman who then falls backwards.
“Oh my G**, this is real,” Belinda Scott states.
While Lifetime lauded the series, others stated that the broadcast would bring shame to the Body of Christ. Tachina Carter of San Francisco soon decided to start a petition against the docuseries.
“The imagery on this show is a travesty to the Christian community,” she wrote. “The women a.k.a. prophetesses are making a mockery of the church and promoting foolish behavior that is not necessarily a true representation of the real power of God.”
“By airing this show it will cause more harm than good to the Christian community who already has a difficult time in sharing ‘the Good News’ of Jesus Christ to the masses,” Carter continued.
As of press time, the petition has generated nearly 15,000 signatures.
Now, according to reports, Lifetime has decided to cancel “Preach” because of its failure to generate sufficient viewership following its debut this month.
However, some still believe that the petition played a role in the show’s cancellation. Scott lashed out at Carter in a Facebook post on Thursday, calling her a “frog.”
“I watch hateful people who say they love the Lord, type like that frog typing at that machine,” she wrote, putting “frog” in all caps. “Now, do I hear from God? Yes. did He call me to be a prophetess? Yes. Have I and do I hear God’s voice concerning events, people and issues? Yes! Did I see these attacks against us coming? Yes!”