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DEVINE, FATHER 18777-1965

RELIGIOUS LEADER

God or Man?

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, especially white women, attended his services and joined his group. He was convicted of disturbing the peace and given the maximum sentence, one year in prison. Two days later the presiding judge died, and Father Devine was alleged to have remarked, "I hated to do it," The remark became legendary among followers certain that Devine was God incarnate. His following grew, and he became a public figure.

Plenty in the Midst of Want

One reason for the growth of Devine's Peace Mission Movement, as it was eventually called, was the open hospitality people were given in the "heavens" (as he termed his homes and churches) that he created during the Depression years. He purchased hotels in which his followers were given food and shelter for modest sums. In 1934 he claimed seventy-two "Kingdoms, Extensions, and Connections," names for his various units. By 1939 they had increased to 152, mostly centered around New York.

Becoming a Public Figure

Father Devine and his followers were adamantly opposed to the racism that pervaded American society in the 1930s, It was this multiracial aspect of his followers as much as the generosity of his "heavens" that attracted attention during the decade. This multiracial quality was almost as important as the claims he was God in attracting press attention as he took on the qualities of a celebrity during the decade.