By James A. Haught
Billionaire media mogul Oprah Winfrey helped create a four-season television series — “Greenleaf” — about a black megachurch, where worshipers whoop, sway, dance, wave arms, squeal, shout and shell out truckloads of money.
kAm$@>6 4@>>6?E2E@CD D2J E96 D6C:6D “D9@HD E96 36DE 2?5 H@CDE @7 r9C:DE:2?:EJ[” 3FE x 42?’E 7:?5 >F49 36DE[ @?=J H@CDE]k^Am
kAm%96 7@F?56C\AC62496C 6?5=6DD=J 4@??:G6D 7@C >@?6J[ 2?5 3FC?65 2 AC6G:@FD 49FC49 7@C :?DFC2?46 W244:56?E2==J <:==:?8 2 4FDE@5:2?X] w6 EC256D 9:D AC:G2E6 ;6E 7@C 2 D=66<6C @?6] w6 D=6AE H:E9 9:D D:DE6C\:?\=2H WA=2J65 3J ~AC29X[ H9:49 2?86C65 9:D H:76[ H9@ D=6AE H:E9 2 5:776C6?E >2?]k^Am
kAmp >:55=6\2865 49FC49 >2?286C C2A6D `d\J62C\@=5 8:C=D 2E E96 49FC49’D 42>A]k^Am
kAm%96 DE2C D:?86C’D 9FD32?5 :D D64C6E=J 82J 2?5 F?56C8@6D 8C@E6DBF6 C6=:8:@FD “4@?G6CD:@? E96C2AJ” WE9C@F89 H9:49 v@5 DFAA@D65=J H:== >2<6 9:> “DEC2:89E”X 3FE :E 5@6D?’E H@C<]k^Am
kAmp >2CC:65 DF3\AC62496C 8C23D @?6 @7 E96 42DE’D 76H H9:E6D[ 2 76>2=6 D64C6E2CJ[ 7@C D6I :? 2?E6C@@>D]k^Am
kAmp C:G2= AC62496C 82>3=6D 2H2J 49FC49 >@?6J]k^Am
kAmp== E96 H9:=6[ 6A:D@56D C6G6C36C2E6 H:E9 “v@5 :D 8@@5P” 2?5 “w2==6=F;29P” 2?5 “!C2:D6 v@5P” 2?5 “p>6?P p>6?P” 2E 2=>@DE 6G6CJ 3C62E9] xE’D 2 42C?:G2= @7 D2?4E:>@?J 2?5 D:?]k^Am
kAmx DFDA64E E92E ~AC29 2?5 @E96C AC@5F46CD 56=:36C2E6=J 92E4965 E9:D D6C:6D E@ >2<6 >68249FC496D =@@< =:<6 K@@D @7 23DFC5:EJ — A=246D >@C6 =2F8923=6 E92? =2F523=6]k^Am
kAm|J H:76 2?5 x 2C6 H2E49:?8 E96 H9@=6 E2=6] $:?46 @?6\7@FCE9 @7 2== E96 H@C=5’D r9C:DE:2?D ?@H “DA62< :? E@?8F6D[” H6 H@?56C :7 2?J vC66?=627 H@CD9:A6CD H:== 3FCDE :?E@ 8=@DD2=2=:2] %96J 6?8286 :? 2== E96 C6DE @7 9@=J 9@@A=2] %66?\286 8@DA6= D:?86CD =62A =:<6 <2?82C@@D] (@CD9:A D6CG:46D 2C6 $9@H q:K 6IEC2G282?K2D]k^Am
kAmp4EF2==J[ E96 D6C:6D 92D A=6?EJ @7 :?EC:8F:?8 C@>2?46[ 9F>2? DECF88=6D[ E66? AFAAJ\=@G6 2?5 @E96C DE2A=6D @7 7:4E:@?] qFE E96C6’D 2? F?56C=J:?8 4FCC6?Ei >68249FC496D — DFAA@D65=J DJ>3@=:K:?8 DF446DD7F= r9C:DE:2?:EJ — 2C6 7C2F5D]k^Am
kAm{@ED @7 C62=\=:76 6G:56?46 DFAA@CED E9:D 4=2:>] w6C6 2C6 D@>6 ?@E@C:@FD 6I2>A=6Dik^Am
kAmtG2?86=:DE q:== wJ36=D H2D 7@C465 E@ =62G6 9:D ac[___\>6>36C (:==@H rC66< r@>>F?:EJ r9FC49 :? x==:?@:D 27E6C D6G6C2= H@>6? 244FD65 9:> @7 D6I 23FD6D]k^Am
