MARJOE'S MOTHER (OFFSCREEN): And
all across the nation for
the past four years, the little
preacher has been going
up and down, winning lost
humanity with the message of
the Master.
At this time, let me introduce
to you Little Marjoe.
-Howdy, neighbors.
May the Lord bless you.
MARJOE GORTNER (OFFSCREEN):
When I would go to a press
conference or an interview, my
father would march me in full
outfit right up to the news
editor and say, I want to see
the editor.
They would be so shocked at a
six-year-old kid coming up
with a full handshake.
And I would say, you know,
how do you do, Mr. Smith?
My name is Marjoe Gortner.
I'm in town to give the
devil two black eyes.
The guy's falling
out of his seat.
And he would say something back,
like, you're a minister?
Yes, that's right, the Lord
called me to preach when I was
four years old.
Do you memorize your sermons?
Absolutely not.
No, I get them in my sleep.
Sometimes I get them while I'm
driving down the road.
But they all come from God.
YOUNG MARJOE (OFFSCREEN): Just
as sure as you're listening to
me, just as sure as you're
listening to an eight-year-old
voice, just as sure as you're
playing a record, it's just as
sure that you're going to go to
hell if you're not saved.
I stand firm in my belief that
the Bible is the word of God.
Raymond, wilt thou has this
woman to be thy wedded wife,
to live together after
God's ordinance in
holy, sacred matrimony?
Wilt thou love her, honor her,
cherish and keep her in
sickness, in health, as long
as you both shall live?
-I will.
-Alma, wilt thou have this man
to be thy wedded husband, to
live together after God's
ordinance in the holiest state
of matrimony?
Wilt thou love him, honor him,
cherish and keep him in
sickness and health, and leaving
all others, cleave
only unto him as long as
you both shall live?
-I will.
-Place this ring on
the 4th finger.
-If the law of the state of
California does not define
what a minister is and
recognizes the child of four
years as a minister, then we
should bring about change in
the law and insist that a
minister be at least 21 years
of age.
-Those whom God has
joined together,
let not man put asunder.
Raymond, salute your bride.
MALE SPEAKER (OFFSCREEN): As far
as I'm concerned, a thing
like this savors of a sordid
sensationalism that is
disgusting.
It is a dangerous reflection on
the sanctity of marriage.
MARJOE GORTNER (OFFSCREEN):
The name Marjoe is a
combination of Mary
and Joseph.
When I was born, it was really
a miracle, because I was born
by Cesarean, and when they
opened up my mother, the cord
was wrapped around my
neck three times.
So I guess I did start off with
a legitimate miracle.
-At this time, I would like to
present to you the world's
youngest ordained minister
and the world's youngest
evangelist, Marjoe Gortner.
Marjoe started preaching when
he was three and a half.
Today is Marjoe's eighth--
I remember my mother going
through very, well,
correctional activities, you
might say, to get me prepared
to say the wedding ceremony.
Because I had to recite the
whole Episcopal ceremony
verbatim and write my name
on the certificate.
I'm not sure, but I think they
had a preaching number planned
for me, coming from such a long
background of preachers
and my mother being a very
flamboyant evangelist.
As a child, I'd want to go out
and play, and would have to
spend hours and hours
memorizing, and
my mind would slip.
Finally, my mother would begin
to lose her patience with me,
and she would put a pillow
over my head, maybe, and
smother me for a little bit.
Other times she'd hold me
under the water faucet.
But she never wanted to put any
marks on my body, because
she knew I had to be in front of
the press, and so she would
never hit me or anything.
YOUNG MARJOE (OFFSCREEN):
I thank God for my fine
Christian mother that
pointed me to Jesus.
If we had more good Christian
mothers that would teach the
boys and girls how to play
more instead of drinking
cocktails and smoking filthy old
cigarettes, we would have
a better America, better men
and women, and not so much
juvenile delinquency.
MARJOE GORTNER (OFFSCREEN):
There'd
be, you know, gestures.
Like when I would say "Jesus,"
my arms would have to go out,
and when I would say "the
devil," I would go forward.
And she had this incredible
set of signals.
Like if she would say,
"Oh, Jesus," if I
was going too slow.
