The Gospel (2005) Movie Script
Yeah!
Come on and stand up on your feet
and give God some praise.
Get up! Get up! Get up! Get up!
Come on.
Come on. Get up on your feet.
Get up on your feet.
Come on, sing it.
Our God is an awesome God.
I'm so proud of you.
Oh, the Lord is moving in here.
The Lord is moving in here.
Now, I'm here to say
that the God I serve
is a awesome God.
And I'm so happy
that the youth of the church
are channeling their energies
into doing God's work.
I wanna take a minute
to acknowledge two young men
whose stars are shining
especially bright.
My son, David Taylor,
and his close friend, Charles Frank.
Come on up here.
Come on up here, Frank.
- Thank you, Jesus.
- Come on.
These two wonderful young men
are one class shy
of graduating from our
youth ministry training program
and they're moving on
to becoming ministers.
- Amen. Amen.
- Hallelujah.
- Wanna swing by the mall later?
- I can't.
My dad's in a meeting
and my mom's picking me up.
Man, your cousin Charlene
is gonna be there.
Now you trying to get at my cousin?
She must be trying to get at me.
She gave me her number.
Let me see. Give me that, man.
What are you...?
- Crazy?
- Minister Hunter.
Can I speak to you for a minute?
That ain't even the right number
anyway. It starts with a 404.
- Lorraine Taylor?
- Room 201.
Where's the father?
On his way back from a conference.
Dear Lord
please don't let my mother die.
She's done so much for people.
And we need her here with us, Lord.
I'd do anything you ask.
Anything.
Please.
I love you.
- Ernestine.
- Bishop.
I got here as soon as I could.
Is she okay?
- Let me... No, I'm so sorry.
- Ernestine.
She's gone.
Ernestine, no.
But before you go in the room,
I need to talk to you.
I just need to go in and see her.
- Let me just go in and see her.
- No, bishop, please.
- Let me go in and see her.
- What's he doing here?
- Son, I'm sorry.
- No. My mother's already gone.
- It's too late now.
- David.
She died and you were away
with the church like always.
Son.
- There are things parents need to...
- Get off of me. I hate you!
Ernestine.
David.
David.
D. T! D. T! D. T! D. T!
You did your thing out there, man.
That's what it do.
What did I say? Rip the shirt off.
See how they fell all over the place?
- That's what I'm talking about.
- God!
- And I'm just getting started, huh?
- I know this.
In six months, David Taylor's
gonna be a household name.
That's what I've been
telling you, boy.
Hey, man, you packing clubs
like a superstar.
Selling records like a superstar.
- Now I want dollars like a superstar.
- Superstar.
Yo, Dave. What up?
I gotta buy tickets
to holler at you now?
- Something you need, Stone?
- No.
I'm trying to holler at the man
I helped make a superstar. It's all chill.
But he's still gotta holler at me
about that contract.
Look, man, you're drunk.
I got nothing to say.
- You got nothing to say to me?
- Are you deaf?
I got something to say to you!
D! D!
Where's security at?
- It's over, man, it's over.
- What's up? Get off of me.
You want some more of this? What?
- Take him home.
- Get him out of here, boy.
- What is wrong with that guy?
- It's cool.
- I put him on!
- I know. Ignorant.
It's all good.
- Relax.
- I put him on a hit record.
Don't let him spoil our night.
Know what I'm saying? In fact
I got a couple dime brizzles
picked out just for you, baby.
Look at them right there.
- That's why you're my manager.
- Yes, sir.
- Wesley said it, and it shall be done.
- And it shall be done.
Yes, sir. Yo, let's mix some drinks
up in here, baby.
Last quarter, New Revelations'
attendance was down 18 percent.
Well, that may be true
on the surface
but if you'll look at the
quarterly report, you'll see
that the 18-percent drop has not
affected our primary financial base.
You can pay the mortgage,
utilities and payroll
but there's no room
for renovations.
And it's put an additional burden
on your core congregation.
I think our congregation
is in a better position
to tell us what's a burden to them.
Where are you going to get
money for supplies?
That's the reason
we're asking for your help.
Give us a few days. I'll take it under
advisement, and we'll contact you.
Henry, that won't be necessary.
They're giving us a few days.
Bishop Stackhouse has something
he needs to tell us.
And you're not gonna
leave here until you do, Henry.
We go back, Fred.
Obviously, we don't
go back far enough.
This is not about friendship.
It's about what's practical.
And what exactly does that mean?
It means you've got 30 days.
If you've got a thriving congregation,
then you've got our support.
But what you need to do
is put yourself in a mental state
where you can tell your congregation
that you're gonna be closing down.
This is my life's work, Henry,
and you know that.
- It's bigger than you.
- But it's not bigger than God.
Let me tell you something, Henry.
I won't let you.
- You what?
- I wont let you!
Call 911.
Answer your phone.
What's up?
Hey, Miss Ernestine.
No, I'm good. What's going on?
Yeah.
No, tomorrow's the last show.
What?
Slow down.
Oh, boy. What about him?
What? When?
Well...
Yeah, well, all right. Can l...?
Let me call you back.
All right.
See? Now, that's the reason
I got into this business.
The dime brizzles.
And I be working for you, D.
Making moves, miracles
and dreams come true.
Talked to Phil Fishman
three times this a.m.
He started out with that same old
Little Orphan Annie spiel.
I put the brother on front street.
Let him know I'm not new to this,
I'm true to this.
- Brother's gotta get paid, you know?
- Yeah, that's good.
"Yeah, that's good"?
That's not the response
when your man tells you
he just broke his foot off into
somebody's hind parts on your behalf.
What's really going on?
My old man
he's sick.
Damn.
I'm real sorry to hear that, dog.
- Is it serious?
- I don't know.
I think I'm gonna have to
go home for a minute.
For sure.
Absolutely, man.
It's the right thing to do.
Spend time with pops,
make sure he's straight.
Don't worry about nothing. I'll work out
this thing with Sandstone
set up the deal with the promoter
and fly down there to meet you.
All right? It's gonna be all good.
Wesley said it, and it shall be done.
The temperature tonight
is in the upper 40s
with a high tomorrow
of 65 degrees.
- Frank?
- Oh, hold on, baby.
- Join us Sunday mornings at 9...
- I don't want to miss this.
... for the hour of Divine Gospel
led by Reverend Isaac Winston...
- Frank.
- ... of Divine Soul Ministries
right here.
That's what I'm talking about.
You feel like the hand of God
just came in and touched you.
You know what I mean, baby?
Charlene?
I came down to say
good night to you.
I know. I know. I was...
You were just watching
Divine Souls Ministries' commercial.
You gotta give it to them.
They doing it way big.
Radio, TV, on the front covers
of magazines.
They're like the all-stars
of the gospel game.
You will be too.
- How's your sermon coming?
- Oh, it's good, you know.
I worked on it all morning.
I'll work on it all night
if that's what it takes.
You nervous about tomorrow?
I don't know.
On one hand, it's like I've been waiting
for this moment my whole life
but on the other hand
if it means Bishop Taylor's
gonna have to die for me to get it
then I'll pass.
But it was just a minor attack.
He'll be back
at the church tomorrow.
Yeah.
You're so beautiful, baby.
Thank you.
I can't.
Baby, it's been a long time.
- I know, but I'm just...
- But you're tired.
You're tired. Lord
help me. I'm a patient man.
It's part of what makes me
a good minister, I guess
but, Charlene
you ain't the congregation.
You're my wife.
Yeah. Yeah.
Thank you.
Now, before I take my seat
I want y'all to rejoice
in the blessings from God.
- Amen?
- Amen.
Don't be ashamed, you know.
If God blesses you
with the money to buy that car
and that ice and that bling,
then that's all right.
That's all right.
But in rejoicing, I want you to always
acknowledge where it came from.
Amen? Hallelujah.
All right.
The Minister Frank.
Charles Frank.
I've been watching him
since he was a little boy.
Reverend Charles Frank. Let's just
give him one more hallelujah.
As the choir starts to sing, we gonna
invite y'all to come up to the altar.
You know, sometimes
we lose our way.
Sometimes we struggle
with our faith.
But if you put your faith in God
you can't go wrong.
If you're looking for a church home,
come on and join our family.
There's no such thing
as a perfect church.
But I'm here to tell you,
there is a perfect God.
Now, as the new saints
turn and face the congregation
the congregation has something
they wanna tell you.
Welcome home!
And that's what we say when you
join our church. Welcome home.
This is big. I worked it out.
The Reverend Isaac Winston
wants to meet you.
I'm serious. Apparently he's heard
some great things about you.
As soon as he gets
a break in his schedule
he wants to take you to lunch.
- That's big.
This is big. This is what we've been
waiting for. You're on the way.
- I'll see you in a little bit.
- All right.
Excuse me. You're David Taylor,
aren't you?
- Yeah.
- Told you.
It's great that you still come by
the church when you're in town.
No one's supposed
to know I'm here.
- It's a surprise for my father.
- Well, good for him.
I know I'd be surprised if I came home
and found you in my living room
singing your song
"Let Me Undress You."
I'd be happy and both surprised
at the same time.
- Do you have a girlfriend?
- All right, now, ladies, come on, now.
Let the man be.
He came to hear the word of God
not be put on the spot.
- Okay. Well, David
it was nice meeting you.
- Nice to meet you.
Where your Bible at?
You still got the gift of gab, I see.
Well, you know. I try to be
of service to those in need.
- Right.
- You look good, though, man.
I mean, you look real good. It's good
to have you back in the church.
Help offset that bumping and grinding
you've been doing in them videos.
- Hey, cousin.
- Hey, cousin.
- How you doing?
- I'm good, David.
- Good to see you.
- Good to see you too.
- When did you get here?
- This morning. Came right to church.
I knew y'all would be
doing your thing here.
Yeah, we are.
Does the bishop know you're here?
Not yet. No, I'm gonna go up
and surprise him now.
- Okay.
- Baby, we gotta go so we can...
Yeah, we do. Well, how long
are you gonna be here?
- A couple days, maybe a week.
- You're not going
without having dinner
with Frank and me.
- Okay, no doubt. Yeah.
- Okay?
- All right, Frankie.
- All right, David.
- Take care, man. All right.
- Love you. All right.
I printed out directions
and a map for your trip.
I know where I'm going, Ernestine,
and I'm gonna be okay.
When you get lost, I'll be sure
to refer to this conversation.
Come in.
I'm good.
Give your father a hug, son.
How you doing?
I guess I'll leave you two alone.
I'm so glad you came.
Me too.
It's good to see you.
Yep.
And you're back in the church.
The Lord never ceases
to amaze me.
Yeah, Frank, he preached
a good sermon today.
Yeah, he's developing
into a real fine minister.
Good for him.
So, what brings you here, son?
You got another concert
or something?
Miss Ernestine called me.
She said you weren't feeling well.
