One of the most colorful religious personalities of the decade, Father Devine challenged religious convention, distributed food to the needy, and conducted healing services. Although his followers often confused Devine with God, few outside his church did. His charity and preaching of interracial tolerance nonetheless won him many admirers and made him the most well known of Harlem's many preachers.

Gaining a Following.

In the dark years of the early Depression, increasing numbers of people took advantage of Father Devine's charity. The crowds swelled around his Sayville, New York, home, and the number of his followers expanded. In 1931 protests from his neighbors led to charges that, because of the crowds and traffic problems, he was disturbing the peace. While the community insisted they were concerned with the large crowds Father Devine attracted, his followers believed part of the opposition came from the fact that whites...