Or if she said, "Glory to God,"
you know, that meant,
you better speed up and go
a little bit faster.
Then later on, they came
up with more signals.
Like "Praise God" meant, you
know, you've got the people
where you need them.
You better take an offering
and raise some money.
[laughter]
YOUNG MARJOE (OFFSCREEN): Oh
my friend, listen to me.
MARJOE GORTNER (OFFSCREEN):
name is Marjoe Gortner.
I'm only four years old.
I'm coming to your town to
sh**t the devil down.
So come and go with me and
surely you will see me preach
the old-time gospel and
have a jubilee.
Everyone praise the Lord!
I guess I was sort of
precocious, and I
had an ego, you know.
And I enjoyed the people and I
enjoyed the attention that I
was getting.
I remember I really enjoyed--
everyone was very nice to me.
And my reaction to it, like
I didn't understand.
I didn't really--
I can't really think of a time
that I ever believed in God or
in, you know-- and I ever
thought that was a miracle of
God that I preached.
I don't think even with all the
people gathering around
me, you know, thousands of
people saying this has to be a
miracle, surely God has called
you and all that--
I don't think with all that.
I just knew that I could do it
well, and my parents had
trained me, but I never really
tripped out and thought that I
was some real miracle
child of any kind.
MALE SPEAKER (OFFSCREEN): OK,
August 7, "Marjoe" Roll
Slate it.
Last slate, but this
is August 10th.
[women laughing]
This is August 10.
-What picture are we on?
Three.
MALE SPEAKER (OFFSCREEN): Two.
Three?
-All yours.
MARJOE GORTNER (OFFSCREEN):
It's all mine?
Fantastic.
Have any of you had any
experience with the
Pentecostal movement before?
Like that's the main thing.
Or what kind of religious
backgrounds,
if any, do you have?
FEMALE SPEAKER (OFFSCREEN):
Larry's got a lot.
MALE SPEAKER (OFFSCREEN): I'm
an angry ex-Catholic.
-OK, what's yours?
MALE SPEAKER (OFFSCREEN): I
used to be a Communist--
no.
I used to be a Baptist.
-How long ago?
You haven't gone to
church recently or
anything like that?
MALE SPEAKER (OFFSCREEN):
Not lately.
-OK, number one, the little
lovey locks have to go.
[laughter]
-No, just remember, you're
dealing with people--
they say they love you, right?
And they love Jesus.
And they love you-- like if you
came in and you weren't
part of a film crew, they would,
like, turn to you and
want to help you to get saved.
But being part of the film crew,
you're going to have to
let this go so that you
don't get bothered.
Because a natural thing that
they have is to want to,
like-- they're zealous.
They want to convert everyone.
They want you, you know,
to be saved.
And if you look like this, they
would be approaching you
immediately.
Because everyone-- the whole
reason for the whole thing is
like, can I get someone saved?
You know, can I lead
someone to Jesus?
Can I win someone else?
And so you've got to, like,
cut the locks, man.
-I thought I'd get
a wig, you know?
I'd get a wig and
I'd put it up.
And then during the sh**ting,
for the payoff at the end, you
know, I would do sound and then
I'd rip off the wig and
give myself to Christ.
[laughter]
MARJOE GORTNER (OFFSCREEN):
That's great.
I can make a lot of money
with you doing that.
[laughter]
MARJOE GORTNER (OFFSCREEN): If
they ask if you're saved,
don't hesitate about it.
Never say, well, uh, yes,
I'm the right way.
Well, we want to help you.
And they'll want to lead you.
Well, here, you want
a little scripture?
Maybe this'll give you
a little comfort.
You just come right back at
them, look them straight in
the eye, and say, yes, brother,
and I'm washed in the
same blood as you.
MALE SPEAKER (OFFSCREEN):
Great.
-You know?
I mean, it all comes
in the blood.
You'll be hearing
all these songs.
Power in the blood, are you
washed in the blood?
I mean, it's a very bloody,
gory religion that's going
down, you know?
And as long as you say you're
washed in the blood--
[sigh]
it's cool.
They'll leave you alone.
MALE SPEAKER (OFFSCREEN): How
suspicious are they going to
be of everybody, though?
Are they actually going
to be laying in wait?
-They're not going
to be suspicious.