Now, I told her you were a busy man,
and I wish she hadn't done that.
Dad, I'm not too busy to wanna know
whether or not you're okay.
You know, I left your room
just like you had it.
Look
what's going on? Seriously.
I have...
I've got prostate cancer.
So how long have you known?
I've known for a while now.
I haven't shared it
with too many folks.
You know, these things
have a way of getting out.
- How many people know?
- Well, Ernestine, of course.
Minister Hunter.
- Frank and your cousin Charlene.
- Frank.
Yeah.
And you weren't gonna tell me?
Son, it's complicated.
I am going to be stepping down
as the church's bishop.
- Hey.
- Yeah.
Now, was it just me
or David didn't seem like he
wanted to be in church today?
Well, Miss Ernestine called him
and he came.
Miss Ernestine called?
Not Bishop Taylor?
My uncle's a minister
but he can't get beyond the worst
of the seven deadly sins.
- Pride.
- There you go.
I don't know,
it just seemed awkward
having David Taylor
at the church today.
- Don't do that, Frank. Please?
- What?
Don't talk about my cousin
like he's other people.
I'm saying, spiritually,
we don't know where David's been
or what he's been up to.
Am I not saying it right?
No, you're saying it perfect.
- Oh, come on.
- It's coming out great.
We got enough problems
on our plate
without adding David
to the equation, that's for sure.
Well, I go see Dr. Morris tomorrow.
Amen.
That's encouraging.
Well, we'll see what happens.
Sure would be nice to have
the loving part of our marriage back.
Yeah. Sure would be nice.
- Hey.
- Hey, bishop. Good to see you.
We brought you
some boxes of clothes.
We got some more
out in the hallway.
I appreciate that, Bishop Taylor.
We'll take care of that for you.
It's good to see you, bishop.
Hey. I should've known.
It's you.
Hey, man, good to meet you.
- Good to meet you.
- Yeah. That's cool.
You got a lot of influence
over people.
Maybe you ought to work
with the choir while you're here.
Dad, look, I came to see about you,
all right? Not the church.
Well, maybe you don't realize
they're one and the same.
Yeah. That's always been
the problem between you and I.
Look, I'm gonna go and see
one of my friends. I'll be back.
Well, we're gonna be ready
to give you a grand sendoff.
Yeah. It's good to see you.
You know, that is a great man.
He comes here twice a week,
every week.
I don't know where
he finds the time.
Yeah, he's been that way
ever since I was a kid.
I know he's proud of you.
Hey, it was nice to meet you, man.
Look, my client acted
on good faith
assuming things
would be negotiable
which is why he refused
to sign the contract.
Look, Sandstone.
You agreed to the deal, and you
can't just change the terms now
because the song's a hit.
- It was a bad deal from the jump.
With the cash that song made,
I'm supposed to get more.
"It was a bad deal."
You know what, I took the risk.
If the song was a bust,
I'd be left holding the bag.
My client should also be guaranteed
that two of his tracks
appear on the next
David Taylor album.
Hold on. You know what?
You can have my answer right now.
You get nothing.
No track, no money.
Wanna take me to court? Go ahead.
It'll be a cold day in hell
before I let a chump like you
extort money from me.
So that went well.
- Hey. Hey, Reverend.
- Bishop.
- How you doing?
- Man, how you doing?
- I'm doing great.
- Good to see you.
Look, I'm glad you're a little early.
There are a few things
I wanna talk to you about.
No problem. What's going on?
You know, minister, I don't know
how much time I've got left.
And I think it's about time
I choose a successor.
I agree. I agree totally.
That's why I'm gonna choose Frank
when I step down.
- Frank?
- Yeah.
Look, with all due respect, sir
I just always thought,
when the time came
that you'd pass the baton to me.
You know, minister, you've been
a great administrator for this church
and you've been a good friend.
And I expect you
to do the same for Frank.
We're just gonna leave this
in God's hands.
Come on, now.
It's gonna be all right.
We're living in a brave new world.
We're competing against tabloids
rappers, music videos,
basketball players, Internet.
People are seeking guidance
from everywhere outside the church.
Now, if we don't step up our game,
we're gonna get left behind.
We can't preach prosperity
and blessing
when we ain't looking the part.
That's not gonna fly.
I'm sorry, I didn't know
you were meeting.
- Come in, have a seat.
- I'll come back.
- No, no, no.
- You sure?
We all like family here.
You were saying, Frank?
We done made our repairs.
The roof, plumbing, the transformer.
You know, I believe in maintenance,
but this here is ridiculous.
Now, we need a new church.
A new church.
- But we've been here for years.
- A new facility would be nice.
- Yeah.
- The board of churches
has already denied us funds
to do repairs in this church.
What makes you think
they gonna give us money
to build a new church, Frank?
Besides, this church right here
has been a historical pillar
of strength in this community
for as long as I can remember.
I'm sorry, Bishop Taylor, but you see.
It's like the Lord himself saying:
"If y'all won't erect
a brand-new church
l'm gonna take this one down."
So, what do you propose, Frank?
Minister Hunter here could get us
a great low-interest loan, right?
But we gonna need
the down payment...
- And how much?
... in a few weeks.
About 150,000.
Assuming that
this thing is feasible
how soon can we come up
with a down payment?
- The repairs have depleted all of our...
- I got an idea. Sorry.
Why don't we just ask David
to cover the shortfall.
Then we'll pay him back.
- David?
- Right?
Wow, that's a great idea, yeah.
I mean...
I got a better idea, though.
What if I just call in some favors
with my artist friends and we'll have
a concert and raise the funds?
- Like a revival.
- Exactly. Yeah.
I mean, it's great for them because
most of them are spiritual anyways.
Right? And then the publicity will help
bring new members to the church.
Yeah, we could also make it part of
Bishop Taylor's retirement celebration.
Use it as a way
to salute in a new legacy.
- I like it.
- I like it.
Now, assuming, David, you could
help me out with the choir.
Oh, but, Dad, my quota's
one great idea a day.
I think David has exhausted
himself a little bit.
Hold it up, y'all. Hold it up. Everybody,
I'm sure you know David "D.T." Taylor.
This is Bishop's son.
But what you don't know, he got
his start right here in this choir.
- Yep.
- He stopped by to give us a few words.
- Oh, no, no.
- Come on, man. Let's give it up.
Stop, stop, stop.
Watching you guys sing
is really something.
I have one suggestion, though.
- Just an idea.
- Sure, by all means.
Opposed to starting with the solo,
go with the alto section first.
And then the tenors and the bass
and then maybe
the solo or something.
- Let's do it your way.
- I don't know.
All right. Oh, okay, cool.
All right, ready?
We ran late, but I'm on my way.
- Hey. So how did you like the new...?
- I have a phone to my ear.
What do you think that means?
Give me 30 minutes? Okay.
You were saying?
Only that I hope you like
the changes that we made.
They were good changes.
I was kind of impressed
Mr. "Undress You" Man by night
and servant to the Lord by day.
Servant...?
Okay, okay. Hold on, hold on.
So is that how you operate?
A few snide comments and you just
vanish without a trace or a name?
It's Rain.
- Rain. Well, that's cute.
- Cute?
You headed somewhere specific?
Wanna grab a bite?
- That is, if your man is cool with it.
- Excuse me?
- Well, I see you've met my niece.
- Oh, Minister Hunter, yes.
Hey, Uncle.
We've gotta go pick up Alexis.
- Right. Catch you later, David.
- Okay, take it easy. Good to see you.
All right.
I heard Brother Gordon invited you
to sing with the choir.
Yeah, we talked about it.
Hey, Frank.
How long did you know
about my father?
Well
he told me shortly after
he was diagnosed.
How come you didn't call me?
I didn't feel it was
my responsibility
to tell you about your own father.
You know...
No.
Wait till Sunday.
You're gonna love my performance.
All right, now.
I'm a little concerned
about David, sir.
- Why so?
- Don't get me wrong.
I'm thrilled to have him back
at the church
but I was a little surprised at his
involvement in the board meeting.
You know, I remember
when y'all used to be so close.
And how hard you took it
when he left the church.
We all love David, you know
but I just wonder if his presence
is not gonna send out
the wrong message
to the other members.
- I understand.
- Yeah, now he's singing
with the choir on Sunday.
Well, you know, I encouraged him
to get involved with the choir.
Well, now, I don't know. I mean,
I'm just worried that, you know
him singing with the choir will
send the wrong impression.
He's a secular artist with a hit song
called "Let Me Undress You."
I mean, you see
what I'm getting at?
- Doesn't look good, huh?
- No, sir.
- No, sir.
- Well, you know, I'm of the mindset
that we should spend
a little less time looking good
and a little more time
actually being good.
Now, I know David's involvement
may ruffle a few feathers.
But I'm gonna encourage his growth
just like I did with you.
- You remember that, don't you?
- Yeah.
- Come on, now.
- Yes, sir.
Now, we gotta leave those things
in God's hands.
The God I serve got a way
of working it all out.
And I want you
to stop worrying so much.
- You hear me?
- Yes, sir.
- All right, now.
- All right.
I'm gonna sing with the choir on
Sunday. You should come through.
- What's the punch line?
- Well, I figured since I'm in town
I might as well help out.
They're trying to raise money
for a new church.
- They paying you for that?
- Come on, man.
I'm serious, D.
You get 40 thou a show, minimum.
I don't get 10 percent
of these freebies.
- It's for the church, man.
- All right.
You sing with the choir.
They hype it up
take up a little collection,
and for what?
So Deacon So-and-So
can get a new Benz?
Fishman has already put together
the new tour.
We get out there or risk losing that.
- Just work it out.
- Work out what, D?
My father is sick.
How can I say no?
Want me to do the dance?
So I'm shucking and jiving.
But we gotta get back out there, man.
Time is money.
You the "Undress Me" man, right?
- Yeah, that's my song.
- I told y'all that was him.
Hey, how can I get you to listen
to one of my demos?
I got a card right here.
- You can hit me up...
- Hold up.
I'm singing at
New Revelations Church on Sunday.
Find your way there,
I'll check you out.
Church?
This is the demo CD
I was telling you about.
So we're bribing people
to come to church now.
All right, man, I appreciate that.
I enjoyed the singing today.
- Thank you. Y'all take care, now.
- All right.
- You really blew us away back there.
- Oh, well, I just do what I do
when I do what I do.
Oh, hey.
- And who are you?
- Alexis.
Hi, Alexis. That's a beautiful name.
- Wow, how old are you?
- Five. How old are you?
I'm 105.
It's nice to meet you.
- Wow, she's adorable.
- Thanks.
- I see where she gets it.
- Laying it on thick, I see.
Is there any other way to do it?
Look, I'd rather continue
our lovely banter
under different circumstances.
Are there some digits I could use
to make that happen?
Are you asking
for my phone number?
Hi, I'm here for Rain.
Sure. Come in.
