Overview
The series stars Sherman Hemsley (of All in the Family and The Jeffersons fame) as Deacon Ernest Frye, of the First Community Church of Philadelphia. Deacon Frye was often dishonest and frequently got into trouble with his many harebrained schemes. Anna Maria Horsford played Deacon Frye's 36-year-old daughter, Thelma Frye. The Reverend Reuben Gregory, played by Clifton Davis, was the new, young pastor of the First Community Church, and also the object of Thelma's affection. The two eventually married during the fourth season, despite the fact that the pastor and the deacon often butted heads. In the last episode in 1991, Thelma gave birth to their son.
The cast also included Jester Hairston as high-spirited and lively senior citizen Rolly Forbes, who often acted as the voice of reason. Davis and Hairston had previously worked together, playing Clifton and Wildcat on the 1970s sitcom That's My Mama. The show also starred comedienne Roz Ryan and Barbara Montgomery as Amelia and Cassietta Hetebrink, a pair of chattering sisters at the church. Also appearing on the show was Leola Henderson (played by Rosetta LeNoire), Rolly's love interest and eventual wife. After portraying Leola Forbes for two seasons, LeNoire left the show to star in the successful sitcom Family Matters as Grandma 'Mother' Estelle Winslow. LeNoire was replaced by Montrose Hagins who played the character from 1989 until the series' end in 1991.
For the third and fourth seasons, joining the cast were Elsa Raven as Swedish housekeeper Inga and Tony T. Johnson as Chris, a young boy that lived next door to Deacon Frye. A running gag at this time was Chris coming over to the Deacon's house and saying something that would cause one of the adults to put him out of the house. Raven was dropped from the show in 1990, with no explanation given for the disappearance of her character. Johnson wasn't seen regularly, but appeared on occasions. Barbara Montgomery left the series in 1990 to star on ABC's Married People, but there was no explanation of her character's absence on the show.
In the fifth and final season, Bumper Robinson joined the cast as Clarence, a young street kid and protégé of Deacon Frye.
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