(ChurchLeaders) Most people who look at Skillet’s John Cooper think he’s a pretty cool looking guy. As a Christian rock musician, he thinks looking cool is part of his job. But he’s not ok with pastors trying to look cool. In fact, Cooper believes the trend of “hip” and “relevant” pastors points to a very dangerous shift in orthodoxy the Church has taken lately.
“Pastors are not supposed to be cool. They’re not supposed to be the best looking people in the world,” Cooper said during an interview with the PreachersNSneakers podcast. “They’re not supposed to tell people what they want to hear in order to get famous.”
Instead, Cooper says pastors have a “front lines” role that requires them to preach the truth—however unpopular it may be. “They’re supposed to be on the front lines taking some shots. They’re supposed to be the ones telling people like me what to do,” he says.