You know, he's cuter on TV.
- Hey, Maya.
- What?
I mean, he looks good, okay?
I'm just saying,
keep it in perspective.
You know how you get sometimes.
Oscar.
You ready?
Sure.
My uncle tells me you may sing again
with the choir next Sunday.
Oh, really? Well...
l'm thinking about it.
- Why?
- Why?
Yeah. What's your motivation?
- Do I need one?
- Yeah.
When you sing in the choir,
it's called praise.
Because you're praising the Lord.
That's why I do it.
So why are you doing it?
Does your sister give every man
the third degree?
- Weren't we just talking about you?
- Now we're talking about you.
Oh, goodness.
You were about to answer
items one through 12
on the first-date questionnaire.
I have a beautiful daughter
and her father and I
couldn't make it work.
- Is that why you left Chicago?
- One of the reasons.
I also didn't wanna raise Alexis
in the city.
Now your turn.
Motivation.
Motivation? Well, I could give you
about a half a dozen reasons
but none beats the idea
of doing a duet with you.
Cheers.
Cheers.
Charlene.
Charlene.
So
I guess that's it.
- I had a nice time.
- Me too. Me too. It was...
It was great.
- Good night.
- Yeah. Good night.
- Good night. All right.
- Good night.
See you later.
What? I gotta do something
while you playing David the saint.
- I didn't say nothing.
- I'm gonna do me, then.
- All right. Go ahead, baby.
- No fingerprints.
So let me get this straight.
You're dating this chick.
- Rain.
- Oh, she's a stripper?
- That's all you had to say.
- What? She's not a stripper.
- Her mama gave her that name.
- Oh, okay.
- Rain, that's French.
- It's French, huh?
So
you're not hitting it, because
she's saving it for marriage.
- Yeah.
- But she already has a kid.
So?
Ain't that like closing the barn door
after the horses already escaped?
Who hurt you, man?
I'm telling you, girl,
if you're gonna marry the man
tell him you wear a weave.
Otherwise he's gonna think his kids
are gonna be born with straight hair.
Hold on.
- Who is it?
- It's Oscar.
Hey. Let me call you back.
Okay.
- How's it going?
- What are you doing here?
You gonna let me come in,
or do I have to stay out in the rain?
- Daddy!
- Hey, Daddy's little princess.
- Look at you. How you doing?
- Good.
You have got to get over that
"bad boy being saved by the love of
a good woman and Jesus" syndrome.
It ain't healthy. Next thing you know,
you'll try to do an all-gospel album.
Could you just take your shot?
Look what I drew, Daddy.
It's a house.
- Wow, that's really good. Look at you.
- You couldn't call first?
Oscar.
I'm sorry, okay?
I figured if I called, you wouldn't let me
come by and see Alexis.
- I was in the neighborhood...
- In the neighborhood?
Your sister didn't tell you?
I got reassigned to Fort McPherson,
so I'll be in town for a while.
I'll come by and play with you
and see you
and love on you and kiss on you
whenever I get ready.
I hate to put a dent
in your hometown fantasy
but we're running out of time
in Fishman's favor bank.
He wants us back on tour
by the end of the week.
What?
Look, man, I'm sorry about what
happened to your pops, really.
We gotta get back in the saddle, D.
Look, I don't know.
You're a superstar.
A long way
from where we came from.
Struggling, working the late shift.
You know what I'm talking about?
Now it's four-star hotels, limos,
women on standby.
That's the American Idol dream, baby.
What's to know?
What about Cathy?
Cathy and I are no longer together.
- Sorry to hear that.
- Oh, no, don't be sorry. She...
Cathy wasn't my speed, you know.
It's all about the money, right?
I care about the money, yeah.
But I also care about you.
When you said you wanted more,
I got you more.
And don't tell me
you don't miss the road.
Ate good, slept late
fists full of dime brizzles.
You know
that gospel-album idea
doesn't sound bad.
Man, I was just playing about that.
All right. There you go.
- Keep playing, man.
- Man, stop crying.
Man, answer your phone.
Hello?
- Fred Taylor.
- 201.
Hey.
- I'm glad you came, son.
- Yeah, me too.
I told them not to
worry you and burden you.
I got so much
I wanted to say to you.
It's all right.
Back when I was a kid
my father never told me
he loved me.
I want you to know
that I never stopped
loving you, son.
I know, Dad. I know.
I love you too.
When your mother died
a lot of things changed
between me and you, David.
Son, when you're young
there are a lot of things
you don't understand.
- Yeah.
- And I was being pulled
in so many different directions.
Trying to build my church.
Trying to be a good husband.
And I tried to be a good father
to you, David.
I'm so proud of you, David.
I prayed and I prayed
and he brought you back.
Yeah. I'm here.
It's okay.
It's okay, son.
It's okay.
We'll make sure that the center
does a special service for him.
And know that we'll always
be there for you, okay?
- Thank you.
- God bless you.
I can't buy you the things
that he can
and I'm not famous
or anything like that.
Where's all this coming from?
I know I've made some mistakes
in the past.
But I've always taken care
of my responsibilities.
I've been doing
some soul-searching
and I'm just trying to get it right,
you know?
And I've been thinking that maybe
we could work on being together.
Being a family.
That is
if things between you and
the megastar aren't too serious.
Think about it.
The celebration will honor
my uncle Bishop Taylor's memory
and, in conclusion
we will publicly recognize my
husband, Frank, as the new pastor.
Now, there'll be a lot of important
people there to help move
our ministry to the next level.
- Really?
- Yeah, I mean, we need a victory lap
to help show the congregation
and the head bishop
that we in good shape.
And, oh, I wanna take a special
offering on Sunday's service
to help propel us towards that goal.
Write that down.
I'll set it up, but I'm scheduled
to visit Divine Souls
for the pastor's
anniversary service
so I really won't be able
to facilitate that for you.
- Come again?
- I won't be here.
Oh, no, I heard that part.
Does Divine Soul Ministries
take precedence
over New Revelations business?
Listen, Bishop Taylor would never
question my loyalty.
I'm not Bishop Taylor.
You don't have to remind us.
We're all quite painfully aware of that.
Sorry I'm late.
Late for what?
To discuss the revival plans.
Oh, well, you know,
that's mighty noble of you
young David, but...
- Reverend.
I'm sorry, Miss Ernestine. This
meeting is for the business at hand.
If David wants to come back,
make an appointment.
- Thank you very much.
- Appointment?
Does...?
Would you like me
to send a fax or e-mail
or will a phone call suffice?
- That's not necessary.
No, that's all right, Charlene.
We all a little emotional these days.
Put your ego aside for one minute
so we can discuss these plans.
You know, David
this revival isn't just
about Bishop Taylor.
The man who built this church.
We have a congregation
to think about.
Don't pretend this event means
more to you than your own spotlight.
Let church people handle
church business.
This will always be my father's church.
That makes it my business.
Don't come here talking about
"my father" and "his church."
While you were playing
the absentee son
we were here with your father
doing God's work.
Normally, I'd be coming
at you right now, but... Hold on.
- Out of respect for my father's church
and these people, I'll give you a pass.
You can thank your
work with God for that.
Amen.
David.
- David!
- Miss Ernestine, I love you, all right?
But you need
to leave me alone right now.
You're running from the church
that needs you because of adversity?
I'm not a minister, all right?
I'm an entertainer.
That's what I do. That's who I am.
That's what you ran to.
That's not who you are.
Let them fight over it. I don't care.
But it's your father's legacy.
Who's gonna fight if you don't?
David!
So, what's up?
I just wanted to see you before I left.
- You're leaving?
- I gotta get back on tour, you know.
They're expecting me
in Philly tomorrow.
My father's gone.
Ain't no reason for me to stay.
It was nice knowing you too,
even if it was for a little while.
Well, I mean, we can still,
you know, stay in touch.
Well, that's cool. You'll come back.
You'll check on us from time to time.
- That's not what I meant.
- No, really, it's cool.
Are you gonna get this?
Someone must really be trying
to reach you.
It's Oscar.
Oh, Alexis' father.
He just moved back here.
What's that?
Right.
Oh, absolutely.
Well, right now, Dave's just picking up
a few family mementos.
Yes, sir. We'll hit up
a couple clubs tonight
then tomorrow we're on
the first thing smoking out of here.
Well, this is our first concert
since our little hiatus
so we wanna do it big. I'm talking
about big with a capital l-G.
A dozen dime brizzles on standby
for deviant behavior.
Wes.
Hold on a sec. What up, D?
Change of plans.
After the choir sings,
the next voice you'll hear
is the Minister Terence Hunter
from New Revelations.
Let's make sure that we give him
a Divine Souls welcome.
Amen.
That's some mighty powerful words
you gave us in there. I appreciate that.
Thanks for having me. You guys are
doing some amazing things here.
I can honestly say that the Lord is
blessing us here at Divine Souls.
I know what's going on
with New Revelations.
You trying to make
the deadline and all.
So how is that coming, anyway?
Let's just say I'm praying
about the whole situation
and still waiting for some direction.
Come on, now!
Amen.
God is good.
We are blessed.
- It's a new day!
- New day!
- Amen?
- Amen.
Amen. I want you to turn your Bibles
to the Book of Acts.
- Thank you.
- Nice to meet you. All right.
- I thought you went back on tour.
- I...
I decided to stick around for a while.
Hey, what's going on?
How are you?
- Good.
- You sang beautifully today.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
David, this is Oscar.
- Heard a lot about you.
- Same here.
Yeah, good to meet you.
Nice turnout.
See this?
- We knew he was gonna do it.
- We knew he was gonna do it
but we didn't know
he'd tell the world.
My lawyer said he'll have
the injunction squashed
and my residuals
back online in 30 days.
Great. But the P.R. Is bad.
Should've just put him on a song
and been done with it.
Now he's making us look like fake
producers while I line up new work.
- Did Fishman give us the extension?
- He gave it to us, yeah. But that's it.
We gotta be back on the road
the day after the revival.
Or your tour will be over faster
than you can say C+C Music Factory.
- Who?
- My point exactly.
- Minister Hunter, you got a moment?
- Sure.
- I'll see you inside.
- All right, baby.
How was your meeting
at Divine Souls?
It was fine. Why?
Well, I was just wondering
why one of my clergymen
would share Revelations business
with a member of another church.
Isaac Winston, especially.
What are you trying to do?
Make me look bad?
- You've got that covered by yourself.
- Right.
Why don't we be honest
for one moment.
You have a problem
with my appointment.
No. I've got a problem
with your attitude and perspectives.
And let me tell you,
the only reason I'm working with you
is because Bishop Taylor
asked me to.
In case you haven't figured it out,
as the head pastor of this church
it isn't up to me
to listen to your vision.
- It is the other way around.
- Who do you think you are?
I'm the pastor.
Better check yourself
before you're left here
with a congregation of one.
- You need to deal with this.
