If you’ve been watching season two of the hit Oxygen show “Preachers of L.A.” then you know one of the ongoing storylines has been the nature of Bishop Noel Jones’ relationship with his longtime companion Loretta Jones. Though not married, Loretta takes on a lot of duties consistent with that of a first lady, much to the ire of many including Bishop Ron Gibson and his wife LaVette, who have been particularly inquisitive.
Despite the whispering and non-stop chatter, Bishop Jones insists that his relationship is not a sin and references the apostle Paul to make his point. In a recent interview with Atlanta’s V-103 radio, Jones drives home his point. “Paul wasn’t married. He was probably one of the greatest progenitors of the Word of God,” Jones said. “Many significant Bible characters were not married. Marriage is not a prerequisite for being in the pulpit.”
Be that as it may, Jones may be able to avoid the judgment of his fellow peers, but with Loretta’s recent bombshell revelation that she’d accept a marriage proposal from him if offered, Bishop Noel is under an entirely different type of pressure. Nonetheless, the Bishop has his reasons for being hesitant to remarry as he was once married for 22 years and admits that he’s afraid to take the leap again.
Still the question remains, as Bishop Ron has so eloquently put it, “Does the companionship come with benefits?” Thus far both Bishop Noel and Loretta have remained coy and danced around the subject.
At the end of the day, while he realizes it may rub some Christians the wrong way, Bishop Noel isn’t all that concerned with the thoughts of others regarding his relationship.
“Do you live your life based completely on what looks good?” he asks. “What you know is right and what you know feels good to you, that’s what you do.”