No, they're--
remember, they're
on your side.
Because they accept me
as real, number one.
And so me bringing you in
there, they've already
accepted you.
The only way that there
would be a bust is if
one of you blow it.
That's why you've
got to be very--
I'm actually over-cautioning
you so that
you'll be really careful.
Because no one is going to
say, well, I wonder about
those people.
Again, there's the Hollywood,
the movies and things like
that you've got to
be careful of.
But you want to just be
prepared for it all.
And another thing--
no smoking.
You.
[laughter]
MARJOE GORTNER (OFFSCREEN):
Absolutely.
And listen, you can't even go
outside of the tent or an
auditorium and smoke
on the grounds.
I mean, nothing in
your pockets.
And you've got to use Binaca.
[laughter]
MARJOE GORTNER (OFFSCREEN): I
mean, I'd carry a whole bunch,
you know?
-How many [bleep]
sacrifices I gotta make
for this job?
MARJOE GORTNER (OFFSCREEN):
Well, it's all for Jesus.
I mean, you know.
[laughter]
MARJOE GORTNER (OFFSCREEN):
He did a lot for you, man.
[laughter]
-The blood industry, yeah.
-Right, right.
You know, it's all under
the blood, right?
All the--
you know.
I used to smoke, I
used to drink.
Like, you know, I've
got this riff that
you go through sometimes.
We go, for seven years I was a
heroin addict, pill dropper,
LSD tripper.
High riding and low sliding.
Busting heads and
dropping reds.
Kicking in doors and
banging whores.
Setting tires and
slashing fires.
But then I met a man who was
hung up for hangups.
You know?
[laughter]
-I mean, that's the
kind of testimony.
You give up all that
stuff, you know?
That's all, you know.
-And there's another thing.
What if they say, what
kind of movies do you
people usually do?
[laughter]
-Films.
MARJOE GORTNER (OFFSCREEN):
No, a lot of documentary
movements, and you know, that
you've really become very
interested in this
growing Jesus
movement that's happening.
And listen, I mean, I can tell
by looking at some of you that
you're into women, maybe,
a little bit.
You can't chase any of the
little loveys around the tent.
A lot of these girls, there's
like revival groupies, too.
FEMALE SPEAKER (OFFSCREEN):
Really?
-That'll hit on you.
Sure, man.
I mean, they'll see you walking
around, they'll see a
film crew--
listen, keep it in your pants.
[laughter]
MARJOE GORTNER (OFFSCREEN): You
cannot in any way-- don't
even-- don't even
flirt at all.
Because they'll come up--
I mean, just be nice and
friendly, and smile.
But you cannot get involved
with these chicks at all,
because that's one rule that
I definitely established.
It makes it really hard for
me, traveling, living in
motels and that, is that I never
take out a girl from the
church or in the church,
you know?
I stick with airline
stewardesses.
MALE SPEAKER (OFFSCREEN):
Never?
MALE SPEAKER (OFFSCREEN): Are
we going to film Marjoe's
crucifixion when they find
out about all this?
[laughter]
-What will happen when they
find out about that?
-What will happen when they
find out about it?
-I mean, when the
movie comes out.
-Well, I'm hoping that they'll
see, you know, that it's not
necessary to look to some person
to, like, jerk you off
to get off and put
your belief in.
[singing]
MARJOE GORTNER (OFFSCREEN): To
me, getting on the stage, the
dancing, the preaching,
that's fine.
But the things I have to come
down about-- the sin, the
burning, the hell-- that's
really a drag, you know?
And I'm hoping that maybe
they'll see that that's not
where it's at, so that you can,
like-- you can go if you
want to do it in church
or at a rock concert.
As long as you get
off, that's OK.
But you don't have to worry
about everyone someday going
dangling up to heaven.
We're going to walk on those
golden streets, you know.
-Glory!
Hallelujah.
Hallelujah.
Praise him.
Praise him.
[congregation clapping along]
RAY BOATRIGHT (OFFSCREEN):
Come on and praise God!
Yeah, you just come on and
worship God, amen.
And I'm so happy.
Oh, now that I'm so happy.
Now that I'm so happy
in my soul.
But I'm so happy, now
that I'm so happy.
say yes, yeah.
