The Duggalos: Jinger and the Holy Goalie

[Albanyguy]

2 hours ago, Churchhoney said:

Judging from the houses Jer and Jingle stay at when they travel, they appear to have some very well-to-do friends. Is it possible someone at GCC is subsidizing them?

Maybe someone with a guest house off the patio or an apartment over the garage. Something modest but still attractive enough to look good on TV.

[ForeverPluto]

4 hours ago, Temperance said:

Maybe they can rent the house in Laredo for money. 

I was going to ask about the house and what becomes of it. I was going to suggest Ben and Jessa but it seems like they're not making much plans on moving anytime soon. 

[BitterApple]

39 minutes ago, Albanyguy said:

Maybe someone with a guest house off the patio or an apartment over the garage. Something modest but still attractive enough to look good on TV.

That's what I was thinking or maybe a wealthy churchmember has an empty rental they're willing to lease to them for peanuts. Housing is going to be their biggest expense, so they have to be getting a deal from somewhere.

[BigBingerBro]

We can be sure that during and after the move, there will be much fanfare along with a proliferation of carefully polished Instagram stories depicting their flawless  yet emotional experience taking the biggest step of their lives.  Unknown to the viewer that it's all subsidized by the church.

[Lunera]

2 hours ago, fonfereksglen said:

I  will admit I find Jessa and her little boy bearded husband to be increasingly pathetic, with a third child arriving and what for income?

Omg yes! Those two are even worse off than Smug and Smuganna. Bin seems completely miserable. Three little sisters with real jobs, while he's tutoring the howlers. Jessa must be praying her ass off for twin girls to get a bit of attention back to her.

[Temperance]

Has there been any congratulations from the other Duggars on social media about the announcement?

[Lunera]

[Lunera]

1 hour ago, Temperance said:

Has there been any congratulations from the other Duggars on social media about the announcement?

So far I've only seen Anna comment a congratulations. Tori Roloff invited them to their farm and Jinger agreed to visit.

[Temperance]

Apparently a lot of the Duggar fans think California and particularly L. A. are dens of inquity. The Hotel California if you will. It's more likely that "L. A. is great big freeway." 

[Oldernowiser]

1 hour ago, Temperance said:

Apparently a lot of the Duggar fans think California and particularly L. A. are dens of inquity. The Hotel California if you will. It's more likely that "L. A. is great big freeway." 

“In a week, maybe two, they’ll make you a star

The weeks turn into years, how quick they pass

and all the stars that never were

are parking cars and pumping gas.”

Somebody needs to play that song for Baabe about a hundred times.

[ginger90]

9 hours ago, Temperance said:

Has there been any congratulations from the other Duggars on social media about the announcement?

So far, this is it:

[JoanArc]

I just can't see a spinoff working. Mom, Dad, and one baby. They have no friends, you can only film so much of his job, and she can only provide so much material. The baby is cute, but again, only so much can be filmed. The Bevuolo Hilibilly plotline only carries an episode or three before getting old. I guess having their families visit in waves is kind of entertaining? I'm thinking one season max, if it happens. Wait until Jer doesn't bring in the intended younger demo to the church. I'm sure 'God' will quickly lead the church to someone else.

Jer should ask Der what moving your family to an exotic new locale and ministry does for your reality TV career!

The Laredo house would be a good rental for any of the other-marrieds. It's a good escape house. Except Josh. 

[BetyBee]

I think they'll sell the house and Laredo will soon be a distant memory.  

[Minivanessa]

8 minutes ago, JoanArc said:

The Laredo house would be a good rental for any of the other-marrieds. It's a good escape house. Except Josh. 

How would it be "a good rental?" What on earth would any of the Duggarlings and their spouses do in Laredo? I don't think JB owns any property or businesses there. It's a long haul from the TTH. Sure, maybe it would be a nice place to visit for a few days, but that doesn't require owning/renting a house. 

5 minutes ago, BetyBee said:

I think they'll sell the house and Laredo will soon be a distant memory.  

Agreed. Jer was only in Laredo because he was sent there to plant that church. It was totally a career-based move. He never planned to even have his wife give birth in Laredo. I believe he'll be happy to wrap up that chapter in his life and move right along. 

[JoanArc]

1 minute ago, Jeeves said:

How would it be "a good rental?" What on earth would any of the Duggarlings and their spouses do in Laredo? I don't think JB owns any property or businesses there. It's a long haul from the TTH. Sure, maybe it would be a nice place to visit for a few days, but that doesn't require owning/renting a house. 

