Backstage with Barrymore
In Madison County, in the town of Canton, Mississippi, the community knows they are in the good hands of Pastor Joseph Jenkins. (Richard T. Jones) They feel his steady guidance all through the week. O…
Backstage with Barrymore
In Madison County, in the town of Canton, Mississippi, the community knows they are in the good hands of Pastor Joseph Jenkins. (Richard T. Jones) They feel his steady guidance all through the week. One day, while driving, he sees a young, white woman stranded on the roadside, alone, her car broken down and overheated. She is a college student and her name is Brittney. (Kelly Pendergraft) Pastor Jenkins helps her, calls the tow truck and offers to drive her where she needs to go. On their way, the Pastors beautiful wife, Vivica Jenkins (Robinne Lee) calls, a shinning example of strength and motherhood for the parish, Vivica - is in labor. In a rare moment of panic, Pastor Jenkins, distracted from the road, but driving recklessly - crashes. Though he and the young white woman, Brittney, are unhurt, tragically, a family is killed. As Pastor Jenkins survives the sad court proceedings and goes back to his daily life of good works at the local FIRST AME CHURCH OF CANTON, we quickly realize that there is much more to his life than his parishioners are aware. There are serious financial troubles in the church, secrets the Pastor shares with his closest employee, Samantha, (Maya Dunbar) the Church Secretary and unexplained agendas. As well, though Vivica has born two beautiful, healthy twin girls, there are problems simmering in the Jenkins marriage. Because there is also a deep love and mutual respect, they both keep their searing conflicts very private, but they are threatening to boil over. Vivica wants a closer relationship with Joseph, wants him to spend more quality time with her and their newborn babies. But its not just that. As a highly intelligent and accomplished woman, though Vivica knows her first and most important new job is being a good mother, she has long wanted greater support from her husband for her need to use herself for positive pursuits in addition to standing behind him and raising their children. The main concern that keeps Pastor Jenkins from satisfying his wife's desires in his all consuming efforts to save the Church, a 100 year old institution. Dealing with many challenges, including the sudden retirement of long time church leader, Deacon Bates, (Kevin Benton) due to health reasons, Pastor Jenkins is trying to oversee his ambitious brainstorm to create funding for the church and invigorate local employment. Following the case of Pastor Jenkins reckless moment on the road - is Detective Herbert Lewis, (Adam Lazarre-White) his own family gone, due to a similar fate a fatal car accident. The driver of the car that killed his wife and children is a local politician who has enjoyed a successful career, seemingly unaffected by the day that changed Det. Lewiss life forever. Det. Lewis doesn't really like Pastor Jenkins, who he sees, along with other public figures, hobnobbing with the very politician who killed his family. More than that, Lewis recognizes Brittney not to be a college student at all, but to be a girl he arrested several times for prostitution, in his work as a Vice Detective. When Pastor Jenkins is acquitted and no blame assigned, Lewis cannot accept it. He knows something is wrong with the whole situation. Something is unexplained. Against orders from his captain, Captain Kittridge, (Tucker Smallwood) and the advice of his partner, Lewis pursues both Brittney and Pastor Jenkins, watching them, sniffing around for something, anything, that can shine a light on what he is convinced is an ugly underbelly. ...But is Lewis just obsessed with the tragedy of another family killed senselessly in a car accident like his own? Det. Lewis cannot seem to find anything really wrong with Pastor Jenkins accept to stumble on the fact that he appears very close with the Church Secretary employee, Samantha. While his cops nature - and his own personal agenda to catch Pastor Jenkins in wrongdoing might suspect the Pastors infidelity, Lewis sees nothing illegal. He does discover, however, that Brittney is still a working girl. She has graduated from street-walker to private escort, her services now secured through a high-end online entity. Lewis stakes out Brittneys home and follows the trail. Furthermore, it is revealed to us that the entity that runs Brittneys escort service, is in fact, shockingly, Pastor Jenkins Church. Though Samantha manages all details, payments and profits, Pastor Jenkins is well aware that the money for his parking lot, the payments for long held, overwhelming debts and his now flourishing church, many thousands of dollars each month - is funded by the buying and selling of these young womens sexual services. After catching Pastor Mckenzie, a regular customer of Britneys, Det. Lewis uses that leverage to arrest Brittney, and discover more about her employers. He is led to the First AME Church of Canton, Samanthas phone and ultimately, Pastor Jenkins. This time, when Pastor Jenkins is arrested for running the prostitution ring, there is no escape. Joseph Jenkins is defrocked, and sentenced to the maximum high fines and 3 years at the local penitentiary. Joseph deals with the degradation that faces any prisoner; and he must learn to create a trust with the other men with whom he is imprisoned. He battles with his personal shame, his solitude and his responsibility before God and his family. When he reads that one of the young women who were prostituting herself in his employ is found dead, he reaches his deepest depths. He works in the prison to find new purpose and a new voice. After three years of repentance and rehabilitation, Joseph has grown wiser, more humble and rededicated himself to the purpose and principles that led him to become a pastor in the first place. While all sins leave scars and all paths have obstacles, Joseph finds that some healing has taken place over time. His babies are now little girls. He has lost many things he can never have back. All is not forgotten, but there is forgiveness and hope to continue on his journey to be a better man.