Sing it!
Yeah.
I'll say yes, yes, oh, yes.
I'll say yes, Lord.
I'll say yes, Lord.
-My, my, my.
I can just see Jesus
on his way up.
Hallelujah.
Going up into the sky.
I'm going up.
Hallelujah.
And I can see him as he
starts to goes up.
My, my, my.
And what does the Bible say
when he go up there?
Praise God, he sat down.
Hallelujah!
Oh, praise the Lord.
Whenever you hear of a high
priest sitting down, that
means that his work
is finished.
Hallelujah.
So when Jesus sat down, brother,
the Holy Ghost had to
get up, oh yes he did.
Hallelujah.
I see that's Holy Ghost as
he begins to come down.
I see those 120 people as they
make their way up into the
upper room.
Oh, hallelujah!
They shut the windows.
They locked the doors for
fear of their lives.
But I seen them as they got down
on their knees and they
began to pray.
And I seen the Holy Ghost has
cloven in tongues of fire,
whereupon, hallelujah and oh
my, the Holy Ghost finally
found a permanent
resting place.
CONGREGANT (OFFSCREEN):
Hallelujah!
CONGREGANT (OFFSCREEN):
Hallelujah!
-Hallelujah.
He wants a permanent resting
place in your life.
Have you given the Holy Ghost
some resting place, or have
you given him a full
resting place?
Lift up your hands tonight.
Thank you, Jesus.
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
Lift up your hands and
worship the Lord.
[congregation murmuring]
-Praise him tonight.
Hallelujah.
[speaking in tongues]
Oh, God is so real tonight.
If you can't feel the Holy Ghost
tonight, man, you're
dead and you don't know it.
So why don't you praise him?
Why don't you call
upon his name?
Why don't you worship
the Lord tonight?
Oh, lift up your hands
and praise him.
Hallelujah, hallelujah,
hallelujah!
Oh, thank you, Jesus.
Thank you, Jesus.
Thank you, Jesus.
Oh, hallelujah.
Hallelujah!
[organ playing]
-Thank you, Jesus.
Thank you, Jesus.
Hallelujah, hallelujah.
Now some people, you see,
they've taken these prayer
cloths for their son or their
daughter who is in dr*gs or
dope addiction.
And they've given that prayer
cloth to them, and I've had
many testimony of a young
person, after they got one of
these prayer cloths, they were
delivered from dr*gs.
How many believe that God
can work this way?
Do you believe it?
Praise the Lord.
I want you to get out the
largest bill that
you have right now.
If you believe-- if you don't
have that much faith, then you
shouldn't come down anyhow.
Even young people, anyone who
wants to come down, if you
want to believe for someone
in your life, I
want you just to give.
If a $20 bill is the largest
bill you got, then I want you
to get that out.
If it's a $10, I want
you to get that out.
If it's only a dollar bill, I
want you to get that out.
But I'm asking you to prove God
with whatever the largest
offering that you
have tonight.
Anyone else who wants to, right
now, stand to your feet.
All right, I want you to make
your way, and as I lay hands
on you tonight, I want us to
sing that chorus, "There's
Victory in Jesus." About
the key of A or A-flat.
Hallelujah.
Everyone sing.
victory in Jesus.
My savior forever.
Well, he sought me.
-Oh, hallelujah!
Thank you, Jesus.
Oh, hallelujah.
Thank you Jesus.
Hallelujah.
Hallelujah.
Anybody.
[congregation singing]
MARJOE GORTNER (OFFSCREEN):
Hallelu,
hallelu, thank you, Jesus.
Thank you Jesus.
[congregation singing]
MARJOE GORTNER (OFFSCREEN):
Thank you, Jesus.
Hallelujah.
Hallelu.
Yes, sir.
In Jesus' name!
In Jesus' name!
In Jesus' name!
Thank you, Jesus.
Thank you, Jesus.
Hallelujah, hallelujah.
Praise the Lord Jesus.
Praise the Lord.
Thank you, Jesus.
Hallelujah.
Hallelujah.
In the name of Jesus.
Thank you, Jesus.
Hallelujah.
Oh, thank you, Jesus!
Free your mind, brother.
Thank you, Jesus.
Hallelujah.