- I'll see you in a minute.
- Minister Hunter.
- Hey, David.
You're not staying for the service?
Is everything okay?
Look, I'm just glad you decided
to stick around.
This is your father's church.
He and I didn't always agree
but he always had a reason
for everything that he did.
Don't let that legacy get lost
in this new vision of Frank's ego.
Reverend Frank, you've made
community service your mission.
Reverend Charles Frank.
David Taylor.
I'm so excited
that you are here today.
This revival is gonna signify
the rebirth of evangelism
and my commitment to aggressively
spreading the Gospel to people.
You know, after this event,
people will truly understand
the vision of Reverend
Charles Frank
and how the Lord is using me
to bless others.
Now, David, you went from the church
to the top of the R & B charts
and back to the pulpit.
- Help me understand how it happened.
- My dad.
Well, my father was the bishop and
the cofounder of New Revelations.
So that's where I have my roots.
- I love music.
- So there's no problem
with this Sandstone thing
and everything?
- There's allegations.
- I can't talk about it.
People are talking about your
new song and the credit disputes.
It's really nothing. We had minor
creative differences. We talked it out.
- That happens in the industry?
- Happens all the time.
- We work it out. Everything is good?
- Everything is perfect.
- Now the revival.
- You know...
Reverend Frank and I are very excited
about the revival.
We'll have tons of musical surprises
at the revival.
We want everyone to support.
We're building a new church.
That is a beautiful thing.
The David Taylor gospel performance
this weekend, huh?
Definitely. Yeah. What better way
to pay homage to my father
than to salute him through song.
And with a new building.
Patrick. Hi, it's Charlene.
Yeah.
Yeah, I need you to do
a little research for me.
Come on, make a joyful noise
in this house.
Make a joyful noise.
Come on, make a joyful noise.
We are here
at the Hosea Williams Center
for the New Revelations
celebration.
There are a number of celebrities
and influential people on hand
including famed
Reverend Isaac Winston
of the global-reaching
Divine Souls Ministry.
I have not seen a faith-based event
of this stature in quite some time.
I'm so glad you made it.
I wouldn't miss this
for anything in the world.
Hallelujah!
Come on, make it glorious!
Make it glorious!
The event is packed.
Anticipation is high.
And it all seems to center
around one man, David Taylor.
And now, the next voice
that you will hear
is that of the newly appointed
and anointed
Reverend Charles Frank.
Hallelujah!
You'd think he built this church
with his bare hands.
Praise Jesus. Amen. Amen.
Praise the Lord.
Praise Jesus. Amen.
God is good. Hallelujah.
- You know, when I was...
- I just wanna share
with you how I remember
when my father, Bishop Taylor
founded New Revelations.
Remember that, Frank?
Of course. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.
As a little boy,
he instilled in me the need
to preach the word of God
in a way that made
everyone open
to receive it.
Not just the rich and educated,
but everyone.
- He taught us...
- You know, we thank
brother Taylor here for his rendition
in our memorial. Don't we, saints?
Amen.
But, you know, when Moses
led the slaves away from Pharaoh
he had a vision. When he
received the Commandments
from the mountaintop,
he had a vision. Amen?
And when the naysayers
wanted to return
to the bondage of slavery
rather than see that vision
Moses parted the Red Sea. Amen.
Oh, I'll tell you. He did not need
the approval of his comrades.
No, he needed a vision from God,
and let no man
no man challenge his destiny.
Hallelujah. Praise the Lord.
We can definitely afford
the down payment now.
Just when I was looking
at giving you guys a check.
Well, the Lord helps those
who help themselves.
Yes, and you guys have certainly
worked hard at the church.
That had to do with David
and the people he got to perform.
And let's not forget the excellent
sermon by Reverend Frank.
No, not at all. It was fascinating
as well as effective.
And, Miss Adams,
you were simply spectacular.
With all that Bishop Taylor did
for this city, it was the least I could do.
Bishop had a profound effect on us all.
We loved it when he came to Detroit.
Well, I'm especially proud
and appreciative
because he was a huge fan
of the both of you.
Now, he left some big shoes to fill.
Make us proud.
He's gonna be all right.
He's got some good stock.
I cannot believe you, David.
How can you
embarrass this church?
Hold on. The people that performed
came because I asked them.
Let's not forget the tickets
my name sold.
Despite your husband's
pathetic personal infomercial.
I wanna say something, I'll say it.
I earned that much.
You earned that much? You don't
even know what that word means.
My cousin, the two-bit thief,
who goes from minor performer
to chart-topper by forcing
Sandstone into signing a bogus deal?
No, no, no. Did you even imagine
what kind of dark cloud
you could've put over
what Frank has worked hard for?
And I stuck up for you.
I have better things
to do with my imagination
than to worry about Frank's
delusions of grandeur.
All right? I'll leave that to you.
Yeah, go ahead and run, David.
You've always been good at that.
So don't keep me in suspense.
Who are they from?
"Looking forward to a new start.
David."
So all this is yours.
I underestimated you, Frank.
I gotta tell you, man,
I am very impressed.
That means a lot coming from you.
I mean, with your pull on the north
and my developments here,
we can do things in this world
that few men have ever thought of.
First New Revelations
and next the world, huh?
- Amen.
- Brother, you are ambitious.
- Miss Ernestine.
- Never thought Eden
would be littered
with so many emotional demons.
I'll give you two a moment to talk.
You know, Miss Ernestine, I ain't
no different from Martin Luther King
or any other great man
with a vision.
Don't sell yourself short, son.
Tell me what you really think.
Oh, when I'm done, I'm gonna
have me a retirement village
and a grade school out here.
I always figured your passion
to do God's work
would do wonders for his ministry.
Now it seems to have become
a drug for the spotlight.
- What's wrong with progression?
- Nothing.
As long as the priorities line up.
Some might get lost in the hype
and see it as playing with God.
Kind of makes you question
Bishop Taylor's selection of you.
Funny
I never questioned
his judgment before.
So, what are you saying?
With all the bickering, dissension
and the wives, I...
I don't think I have the stomach
for this anymore.
D. All right, I trust you
and I believe in you
but you need to let me
send a car for you.
You don't need to send a car.
I got the rental.
I hear you talking. Now, be for real,
will you be at the airport or what?
- I'll be there.
- I said, you... Hello?
Hey. Look, I'm sorry for just...
You got company, huh? That's...
My bad.
David, wait. Wait.
Look, I like you. I do.
And I want nothing more
than for you to be happy.
It's just that right now, I think I'm more
of a convenient distraction.
A convenient distraction.
I'll remember to program that into my
phone, all right, next to your number.
I'm not saying
you're not being sincere.
It's just that
you're all over the place.
- And I want you to have time...
- Look, listen to me.
You have a shot at making things
work with the father of your child.
Who could be mad at that?
All right?
Why are you sitting in the dark?
I may have been in the dark
all this time and I just didn't know it.
About what?
About the church.
About David, about everything.
You don't have to worry
about David.
After what I found out, he's not gonna
be a thorn in your side anymore.
You're responsible
for people seeing that?
I have to protect the church, Frank.
In the process,
what have we become?
What?
Are you?
Are you putting this all on me?
You're my wife, church's legal
counsel and David's cousin.
Who else am I supposed
to put this on?
Don't you get
self-righteous with me, Frank.
I'm serious. You know,
I can deal with the arrogance.
I can deal with the ego,
I can deal with the insensitivity
but I won't stomach hypocrisy.
- Now, hold on, Charlene!
No, you let me talk!
You can talk when I'm finished.
This thing between us doesn't have
anything to do with David or church.
It has everything to do
with you wanting a family
and me not being able
to give you one.
- I didn't say any of that.
- You say it all the time!
Every day you say it! The way you
look at me, the way you touch me.
I'm tired of being made to feel like
half a woman
because I can't give you a child.
- Well, you know what?
You might not feel that way if you gave
your man something to look forward to!
I didn't mean that.
I didn't mean it.
You're amazing.
You quote Scripture
like nobody I know.
You know the Bible
backward and forward.
And you still...
You have no clue.
No clue.
You need Jesus, Frank.
- Charlene.
- You need Jesus.
Charlene.
Attention, passengers, this will be
the final call for flight 201
now boarding at gate 56B.
Excuse me, pastor. It's almost time.
All right.
All right.
I don't really know what to say.
Wish you were here.
You were never there.
All right? I needed you.
I need you now.
As I take this to a close
and reflect on the message.
Living through the eye of the storm.
This particular message
is one that's close to my heart
if I can be transparent
for a moment.
Okay, God.
What do you want from me?
I don't understand.
Why are you doing this again?
Now, I've been living in the
eye of the storm for some time now.
Can we talk about it?
Can we talk about it?
Like many of y'all,
mine was self-imposed.
Now, I could flee or fight.
There ain't no change.
Or I can call on my friends.
They ain't around.
And it's at that moment
that God has you exactly
where he wants you to be.
Dependent on him.
That's right.
Am I supposed to learn something
from this?
Are you listening to me?
Do you hear me?
Do you hear me?
You know, I can think about
how difficult it was for me to let go
of my will, you know, my ego,
and allow God to run things.
Your pastor's not perfect.
I'm flawed.
I'm flawed.
But with God's blessing and direction,
you know
I will see my way
through the storm
and have clear skies
on the other side! Amen?
That's when I can look back
and let my testimony
be a beacon to help someone else
out of the storm too.
- You know?
- Amen.
Yeah.
Okay, I won't run anymore
Lord.
Amen.
Amen.
As the choir begins to sing,
there are some of you
who are going through
your own storms.
Can we talk about it?
Won't you come on down?
Won't you come?
Amen.
Don't allow those situations
in your life
to keep you from having
a relationship with God.
No, you need to know him.
You know, many of us talk about,
"I'll get to know God tomorrow."
Tomorrow is a promise
that you can have salvation today.
Now, won't you come?
Won't you come on down, brother?
Come on down.
Won't you come?
Won't you come, sister?
Come on down, sister.
God loves you. God be praised.
God be praised!
Won't you come?
Come.
There is no perfect church.
If there's a perfect church, it stopped
being perfect when we walked in.
But there is a perfect God.
Won't you come, brother?
Amen.
When I was little, my father read me
the story of a young man
who decided to leave home
and strike out on his own.
He was determined to live life
on his own terms.
And although he knew
right from wrong
it seemed so much better
to do things his own way.
Soon, that road got rough.
He spent all his money
and was doing all sorts of things
to survive.
Eventually, he hit rock bottom.
At that point
he realizes that he had
placed himself in that situation.
And he prayed about it
and returned home.
Now, upon his arrival, his father
prepared a huge feast in celebration.
When his other son inquired
about this, the father told him:
"My son has learned the error
of his ways and he's returned. "
It is my belief that upon that day
of returning to that spiritual place
I will be greeted
by the Almighty Father
and he too will smile upon me
and say:
"Welcome home.