Backstage with Barrymore
Documentary
Film Details
In Madison County, in the town of Canton, Mississippi, the community knows they are in the good hands of Pastor Joseph Jenkins. (Richard T. Jones) They feel his steady guidance all through the week.
One day, while driving, he sees a young, white woman stranded on the roadside, alone, her car broken down and overheated. She is a college student and her name is Brittney. (Kelly Pendergraft) Pastor Jenkins helps her, calls the tow truck and offers to drive her where she needs to go.
On their way, the Pastors beautiful wife, Vivica Jenkins (Robinne Lee) calls, a shinning example of strength and motherhood for the parish, Vivica - is in labor. In a rare moment of panic, Pastor Jenkins, distracted from the road, but driving recklessly - crashes. Though he and the young white woman, Brittney, are unhurt, tragically, a family is killed.
As Pastor Jenkins survives the sad court proceedings and goes back to his daily life of good works at the local FIRST AME CHURCH OF CANTON, we quickly realize that there is much more to his life than his parishioners are aware. There are serious financial troubles in the church, secrets the Pastor shares with his closest employee, Samantha, (Maya Dunbar) the Church Secretary and unexplained agendas. As well, though Vivica has born two beautiful, healthy twin girls, there are problems simmering in the Jenkins marriage.
Because there is also a deep love and mutual respect, they both keep their searing conflicts very private, but they are threatening to boil over. Vivica wants a closer relationship with Joseph, wants him to spend more quality time with her and their newborn babies. But its not just that.
As a highly intelligent and accomplished woman, though Vivica knows her first and most important new job is being a good mother, she has long wanted greater support from her husband for her need to use herself for positive pursuits in addition to standing behind him and raising their children. The main concern that keeps Pastor Jenkins from satisfying his wife's desires in his all consuming efforts to save the Church, a 100 year old institution. Dealing with many challenges, including the sudden retirement of long time church leader, Deacon Bates, (Kevin Benton) due to health reasons, Pastor Jenkins is trying to oversee his ambitious brainstorm to create funding for the church and invigorate local employment.
Following the case of Pastor Jenkins reckless moment on the road - is Detective Herbert Lewis, (Adam Lazarre-White) his own family gone, due to a similar fate a fatal car accident. The driver of the car that killed his wife and children is a local politician who has enjoyed a successful career, seemingly unaffected by the day that changed Det. Lewiss life forever.
Det. Lewis doesn't really like Pastor Jenkins, who he sees, along with other public figures, hobnobbing with the very politician who killed his family. More than that, Lewis recognizes Brittney not to be a college student at all, but to be a girl he arrested several times for prostitution, in his work as a Vice Detective.
When Pastor Jenkins is acquitted and no blame assigned, Lewis cannot accept it. He knows something is wrong with the whole situation. Something is unexplained.
Against orders from his captain, Captain Kittridge, (Tucker Smallwood) and the advice of his partner, Lewis pursues both Brittney and Pastor Jenkins, watching them, sniffing around for something, anything, that can shine a light on what he is convinced is an ugly underbelly. ...But is Lewis just obsessed with the tragedy of another family killed senselessly in a car accident like his own? Det. Lewis cannot seem to find anything really wrong with Pastor Jenkins accept to stumble on the fact that he appears very close with the Church Secretary employee, Samantha.
While his cops nature - and his own personal agenda to catch Pastor Jenkins in wrongdoing might suspect the Pastors infidelity, Lewis sees nothing illegal. He does discover, however, that Brittney is still a working girl. She has graduated from street-walker to private escort, her services now secured through a high-end online entity.
Lewis stakes out Brittneys home and follows the trail. Furthermore, it is revealed to us that the entity that runs Brittneys escort service, is in fact, shockingly, Pastor Jenkins Church. Though Samantha manages all details, payments and profits, Pastor Jenkins is well aware that the money for his parking lot, the payments for long held, overwhelming debts and his now flourishing church, many thousands of dollars each month - is funded by the buying and selling of these young womens sexual services.
After catching Pastor Mckenzie, a regular customer of Britneys, Det. Lewis uses that leverage to arrest Brittney, and discover more about her employers. He is led to the First AME Church of Canton, Samanthas phone and ultimately, Pastor Jenkins.
This time, when Pastor Jenkins is arrested for running the prostitution ring, there is no escape. Joseph Jenkins is defrocked, and sentenced to the maximum high fines and 3 years at the local penitentiary. Joseph deals with the degradation that faces any prisoner; and he must learn to create a trust with the other men with whom he is imprisoned.
He battles with his personal shame, his solitude and his responsibility before God and his family. When he reads that one of the young women who were prostituting herself in his employ is found dead, he reaches his deepest depths. He works in the prison to find new purpose and a new voice.
After three years of repentance and rehabilitation, Joseph has grown wiser, more humble and rededicated himself to the purpose and principles that led him to become a pastor in the first place. While all sins leave scars and all paths have obstacles, Joseph finds that some healing has taken place over time. His babies are now little girls.
He has lost many things he can never have back. All is not forgotten, but there is forgiveness and hope to continue on his journey to be a better man..