You just answered your own question. Not that any of the others have been smart enough to try an escape the JB sphere of influence.

[GeeGolly]

Somebody is filling these churches. Granted TX, AR and the like have more conservative church goers, but every state has them.

I don't think Jeremy's pull to Los Angeles is the city, like others have posted, it's a school/career move. I'm guessing that after he graduates and kisses enough asses he'll try and find a home church somewhere in the east. Maybe Illinois, FL, PA or NY.

If nothing else Jeremy's moving and shaking sheds a different light on Ben and Derick.

[Churchhoney]

12 hours ago, Sew Sumi said:

He did get his flock into an actual church. I guess his celebrity gets some credit for that, because his preaching sucks. 

Well, the move into the actual church building in Laredo may or may not have had anything to do with Jeremy. I tend to think the evidence is slightly stronger for its not having anything to do with him. 

According to some blogs and stuff I found, remaining members of that mainline church's dwindling congregation were still trying and hoping to resuscitate the congregation into the second half of 2018. So the story with the building seems to be that for at least several years there's been a likelihood that it would eventually have to be given up. But it was actually not given up until sometime lateish last year. 

So, given how these things work, I'd say it's a near certainty that Conway has had his eye on that building for years as the home of his Laredo church but had to wait to see if he could get it. That church was mainline Presbyterian -- so, not evangelical, but Calvinist, so there's a link there that likely made it seem a reasonable fit for both churches. And then the opportunity finally came when the congregation finally threw in the towel after a long struggle. 

I don't see that Jer would have had anything to do with that. For starters, it's not clear whether he grew the Laredo congregation or not. Photos seem to suggest that he didn't or at least not by much but there aren't that many photos so who knows?

And there's virtually no visible evidence that he tried hard to build the congregation. Way back when they were first married, I remember one small set of social media pics of them passing out flyers for the church -- at one of the universities, maybe? But beyond that he's never mentioned anything that would seem like congregation growing (or even congregation fostering), or any evidence that he got himself or the church involved in any local church community or anything. There also seems to be little evidence that he tapped into Conway's main church all that much, once he'd been put out in Laredo. He certainly didn't mention doing it. 

Meanwhile, he's been all over John MacArthur and his enterprises...for a couple of years now. He's posted about MacArthur and MacArthur-related stuff over and over again. So it looks to me like that his ambition almost since he got to Laredo has been to shift his allegiance from Conway to MacArthur and go after the LA prize. The Laredo post and even the San Antonio church probably weren't much of a fit for his dreams, I expect, which would explain why he never said much about them and why he was out on the road so much instead. And in a way it didn't matter that much to the church. The Conway church seemed to have plenty of other young guys who could come out there and work in Jer's place. 

And then I'm completely sure that they never would have had Jer involved with any part of the business deal of getting access to the Presbyterian church. That would certainly have been done by Conway's own operation. That's a big church so they'd have at least some business staff. And he and others are connected in the area, so they'd know what the story was with congregations folding, merging and moving and buildings becoming available and such. The talks over possibly getting that building have probably gone on for a few years, at least, and that would have been done by the folks in San Antonio, not the young preacher who was just passing by. And the plan to move might well have been completely independent of whether the congregation was already growing or not. Being in the bigger, nicer, more church-y building could easily have been part of the plan to grow the church and make it more visible -- and not any result of the church actually growing before they got into that building. 

Edited March 26, 2019 by Churchhoney

[Annb67]

I guess I'm in the minority. Out of all of the guys in the family I guess Jer is my favorite. Not saying a whole lot but still. He seems to grind Boobs gears which is another plus for me. I like Jinj because she's not her sisters and she's managed to get away from Tontitown hell. And they seem to love each other. So not a huge amount to work with I know but I don't want them to completely flop nor have a scandal.

[Minivanessa]

4 minutes ago, Annb67 said:

I guess I'm in the minority. Out of all of the guys in the family I guess Jer is my favorite. Not saying a whole lot but still. He seems to grind Boobs gears which is another plus for me. I like Jinj because she's not her sisters and she's managed to get away from Tontitown hell. And they seem to love each other. So not a huge amount to work with I know but I don't want them to completely flop nor have a scandal.

Yes, I love that he grinds JB's gears.. 

I don't think they will have any scandal. It's possible Jer will become a big cheese in the circles he's aspiring to, and they may get their own TLC show or at least a lot of airtime on Counting On. I don't see any parallels between Jer's move to LA and Smuggar's move to DC. That's like comparing apples to hubcaps. 