Welcome home. "
Come on and stand up on your feet
and give God some praise.
Get up! Get up! Get up! Get up!
Come on.
Come on. Get up on your feet.
Get up on your feet.
Come on, sing it.
Our God is an awesome God.
I'm so proud of you.
Oh, the Lord is moving in here.
The Lord is moving in here.
Now, I'm here to say
that the God I serve
is a awesome God.
And I'm so happy
that the youth of the church
are channeling their energies
into doing God's work.
I wanna take a minute
to acknowledge two young men
whose stars are shining
especially bright.
My son, David Taylor,
and his close friend, Charles Frank.
Come on up here.
Come on up here, Frank.
- Thank you, Jesus.
- Come on.
These two wonderful young men
are one class shy
of graduating from our
youth ministry training program
and they're moving on
to becoming ministers.
- Amen. Amen.
- Hallelujah.
- Wanna swing by the mall later?
- I can't.
My dad's in a meeting
and my mom's picking me up.
Man, your cousin Charlene
is gonna be there.
Now you trying to get at my cousin?
She must be trying to get at me.
She gave me her number.
Let me see. Give me that, man.
What are you...?
- Crazy?
- Minister Hunter.
Can I speak to you for a minute?
That ain't even the right number
anyway. It starts with a 404.
- Lorraine Taylor?
- Room 201.
Where's the father?
On his way back from a conference.
Dear Lord
please don't let my mother die.
She's done so much for people.
And we need her here with us, Lord.
I'd do anything you ask.
Anything.
Please.
I love you.
- Ernestine.
- Bishop.
I got here as soon as I could.
Is she okay?
- Let me... No, I'm so sorry.
- Ernestine.
She's gone.
Ernestine, no.
But before you go in the room,
I need to talk to you.
I just need to go in and see her.
- Let me just go in and see her.
- No, bishop, please.
- Let me go in and see her.
- What's he doing here?
- Son, I'm sorry.
- No. My mother's already gone.
- It's too late now.
- David.
She died and you were away
with the church like always.
Son.
- There are things parents need to...
- Get off of me. I hate you!
Ernestine.
David.
David.
D. T! D. T! D. T! D. T!
You did your thing out there, man.
That's what it do.
What did I say? Rip the shirt off.
See how they fell all over the place?
- That's what I'm talking about.
- God!
- And I'm just getting started, huh?
- I know this.
In six months, David Taylor's
gonna be a household name.
That's what I've been
telling you, boy.
Hey, man, you packing clubs
like a superstar.
Selling records like a superstar.
- Now I want dollars like a superstar.
- Superstar.
Yo, Dave. What up?
I gotta buy tickets
to holler at you now?
- Something you need, Stone?
- No.
I'm trying to holler at the man
I helped make a superstar. It's all chill.
But he's still gotta holler at me
about that contract.
Look, man, you're drunk.
I got nothing to say.
- You got nothing to say to me?
- Are you deaf?
I got something to say to you!
D! D!
Where's security at?
- It's over, man, it's over.
- What's up? Get off of me.
You want some more of this? What?
- Take him home.
- Get him out of here, boy.
- What is wrong with that guy?
- It's cool.
- I put him on!
- I know. Ignorant.
It's all good.
- Relax.
- I put him on a hit record.
Don't let him spoil our night.
Know what I'm saying? In fact
I got a couple dime brizzles
picked out just for you, baby.
Look at them right there.
- That's why you're my manager.
- Yes, sir.
- Wesley said it, and it shall be done.
- And it shall be done.
Yes, sir. Yo, let's mix some drinks
up in here, baby.
Last quarter, New Revelations'
attendance was down 18 percent.
Well, that may be true
on the surface
but if you'll look at the
quarterly report, you'll see
that the 18-percent drop has not
affected our primary financial base.
You can pay the mortgage,
utilities and payroll
but there's no room
for renovations.
And it's put an additional burden
on your core congregation.
I think our congregation
is in a better position
to tell us what's a burden to them.
Where are you going to get
money for supplies?
That's the reason
we're asking for your help.
Give us a few days. I'll take it under
advisement, and we'll contact you.
Henry, that won't be necessary.
They're giving us a few days.
Bishop Stackhouse has something
he needs to tell us.
And you're not gonna
leave here until you do, Henry.
We go back, Fred.
Obviously, we don't
go back far enough.
This is not about friendship.
It's about what's practical.
And what exactly does that mean?
It means you've got 30 days.
If you've got a thriving congregation,
then you've got our support.
But what you need to do
is put yourself in a mental state
where you can tell your congregation
that you're gonna be closing down.
This is my life's work, Henry,
and you know that.
- It's bigger than you.
- But it's not bigger than God.
Let me tell you something, Henry.
I won't let you.
- You what?
- I wont let you!
Call 911.
Answer your phone.
What's up?
Hey, Miss Ernestine.
No, I'm good. What's going on?
Yeah.
No, tomorrow's the last show.
What?
Slow down.
Oh, boy. What about him?
What? When?
Well...
Yeah, well, all right. Can l...?
Let me call you back.
All right.
See? Now, that's the reason
I got into this business.
The dime brizzles.
And I be working for you, D.
Making moves, miracles
and dreams come true.
Talked to Phil Fishman
three times this a.m.
He started out with that same old
Little Orphan Annie spiel.
I put the brother on front street.
Let him know I'm not new to this,
I'm true to this.
- Brother's gotta get paid, you know?
- Yeah, that's good.
"Yeah, that's good"?
That's not the response
when your man tells you
he just broke his foot off into
somebody's hind parts on your behalf.
What's really going on?
My old man
he's sick.
Damn.
I'm real sorry to hear that, dog.
- Is it serious?
- I don't know.
I think I'm gonna have to
go home for a minute.
For sure.
Absolutely, man.
It's the right thing to do.
Spend time with pops,
make sure he's straight.
Don't worry about nothing. I'll work out
this thing with Sandstone
set up the deal with the promoter
and fly down there to meet you.
All right? It's gonna be all good.
Wesley said it, and it shall be done.
The temperature tonight
is in the upper 40s
with a high tomorrow
of 65 degrees.
- Frank?
- Oh, hold on, baby.
- Join us Sunday mornings at 9...
- I don't want to miss this.
... for the hour of Divine Gospel
led by Reverend Isaac Winston...
- Frank.
- ... of Divine Soul Ministries
right here.
That's what I'm talking about.
You feel like the hand of God
just came in and touched you.
You know what I mean, baby?
Charlene?
I came down to say
good night to you.
I know. I know. I was...
You were just watching
Divine Souls Ministries' commercial.
You gotta give it to them.
They doing it way big.
Radio, TV, on the front covers
of magazines.
They're like the all-stars
of the gospel game.
You will be too.
- How's your sermon coming?
- Oh, it's good, you know.
I worked on it all morning.
I'll work on it all night
if that's what it takes.
You nervous about tomorrow?
I don't know.
On one hand, it's like I've been waiting
for this moment my whole life
but on the other hand
if it means Bishop Taylor's
gonna have to die for me to get it
then I'll pass.
But it was just a minor attack.
He'll be back
at the church tomorrow.
Yeah.
You're so beautiful, baby.
Thank you.
I can't.
Baby, it's been a long time.
- I know, but I'm just...
- But you're tired.
You're tired. Lord
help me. I'm a patient man.
It's part of what makes me
a good minister, I guess
but, Charlene
you ain't the congregation.
You're my wife.
Yeah. Yeah.
Thank you.
Now, before I take my seat
I want y'all to rejoice
in the blessings from God.
- Amen?
- Amen.
Don't be ashamed, you know.
If God blesses you
with the money to buy that car
and that ice and that bling,
then that's all right.
That's all right.
But in rejoicing, I want you to always
acknowledge where it came from.
Amen? Hallelujah.
All right.
The Minister Frank.
Charles Frank.
I've been watching him
since he was a little boy.
Reverend Charles Frank. Let's just
give him one more hallelujah.
As the choir starts to sing, we gonna
invite y'all to come up to the altar.
You know, sometimes
we lose our way.
Sometimes we struggle
with our faith.
But if you put your faith in God
you can't go wrong.
If you're looking for a church home,
come on and join our family.
There's no such thing
as a perfect church.
But I'm here to tell you,
there is a perfect God.
Now, as the new saints
turn and face the congregation
the congregation has something
they wanna tell you.
Welcome home!
And that's what we say when you
join our church. Welcome home.
This is big. I worked it out.
The Reverend Isaac Winston
wants to meet you.
I'm serious. Apparently he's heard
some great things about you.
As soon as he gets
a break in his schedule
he wants to take you to lunch.
- That's big.
This is big. This is what we've been
waiting for. You're on the way.
- I'll see you in a little bit.
- All right.
Excuse me. You're David Taylor,
aren't you?
- Yeah.
- Told you.
It's great that you still come by
the church when you're in town.
No one's supposed
to know I'm here.
- It's a surprise for my father.
- Well, good for him.
I know I'd be surprised if I came home
and found you in my living room
singing your song
"Let Me Undress You."
I'd be happy and both surprised
at the same time.
- Do you have a girlfriend?
- All right, now, ladies, come on, now.
Let the man be.
He came to hear the word of God
not be put on the spot.
- Okay. Well, David
it was nice meeting you.
- Nice to meet you.
Where your Bible at?
You still got the gift of gab, I see.
Well, you know. I try to be
of service to those in need.
- Right.
- You look good, though, man.
I mean, you look real good. It's good
to have you back in the church.
Help offset that bumping and grinding
you've been doing in them videos.
- Hey, cousin.
- Hey, cousin.
- How you doing?
- I'm good, David.
- Good to see you.
- Good to see you too.
- When did you get here?
- This morning. Came right to church.
I knew y'all would be
doing your thing here.
Yeah, we are.
Does the bishop know you're here?
Not yet. No, I'm gonna go up
and surprise him now.
- Okay.
- Baby, we gotta go so we can...
Yeah, we do. Well, how long
are you gonna be here?
- A couple days, maybe a week.
- You're not going
without having dinner
with Frank and me.
- Okay, no doubt. Yeah.
- Okay?
- All right, Frankie.
- All right, David.
- Take care, man. All right.
- Love you. All right.
I printed out directions
and a map for your trip.
I know where I'm going, Ernestine,
and I'm gonna be okay.
When you get lost, I'll be sure
to refer to this conversation.
Come in.
I'm good.
Give your father a hug, son.
How you doing?
I guess I'll leave you two alone.
I'm so glad you came.
Me too.
It's good to see you.
Yep.
And you're back in the church.
The Lord never ceases
to amaze me.
Yeah, Frank, he preached
a good sermon today.
Yeah, he's developing
into a real fine minister.
Good for him.
So, what brings you here, son?
You got another concert
or something?
Miss Ernestine called me.
She said you weren't feeling well.
Now, I told her you were a busy man,
and I wish she hadn't done that.
