Surrounded by his supporters, including his congregation and choir, activist preacher the Reverend Billy Talen scheduled a noon press conference on Sunday, March 1 to announce his decision to run as the Green Party candidate for Mayor of New York City in this year’s election.

Known for his work with the Church of Life After Shopping and the hit independent mockumentary film “What Would Jesus Buy?,” Talen, as his press spokesman Michael O’Neil told your Etceterist this weekend, has preached since 1996 “for the renewal of our planet, communities and personal experiences in opposition to the homogenizing and destructive forces of [capital C] Consumerism.” And as fans of Reverend Billy’s know, he doesn’t just preach, he performs his message.

Does he have a chance to get elected? Well, with the financial capitol of the world—New York, New York—imploding and the new cuisine in town being “Eat the Rich,” which makes the billionaire Mayor Bloomberg quite a dish, you never know. Stranger things have happened. Certainly Reverend Billy stands a chance of being better heard than he ever was before thanks not only to the mood of many in the city but also the endorsement of the Green Party.

WowOwow is planning a video interview this week with Reverend Billy prior to his appearance with the Life After Shopping Singers Sunday March 8 at The Highline Ballroom in Manhattan. www.RevBilly.com for more information.