[yogi2014L]

This move goes to show Jeremy is the only one with a brain. He is as 'famous' right now as he probably will ever get, so any attempts at getting famous or becoming a big shot in whatever he is trying to do regardless of his aptitude, he needs to strike now while the iron is hot. 

I'm betting they will get a spin off, and perhaps they wrote in the contract TLC has to pay for the housing? I don't know if that is something Teevee will do, I know nothing about the industry.

[Churchhoney]

1 hour ago, Jeeves said:

On. I don't see any parallels between Jer's move to LA and Smuggar's move to DC. That's like comparing apples to hubcaps. 

Actually, I see an exact parallel!

In both cases it happened because some conservative Christians trying to build their media appeal decide to see if they can build their visibility and strengthen ties with some demographics by hooking up with a Duggar-connected guy. In both cases the Duggar-connected guy in question has a massive ego, adores himself, and hungers for spotlights but has little to none of the training, experience or any other real qualifications required for what the conservative Christians' enterprise supposedly is.

Josh was certainly attracted to the high-level politics of making conservative-Christian law U.S. law. But doing actual political operative work? A joke. Jer fancies being the moral guide that teaches America to finally tell homosexuals and Catholics to sit down and shut up. But actually preaching or pastoring very successfully? Another joke.

But....neither is being looked at as a possible asset for his skills and talents in the main enterprise. Nobody cares about that.

Josh got his shot and Jer, I assume, is being considered for something, because they -- and their name (or wife's name, in Jer's case) -- have many many many more media followers than any young guy who's actually qualified for the position. So -- somebody hopes -- maybe they can help attract more eyeballs to the enterprise. That has to be what somebody hoped and hopes because there's absolutely no other grounds on which either could successfully compete with the many other guys who'd love to have the exact same jobs J got and J may be being considered for.

I'm not saying that, aside from their very deep fondness for themselves, Josh and Jer are anything alike. They aren't. 

But their situations, as far as I can see, may well be identical. 

Edited March 26, 2019 by Churchhoney

[snarky snarkerson]

15 hours ago, McManda said:

The thing I think Jer has over the other Duggar-husbands is some kind of ambition. He seems to know what he wants - kinda - and at least tries to get it. And oddly, of the Duggar-husbands, he's probably the most equipped with a plan to try for it.

Ben wants to be a minister ... maybe ... and it's taking classes at the community college ... maybe. 

Austin wants to stay at home and flip houses and run camp.

Derick ... well, who the hell knows what Derick wants, except maybe to be rid of Jill and the kids, but that'll never happen.

I presume Jeremy has a plan for LA. I don't see him like Derick and Jill, staying a GoFundMe for living expenses. And Jinger gets to live in a big city, which was one of her aspirations. I might not agree with them ... in basically anything ... but I hope they do well. And I wouldn't be upset to watch them try for awhile. And let's be realistic, they and this move are the best shot at keeping up the Duggar TV show in some capacity. (Sorry Jessa. Everyone is tired of babies and weddings.)

Yeah, I'm sure he does have a plan for LA. The school is on probation in part because of a pattern that indicates that the school grants more in financial aid to friends and relatives of the leader. I'm operating under the assumption that since Jer has been so far up the rear of that guy that he's been awarded full aid up to cost of attendance (and not in loans). That + show income they should be alright.

[Julia67]

18 hours ago, BitterApple said:

We all knew this was coming, but Jeremy is one slick customer. He could've chosen Dallas to do his seminary training but "Duggars in La-la Land" makes for much better tv.

I can assure you that Jeremy would not attend Dallas, regardless of where it's located.  He doesn't agree with their theology.  Without going into all the details, basically, Dallas and Masters are on two very different pages regarding a few very important doctrines.  Jeremy's constant contact and obvious loyalty to John MacArthur shows he would never choose Dallas.  

[Rabbittron]

 are any of you obsessed like me cuz I keep checking to see if they put their house up for sale.

[Julia67]

18 hours ago, BitterApple said:

Jeremy is one slick customer. He could've chosen Dallas to do his seminary training but "Duggars in La-la Land" makes for much better tv.