Hallelujah.
In Jesus' name.
Thank you, Jesus.
[evangelists singing]
-In Jesus' name!
RAY BOATRIGHT (OFFSCREEN):
Listen to me.
Everyone that's got an ache,
everyone that's got pain,
everyone who's got
trouble, sorrow,
heartaches, whatever it is.
Joe, I believe it was you who
sang I'm so glad that Jesus
set me free.
He'll loosen that leg of yours
up and that knee, hallelujah.
Got to loosen these joints up
as right as they'll go.
Hallelujah.
Come on!
Dope'll go!
Narcotics'll leave you!
Sin'll go out of your life!
Come on everybody, that you
want something from God.
I want you to start
praising him!
Come on and praise God
for your freedom!
You're not bound.
You're free!
You're not bound.
You're free!
Come on, jump!
Bend that leg in Jesus'
name, step out!
Step out in the name of Jesus!
Step out in the name of Jesus!
Step out in the name of Jesus!
Lift that leg up.
It'll loosen.
It'll loosen by the power
of the Holy Ghost.
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
He's free right now!
He's bending that
leg right now!
God's a-setting him
free right now!
The doctors said he'd
never do it!
Over a year it's been stiff,
but tonight, it's free!
Hallelujah, hallelujah,
hallelujah.
-That's right, thank
you, Jesus.
-Thank you, Jesus.
Thank you, Jesus.
-Oh, hallelujah.
-Hallelujah.
-Hallelujah.
-Thank you, Jesus.
Thank you, Jesus.
-Hallelujah!
Thank you, Jesus.
-Hallelujah!
This is God's day.
And if it's God's day,
it's you're day.
Hallelujah!
This is the day of the
children of the Lord.
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
[man screams]
-[screams]
-Brother, say Jesus.
Right now, Jesus.
Say Jesus.
-Jesus.
-Stay it again, Jesus.
-Jesus.
Jesus!
-In the name of Jesus, brother,
be unleashed.
Be set free right now.
-That's right, say Jesus.
Just say Jesus.
[all shouting]
MARJOE GORTNER (OFFSCREEN):
There's the experience where
you say you're saved.
Then there's the fire baptism
when you get the Holy Ghost,
and that's the tongues thing.
And they love to work
people over.
You've got to, like,
sh**t in on this.
When you see people gathering
around, people start laying
hands on and praying with
someone, you've got to come in
with the camera, too.
It's very important.
Because they'll be laying
hands on someone.
The poor person'll be saying,
you know, thank you, Jesus.
Now this is a person that's
already saved, but they're
getting the baptism.
And someone will be standing
there and be going--
[speaking in tongues].
And the poor person'll be
standing there, and they're
not saying anything.
Then after a while, about four
or five more will gather
round, and they'll start
doing the same thing.
Come on, speak it out,
speak it out.
Till all of a sudden, the person
gets so overwhelmed by
the thing that they
start going--
[speaking in tongues].
And the next thing--
ah, that's it.
You've got it.
Like they feel good.
We got another one, you know?
Then they'll go on to
the next person.
RAY BOATRIGHT (OFFSCREEN):
[speaking in tongues]
Hallelujah, come against all
the powers of Satan.
In Jesus Christ's name
right now, I rebuke
the powers of darkness.
[speaking in tongues]
[women speaking in tongues]
[women speaking in tongues]
That's a good sermon, boy.
-Thank you.
Coming from you, I think
that's a compliment.
[laughs]
-[inaudible].
-Find out where that
dove went.
-Oh, that climax on
that dove was it.
I like that.
-I got that when I was
down in Texas.
You know Fitzgerald?
-Yeah, old Fitzgerald.
-I preached that the first
time at his church.
-[speaking in tongues]
RAY BOATRIGHT (OFFSCREEN): You
count the big stuff, and I'll
count this.
MARJOE GORTNER (OFFSCREEN):
OK.
You gonna trust me?
RAY BOATRIGHT (OFFSCREEN): Oh,
I think I'll trust you.
MARJOE GORTNER (OFFSCREEN): OK.
[laughs]
[continues to count softly]
RAY BOATRIGHT (OFFSCREEN): You
sure will get it straight.
[laughter]
garments spotless?
