Greenleaf

Previously on "Greenleaf"...

You just stop right there.

We have a search-and-seizure warrant, ma'am. Please step aside.

Jacob transferred $200,000 of church funds

into what turned out to be a personal account.

It's Connie. She's talking with Phillip Demars again

about us joining Harmony and Hope.

I'll see that doesn't happen.

Connie's told me she's talked to you in the past

about stepping up.

These folks want change, Grace.

You want me to take over the church?

This is an opportunity.

Harmony and Hope is a gigantic deal.

Bob Whitmore, he is one of the richest men in America.

What we're gonna need from you this year, Grace,

is your voice,

a voice that can unify this congregation.

Are you ready to be that voice?

You've been beating me down with your holy superiority.

You are just another sinner.

I know that, James.

Aaron and I took a blood test.

Lionel's my father.

You are my daughter, and you always will be.

This family, this faith, and we ask that you let it

give us strength and sustenance

so that we can take back what is ours.

Whoo!

Yeah.

Oh.

Good morning, Calvary!

Good morning.

Wasn't that a wonderful performance we just saw, huh?

So much energy, wow!

And what a blessing it is to be looking down

on all these beautiful faces this morning...

- Ain't that the truth - ...And hats!

so many hats!

I don't think I've ever seen

so many beautiful hats in one room.

Yeah!

Anyway, I'm Bob Whitmore, president of Harmony and Hope,

and I just want to say welcome to the family.

When Connie Sykes, your amazing Deacon board president,

first called me and Phil Demars...

that's Phil right there.

He's our southeastern conference minister.

He's gonna be officing here for a while, yes.

Well, I got to tell you,

we were over the moon.

We've been hearing about Calvary for years,

all the great things you're doing.

And it was more than one time I said to Phil,

"Phil, we got to get in on that, buddy."

you remember that, Phil?

And I bet that's just what he said, too.

Shh.

"We got to get in on that money."

- but then... - James, please.

- ...You elected... - Keep your voice down, please.

...To join us, and here we are,

and we are so excited.

But I'm not the one

that you came to hear jabber this morning.

- You came to hear the word! - Yeah!

Amen, and so did I.

So let's get God's servant up here to preach it.

Yes, yes!

You all know her and love her, your new interim head Pastor,

reverend Grace Greenleaf!

Give it up!

Keep it short.

Harmony and Hope.

We haven't seen you in church for a while, child.

Where have you been?

Getting ready to leave for school.

But September is so far away.

It's called precollege.

Ah, in a rush to grow up.

And you sounded just like Bishop today.

Well, he is my father, after all.

And a proud one indeed.

Thank you, Daddy.

Would you be a dear and help me find the coffee and cookies?

They moved it.

Everything's different.

Of course, Ms. Morton. I'll help you.

Crippled, old thing.

She can't even face us because she voted against us.

James, please don't make a scene.

How you two holding up, huh?

I feel like a ghost moving unseen in a house

that I lovingly built.

- Mama. - Mm-hmm?

You look like you have notes.

Well, your sermon was rather concise.

Bob told me to keep it short.

- Hmph. - And you felt required to obey.

With any luck, they'll be out of here in a year.

I'm gonna give that Connie Sykes an earful.

No, Daddy.

We're gonna stick to the plan, remember?

We're gonna play nice with Harmony and Hope,

and we are gonna win back the hearts

and minds of this congregation,

and then, when Bob makes me

permanent head Pastor after this interim year,

we'll take a vote to leave H and H,

and I will hand the church over to mama.

If there's a church worthy of the name to hand over.

How many folks do you think just keep coming back week

after week for a seance?

Look. There's Connie Sykes now.

- No. James. - Excuse me.

What? What?

No, James. Listen to me.

Grace is right.

What?

Nothing. I'm just gonna sit here and watch the two of you

suddenly thick as thieves.

You go stomp over there

the first Sunday of the new regime

demanding your church back?

Well, it'll be churlish.

Fine.

I will submit to your feminine wisdom this time.

For now, but not happily.

- Okay. I'm gonna go meet with Phil. - Mm-hmm.

Alright. Well, listen.

Uh, don't forget about Charity and Jacob.

I won't, dad. I won't.

Lord, I hope she's up to this.

She's the only one in the family that the deacons

will sign on for, but I... I... I share your concern.

Stay here. I'll be right back.

Where are you going?

To pay my respects to the dead.

That woman was on fire.

Yes, she was.

Lady Mae, God is good.

All the time.

Bob was just saying, Mae, what a wonderful sermon

Grace delivered.

Was that a sermon?

Well, it seemed more like a minister's minute,

like the ones I heard on the radio as a child.

I knew you'd think it was short.

Well, I wouldn't say short, Bob.

Uh... Insufficient.

Well, the offering certainly was sufficient.

Do you know it would never occur to me to use money

as a metric when measuring things of the spirit?

It's not just about money.

Grace got the folks out the door on time.

- Yes, she did. - Oh, so that's the new goal

around here, huh?

To make sure the trains are running on time?

Well, did anybody ask Jesus about that?

I would like to try

- fitting in a third service. - Mm.

I think the finance committee would like that, too.

- Mm. - The struggle is real.

Plus, on any given Sunday,

we have thousands of members all over the world

traveling for business or pleasure who like to know...

they've told us this.

They like to know, no matter which H and H church

they walk into, what they're gonna get.

Like McDonald's.

Like the Lord himself who's the same yesterday,

today, and tomorrow.

You know, Bob, I really don't want to belabor this,

especially since it's Sunday.

You know, when I try to restrain myself from any full-on warfare,

but there are two things that human beings do together

that's best done slowly.

Mm-hmm.

Preaching is one of them.

Mae.

I'm all for long sermons.

Made quite a few of them myself, but I also run a business.

Now, if you two lovely young ladies will excuse me,

I think I'd better call home.

I don't know what you think you're doing chatting him up

like that, but make no mistake.

Neither I or any of the other deacons care a whit

that the Bishop gave you the church.

It wasn't his to give,

and no one wants to see you running it...

not now, not next year, not ever.

Oh, Connie.

What do you want to talk about now?

Nothing.

So, we're good to go?

Almost.

I saw in your proposal, Grace, one thing... two, really,

that I think Bob might have trouble with.