Edited March 26, 2019 by Julia67
double post

[Churchhoney]

14 minutes ago, Julia67 said:

I can assure you that Jeremy would not attend Dallas, regardless of where it's located.  He doesn't agree with their theology.  Without going into all the details, basically, Dallas and Masters are on two very different pages regarding a few very important doctrines.  Jeremy's constant contact and obvious loyalty to John MacArthur shows he would never choose Dallas.  

Good to know. 

I do think that the person who mentioned this meant that Jer could have attended The Master's Seminary's own remote site in Texas, which is in Dallas, though. So that would have the same theology as The Master's Seminary because it is the Master's Seminary.

You're talking about Dallas Theological Seminary, right?

Edited March 26, 2019 by Churchhoney

[Ijustwantsomechips]

11 hours ago, Lunera said:

I know I’m too “fluffy” right now, but Jinger looks unhealthy.  Look at her arms!   She’s starting to get that bobble head look. 10 pounds would make a world of difference.

[bythelake]

19 minutes ago, snarky snarkerson said:

Yeah, I'm sure he does have a plan for LA. The school is on probation in part because of a pattern that indicates that the school grants more in financial aid to friends and relatives of the leader. I'm operating under the assumption that since Jer has been so far up the rear of that guy that he's been awarded full aid up to cost of attendance (and not in loans). That + show income they should be alright.

I think your theory that Jeremy is getting a full ride makes a lot more sense than the family money theory.

Jeremy’s parents and grandparents on his father’s side are still alive, and there are other children and grandchildren to be considered. Chuck and Diana live modestly, and Chuck’s congregations have all been relatively small.

His mother’s parents are deceased but she has 3 siblings. Diana’s father managed a furniture store. I doubt that any of them received a big windfall.

If all school expenses are covered, the show money and house sale could keep them afloat for a few years.

Jeremy doesn’t do anything without a plan.

[Minivanessa]

@Churchhoney, you make a good case for the similarities of Josh going to DC and Jeremy going to LA. I don't dispute your points about why an organization would bring these guys on board - their high profiles and celebrity status, SM followers/TV viewers, appeal to younger demographic within the political/religious base, etc.

However, although I'm no big fan of Jeremy, he's just so much more mature, energetic, and (yes) accomplished than Smuggar ever was, that I think the differences outweigh the similarities. One of those "agree to disagree" things, I think.

[BigBingerBro]

The Master's Seminary has a "Cost of Living" document on their tuition page which claims a family with one child should expect to pay roughly $42,000  for a three year course (see attached)  I'm not sure if that's yearly or total.  It also does not indicate what kind of housing is included in this figure...   Seems low.

[ginger90]

46 minutes ago, Rabbittron said:

 are any of you obsessed like me cuz I keep checking to see if they put their house up for sale.

I have to admit, I checked. 🤫

[JoanArc]

7 minutes ago, BigBingerBro said:

The Master's Seminary has a "Cost of Living" document on their tuition page which claims a family with one child should expect to pay roughly $42,000  for a three year course (see attached)  I'm not sure if that's yearly or total.  It also does not indicate what kind of housing is included in this figure...   Seems low.

The corner of the document shows that tuition figure is per year - so $28,842 over three years. I'd multiply everything else by three, too. 

[Julia67]

1 hour ago, Churchhoney said:

do think that the person who mentioned this meant that Jer could have attended The Master's Seminary's own remote site in Texas, which is in Dallas, though. So that would have the same theology as The Master's Seminary because it is the Master's Seminary.

You're talking about Dallas Theological Seminary, right?

I'm sorry.  I didn't realize Masters had an remote site in Texas.  Yes, I was talking about Dallas Theological Seminary.  Perhaps all of the classes he needs aren't offered at the remote site?  I don't know.  I do know he wouldn't attend DTS, for sure!

[Churchhoney]

Just now, Julia67 said:

I'm sorry.  I didn't realize Masters had an remote site in Texas.  Yes, I was talking about Dallas Theological Seminary.  Perhaps all of the classes he needs aren't offered at the remote site?  I don't know.  I do know he wouldn't attend DTS, for sure!

Didn't mean for you to apologize! Just wanted to clear things up. We've been talking about Jer's education so long that we all talk in shorthand now! 

I think the remote sites do offer all the classes you need. They may exist so that men with jobs and families can get the required "on-campus" parts of their grad program without going all the way to LA or paying LA prices. But as with a lot of graduate programs, you're only required to spend a limited period in the on-campus part of the program. Don't remember whether it's a semester or what. 

I think Jer probably wants a lot more close contact with MacArthur and other leaders of the seminary than the remote sites or the online graduate program altogether can offer. He may want out of Texas, too. 

