There are a lot of stereotypes about pastors’ kids — some more fair than others — but maybe the safest thing you can say about being a PK is that it comes with some expectations. Every Sunday morning, you’re on a stage (sometimes literally), with members of the congregation going through a mental checklist of how you do or don’t fit in with their preconceived notions of what the son/daughter of a preacher ought to be like.
Some PKs go on to become pastors themselves. Some hightail it out of the Church as fast as possible. And some of them go on to be extremely famous entertainers. Here are a few stars that you probably didn’t know came from ministry families:
1. John Boyega
Before fighting the Empire, Star Wars actor John Boyega was busy navigating a different kind of pressure: being the son of a Pentecostal preacher in South London. Boyega has kept his family life mostly private, but he’s made it clear his faith and family are foundational. “The skill and ability that I’ve received has been from your prayers,” he wrote in a post honoring his parents, “and I cannot ignore what God has used my parents to do in my life.” A Force to be reckoned with—literally and spiritually.
2. Hunter Schafer
Euphoria might not scream “PK,” but Hunter Schafer’s upbringing says otherwise. Her dad, Mac Schafer, is the lead pastor at Hudson Memorial Presbyterian Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, and her mom, Katy, runs children’s ministry at another local church. Schafer recently opened up about growing up in ministry life in an interview with GQ, proving that not all PKs end up playing it safe.
3. Marcus Mumford
Before he was leading stadiums in folky anthems, Marcus Mumford was watching his parents lead church services. John and Eleanor Mumford weren’t just pastors—they helped start the Vineyard movement in the U.K. “Watching my folks at the center of attention… provided some element of training for what I chose to do,” Mumford said in 2022. Turns out the pulpit and the main stage aren’t all that different.
4. Katy Perry
Yes, that Katy Perry. Long before the, uh, interesting world tour and Top 40 dominance, she was belting out church hymns while her parents—Keith and Mary Hudson—traveled the country as fiery evangelical preachers. She’s been open about her complicated relationship with her religious upbringing, but it’s safe to say her showmanship started in church aisles.
5. Adam Driver
It’s not every day you go from Indiana church choir kid to Star Wars villain, but Adam Driver makes it look effortless. Raised by his mom and Baptist pastor stepdad, Driver got his first taste of performance singing hymns before eventually joining the Marines and heading to Juilliard. A wild path, but hey—every good sermon has a twist.
6. Kelis
Her milkshake brought all the boys to the yard, but first, Kelis was harmonizing in a Pentecostal household in Harlem. Her dad was both a minister and a jazz musician, and that creative-spiritual fusion clearly shaped her bold sound and even bolder aesthetic.
7. Phil Jackson
The Zen Master himself—Phil Jackson—was raised by not one but two Pentecostal pastors. His parents were Assemblies of God ministers in Montana, and they fully expected him to follow suit. Instead, he traded the pulpit for the paint and ended up with 11 NBA championship rings. He may have walked away from the church, but the discipline stuck.
8. The Jonas Brothers
Before they were purity ring-wearing pop stars, the Jonas Brothers were New Jersey PKs. Their dad, Kevin Jonas Sr., went from worship leader to senior pastor while the boys grew up surrounded by ministry and music. They’ve since deconstructed and redefined their faith in public, but those church roots are still part of the origin story.
(Honorable mention: Frankie Jonas, the “Bonus Jonas” and co-host of Claim to Fame, who also logged time in pews growing up.)
But the Jonases aren’t the only PK siblings who grew up to be musicians…
9. Kings of Leon
Turns out Kings of Leon were kings of church before they were kings of Southern garage rock. Caleb, Nathan and Jared Followill spent their early days touring backroads with their United Pentecostal preacher dad, playing music at revivals across the South. They swapped altar calls for arena tours—but the gospel-sized ambition stayed.
10. Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington’s on-screen intensity may just be a PK superpower. His father was a
in New York, and Denzel spent his early life in church before his parents’ divorce pulled him away from that world. Still, he’s spoken often about his faith and sense of calling, even crediting a prophecy from a stranger in a salon for convincing him he was meant to “speak to millions.” Spoiler: she was right.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source relevantmagazine.com ’