Are they white as snow?
Thank you, Jesus!
Are you washed in the
blood of the lamb?
Jesus is so good
to me tonight.
Hallelujah, thank you, Jesus.
I praise the Lord.
Oh, glory, glory, hallelujah,
I feel good in my soul.
Ha ha, praise the Lord.
Oh!
Sure isn't as heavy
as it used to be,
though, in the old days.
Wow.
Was really heavy then.
I can remember how I used to
have to go down and work with
my mother and father,
the whole thing.
Money, money, from the time
I was four years--
I really supported them, you
know, when I was a child, come
to think about it.
I remember how they used to send
me down into the aisles,
and I wore these little velvet
pants, and Lord Fantuan suits
with satin shirts.
But my mother would sew extra
pockets into the suit so I
could stuff money.
They would announce, tonight--
now everyone tonight that
gives $20, little Marjoe's going
to come down and give
you a kiss.
All these little lovely old
ladies that wanted to get
their fingers in my little
curly locks.
Then after I'd fill up my
pockets, I'd come back and my
father would alleviate
me of the money.
I don't even remember what town
it was in, exactly, but
all I remember is he took off.
We were in a meeting.
He left a note.
He preached the meeting one
night, and if I remember
right, I think he took
the offering, too.
I don't know how much came in.
As far as I can guess, maybe
about $3 million from the time
I was 4 to 14.
And I have no idea what happened
to that money.
I know that I never saw it, or
I never got any piece of it
for my education or anything.
I traveled with my mother for
about close to two years.
Novelty was wearing off
of a child preaching.
Our money had run out.
We were more or less
living at that time
from meeting to meeting.
Finally, I guess I was close
to 15, about 14 and 1/2.
We were in Los Angeles
at a meeting.
I said to my mother, I said,
this is going to be the last
time I preach.
I said, I'm not going
to do it anymore.
So I stopped.
I spent, from then, the next 2
and 1/2 years, I met a older
woman on the beach and in a
nightclub, and we danced.
And she invited me into the
home, and I lived with her.
And this time was, uh, very--
a transitional period.
It was a good change for me.
All I can say is I felt toward
her more like I would have
liked to have felt toward my
mother or toward a mother.
It just felt good
to have someone
care for me as a person.
I mean, I didn't have to
get up and preach.
I didn't have to put on a
performance at night.
I could just be myself, and
like, she took care of me and
loved me.
-Do you feel that you missed
out on a lot that most kids
between the ages of 4 and 18--
-No.
No.
Not anymore.
At 18, I was really bitter.
I was going to get lawyers and
sue them, because I felt I'd
supported them.
They gave me no money.
I went through that adolescent
thing of being very bitter.
And there were so many things
that I was naive--
there was little things I had to
find out, just about life.
I never told anyone about the
life I'd led as a preacher.
I took all my scrapbook
clippings, everything I had,
and I sort of hid them away.
And even my closest friends
at the time didn't know.
I felt this strong resentment
toward mainly, my father.
My mother, too, but mainly
toward my father.
Because I was a child,
and he hadn't put
any trust fund away.
But then I started, you know,
hanging out with people who
were into nonviolent movements
and so forth, and I just sort
of began to find out within
myself that you can't hold
resentment or strong things
against other people.
There's no sense in hating
anyone or holding hatred
toward any people.
That's ridiculous.
The only person it's going
to hurt is me.
Why should I hate him?
I mean, he did his thing, you
know, and that was cool.
Why should I hate him?
I believe in karma.
Those things--
I don't need to take
care of it.
All those things that you do bad
will eventually, some day,
come back on your head.
I just think that'll take
care of itself to him.
[music playing]
[applause]
MARJOE GORTNER (OFFSCREEN):
That is just beautiful.
[singing - "glory, glory"]
Lift up your hands and
praise him tonight.
Hallelujah, thank you, Jesus.
Thank you, Jesus.
Hallelujah.
This afternoon that I'm going
to relate to you is no
different than any other
afternoon, except I had a
visit from Jesus,
praise the Lord.
She put me up to sleep.
I don't know how long
I was asleep, but
I remember I awoke.
When I awoke, I was
seeing a vision.
I remember, I looked up out
of my little bed and I
saw a mass of people.