[Normades]

50 minutes ago, Jeeves said:

However, although I'm no big fan of Jeremy, he's just so much more mature, energetic, and (yes) accomplished than Smuggar ever was, that I think the differences outweigh the similarities. One of those "agree to disagree" things, I think.

To be fair (and I hate to do that with Smuggar) Jeremy had the advantage of a real education and parents who didn't cram their children into a two bedroom home like sardines.  Plus, it seems that Jeremy actually was allowed to get out and meet other people and not kept in such an insular unit like the Duggar kids were.  Those two idiots really sold their poor children down the river.  It really makes me angry. 

I agree with your points, @jeeves.  Like him or not, Jeremy seems to be making hay while the sun shines.  

[Churchhoney]

18 minutes ago, Normades said:

To be fair (and I hate to do that with Smuggar) Jeremy had the advantage of a real education and parents who didn't cram their children into a two bedroom home like sardines.  Plus, it seems that Jeremy actually was allowed to get out and meet other people and not kept in such an insular unit like the Duggar kids were.  Those two idiots really sold their poor children down the river.  It really makes me angry. 

I agree with your points, @jeeves.  Like him or not, Jeremy seems to be making hay while the sun shines.  

Bingo. 

The Duggars have now raised 10 boys into teenage years or adulthood -- and not one of those boys has taken anything like the normal paths of 21st-century life that Jer (and Der, Bin and even maybe Austin, for that matter) were handed by their parents. If that isn't a solid argument for how JB and M have stunted, warped and squelched not just their daughters but their sons, I don't know what is.

Not one boy has even walked out of that mess to live his own life. (and of course the girls have only done it when someone else's son has come along and taken them away.) ..... No rebels. That's a sign of deep deep sickness in the household, in my opinion. 

And, while I'm no Josh fan either, he had what I consider the great disadvantage for a boy with some natural arrogance in him of being JB's and M's first son in a cult where the first son is imagined to be the natural and God-anointed leader of the other kids and the other kids are basically required to look up to him. .... That's another factor of their hideous environment that could be quite damaging to many boys if they grew up in it .... And particularly if it was one of the few real perks available in that sardine can you've described. .....              

Jer has some natural arrogance, looks to me. So what would he have done with that Gothard-first-son power if everything else about his life was isolating and close to poverty? (He wouldn't have played no soccer, if he were a Duggar boy. No such outlet there. Ever.) I think the jury is way out on that one, as it would be for many other guys. 

We're products of nature and nurture. And that goes for good and ill, unfortunately for weak vessels like Josh. 

Edited March 26, 2019 by Churchhoney

[Minivanessa]

1 minute ago, Normades said:

To be fair (and I hate to do that with Smuggar) Jeremy had the advantage of a real education and parents who didn't cram their children into a two bedroom home like sardines.  Plus, it seems that Jeremy actually was allowed to get out and meet other people and not kept in such an insular unit like the Duggar kids were.  Those two idiots really sold their poor children down the river.  It really makes me angry. 

I agree with your points, @jeeves.  Like him or not, Jeremy seems to be making hay while the sun shines.  

Absolutely! I actually had drafted a longer post, but cut it back to the one you just quoted.

In that longer version, I wrote about how Jeremy had lived in the real world, gotten a real education, played a pro sport even if he wasn't a star, moved and lived in several places, etc.

And by contrast, poor old Smuggar by his mid-20's had literally lived, moved, and had his entire life inside the bubble world his parents created and which they rule.

Just one aspect is that Josh never went anywhere without an accountability partner, and his life as a kid involved being taken by JB along on JB's daily rounds at the capital back when JB was an elected official. I remember reading that people at the legislature thought it was, at a minimum, odd, and that JB hauled Josh along into meetings and things where a kid's presence wasn't really appropriate. (JB served in the state legislature 1999-2002; Josh was born in 1988 so would have been aged 11 to 13 during that time.)

I just think Smugs probably was really interested in politics and is probably inherently more intelligent than JB, but his upbringing didn't equip him for a career in politics. He might have eventually overcome his limitations if Joshgate hadn't terminated his job at FRC and sent him back to Arkansas with his tail between his legs. But certainly, going in, he was only qualified for his FRC spokesman job by virtue of his celebrity and pulling power among the FRC's fundie/evangelical base. With the right attitude he could have picked up some back-office skills at FRC so as to eventually become more than a talking head for them. But really that's all he was - a one-trick pony, someone to send out to talk to the base.