kAmtG2?86=:DE %65 w2882C5 C2?E65 282:?DE 2== D@CED @7 D6I 2E 9:D `c[___\>6>36C }6H {:76 r9FC49 :? r@=@C25@ — 2?5 3642>6 AC6D:56?E @7 E96 }2E:@?2= pDD@4:2E:@? @7 tG2?86=:42=D[ G:D:E:?8 !C6D:56?E v6@C86 (] qFD9 :? E96 (9:E6 w@FD6] %96? 96 H2D 42F89E :? 82J D6I 2?5 5C:G6? @FE]k^Am
kAmtG2?86=:DE q:== v@E92C5 @7 E96 v@E92C5 x?DE:EFE6 @7 q2D:4 {:76 !C:?4:A=6D 5C6H FA E@ `_[___ 2E H66<=@?8 “C6=:8:@FD C:89E” D6>:?2CD — 3FE 96 H2D 56E9C@?65 H96? bc H@>6? 244FD65 9:> @7 4CF56 D6IF2= 277C@?ED]k^Am
kAmtG2?86=:DE %@?J p=2>@ E@FC65 :? 8:2?E C6G:G2=D — F?E:= 96 H2D D6?E6?465 E@ `fd J62CD :? AC:D@? 7@C 49:=5 C2A6 2?5 @E96C D6I 4C:>6D]k^Am
kAmtG2?86=:DE q@3 r@J =65 2 9F86 u@CE {2F56C52=6 49FC49 H:E9 ad[___ >6>36CD — G:D:E65 3J !C6D:56?E v6@C86 (] qFD9 — 3FE 96 C6D:8?65 :? 5:D8C246 27E6C 25>:EE:?8 ?F>6C@FD D6I >6DD6D]k^Am
kAmtG2?86=:DE y:> q2<<6C CF=65 E96 6?@C>@FD !%{ r=F3 :? E96 r2C@=:?2D — F?E:= 96 H2D 244FD65 @7 C2A6 2?5 D6?E6?465 E@ cd J62CD :? AC:D@? 7@C 244@F?E:?8 7C2F5]k^Am
kAmtG2?86=:DE s2G6 #6J?@=5D @7 E96 =2C86 r@C?6CDE@?6 q:3=6 u6==@HD9:A :? pC<2?D2D H2D H:A65 @FE 3J f_ 4@F?ED @7 49:=5 A@C?@8C2A9J]k^Am
kAmtG2?86=:DE y@? !6E6CD6? @7 (@C=5 p>32DD25@CD A=62565 8F:=EJ E@ 6>36KK=:?8 ?62C=J 2== @7 9:D 49FC49’D >@?6J “E@ A2J 7@C 2 D6I 255:4E:@?]”k^Am
kAmtG2?86=:DE |2C:@ {6JG2 E@FC65 :? D@FE96C? C6G:G2=D — E96? H2D D6?E E@ AC:D@? 7@C D@5@>:K:?8 >F=E:EF56D @7 F?56C286 3@JD]k^Am
kAm~? 2?5 @? :E 8@6D] {:E6C2==J 9F?5C65D @7 >68249FC49 D42?52=D 7:== E96 ?6HD] y2J |:4926=D@? @7 %96 s2:=J q62DE @?46 4@F?E65 >2?J 4F=AC:ED[ :?4=F5:?8i y@D9 sF882C[ q:D9@A t55:6 {@?8[ v6@C86 #6<6CD[ y@9? !2F=<[ y:>>J $H2882CE[ |2CG:? v@C>2?[ y24< $4922A[ s2G:5 {@G6=6DD[ vC2?E $E@C>D[ xD224 wF?E6C[ {2CCJ sFC2?E[ $2> w:??[ !2F= q2C?6D[ {@??:6 {2E92>[ t2C= !2F=<[ !2F= q2C?6D[ y@6 q2CC@?[ |:4926= w:?EK 2?5 %@55 q6?E=6J]k^Am
kAm{2DE J62C[ E96 $@FE96C? q2AE:DE r@?G6?E:@? :56?E:7:65 c__ >:?:DE6CD 2?5 49FC49 =6256CD 4@?G:4E65 @7 D6I 4C:>6D :? E96 A2DE 564256] p “q=24<\r@==2C rC:>6D” C68:DECJ >2:?E2:?65 3J E96 uC665@> uC@> #6=:8:@? u@F?52E:@? 4@?E2:?D E9@FD2?5D @7 6?EC:6D]k^Am
kAm}@E 2== E96D6 D42?52=D :?G@=G6 >68249FC496D] w@H6G6C[ E96 3:8 DA64E24=6 9@FD6D @7 H@CD9:A — DFAA@D65=J C6AC6D6?E:?8 2 EC:F>A9 @7 C6=:8:@? — 6DA64:2==J 4@?DE:EFE6 2 46DDA@@=]k^Am
kAmk6>my2>6D w2F89E[ DJ?5:42E65 3J !6246'@:46[ :D 65:E@C 6>6C:EFD @7 (6DE ':C8:?:2’D =2C86DE ?6HDA2A6C[ %96 r92C=6DE@? v2K6EE6\|2:=]k^6>mk^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.