Dad, I'm not too busy to wanna know
whether or not you're okay.
You know, I left your room
just like you had it.
Look
what's going on? Seriously.
I have...
I've got prostate cancer.
So how long have you known?
I've known for a while now.
I haven't shared it
with too many folks.
You know, these things
have a way of getting out.
- How many people know?
- Well, Ernestine, of course.
Minister Hunter.
- Frank and your cousin Charlene.
- Frank.
Yeah.
And you weren't gonna tell me?
Son, it's complicated.
I am going to be stepping down
as the church's bishop.
- Hey.
- Yeah.
Now, was it just me
or David didn't seem like he
wanted to be in church today?
Well, Miss Ernestine called him
and he came.
Miss Ernestine called?
Not Bishop Taylor?
My uncle's a minister
but he can't get beyond the worst
of the seven deadly sins.
- Pride.
- There you go.
I don't know,
it just seemed awkward
having David Taylor
at the church today.
- Don't do that, Frank. Please?
- What?
Don't talk about my cousin
like he's other people.
I'm saying, spiritually,
we don't know where David's been
or what he's been up to.
Am I not saying it right?
No, you're saying it perfect.
- Oh, come on.
- It's coming out great.
We got enough problems
on our plate
without adding David
to the equation, that's for sure.
Well, I go see Dr. Morris tomorrow.
Amen.
That's encouraging.
Well, we'll see what happens.
Sure would be nice to have
the loving part of our marriage back.
Yeah. Sure would be nice.
- Hey.
- Hey, bishop. Good to see you.
We brought you
some boxes of clothes.
We got some more
out in the hallway.
I appreciate that, Bishop Taylor.
We'll take care of that for you.
It's good to see you, bishop.
Hey. I should've known.
It's you.
Hey, man, good to meet you.
- Good to meet you.
- Yeah. That's cool.
You got a lot of influence
over people.
Maybe you ought to work
with the choir while you're here.
Dad, look, I came to see about you,
all right? Not the church.
Well, maybe you don't realize
they're one and the same.
Yeah. That's always been
the problem between you and I.
Look, I'm gonna go and see
one of my friends. I'll be back.
Well, we're gonna be ready
to give you a grand sendoff.
Yeah. It's good to see you.
You know, that is a great man.
He comes here twice a week,
every week.
I don't know where
he finds the time.
Yeah, he's been that way
ever since I was a kid.
I know he's proud of you.
Hey, it was nice to meet you, man.
Look, my client acted
on good faith
assuming things
would be negotiable
which is why he refused
to sign the contract.
Look, Sandstone.
You agreed to the deal, and you
can't just change the terms now
because the song's a hit.
- It was a bad deal from the jump.
With the cash that song made,
I'm supposed to get more.
"It was a bad deal."
You know what, I took the risk.
If the song was a bust,
I'd be left holding the bag.
My client should also be guaranteed
that two of his tracks
appear on the next
David Taylor album.
Hold on. You know what?
You can have my answer right now.
You get nothing.
No track, no money.
Wanna take me to court? Go ahead.
It'll be a cold day in hell
before I let a chump like you
extort money from me.
So that went well.
- Hey. Hey, Reverend.
- Bishop.
- How you doing?
- Man, how you doing?
- I'm doing great.
- Good to see you.
Look, I'm glad you're a little early.
There are a few things
I wanna talk to you about.
No problem. What's going on?
You know, minister, I don't know
how much time I've got left.
And I think it's about time
I choose a successor.
I agree. I agree totally.
That's why I'm gonna choose Frank
when I step down.
- Frank?
- Yeah.
Look, with all due respect, sir
I just always thought,
when the time came
that you'd pass the baton to me.
You know, minister, you've been
a great administrator for this church
and you've been a good friend.
And I expect you
to do the same for Frank.
We're just gonna leave this
in God's hands.
Come on, now.
It's gonna be all right.
We're living in a brave new world.
We're competing against tabloids
rappers, music videos,
basketball players, Internet.
People are seeking guidance
from everywhere outside the church.
Now, if we don't step up our game,
we're gonna get left behind.
We can't preach prosperity
and blessing
when we ain't looking the part.
That's not gonna fly.
I'm sorry, I didn't know
you were meeting.
- Come in, have a seat.
- I'll come back.
- No, no, no.
- You sure?
We all like family here.
You were saying, Frank?
We done made our repairs.
The roof, plumbing, the transformer.
You know, I believe in maintenance,
but this here is ridiculous.
Now, we need a new church.
A new church.
- But we've been here for years.
- A new facility would be nice.
- Yeah.
- The board of churches
has already denied us funds
to do repairs in this church.
What makes you think
they gonna give us money
to build a new church, Frank?
Besides, this church right here
has been a historical pillar
of strength in this community
for as long as I can remember.
I'm sorry, Bishop Taylor, but you see.
It's like the Lord himself saying:
"If y'all won't erect
a brand-new church
l'm gonna take this one down."
So, what do you propose, Frank?
Minister Hunter here could get us
a great low-interest loan, right?
But we gonna need
the down payment...
- And how much?
... in a few weeks.
About 150,000.
Assuming that
this thing is feasible
how soon can we come up
with a down payment?
- The repairs have depleted all of our...
- I got an idea. Sorry.
Why don't we just ask David
to cover the shortfall.
Then we'll pay him back.
- David?
- Right?
Wow, that's a great idea, yeah.
I mean...
I got a better idea, though.
What if I just call in some favors
with my artist friends and we'll have
a concert and raise the funds?
- Like a revival.
- Exactly. Yeah.
I mean, it's great for them because
most of them are spiritual anyways.
Right? And then the publicity will help
bring new members to the church.
Yeah, we could also make it part of
Bishop Taylor's retirement celebration.
Use it as a way
to salute in a new legacy.
- I like it.
- I like it.
Now, assuming, David, you could
help me out with the choir.
Oh, but, Dad, my quota's
one great idea a day.
I think David has exhausted
himself a little bit.
Hold it up, y'all. Hold it up. Everybody,
I'm sure you know David "D.T." Taylor.
This is Bishop's son.
But what you don't know, he got
his start right here in this choir.
- Yep.
- He stopped by to give us a few words.
- Oh, no, no.
- Come on, man. Let's give it up.
Stop, stop, stop.
Watching you guys sing
is really something.
I have one suggestion, though.
- Just an idea.
- Sure, by all means.
Opposed to starting with the solo,
go with the alto section first.
And then the tenors and the bass
and then maybe
the solo or something.
- Let's do it your way.
- I don't know.
All right. Oh, okay, cool.
All right, ready?
We ran late, but I'm on my way.
- Hey. So how did you like the new...?
- I have a phone to my ear.
What do you think that means?
Give me 30 minutes? Okay.
You were saying?
Only that I hope you like
the changes that we made.
They were good changes.
I was kind of impressed
Mr. "Undress You" Man by night
and servant to the Lord by day.
Servant...?
Okay, okay. Hold on, hold on.
So is that how you operate?
A few snide comments and you just
vanish without a trace or a name?
It's Rain.
- Rain. Well, that's cute.
- Cute?
You headed somewhere specific?
Wanna grab a bite?
- That is, if your man is cool with it.
- Excuse me?
- Well, I see you've met my niece.
- Oh, Minister Hunter, yes.
Hey, Uncle.
We've gotta go pick up Alexis.
- Right. Catch you later, David.
- Okay, take it easy. Good to see you.
All right.
I heard Brother Gordon invited you
to sing with the choir.
Yeah, we talked about it.
Hey, Frank.
How long did you know
about my father?
Well
he told me shortly after
he was diagnosed.
How come you didn't call me?
I didn't feel it was
my responsibility
to tell you about your own father.
You know...
No.
Wait till Sunday.
You're gonna love my performance.
All right, now.
I'm a little concerned
about David, sir.
- Why so?
- Don't get me wrong.
I'm thrilled to have him back
at the church
but I was a little surprised at his
involvement in the board meeting.
You know, I remember
when y'all used to be so close.
And how hard you took it
when he left the church.
We all love David, you know
but I just wonder if his presence
is not gonna send out
the wrong message
to the other members.
- I understand.
- Yeah, now he's singing
with the choir on Sunday.
Well, you know, I encouraged him
to get involved with the choir.
Well, now, I don't know. I mean,
I'm just worried that, you know
him singing with the choir will
send the wrong impression.
He's a secular artist with a hit song
called "Let Me Undress You."
I mean, you see
what I'm getting at?
- Doesn't look good, huh?
- No, sir.
- No, sir.
- Well, you know, I'm of the mindset
that we should spend
a little less time looking good
and a little more time
actually being good.
Now, I know David's involvement
may ruffle a few feathers.
But I'm gonna encourage his growth
just like I did with you.
- You remember that, don't you?
- Yeah.
- Come on, now.
- Yes, sir.
Now, we gotta leave those things
in God's hands.
The God I serve got a way
of working it all out.
And I want you
to stop worrying so much.
- You hear me?
- Yes, sir.
- All right, now.
- All right.
I'm gonna sing with the choir on
Sunday. You should come through.
- What's the punch line?
- Well, I figured since I'm in town
I might as well help out.
They're trying to raise money
for a new church.
- They paying you for that?
- Come on, man.
I'm serious, D.
You get 40 thou a show, minimum.
I don't get 10 percent
of these freebies.
- It's for the church, man.
- All right.
You sing with the choir.
They hype it up
take up a little collection,
and for what?
So Deacon So-and-So
can get a new Benz?
Fishman has already put together
the new tour.
We get out there or risk losing that.
- Just work it out.
- Work out what, D?
My father is sick.
How can I say no?
Want me to do the dance?
So I'm shucking and jiving.
But we gotta get back out there, man.
Time is money.
You the "Undress Me" man, right?
- Yeah, that's my song.
- I told y'all that was him.
Hey, how can I get you to listen
to one of my demos?
I got a card right here.
- You can hit me up...
- Hold up.
I'm singing at
New Revelations Church on Sunday.
Find your way there,
I'll check you out.
Church?
This is the demo CD
I was telling you about.
So we're bribing people
to come to church now.
All right, man, I appreciate that.
I enjoyed the singing today.
- Thank you. Y'all take care, now.
- All right.
- You really blew us away back there.
- Oh, well, I just do what I do
when I do what I do.
Oh, hey.
- And who are you?
- Alexis.
Hi, Alexis. That's a beautiful name.
- Wow, how old are you?
- Five. How old are you?
I'm 105.
It's nice to meet you.
- Wow, she's adorable.
- Thanks.
- I see where she gets it.
- Laying it on thick, I see.
Is there any other way to do it?
Look, I'd rather continue
our lovely banter
under different circumstances.
Are there some digits I could use
to make that happen?
Are you asking
for my phone number?
Hi, I'm here for Rain.
Sure. Come in.
You know, he's cuter on TV.