I think that while Jeremy's celebrity status got him in the door, he has some drive and intention to do more than just be rolled out to make appearances and social media posts.

[Churchhoney]

13 minutes ago, Jeeves said:

I think that while Jeremy's celebrity status got him in the door, he has some drive and intention to do more than just be rolled out to make appearances and social media posts.

ITA with everything you said. 

And I'm sure he's using the media thing just as bait to get in the door -- because he is good at using his resources to get what he wants -- and that his ultimate intention is to be a big-time, admired, well-off preacher in some big-time area somewhere, like MacArthur. I think he's really really into the preacher stuff. 

What I question is whether his work ethic and talent are up to that!  ;  )

Time will tell. 

My guess is that to have the level of career success I expect he aspires to he'll ultimately have to give up on preaching, like he gave up on soccer, because he just isn't top level there. I can see him getting into some business job and doing quite well, though. You've gotta go with your talents, and they don't always match your daydreams.

Edited March 26, 2019 by Churchhoney

[Julia67]

1 hour ago, Churchhoney said:

I think Jer probably wants a lot more close contact with MacArthur and other leaders of the seminary than the remote sites or the online graduate program altogether can offer. He may want out of Texas, too. 

Yep!  I agree.  From what I've seen, Laredo isn't much fun.  I don't understand why they bought a home there if God has been calling them away "for a while"now??  Guess we'll have to wait and see!

[snarky snarkerson]

16 minutes ago, Julia67 said:

Yep!  I agree.  From what I've seen, Laredo isn't much fun.  I don't understand why they bought a home there if God has been calling them away "for a while"now??  Guess we'll have to wait and see!

Laredo isn't a ton of fun - for normal people. It's getting better. But what "fun" did they need when they don't actually do a lot of the things one does in a "fun" town?

I also don't know why they bought the house. It's in a desirable, but older, part of Laredo. People buying in that area want newly flipped/renovated housing or want a price that reflects the fact that the new buyers will have to do that. The kitchen "reno" they did wasn't enough to help with the price, and the market hasn't increased much. They will recoup the price they paid, but won't "make" money on this sale for sure. 

[RedheadZombie]

On ‎3‎/‎24‎/‎2019 at 4:21 PM, emma675 said:

RedheadZombie, do you know the name of that pillow? I'm the classic tall girl with big boobs who grew/developed too early and has a permanent slouch.

Unfortunately, no.  I used it once in physical therapy, and it worked well enough that I had mildly pulled muscles in my chest for a couple of days.  I now mock up a throw pillow to use.  I fold it in half and turn it vertically and lay on it with another pillow supporting my head.  

On ‎3‎/‎24‎/‎2019 at 6:30 PM, madpsych78 said:

Does the pillow work for low average girls with large breasts who also tended to slouch? Asking for a friend...

I'm sure it does!  I've also used, for lack of a better word, a corset type thing.  It's easily hidden underneath clothing, covers the back and is open in the front except where it clips across the abdomen like a bra.  It holds the shoulders back in such a way that stretches the chest and relaxes the thoracic spine muscles.  I used to wear it to work but it would make me overly warm (I'm an RN).  I gave it away, and I've been looking for a replacement.

[RedheadZombie]

20 hours ago, Churchhoney said:

Based about half on what I've read about Jer's working life thus far and about half on pure speculation, here's my fairy tale of Jer:

He had a plan for his soccer career. He was going to be big and serve the Lord by showing the world how a truly religious man could become a major-league goalie and thrill the sports world and aspiring little goalies everywhere. And he told news reporters that he was quite sure his plan was authorized from On High. Sort of the way he's talking about his church-career path now. 

But the soccer career didn't turn out at all the way he'd thought it would. He didn't get to play very much. People weren't as impressed with him as he'd envisioned. And when things  soured on him like this, his reaction was to freak out and go home to his parents' house and curl up into a ball. (This comes from actual news interviews with Jeremy.)

Then his father called up his connection, Tim Conway, in San Antonio. And dad arranged to get Jer down there, moved him in with the Conways, and got him a part-time gig in Conway's church and church-planting organization, and onto a minor-league soccer team. At that point, he told a reporter that he knew God's plan again. It was to put him in San Antonio because there he'd he'd be able to make his mark and lead people as a godly man with both his soccer and his preaching. 

The soccer, again, didn't work out. So he was left with preaching in Texas. 

