Quiet revolution of the punk priest

The son of a shamed TV preacher is winning converts to Christianity

Paul Harris, Atlanta
Sunday February 20, 2005
The Observer

Jay Bakker sits on the dark nightclub stage, chomping on a cigar, his head wreathed in pale blue smoke. His arms are covered in thick tattoos, black discs stretch his ear lobes and a silver ring pierces his lower lip. But Bakker is no rock star and the book in front of him is a Bible. He's preparing to preach.

'A lot of people think that being Christian is about not having abortions and not being gay,' Bakker tells his young audience, many of them similarly covered in ink and metal. 'That to me is pathetic and sad.'

That is not a common message to hear from an American pulpit these days. But Bakker, 29, is no ordinary pastor. He is one of America's most controversial ministers, dubbed the Punk Rock Preacher. He is at the forefront of a rapidly growing US movement of so-called 'subculture churches' which now number several thousand. They stand in direct opposition to the standard image of wealthy suburban 'megachurches' with congregations who campaign vociferously on a range of social issues from abortion to gay marriage.

But Bakker is attracting headlines not just for his message, but also for who he is. Jay Bakker is the son of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, America's most famous evangelical Christians, whom many see as giving birth to modern evangelism with its glamour, unbridled wealth and huge political influence.

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,1418512,00.html

the comfortable suburban life with churches that think abortion and homosexuality are the only two sins. How nice.

The article doesn't say anything about his teaching or his ministry, beyond the fact that he looks extreme and smokes comfortable suburban cigars and was traumatized by his parents' fall from importance.

Sheesh. What a teaser this one was.