Pastor John Gray says he's been going through it, so he had his friend/fellow religious leader Bishop TD Jakes lay hands on him and pray the spirit of suicide out of him. See the emotional moment inside...
2018 was a tough year for Pastor John Gray, the new lead pastor at Relentless Church in Greenville, SC.
Kicking off 2019, Pastor Gray went before his new congregation to reveal he has been battling suicidal thoughts. He told the crowd he had been trying to come up with a way to take his life that wouldn't destroy his children and still be able to make his way into heaven. Dressed in all black, he told the crowd he was dressed in his "funeral outfit."
“2018 tried to kill me so I thought I’d try to dress for the occasion," he said during his New Year's Eve sermon. "I literally thought about how I could end my life and still get to Heaven and somehow my kids would not be scarred but there was no way I could figure out how to do it. And I’m not the only person that thought about that. I’m not the only person the devil attacked in that area."
While he didn't go into detail about how, exactly, 2018 tried to kill him, we have an inkling.
Pastor Gray has been receiving backlash on social media for gifting his wife, Aventar Gray, a $200K Lamborghini. Folks have been at his neck, accusing him of using church funds for the luxury whip. He has denied using any of the church's money and confirmed the money he used for the car was the money he made from his reality show. His wife also came to his defense.
Back in December, one of his chats about relationships between men & women went viral when he urged women in particular to do self reflection and self evaluation to get into relationships that are better for them, and to figure out why they attract men who aren't worthy of their relationship energy. He caught heat for shifting the onus of failed relationships on women simply choosing wrong. He seemingly did not address men about stopping their bad behavior that has ruined relationships and bettering themselves to become the man that women should be attracted to.
The controversial pastor also recently revealed that he and his wife were on the brink of divorce. While he didn't out right come out and say he cheated, he alluded to stepping out on his marriage. And so did his wife.
He also caught a lot of backlash after telling the world his wife "birthed" him into a man.
“The truth is some of the stuff that tried to kill me I helped," he continued. "Nobody wants to shout. Everybody needs to know some stuff wasn’t the devil, some stuff was you. It would be great if we shout for that too because when you shout for that what you’re saying is I take personal responsibility,” he said.
He shared that he had been going through counseling since prayer alone wasn't enough to knock his suicidal thoughts.
Check it:
Over the weekend, Bishop TD Jakes, senior pastor of The Potter's House in Dallas, spoke during a leadership training session at First Baptist Church of Glenarden in Marlboro, MD. Pastor Gray was on the front row when Bishop Jakes walked over to him and began prophesying over his life. He laid hands on him and rebuked the spirit of suicide that still lurks in Pastor Gray's home.
“There is too much anointing in this room to minister to everybody else and leave you sitting over there festering and festering and festering, especially, you said it in a joking way but especially when the spirit of suicide hangs around your house," Bishop Jakes said to Pastor Gray. "I’m trying to get you back,” Bishop Jakes said before he laid hands on Pastor Gray.
“I call it out!," Bishop Jakes shouted as Pastor Gray fell to the ground in tears.
“It’s not a stage that you prayed for. It’s not a building that you prayed for. It’s not an opportunity that you prayed for. You’ve always wanted God to make a man out of you and He’s using the stage to make a man out of you. He’s using the building to make a man out of you. He’s using the opportunity to make a man out of you,” he said.
Peep the clip below:
Although Pastor Gray and his wife shared they were headed towards divorce, they have seemingly gotten back on track. The couple is hosting a relationship conference, dubbed “Align," at their South Carolina church that will go down February 7-9th.
Oh.
We hope Pastor Gray continues getting the help he needs as he battles with suicidal thoughts. We often side-eye him and his comments about marriage and women, but we def don't want anything bad to happen to him.
Photo: Relentless Church's FB