- Hey, Maya.
- What?
I mean, he looks good, okay?
I'm just saying,
keep it in perspective.
You know how you get sometimes.
Oscar.
You ready?
Sure.
My uncle tells me you may sing again
with the choir next Sunday.
Oh, really? Well...
l'm thinking about it.
- Why?
- Why?
Yeah. What's your motivation?
- Do I need one?
- Yeah.
When you sing in the choir,
it's called praise.
Because you're praising the Lord.
That's why I do it.
So why are you doing it?
Does your sister give every man
the third degree?
- Weren't we just talking about you?
- Now we're talking about you.
Oh, goodness.
You were about to answer
items one through 12
on the first-date questionnaire.
I have a beautiful daughter
and her father and I
couldn't make it work.
- Is that why you left Chicago?
- One of the reasons.
I also didn't wanna raise Alexis
in the city.
Now your turn.
Motivation.
Motivation? Well, I could give you
about a half a dozen reasons
but none beats the idea
of doing a duet with you.
Cheers.
Cheers.
Charlene.
Charlene.
So
I guess that's it.
- I had a nice time.
- Me too. Me too. It was...
It was great.
- Good night.
- Yeah. Good night.
- Good night. All right.
- Good night.
See you later.
What? I gotta do something
while you playing David the saint.
- I didn't say nothing.
- I'm gonna do me, then.
- All right. Go ahead, baby.
- No fingerprints.
So let me get this straight.
You're dating this chick.
- Rain.
- Oh, she's a stripper?
- That's all you had to say.
- What? She's not a stripper.
- Her mama gave her that name.
- Oh, okay.
- Rain, that's French.
- It's French, huh?
So
you're not hitting it, because
she's saving it for marriage.
- Yeah.
- But she already has a kid.
So?
Ain't that like closing the barn door
after the horses already escaped?
Who hurt you, man?
I'm telling you, girl,
if you're gonna marry the man
tell him you wear a weave.
Otherwise he's gonna think his kids
are gonna be born with straight hair.
Hold on.
- Who is it?
- It's Oscar.
Hey. Let me call you back.
Okay.
- How's it going?
- What are you doing here?
You gonna let me come in,
or do I have to stay out in the rain?
- Daddy!
- Hey, Daddy's little princess.
- Look at you. How you doing?
- Good.
You have got to get over that
"bad boy being saved by the love of
a good woman and Jesus" syndrome.
It ain't healthy. Next thing you know,
you'll try to do an all-gospel album.
Could you just take your shot?
Look what I drew, Daddy.
It's a house.
- Wow, that's really good. Look at you.
- You couldn't call first?
Oscar.
I'm sorry, okay?
I figured if I called, you wouldn't let me
come by and see Alexis.
- I was in the neighborhood...
- In the neighborhood?
Your sister didn't tell you?
I got reassigned to Fort McPherson,
so I'll be in town for a while.
I'll come by and play with you
and see you
and love on you and kiss on you
whenever I get ready.
I hate to put a dent
in your hometown fantasy
but we're running out of time
in Fishman's favor bank.
He wants us back on tour
by the end of the week.
What?
Look, man, I'm sorry about what
happened to your pops, really.
We gotta get back in the saddle, D.
Look, I don't know.
You're a superstar.
A long way
from where we came from.
Struggling, working the late shift.
You know what I'm talking about?
Now it's four-star hotels, limos,
women on standby.
That's the American Idol dream, baby.
What's to know?
What about Cathy?
Cathy and I are no longer together.
- Sorry to hear that.
- Oh, no, don't be sorry. She...
Cathy wasn't my speed, you know.
It's all about the money, right?
I care about the money, yeah.
But I also care about you.
When you said you wanted more,
I got you more.
And don't tell me
you don't miss the road.
Ate good, slept late
fists full of dime brizzles.
You know
that gospel-album idea
doesn't sound bad.
Man, I was just playing about that.
All right. There you go.
- Keep playing, man.
- Man, stop crying.
Man, answer your phone.
Hello?
- Fred Taylor.
- 201.
Hey.
- I'm glad you came, son.
- Yeah, me too.
I told them not to
worry you and burden you.
I got so much
I wanted to say to you.
It's all right.
Back when I was a kid
my father never told me
he loved me.
I want you to know
that I never stopped
loving you, son.
I know, Dad. I know.
I love you too.
When your mother died
a lot of things changed
between me and you, David.
Son, when you're young
there are a lot of things
you don't understand.
- Yeah.
- And I was being pulled
in so many different directions.
Trying to build my church.
Trying to be a good husband.
And I tried to be a good father
to you, David.
I'm so proud of you, David.
I prayed and I prayed
and he brought you back.
Yeah. I'm here.
It's okay.
It's okay, son.
It's okay.
We'll make sure that the center
does a special service for him.
And know that we'll always
be there for you, okay?
- Thank you.
- God bless you.
I can't buy you the things
that he can
and I'm not famous
or anything like that.
Where's all this coming from?
I know I've made some mistakes
in the past.
But I've always taken care
of my responsibilities.
I've been doing
some soul-searching
and I'm just trying to get it right,
you know?
And I've been thinking that maybe
we could work on being together.
Being a family.
That is
if things between you and
the megastar aren't too serious.
Think about it.
The celebration will honor
my uncle Bishop Taylor's memory
and, in conclusion
we will publicly recognize my
husband, Frank, as the new pastor.
Now, there'll be a lot of important
people there to help move
our ministry to the next level.
- Really?
- Yeah, I mean, we need a victory lap
to help show the congregation
and the head bishop
that we in good shape.
And, oh, I wanna take a special
offering on Sunday's service
to help propel us towards that goal.
Write that down.
I'll set it up, but I'm scheduled
to visit Divine Souls
for the pastor's
anniversary service
so I really won't be able
to facilitate that for you.
- Come again?
- I won't be here.
Oh, no, I heard that part.
Does Divine Soul Ministries
take precedence
over New Revelations business?
Listen, Bishop Taylor would never
question my loyalty.
I'm not Bishop Taylor.
You don't have to remind us.
We're all quite painfully aware of that.
Sorry I'm late.
Late for what?
To discuss the revival plans.
Oh, well, you know,
that's mighty noble of you
young David, but...
- Reverend.
I'm sorry, Miss Ernestine. This
meeting is for the business at hand.
If David wants to come back,
make an appointment.
- Thank you very much.
- Appointment?
Does...?
Would you like me
to send a fax or e-mail
or will a phone call suffice?
- That's not necessary.
No, that's all right, Charlene.
We all a little emotional these days.
Put your ego aside for one minute
so we can discuss these plans.
You know, David
this revival isn't just
about Bishop Taylor.
The man who built this church.
We have a congregation
to think about.
Don't pretend this event means
more to you than your own spotlight.
Let church people handle
church business.
This will always be my father's church.
That makes it my business.
Don't come here talking about
"my father" and "his church."
While you were playing
the absentee son
we were here with your father
doing God's work.
Normally, I'd be coming
at you right now, but... Hold on.
- Out of respect for my father's church
and these people, I'll give you a pass.
You can thank your
work with God for that.
Amen.
David.
- David!
- Miss Ernestine, I love you, all right?
But you need
to leave me alone right now.
You're running from the church
that needs you because of adversity?
I'm not a minister, all right?
I'm an entertainer.
That's what I do. That's who I am.
That's what you ran to.
That's not who you are.
Let them fight over it. I don't care.
But it's your father's legacy.
Who's gonna fight if you don't?
David!
So, what's up?
I just wanted to see you before I left.
- You're leaving?
- I gotta get back on tour, you know.
They're expecting me
in Philly tomorrow.
My father's gone.
Ain't no reason for me to stay.
It was nice knowing you too,
even if it was for a little while.
Well, I mean, we can still,
you know, stay in touch.
Well, that's cool. You'll come back.
You'll check on us from time to time.
- That's not what I meant.
- No, really, it's cool.
Are you gonna get this?
Someone must really be trying
to reach you.
It's Oscar.
Oh, Alexis' father.
He just moved back here.
What's that?
Right.
Oh, absolutely.
Well, right now, Dave's just picking up
a few family mementos.
Yes, sir. We'll hit up
a couple clubs tonight
then tomorrow we're on
the first thing smoking out of here.
Well, this is our first concert
since our little hiatus
so we wanna do it big. I'm talking
about big with a capital l-G.
A dozen dime brizzles on standby
for deviant behavior.
Wes.
Hold on a sec. What up, D?
Change of plans.
After the choir sings,
the next voice you'll hear
is the Minister Terence Hunter
from New Revelations.
Let's make sure that we give him
a Divine Souls welcome.
Amen.
That's some mighty powerful words
you gave us in there. I appreciate that.
Thanks for having me. You guys are
doing some amazing things here.
I can honestly say that the Lord is
blessing us here at Divine Souls.
I know what's going on
with New Revelations.
You trying to make
the deadline and all.
So how is that coming, anyway?
Let's just say I'm praying
about the whole situation
and still waiting for some direction.
Come on, now!
Amen.
God is good.
We are blessed.
- It's a new day!
- New day!
- Amen?
- Amen.
Amen. I want you to turn your Bibles
to the Book of Acts.
- Thank you.
- Nice to meet you. All right.
- I thought you went back on tour.
- I...
I decided to stick around for a while.
Hey, what's going on?
How are you?
- Good.
- You sang beautifully today.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
David, this is Oscar.
- Heard a lot about you.
- Same here.
Yeah, good to meet you.
Nice turnout.
See this?
- We knew he was gonna do it.
- We knew he was gonna do it
but we didn't know
he'd tell the world.
My lawyer said he'll have
the injunction squashed
and my residuals
back online in 30 days.
Great. But the P.R. Is bad.
Should've just put him on a song
and been done with it.
Now he's making us look like fake
producers while I line up new work.
- Did Fishman give us the extension?
- He gave it to us, yeah. But that's it.
We gotta be back on the road
the day after the revival.
Or your tour will be over faster
than you can say C+C Music Factory.
- Who?
- My point exactly.
- Minister Hunter, you got a moment?
- Sure.
- I'll see you inside.
- All right, baby.
How was your meeting
at Divine Souls?
It was fine. Why?
Well, I was just wondering
why one of my clergymen
would share Revelations business
with a member of another church.
Isaac Winston, especially.
What are you trying to do?
Make me look bad?
- You've got that covered by yourself.
- Right.
Why don't we be honest
for one moment.
You have a problem
with my appointment.
No. I've got a problem
with your attitude and perspectives.
And let me tell you,
the only reason I'm working with you
is because Bishop Taylor
asked me to.
In case you haven't figured it out,
as the head pastor of this church
it isn't up to me
to listen to your vision.
- It is the other way around.
- Who do you think you are?
I'm the pastor.
Better check yourself
before you're left here
with a congregation of one.
- You need to deal with this.
- I'll see you in a minute.
