Keepers Of The Faith
The Jenkins Brothers’ Film “Sinners Wanted” Makes National Debut With 2.7 Million Viewers. Kevin Durant Documentary Is Next Up And Airs May 15
By Raoul Dennis
The opening montage rotates iconic images of the DMV. Ben’s Chili Bowl, Howard University Hospital, The Howard Theater and more scenes that immediately feel at home to residents from the region. And it’s immediately cool to know that this is a national audience that’s getting a taste of DC flava.
But just as that slick , black convertible Chevy SS pulls up to the church and parks in the crosswalk, and a young pastor hops out of the driver’s seat, it’s evident that when it comes to films based on the gospel, this one was going to be very different.
“You don’t expect a pastor to pull up in a Chevy SS,” says director Joshua Jenkins. “That’s the car most gangsters ride in, that’s the car that the pimps and the OGs ride in back in the day. We want that black and red (interior) car to represent, to make a statement.”
“Sinners Wanted” isn’t a film new to the DMV – it premiered here two years ago (The new film was screened Mar. 16 at First Baptist Church of Glenarden. It was also shown Mar. 22 thru 24 at the Magic Johnson Theaters in Largo, Md. See “A Film For The Soul That Comes From The Heart”).
It did well on its national television debut, attracting some 2.7 million viewers and being listed in the top 150 original programs aired April 5 – a solid showing for such a young film team.
In an interview with Prince George’s Suite Magazine & Media, “Sinners Wanted” filmmakers Jimmy and Joshua Jenkins joined their dad, First Baptist Church Pastor John K. Jenkins, Sr. to discuss the film’s national debut on TV One April 5.
“We wanted to make the word of God more plain to our generation,” says Jimmy Jenkins who is half of the Jenkins Brothers duo that created the film.
It was an unexpected story but a very well-known source: The Holy Bible. And in it, a young pastor falls in love with a known prostitute.
“A friend of ours named Ariel Horton told us to read this book in the Bible called The Book Of Hosea. Once we read it, we fell in love with the story,” Jimmy says.
The project took six years to complete.
Although the project was written over two years and filmed in five days, it packs a powerful story into modern day themes and images. The cast is a stellar group of seasoned professionals and faith community giants. The writing crams quite a bit into the essential plot – and in some points perhaps pushing character development to the limit. But the characters within the film are solid members of the African American and church community: they are people we recognize, grew up with and live with in our neighborhoods. With a perfect blend of grace and grit, it has the pace, tone and passion to attract and hold contemporary audiences to a message from a story written some 2,000 years ago.
But how have faith-based film goers with more traditional sensibilities received “Sinners Wanted”?
“We were told that there might be some controversy,” Joshua says. “Some people were highly critical of it because of the topic. But it’s not something we came up with. It’s a story of God’s love. It’s God’s word. We wanted to make god’s word relevant.”
The film was also an opportunity to reach those who may have felt disconnected from the church.
“We had a great response because most people don’t approach church content like this – which is relatable for a lot of people who were involved in church, who were hurt by the church or who have had bad experiences in church,” Jimmy says. “The biggest thing in script or screenwriting is giving the audience a chance to empathize with your characters.”
He continues: “It wasn’t the best movie, it didn’t have the best quality but it gave our audience a chance to empathize with our characters because they can see themselves in those characters. I think that’s why it’s effective and why people were able to gravitate towards it.”
And the response to God’s word through the film has been favorable. As the premiere aired during the first weeks of the stay at home orders and just days ahead of Easter Sunday, the Jenkins Brothers report that the social media and popular response has been very positive. The team took the film to theaters and audiences in other states as well and got very favorable responses.
The film had 2.7 million Total Viewers in L+SD, according to Nielsen Media. TV One is available to approximately 57 million pay television households. It rated Top 150 Original Cable Telecasts on April 5, according to ShowBiz Daily.
The film is the first major project by the Jenkins Brother (although it’s not their first film) but it is a product of the Film Ministry at First Baptist Church of Glenarden.
Pastor John K. Jenkins, Sr. (who has a cameo in the film) says this is his sons’ vision for connecting with a new generation. He appreciates the use of new technology to get the gospel out to the people.
“It’s a journey. I have to take my hat off to my sons,” he says. “One of the things they had been telling me for a long time is about developing and utilizing technology to get the gospel out. It’s much more impactful, it’s more visual and we have the capacity to reach far more people than just what we get on Sunday service,” says Jenkins who leads Maryland’s largest church. “They always told me that this was a way that they could reach people today and I can see that they were right,” the pastor says.
There are challenges from time to time but they don’t last.
“Like all families and businesses there are moments of tension and stress,” Jenkins says. “We have had that. But we recognize each person’s call and strengths. Jimmy does this full time, Joshua works on staff with me. Jimmy is single, Josh is married. So we work on the basis of what the strengths are of the family. You find out what your lane is and function within your lane.”
“The main goal is to tell stories and spread the gospel,” says Joshua. “Growing up our dad and our mom instilled in us biblical principles of life and we want to do that by any means necessary.
The upcoming Kevin Durant documentary, “Basketball County In The Water”, airs May 15 at 9 p.m. on SHOWTIME. The documentary is an independently funded project that is unaffiliated with the church.
The Jenkins Brothers have two other film projects coming in 2021.
Sinners Wanted is available on iTunes and Amazon Prime.
