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Preachers and how they shepherd their flocks have been under fire lately, with many questioning if their blunt authoritative pastoring is appropriate or simply mean. Most recently Dr. Jeremiah Daniel Davis has been called out after he told someone to obey his command to lift their hands or “get out.”
During his “Teach Me Conference 2024” in Orlando in March, he was leading worship when the spirit gave him very intentional instruction for attendees.
“Lift your hands, lift your hands all over this building,” the pastor instructed.
Davis repeats, “Lift your hands. I need us all on one accord right now… all I on one accord… all on accord. Everybody lift your hands.” He then walks to the edge of the stage and spots someone off-camera who did not follow his instructions about corporate praise.
‘Lift Your Hands or Get Out’: Pastor Defends Viral Video of Him Threatening to Put a Woman Out for Not Raising Her Hands During Worship (Screenshot Teach Me Conference 2024 / TikTok)
He then says, while still extending his hands up, “Baby, can you do me a favor? Lift your hands up or get out. Could you choose one? Lift your hands or get out?”
As he repeats his order, he walks back to the other side of the stage and says, “I’m not scared of nobody. I mean what I mean. I’m here to protect you and anything that is in violation of it has got to go.”
The Neighborhood Talk posted the excerpt from the conference and many of their 1.9 million followers responded in outrage.
“My hands would have went from [praise emoji] to [middle finger] and I would have left taylor swiftly,” one person said.
Another person wrote, “What if her arms was hurting sir? Like yall are not God!!”
“Mannnnn just teach the people…. Her participation or non participation is not gonna affect the ‘truth’ that you share to uplift the minds of the people… her non participation can only bruise your ego,” a third comment read.
A few people in the comment section believed that “some of these pastors are looking for a viral moment,” while an actual Christian rapper and minister Th3 Saga did not weigh in too heavily, but simply wrote, “SMH.”
Recently, Pastor Keion Henderson made headlines for telling a woman to “hush” during his praise and worship, stating that the member had been a problem and he needed to control the sacred space and tone of the room. He later claimed he apologized to the woman who had been a member of the church for four years.
Award-winning recording artist Deitrick Haddon objected to how Rev. Henderson silenced the woman publicly. While on “Larry Reid Live,” the “He’s Able” singer expressed concern for her saying, “She’s embarrassed. She’s humiliated. The ridicule that’s coming her way, we got to think about her because she didn’t know that would happen to her.”
Many believed, based on social media comments, that Davis may have gone too far also.
He later took to social media the month after the incident, tapping in with Larry Reid in April to share his side and how it served as a rebuke for him.
He told the Christian podcaster and influencer, “Dr. Reid, my immaturity is I’m becoming a popular preacher who suggests everyone knows who Jeremiah Daniel Davis is.”
He explained, “This young lady comes into a service, she has no clue of the culture. She has no clue of how I am as a leader. She has no clue of the atmospheres and environments and how they are set and I assume everyone just falls into line, because … there’s a piece of arrogance in each preacher that feels like we just know it all.”
Davis continued, “This helped destroy an ego in me and say, number one, Jeremiah, you’re not as big as you think. Number two, everyone don’t know who you are. And, No.3, you cannot suggest that just because you were able to gather a group of people that everyone is just going to automatically understand you.”
For many on social media, his explanation did not make him look more compassionate as a pastor.
“That’s a cult leader not a pastor,” one person wrote, as another said, “His explanation made it worse!!!”
Others blamed the people following these preachers.
“Y’all think everybody who waves a Bible has been called,” one comment read. “That’s the problem. Spirit of discernment nowhere to be found.”
However, there was one that offered a solution, suggesting that the Christians take it back to the old school.
“Bring back ole school pastors with big stomachs and three piece suits,” someone wrote. Even those are making headlines for things far worse than being told to shut up or wave your hands in the air.
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