The Jonas Brothers have been a worldwide sensation since exploding onto the music scene nearly 20 years ago. But one place they were not so popular was at their dad’s church. “The Voice” coach and season 28 advisor Nick Jonas told People on December 4, 2025, that their dad lost his job as a pastor because Nick and his brothers, Kevin and Joe, weren’t exclusively singing religious music.
Nick Jonas Says He & His Brothers ‘Felt a Lot of Pressure’ to Succeed
(Photo by Scott Gries/Getty Images)Nick, Kevin, and Joe released their first album in 2006, but when it didn’t take off, their record label dropped them. They didn’t taste success until the following year, when they signed with Hollywood Records and released the album that featured hits like “S.O.S.” and “When You Look Me in the Eyes.”
In the meantime, failure was not an option, Nick said, recalling how their dad, Kevin Jonas Sr., managed their fledgling band as a side hustle while serving as a pastor at Wyckoff Assembly of God in New Jersey.
“I definitely felt a lot of pressure,” Nick told People. “Our lives had changed so much. Our father also lost his job effectively because we weren’t making solely Christian music and he was a pastor. So our shift to singing about love and romance and heartbreak caused that to happen.”
“Financially, we were in a really vulnerable position and we’d spent all this money that we kind of didn’t have,” Nick said, adding, “It was bad. We either had to succeed or we had to shift and figure our stuff out.”
The Jonas Brothers’ Dad Had to Resign From Church After Their 1st Album
GettyThis isn’t the first time the Jonas Brothers have discussed what happened to their dad. In their 2019 “Chasing Happiness” documentary, Kevin recalled, “We were signed to a secular label, and we weren’t making a Christian album. There was this perception that was on us that we were supposed to be these squeaky clean, perfect kids. Dad’s job essentially hinged on it.”
Jonas Sr. was essentially forced out of his position, stating in the documentary, “The day I resigned at Wyckoff Assembly of God, it was really devastating. I couldn’t even read my resignation letter.”
According to two “former leaders” at Wyckoff Assembly who spoke with TriStateValley.com in 2019, the church board “had concerns about Pastor Jonas managing the band and serving as senior pastor, among other concerns.” The congregation split over the issue, with some people supporting Jonas Sr. and others demanding he resign, the outlet reported.
Nick Jonas Says He’s ‘Really Proud’ of the Songs About Hardship the Jonas Brothers Released in 2007
The family, which includes fourth brother Frankie, relocated to Los Angeles in hopes of finding a new record label and opportunities. Kevin told People that their 2007 “Jonas Brothers” album reflects the hard times they went through before finding success.
“The fact that these songs were written in those desperate moments and then we kind of found our voice, I think, was really special,” Kevin told the outlet.
Nick added, “There’s some really big themes in here about tough times and even just a sense, an urgency, in the lyrics and in the music that I’m really proud of.”
