Five metro Atlanta preacher’s wives gave the AJC a look behind the curtain of lives where they feel they are held to a higher standard. Ultimately, they want to show they are regular human beings.
In the first episode, we meet four of the five women. Three ladies clash almost immediately. Domonique Scott, whose husband lost his church after they hit financial straits, and Ivy Couch, a newlywed who was briefly in the group Xscape, go at it with Tara Y. Lewis. Tara is part of an interracial couple that came to Atlanta from Los Angeles but lost their jobs at a Dunwoody church after just six weeks.
In their view, Tara comes across as holier than thou. Tara keeps citing scripture. The other women tell to stop being so annoyingly dogmatic.
Domonique in an interview said “reality shows can be a form of ministry.” She actually embraces watching the other “wives” shows. “I’ve learned a bit of what to do and what not do to. What to wear, what not to wear. It’s all good to me. I believe what will set us apart is our ability to be able to move forward, to agree to disagree, to be honest. And we’re all married. But we aren’t perfect. We have tax liens. We have issues.”
Ivy, in an interview, said she realized doing her own reality show makes her vulnerable but feels “I’m an open book. I won’t be fake or pretentious or phony.” She said preacher’s wives are “supposed to be perfect and don’t have issues. That’s not the case. I’m not perfect. This is a daily struggle.”
Her past, she said, includes plenty of hard partying, but doesn’t regret her past. “I’m grateful for the struggles and mishaps and grateful for what they deem as the non wholesome. It made me a real person, a person people can relate to. I can meet you where you are.” She has worked hard not to be a people pleaser, to have her own opinions and not judge others. She hopes people who watch her don’t judge her based on shallow impressions but to get to know her over time.
Her husband’s church, Emanual Tabernacle, is based in the inner city of Atlanta and has been around for ten years with about 1,000 members. She has learned that it’s difficult to be transparent as a First Lady, as they are often dubbed. They are often whispered about and any negative actions can be blown out of proportion. The toughest part of her job, she said, “is remaining consistent and putting other people before yourself. I think if you’re self consumed, you can’t be effective.” She said when a congregant tells her about their lights being turned off, about not having enough to eat, “my issues don’t seem so pressing.”
She hopes “The Sisterhood” will bring people laughter. “Humor is needed in the church world and the secular world,” she said. “I hope people come away with seeing church people are normal and God is real. It’s going to be an interesting ride, never a dull moment.
