'Preachers' Daughters' Cast Reveals Reason for Reality TV Show
Three families of preachers and their daughters will likely face scrutiny when they unearth some controversial topics in Lifetime's newest docu-soap "Preachers' Daughters," but the Christ-centered families insist that they have good reason for broadcasting their lives on national television.
The Colemans, Koloffs and Perrys will each share their struggles concerning raising adolescent daughters who are trying to navigate the temptations of life while preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. In the show's preview and first episode, Lifetime network viewers witness Pastor Ken Coleman of City of Refuge Pentecostal Church in Joliet, Ill. praying that his daughter Taylor, 18, doesn't become a porn star.
However, the Pastor told The Christian Post why he felt compelled to showcase the struggles with his daughter on television.
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"We thought it would be good for the public to see what we deal with every single day, the way we live our lives," Coleman told CP.
While viewers will watch Taylor overcome the temptation presented by the opposite sex as she struggles to live by her father's rules, she said other people may be inspired to come to church once they witness her own imperfections.
"I decided that I wanted to do a reality show only because I wanted everyone to see that all preachers' daughters aren't perfect," Taylor explained. "You don't have to be perfect to come to church. I felt like this is a great opportunity to show the world that situation."
Pastor Mark Perry of Everyday Church in Oceano, Calif., and his daughter Olivia,18, feel they have a unique story to tell. The pair and their family will appear on the Lifetime docu-soap as Olivia overcomes a past life that was rife with drugs and partying while trying to adjust to teenage motherhood amid questions surrounding the identity of her child's father.
Although some pastors might shy away from discussing such personal family matters in a public forum, Pastor Perry thought other people may be able to relate to his family's struggles.
"For us I think the first reason (to appear on the show) was to help people who could relate, and then the second thing was that there may be some misconceptions out there about what it may be like to be in a preacher's family and what ministry families go through," Pastor Perry told CP. "Really we're so similar to other families. We just happen to look at life through the lens of faith, which I think makes the show unique."
While Pastor Perry said he wanted viewers to have the opportunity to learn from his family's struggles and successes, Olivia wanted others to see that being a preacher's child did not mean that she had overcome the world just yet.
"We still struggle and us teenagers face temptation and deal with tough times. But we just have that level of faith to back it up and help us through those tough times," Olivia told CP. "I just want people to know and sort of understand that we're not on a pedestal and we don't think that we're holier-than-thou. We're just like your neighbor next door."
Although Nikita Koloff is a former professional wrestler-turned-preacher trying to help his 16-year-old daughter Kolby through adolescence, he also hopes that his appearance on the show will help other families overcome divorce. Koloff and his ex-wife Victoria co-parent their children from two separate states.
However, Nikita said he hopes people who tune into "Preachers' Daughters" may be able to learn how to deal with divorce and co-parenting issues in their own homes after watching the show.
"The unfortunate side about the world in which we live in the church is divorce is just as rampant and just as high as outside of the church," Koloff told CP. "My focus now is to hopefully show others out there- especially those that come from broken homes, whether parents or children- that the show will help through the love of Christ ... [It illustrates] how two individuals who have different sets of philosophies and different sets of eyes can still work together to raise children in an environment that still has godly values."
The "Preachers' Daughters" executive producer Adam Reed said he was proud of the project after screening hundreds of families to give an honest portrayal of their lives. Reed spoke about his excitement before the show's premiere date.
"This was a world that appealed to me because I don't think we've ever seen it on television before," Reed told CP. "Most importantly, whether you are a preacher family or not, I believe these girls and these families are going through things that many families in America are going through and it's extremely relatable. But because there's such intense pressure both positive and negative I think it amps up the drama and emotion of it all and brings it to a level that's intriguing to television viewers."
"Preachers' Daughters" will premiere on the Lifetime network on Tuesday, March 12 at 10 p.m. ET.