But then he spied Jingle. They married. On my interpretation, this was also partly a career move. He'd been having a lot of trouble getting to be the BMOC on his own. But now, I'm thinking, he figured that God had sent him the key -- a helpmeet with mass-media fame and a big social-media following. (I didn't read that. I invented it. But seems to me there was already a pattern here.) 

He had no intention of staying in Laredo. But of course he said he did, because to do otherwise would have looked bad. San Antonio might have been acceptable, but when he found himself farmed out entirely to the little plant church out of town -- no bueno. 

But he did hook up with John MacArthur via the seminary. And MacArthur, much more than Conway, is a guy who's going to appeal to someone who'd love to be BMOC for all America. So he works hard at showing off the media reach he now has because of Jingle. He milks it, but good. 

MacArthur is old. He's going to need replacements. And, as church attendance wanes everywhere, he's going to need more fame and more converts. And he's in LA. He has a church with money. Jer saw all this -- and, lo, God spoke to him with a new plan. (Yes, this one is speculation, not from news reports.) Jer -- who I'd say has much more of a talent for selling himself than for soccer, preaching or theology -- puts himself into media as much as possible and waves his media self and his very very eager suck-up-iness in front of MacArthur. We've seen this happening. 

And he was rewarded. When MacArthur wrote his mean anti-social-justice letter -- partly, I would guess, to draw eyes away from the scrutiny his school had come under from the student and faculty complaints collected by the accrediting group -- somehow Jer, who was a semi-working preacher in an itty bitty plant church in Laredo, TX, and had no other church experience or education, became one of a tiny handful of featured "First Signers" of the document. There were thousands of people who wanted to sign that document, the vast majority with many more credentials in their fields than Jer.

Yet it was Jer who was plucked from obscurity and somehow got his name smacked right up at the top. (Could his media reach help account for that? Hmmm? Quite possibly, I'd guesss.) In any case, I've read enough about Jer seeing God's hand in his various life choices to feel pretty secure in saying that he probably saw God's hand again in this. ... 

And, lo, less than a year later, God's hand does appear again. And this time it's waving him off Laredo and toward the big-time -- John MacArthur's LA. He told us that today. 

Now, this time, Jer may be right. His plan to rise by sucking up like crazy and flaunting his mass and social media fame as hard as he can may work. He may not just move to LA but become a favored heir of MacArthur and get his hands on part of Grace Community Church, LA. Thriving and making a big name for itself as a Calvinist powerhouse since 1956.

Looking at his earlier pronouncements about what God was calling him to do, I see a track record that isn't that good when it comes to Jer predicting God's personal plans for him.  However, he does have the media presence to tempt MacArthur at this point. And he is clearly quite good at sucking up and at using his media presence for his benefit. 

So it'll be interesting to see. 

Boob, Der, Bin and Jessa -- at least -- must all be emerald green with jealousy right now. 

Just wanted to let you know that this excellent post made its way to Reddit with the title:   Excellent insight of Jeremy’s life so far by churchhoney on previouslytv

[Churchhoney]

28 minutes ago, RedheadZombie said:

Just wanted to let you know that this excellent post made its way to Reddit with the title:   Excellent insight of Jeremy’s life so far by churchhoney on previouslytv

Thx. Cool....! Always nice to get quoted! 

[Christina87]

I'm really still curious about the money thing. 19KAC supposedly made 40K per episode, and they had many episodes per year, and sponsors.  Counting On really doesn't have sponsors, and they only have 4-8 episodes or so and call it a season! Do they usually have two seasons a year? Split between several couples (and Jana and the unmarried boys who are 18) I'd say that comes to about an average income for an area with a reasonable cost of living. LA is a whole different ballgame, even if Jer has a free ride to seminary! I can't imagine they'd be making six figures through the show alone, and low six figures seems like a stretch even for that area (I may be wrong, but I guess it depends on how flashy you are, and Jer is definitely flashy!). Plus they don't do a ton of Instagram hawking, so I wonder how the money thing is going to work. They bought a nice house in Laredo, but they didn't exactly buy the biggest mansion at the country club, so I can't imagine they're millionaires or anything. Sure, plenty of other people aren't millionaires and make it work, but Jeremy seems to have pretty expensive tastes. 

[graefin]

2 hours ago, Julia67 said:

I don't understand why they bought a home there if God has been calling them away "for a while"now??

I thought he said God told them to move to LA only yesterday or some such?

