We’ve seen the church in the background of plenty shows — a one-liner from the pulpit, a Sunday service for laughs, or a quick choir moment. But these shows? They put the church front and center.
From pulpit power struggles to praise-team politics, these are the scripted TV shows where church isn’t just a setting — it’s the story. Whether it’s a megachurch full of secrets or a small congregation with big drama, these series dive into the faith, flaws, and fire behind the scenes of Black church culture.
Here are seven shows that understood the assignment — not just singing about the storm being over, but showing the whole thunder and the testimony.
Churchy (Season 2 coming soon)
After getting passed over to take over his father’s megachurch, Corey Carr Jr. packs his things (and his pride) and heads to small-town Texas to start his own ministry from scratch. But building a church ain’t easy when you’ve got no members, no money, and a whole lot of ego. Churchy is a modern-day ministry misadventure — funny, familiar, and full of those moments only folks who grew up in church will truly understand. It’s a love letter to the culture, with a side of communion crackers and chaos.
Creator: Kevin Fredericks (aka KevOnStage)
Starring: Kevin Fredericks, Mark J. P. Hood, Anthony Elfoniza, Lexi Allen, London Solomon, Shani Shockley
Watch: BET Plus
Kingdom Business (Still on Air…we think)
In the world of gospel, everybody’s watching — but not everybody’s praying. Kingdom Business follows the reigning First Lady of gospel music as her empire is threatened by a young, troubled newcomer with a jaw-dropping past. Set against a backdrop of faith, fame, and family, this show reminds us that church and entertainment often overlap in ways that aren’t always holy.
Creators: John J. Sakmar, Kerry Lenhart
Starring: Yolanda Adams, Serayah, Michael Jai White, Chaundre A. Hall-Broomfield, Michael Beach, Kiandra Richardson
Watch: BET Plus
Greenleaf
What happens when the family running the church needs more prayer than the congregation? Greenleaf dives deep into the secrets, scandals, and sanctified mess of a Memphis megachurch dynasty. From pulpit power struggles to hidden affairs, this series is layered, emotional, and unafraid to challenge what we think holiness looks like behind closed doors.
Creator: Craig Wright
Starring: Merle Dandridge, Lynn Whitfield, Keith David, Lamman Rucker, Deborah Joy Winans, Kim Hawthorne, Desiree Ross, Tye White, Lovie Simone, Greg Alan Williams, Rick Fox
Watch: Netflix
Amen
And we can’t forget one of the early ones. Before Greenleaf gave us deacons with skeletons, Amen gave us Deacon Ernest Frye — loud, shady, and forever scheming. This 80s sitcom is set at the First Community Church of Philadelphia, and while the tone is light, the church politics and generational clashes are all too real if you grew up around pews and potlucks.
Creator: Ed. Weinberger
Starring: Sherman Hemsley, Clifton Davis, Anna Maria Horsford, Roz Ryan, Jester Hairston
Watch: Tubi
Good News
Before David Ramsey was out here suited up as Diggle in the Arrowverse, he was rocking a collar as Rev. David Randolph — a young pastor fresh outta seminary who takes over a troubled church in Compton. Good News is a short-lived 90s sitcom that leaned into generational church clashes, community dynamics, and faith with a fun, lighthearted tone. It didn’t last long, but it had all the ingredients of a feel-good church comedy: the new-school pastor, the old-school deacon board, and a whole lotta bless your heart moments.
Creator: Ed. Weinberger
Starring: David Ramsey, Roz Ryan, Guy Torry, Alexia Robinson
Watch: N/A
Saints & Sinners
Greater Hope Baptist Church looks holy on the outside — but step inside and it’s giving power, politics, and pulpit drama. Set in a small Georgia town, Saints & Sinners is where the sermon hits at 11 but the scandal starts at 12. Between family betrayals, backroom deals, and secrets that go six feet deep, this series is Southern church drama at its peak.
Creators: Ty Scott
Starring: Vanessa Bell Calloway, Christian Keyes, Clifton Powell, Jasmine Burke, Keith Robinson
Watch: Hulu
The Soul Man
Boyce “The Voice” Ballentine is a Las Vegas R&B star who gives it all up to become a minister back in St. Louis. The only problem? His wild past, flashy style, and hilarious family don’t exactly scream “church folk.” This sitcom finds the humor in trying to walk the righteous path when the world keeps tempting you to sing backup for sin.
Creators: Cedric the Entertainer, Suzanne Martin
Starring: Cedric the Entertainer, Niecy Nash, Wesley Jonathan, Jazz Raycole, John Beasley
Watch: BET Plus