How Much Influence Does Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr. Have on the Kardashians and Kanye West?
Despite rumors they’d go in another direction, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West named their little bundle of joy “Saint.”
E! reports the couple picked “Saint” because he was such a “blessing” after a “difficult pregnancy.” US Weekly reports the name is a nod to God and evidence of the miraculous birth.
This is the second child for Kimye, who tied the knot in 2014 in a ceremony conducted by Rich Wilkerson Jr., the cousin of deceased prophetic voice David Wilkerson. Their daughter, North, was baptized in Jerusalem earlier this year.
Wilkerson met Kanye when the rapper randomly showed up at Rich Wilkerson Sr.’s Trinity Church in Florida. Since then, Wilkerson has built a reputation as a pastor to celebrities and has his own reality TV show, Rich in Faith.
“We love them, we’re for them. It was a special day and we’re happy that we could be a part of it,” Wilkerson told E! News. “I think oftentimes people only get to see a glimpse of who you are so I think the guy I know is a loving guy, a family man and I think he’s trying to do something good, and I just appreciate him.”
Kim and Kanye aren’t the only members of the extended Kardashian family who have befriended Wilkerson.
Several outlets report Wilkerson has been counseling Kim’s older sister Kourtney and on-again-off-again boyfriend Scott Disick.
In an episode of Kourtney and Khloe Take the Hamptons, which aired this summer, Kourtney invited Wilkerson to help Disick through some of his addiction issues.
“Pastor Rich came with his wife DC and Scott was visibly delighted. He and Kourtney even went to church with them to hear the pastor conduct the service,” according to IB Times. Kourtney was pleased and a little bit surprised to see how involved Scott had become during the church service. She said that she even saw Scott lifting his arms and answering back in unison with the congregation. Scott was a little bit embarrassed when Kourtney told the pastor, but he admitted that he was happy to attend service and really felt a connection with the other people there.”
Kourtney and Disick were reportedly spotted together at the launch party for Wilkerson’s book Sandcastle Kings, for which Kanye designed the cover.