How does that work, anyway, with these people, when God calls them to do this or that? Does he whisper in their ears? Do they see something written in the sky? How do they differentiate what God is telling them to do and, say, their imaginations (or delusions)? (Sorry, been wondering about this for a while now!) 🤔

[Oldernowiser]

Jer looks flashy, but it’s a compared-to-Arkansian-Duggars kind of flashy. Plus he doesn’t seem to have much entertainment value...some mild snark but it’s hardly the kind of dazzle that a big city church would seem to want. 

In LA, he’s at best a poser lightweight. A few months back he posted a photo wearing a bright pink cotton sweater with a polo logo on it that all but screamed TJMaxx clearance rack. 

Those who know the LA church-going community would know much better than I do, but it seems like LA has a sixth sense for sniffing out wannabe desperation. 

I would be shocked if he makes a go of this, but I’ve been wrong before.

[Oldernowiser]

16 minutes ago, graefin said:

I thought he said God told them to move to LA only yesterday or some such?

How does that work, anyway, with these people, when God calls them to do this or that? Does he whisper in their ears? Do they see something written in the sky? How do they differentiate what God is telling them to do and, say, their imaginations (or delusions)? (Sorry, been wondering about this for a while now!) 🤔

Good questions, because it seems remarkable to me how often what God tells them is exactly what they wanted to do anyway but needed a better reason than that for PR purposes.

[Temperance]

6 hours ago, Jeeves said:

Yes, I love that he grinds JB's gears.. 

Derick also grinds JB's gears.  Before the news of this move, JB and Michelle did an interview that was fairly recent with a company called Embassay Media. Embassay Media interviews fundies like the Duggars, Kelly and Gil Bates, etc. I previously posted about this in the media/TLC thread, etc. 

This was pre L. A. (or at least it wasn't official yet). But Derrick was the son-in-law with whom JB seemed the least happy. Probably because they "left" the show and the things he says that create a negative image of the family.  But JB also mentioned that he prefers Jeremy's and Ben's beliefs/church to the SBC church Jill and Derick attend. 

[Scarlett45]

5 hours ago, Ijustwantsomechips said:

I know I’m too “fluffy” right now, but Jinger looks unhealthy.  Look at her arms!   She’s starting to get that bobble head look. 10 pounds would make a world of difference.

There’s nothing wrong with being a naturally slim person, but Jinger does look thinner here- maybe breastfeeding is burning so many calories and she hasn’t adjusted to eating more? She’s always been a thin person, but her arm does look different. 

[Churchhoney]

1 hour ago, Oldernowiser said:

Jer looks flashy, but it’s a compared-to-Arkansian-Duggars kind of flashy. Plus he doesn’t seem to have much entertainment value...some mild snark but it’s hardly the kind of dazzle that a big city church would seem to want. 

In LA, he’s at best a poser lightweight. A few months back he posted a photo wearing a bright pink cotton sweater with a polo logo on it that all but screamed TJMaxx clearance rack. 

Those who know the LA church-going community would know much better than I do, but it seems like LA has a sixth sense for sniffing out wannabe desperation. 

I would be shocked if he makes a go of this, but I’ve been wrong before.

I don't think it's likely he'll ultimately make a go of it either. Although LA is huge and has both flashy and non-flashy people in it. Besides, if Jer got a high-paying job, I expect his clothing budget and standards would skyrocket.....

The main reason I think he won't ultimately make a go of it is that he doesn't seem terribly interested in pastoring, just preaching, and even though he's practiced preaching for several years now he's still pretty awful at it. And the fact that he's not brand new but still hovers somewhere just below mediocre (in my opinion, anyway) suggests to me that the ceiling of his ability probably isn't all that high. And if he's looking at getting a preacher spot in any really big area like LA, there are undoubtedly a lot of other people who are much much better. 

My guess is that MacArthur and company will be more than happy to use Jer's assistance to get some fresh media exposure for a time.... After all, he'll be hanging around the seminary for a couple more years, so they can probably get it pretty cheaply -- just the cost of tuition....but when it comes to handing out permanent preaching spots -- unless a miracle occurs and he gets way way better (and, you know, I guess that could happen although it seems unlikely to me...) -- I'll be surprised if those don't go to others when the time comes .... 

Given what his current preaching looks like, I can't see him being an attractive preaching candidate in any major metropolitan area, actually. Even in the smallish city I lived in in Ohio, the preaching standard I saw was significantly above his level. 

Edited March 26, 2019 by Churchhoney