- Minister Hunter.
- Hey, David.
You're not staying for the service?
Is everything okay?
Look, I'm just glad you decided
to stick around.
This is your father's church.
He and I didn't always agree
but he always had a reason
for everything that he did.
Don't let that legacy get lost
in this new vision of Frank's ego.
Reverend Frank, you've made
community service your mission.
Reverend Charles Frank.
David Taylor.
I'm so excited
that you are here today.
This revival is gonna signify
the rebirth of evangelism
and my commitment to aggressively
spreading the Gospel to people.
You know, after this event,
people will truly understand
the vision of Reverend
Charles Frank
and how the Lord is using me
to bless others.
Now, David, you went from the church
to the top of the R & B charts
and back to the pulpit.
- Help me understand how it happened.
- My dad.
Well, my father was the bishop and
the cofounder of New Revelations.
So that's where I have my roots.
- I love music.
- So there's no problem
with this Sandstone thing
and everything?
- There's allegations.
- I can't talk about it.
People are talking about your
new song and the credit disputes.
It's really nothing. We had minor
creative differences. We talked it out.
- That happens in the industry?
- Happens all the time.
- We work it out. Everything is good?
- Everything is perfect.
- Now the revival.
- You know...
Reverend Frank and I are very excited
about the revival.
We'll have tons of musical surprises
at the revival.
We want everyone to support.
We're building a new church.
That is a beautiful thing.
The David Taylor gospel performance
this weekend, huh?
Definitely. Yeah. What better way
to pay homage to my father
than to salute him through song.
And with a new building.
Patrick. Hi, it's Charlene.
Yeah.
Yeah, I need you to do
a little research for me.
Come on, make a joyful noise
in this house.
Make a joyful noise.
Come on, make a joyful noise.
We are here
at the Hosea Williams Center
for the New Revelations
celebration.
There are a number of celebrities
and influential people on hand
including famed
Reverend Isaac Winston
of the global-reaching
Divine Souls Ministry.
I have not seen a faith-based event
of this stature in quite some time.
I'm so glad you made it.
I wouldn't miss this
for anything in the world.
Hallelujah!
Come on, make it glorious!
Make it glorious!
The event is packed.
Anticipation is high.
And it all seems to center
around one man, David Taylor.
And now, the next voice
that you will hear
is that of the newly appointed
and anointed
Reverend Charles Frank.
Hallelujah!
You'd think he built this church
with his bare hands.
Praise Jesus. Amen. Amen.
Praise the Lord.
Praise Jesus. Amen.
God is good. Hallelujah.
- You know, when I was...
- I just wanna share
with you how I remember
when my father, Bishop Taylor
founded New Revelations.
Remember that, Frank?
Of course. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.
As a little boy,
he instilled in me the need
to preach the word of God
in a way that made
everyone open
to receive it.
Not just the rich and educated,
but everyone.
- He taught us...
- You know, we thank
brother Taylor here for his rendition
in our memorial. Don't we, saints?
Amen.
But, you know, when Moses
led the slaves away from Pharaoh
he had a vision. When he
received the Commandments
from the mountaintop,
he had a vision. Amen?
And when the naysayers
wanted to return
to the bondage of slavery
rather than see that vision
Moses parted the Red Sea. Amen.
Oh, I'll tell you. He did not need
the approval of his comrades.
No, he needed a vision from God,
and let no man
no man challenge his destiny.
Hallelujah. Praise the Lord.
We can definitely afford
the down payment now.
Just when I was looking
at giving you guys a check.
Well, the Lord helps those
who help themselves.
Yes, and you guys have certainly
worked hard at the church.
That had to do with David
and the people he got to perform.
And let's not forget the excellent
sermon by Reverend Frank.
No, not at all. It was fascinating
as well as effective.
And, Miss Adams,
you were simply spectacular.
With all that Bishop Taylor did
for this city, it was the least I could do.
Bishop had a profound effect on us all.
We loved it when he came to Detroit.
Well, I'm especially proud
and appreciative
because he was a huge fan
of the both of you.
Now, he left some big shoes to fill.
Make us proud.
He's gonna be all right.
He's got some good stock.
I cannot believe you, David.
How can you
embarrass this church?
Hold on. The people that performed
came because I asked them.
Let's not forget the tickets
my name sold.
Despite your husband's
pathetic personal infomercial.
I wanna say something, I'll say it.
I earned that much.
You earned that much? You don't
even know what that word means.
My cousin, the two-bit thief,
who goes from minor performer
to chart-topper by forcing
Sandstone into signing a bogus deal?
No, no, no. Did you even imagine
what kind of dark cloud
you could've put over
what Frank has worked hard for?
And I stuck up for you.
I have better things
to do with my imagination
than to worry about Frank's
delusions of grandeur.
All right? I'll leave that to you.
Yeah, go ahead and run, David.
You've always been good at that.
So don't keep me in suspense.
Who are they from?
"Looking forward to a new start.
David."
So all this is yours.
I underestimated you, Frank.
I gotta tell you, man,
I am very impressed.
That means a lot coming from you.
I mean, with your pull on the north
and my developments here,
we can do things in this world
that few men have ever thought of.
First New Revelations
and next the world, huh?
- Amen.
- Brother, you are ambitious.
- Miss Ernestine.
- Never thought Eden
would be littered
with so many emotional demons.
I'll give you two a moment to talk.
You know, Miss Ernestine, I ain't
no different from Martin Luther King
or any other great man
with a vision.
Don't sell yourself short, son.
Tell me what you really think.
Oh, when I'm done, I'm gonna
have me a retirement village
and a grade school out here.
I always figured your passion
to do God's work
would do wonders for his ministry.
Now it seems to have become
a drug for the spotlight.
- What's wrong with progression?
- Nothing.
As long as the priorities line up.
Some might get lost in the hype
and see it as playing with God.
Kind of makes you question
Bishop Taylor's selection of you.
Funny
I never questioned
his judgment before.
So, what are you saying?
With all the bickering, dissension
and the wives, I...
I don't think I have the stomach
for this anymore.
D. All right, I trust you
and I believe in you
but you need to let me
send a car for you.
You don't need to send a car.
I got the rental.
I hear you talking. Now, be for real,
will you be at the airport or what?
- I'll be there.
- I said, you... Hello?
Hey. Look, I'm sorry for just...
You got company, huh? That's...
My bad.
David, wait. Wait.
Look, I like you. I do.
And I want nothing more
than for you to be happy.
It's just that right now, I think I'm more
of a convenient distraction.
A convenient distraction.
I'll remember to program that into my
phone, all right, next to your number.
I'm not saying
you're not being sincere.
It's just that
you're all over the place.
- And I want you to have time...
- Look, listen to me.
You have a shot at making things
work with the father of your child.
Who could be mad at that?
All right?
Why are you sitting in the dark?
I may have been in the dark
all this time and I just didn't know it.
About what?
About the church.
About David, about everything.
You don't have to worry
about David.
After what I found out, he's not gonna
be a thorn in your side anymore.
You're responsible
for people seeing that?
I have to protect the church, Frank.
In the process,
what have we become?
What?
Are you?
Are you putting this all on me?
You're my wife, church's legal
counsel and David's cousin.
Who else am I supposed
to put this on?
Don't you get
self-righteous with me, Frank.
I'm serious. You know,
I can deal with the arrogance.
I can deal with the ego,
I can deal with the insensitivity
but I won't stomach hypocrisy.
- Now, hold on, Charlene!
No, you let me talk!
You can talk when I'm finished.
This thing between us doesn't have
anything to do with David or church.
It has everything to do
with you wanting a family
and me not being able
to give you one.
- I didn't say any of that.
- You say it all the time!
Every day you say it! The way you
look at me, the way you touch me.
I'm tired of being made to feel like
half a woman
because I can't give you a child.
- Well, you know what?
You might not feel that way if you gave
your man something to look forward to!
I didn't mean that.
I didn't mean it.
You're amazing.
You quote Scripture
like nobody I know.
You know the Bible
backward and forward.
And you still...
You have no clue.
No clue.
You need Jesus, Frank.
- Charlene.
- You need Jesus.
Charlene.
Attention, passengers, this will be
the final call for flight 201
now boarding at gate 56B.
Excuse me, pastor. It's almost time.
All right.
All right.
I don't really know what to say.
Wish you were here.
You were never there.
All right? I needed you.
I need you now.
As I take this to a close
and reflect on the message.
Living through the eye of the storm.
This particular message
is one that's close to my heart
if I can be transparent
for a moment.
Okay, God.
What do you want from me?
I don't understand.
Why are you doing this again?
Now, I've been living in the
eye of the storm for some time now.
Can we talk about it?
Can we talk about it?
Like many of y'all,
mine was self-imposed.
Now, I could flee or fight.
There ain't no change.
Or I can call on my friends.
They ain't around.
And it's at that moment
that God has you exactly
where he wants you to be.
Dependent on him.
That's right.
Am I supposed to learn something
from this?
Are you listening to me?
Do you hear me?
Do you hear me?
You know, I can think about
how difficult it was for me to let go
of my will, you know, my ego,
and allow God to run things.
Your pastor's not perfect.
I'm flawed.
I'm flawed.
But with God's blessing and direction,
you know
I will see my way
through the storm
and have clear skies
on the other side! Amen?
That's when I can look back
and let my testimony
be a beacon to help someone else
out of the storm too.
- You know?
- Amen.
Yeah.
Okay, I won't run anymore
Lord.
Amen.
Amen.
As the choir begins to sing,
there are some of you
who are going through
your own storms.
Can we talk about it?
Won't you come on down?
Won't you come?
Amen.
Don't allow those situations
in your life
to keep you from having
a relationship with God.
No, you need to know him.
You know, many of us talk about,
"I'll get to know God tomorrow."
Tomorrow is a promise
that you can have salvation today.
Now, won't you come?
Won't you come on down, brother?
Come on down.
Won't you come?
Won't you come, sister?
Come on down, sister.
God loves you. God be praised.
God be praised!
Won't you come?
Come.
There is no perfect church.
If there's a perfect church, it stopped
being perfect when we walked in.
But there is a perfect God.
Won't you come, brother?
Amen.
When I was little, my father read me
the story of a young man
who decided to leave home
and strike out on his own.
He was determined to live life
on his own terms.
And although he knew
right from wrong
it seemed so much better
to do things his own way.
Soon, that road got rough.
He spent all his money
and was doing all sorts of things
to survive.
Eventually, he hit rock bottom.
At that point
he realizes that he had
placed himself in that situation.
And he prayed about it
and returned home.
Now, upon his arrival, his father
prepared a huge feast in celebration.
When his other son inquired
about this, the father told him:
"My son has learned the error
of his ways and he's returned. "
It is my belief that upon that day
of returning to that spiritual place
I will be greeted
by the Almighty Father
and he too will smile upon me
and say:
"Welcome home.
Welcome home. "