Dave Walker
The Times-Picayune

For John Raymond, the Slidell pastor who was first to get the hook on last year's 'Survivor,' the challenges are not over. Now he's lost his church position, and has started his own congregation in a Slidell motel.

Slidell preacher John Raymond did not survive very long on "Survivor."

Physically fit and bursting with Positive Mental Attitude, he appeared the ideal contestant for the CBS reality-TV series.

But Raymond was the first fake castaway eliminated on last fall's season, set on a small island off the coast of Thailand.

After returning to his Slidell home and his job at The Harvest, a fast-growing suburban church, he wore the ignominy well.

"It was like being on a ride at Disneyland," said Raymond at the time. "You stand in line for two hours and the ride is over in 10 minutes."

Raymond's post-reality ride recently got bumpier.

A few weeks ago, Raymond lost his job at The Harvest.

"The senior pastor brought me into a conference room and told me he didn't want to work with me anymore, that I could resign or he would terminate me," said Raymond. "I was blown away. It was out of the blue. I said, 'Man, what is it? Whatever it is we can work it out.' "

Raymond and The Harvest's founder and senior pastor, Doug McAllister, had been friends since childhood.

Raymond said the official reason McAllister gave him for his dismissal was non-performance of certain job-related tasks.

Raymond, who did not resign, suspects otherwise.

"It's a smokescreen, totally ridiculous," Raymond said. "I think Doug didn't like the fact that I was getting some media attention.

"I think ('Survivor') might've gotten him jealous."

The word around Slidell in recent weeks was that the church was unhappy with beefcake before-and-after photos Raymond had authorized his health club to use in advertisements.

The ads, Raymond said, were no more offensive or un-Christian than a shirts-and-skins basketball game.

"That is another smokescreen," Raymond said. "It sounds like some terrible thing. It's not."

Reached by telephone last week, McAllister said he couldn't discuss Raymond's departure from The Harvest.

"It was job-performance based," McAllister said. "My official comment has to be 'No comment.' "

Raymond said McAllister announced the staff change at a service shortly after the firing.

Congregation members immediately began to call Raymond at home, saying things like, "If you're starting a church, we want to go with you," he said.

Raymond rallied his wife (childhood sweetheart Elizabeth) and young children (John, Monica and Benjamin) for the challenge.

"I've done nothing wrong," he said. "There was no impropriety. I love it in Slidell. What does that mean? It means I have to have a ministry in Slidell.

"We're here for the duration."

Raymond's new church, New Horizon Christian Fellowship, held its first service at the Slidell La Quinta Inn -- "near the Cracker Barrel," said Raymond -- and has since moved to a nearby Holiday Inn.

So far, about 40 people have been attending the 10 a.m. Sunday services, he said.

"God has a reason for everything," Raymond said. "We're happy."

Happy and pondering possible "Survivor" redemption, it turns out.

Series producer Mark Burnett has announced an upcoming reunion edition of the series, at which past players would play again (and perhaps compete for double the usual $1 million prize).

Burnett, who has released few details about the upcoming all-star season (which will premiere in early 2004, following a new, no-star season this fall), has a penchant for surprise twists.

Winners and runners-up from past seasons will be asked to participate, but what would be more dramatic than inviting the first player eliminated from certain seasons to try his or her luck again?

Those unlucky few have likely been mentally replaying the tactics that won them a quick hook for months.

Years, in some cases.

Diabolical.

Raymond, who keeps in touch with many of the players from his "Survivor" season, was asked if he's recently been contacted by Burnett or CBS about any future involvement in the series.

"I'm not at liberty to say," he said.

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TV columnist Dave Walker can be reached at dwalker@timespicayune.com or (504) 826-3429.