Finding Hope in the First Ladies of Gospel
By Rev. Sidney Williams
Our souls are uniquely created to discover hope through storytelling. We tell stories and listen to them, not just in our daily conversations, but also on social media, in secular novels, sacred literature, and movies. I was expecting the impossible and truly hoping to feel the intangible in the Lifetime movie, The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel.
As Camille Tucker’s version of the story about the Clark Sisters unfolded, the hope for the Black Church and the Black Family seemed to be lost in the scenes of domestic violence and unresolved conflict. I was still looking for a miracle. Maybe some things that were invisible in the movie should have been made more visible. Rather than recapturing the village functions that once sustained African American families, this movie seemed absent of any spiritual healing and renewal for the viewer.
In his book, African American Pastoral Care, Edward Wimberly argues that storytelling is one of the strongest approaches to restoring spiritual healing and renewal within congregational life. God providentially used both the good and bad experiences in the Clark Sisters’ lives to prepare them for later use under his lordship. A more redemptive portrayal of their family and church life would have better reflected this reality. Where were the church mothers who prayed for them? Where were the Sunday dinners after church? Could the funeral scene have been more joyful? How did their childhood influence their development? Other than being awake in the middle of the night to rehearse, were there any loving moments where they were celebrated? Is there anything positive to be said about the Church of God in Christ?
Like Tucker, I too have found solace, inspiration, and encouragement in the gospels sung by the Clark Sisters. However, as ministers of the Gospel, the art of storytelling must not be devoid of our commitment to restoring spiritual healing and renewal within congregational life. Tucker is an ordained minister through Truth and Love Christian Church in Carson, California.
Tucker articulated her hope for the movie as such, “My family, my church family and university family are excited and looking forward to seeing the film on Lifetime. There is joy in that, and in being part of a film that speaks to my purpose and to my faith, as well. The Clark sisters—as people, and as a film—will always be particularly special to me.” Tucker went on to say that “God has always been my best writing partner.” This begs the question of whether theologians were consulted in writing this film?
Thomas Hardy, an English novelist, greatly admired biblical narratives. Biblical stories aim to affect on the reader and we know they have succeeded when they stick with us. They offer us a mirror into both a distant time and our time. Perhaps even more than the stories we tell in our daily lives, a biblical story invites us to reflect on our deepest experiences, whether of God, our families, community, or the terrors and pleasures of life. These stories aim to make us think about important or urgent matters. Rather than telling us how or what to think, they force us to find out what we think and how we might best respond to God in our lives.
Tucker’s journey with the Clark Sisters began 15 years ago when she and her colleague, Sara Finney-Johnson, joined forces on the project. However, timing and commitments to her projects prevented Finney-Johnson from continuing to work on First Ladies of Gospel.
Tucker moved forward in crafting the gospel group’s story through several more iterations until the project caught the interest of Lifetime and they officially joined their production slate in 2017. Dramatizing the trials and tribulations of the Clark women was an opportunity that resonated with Tucker, especially because their story dovetailed her own professional and personal pursuits. Unfortunately, this movie distorted the portrayal of the Church of God in Christ, giving primacy to ecclesial hierarchy over community and church structure over the substance of mission. Maybe some things that were invisible in the movie should have been made more visible.