They were perishing.
They were crying out for help.
They were crying, somebody
do something!
Now remember, I'm only
four years old.
And I remember, I sat up in my
little bed, and I looked up
and I said, someone help
all those people.
Then a voice spoke back to me,
just as clear as though
standing right alongside
that bed.
And that voice said, Marjoe,
you can help them.
And I remember, I looked down at
myself and I thought, why,
I'm just a little boy.
I'm only four years old.
What could I possibly do?
What could I possibly say?
And you know, that voice spoke
back to me and said, I was
with David, so will
I be with you.
Hallelujah.
As I was with Jeremiah,
so will I be with you.
Then God spoke the
crucial word.
He said, will you
preach the word?
Right there at the age
of four, I had
a decision to make.
And I said, yes, Lord, I will.
CONGREGANT (OFFSCREEN):
Thank you, loving God.
-Hallelujah.
CONGREGANT (OFFSCREEN):
Hallelujah!
-And I dedicated
my life to God.
Praise the Lord.
And you know, I fell back in
my bed and I had just the
greatest peace and
tranquility.
I even went right
back to sleep.
I never said a word to
my mother and father.
That night was a church
night, and I got up.
The choir was up there to sing,
and they announced that
I was going to sing
my little song.
But I said something
different.
I said, you know, folks,
I'm a preacher, too.
Praise the Lord.
And I began to preach.
And I'll tell you, the Holy
Ghost began to fall,
hallelujah.
And there were people who came
running to give their hearts
to the Lord Jesus Christ because
of hearing the little
words of a child.
I remember one lady in
Louisville, Kentucky.
She came down in a
long prayer line.
I don't know how many I prayed
for-- maybe 100, 150.
But as she came down, she had an
open, running cancer, right
on the side of her face.
And I remember, I reached out
and I put my hand right on
that cancer.
My mother, she pulled
my hand back.
She didn't want me to touch
that open sore.
But I went on ahead and
I prayed for her.
She went on, and I knew that
God had done something.
The very next night, that
lady came back.
She was sitting right
in the front row.
That night when she went home,
that cancer had dissolved and
run completely down her face.
She was healed by the
power of God.
And the only thing that was left
was a little irritation
mark, a little pink skin--
but the skin was new like
a baby, hallelujah.
Only because she believed!
Hallelujah.
Thank you, Jesus.
Lift up your hands and
praise him tonight.
Glory, hallelujah.
Well, go ahead, praise
the Lord.
Praise him tonight.
Thank you, sweet Jesus.
Hallelujah.
[MAN SPEAKING LOUDLY
IN TONGUES]
-Lift up your hands and
praise the Lord.
I said lift up your hands
and praise the Lord.
Hallelujah.
Praise him tonight.
Thank you, Jesus.
If you can't feel God here
tonight, you're dead and you
don't know it.
Because the Holy Spirit
is here tonight.
It's here to meet your every
need, praise the Lord.
Hallelujah.
Thank you, Jesus.
Hallelujah.
Now I want you to do
the next thing.
I want you to come.
I want you to come across this
ramp, and I want to just lay
my hand on you and pray
for you tonight.
Then you can return
to your seat.
Everyone just move
out tonight.
Praise the Lord.
Just stand right here.
Everyone just move out.
Come around this way, please.
Around to my left.
I want to pray for you.
Thank you, Jesus.
Hallelujah.
Thank you, Jesus.
Lord Jesus, use my brother
as never before.
Thank you, Jesus, hallelujah.
Thank you, Jesus, hallelujah.
Praise the Lord.
Sister, let him touch
you tonight.
Thank you, Jesus.
Hallelujah.
Thank you, Jesus.
Hallelujah.
God bless you.
Thank you, Jesus.
Thank you for the little
children, Jesus.
Hallelujah.
Sister, the joy of the Lord's
all over you tonight.
Why don't you please him?
Say thank you, Jesus.
I believe he's going to
touch you right now.
Say thank you, Jesus.
Sister, in the name of Jesus.
Thank you, Jesus.
Hallelujah.
Come on, praise him tonight.
Hallelujah, thank you, Jesus.
[speaks in tongues]
Hallelujah, the Holy Ghost
is alive tonight.
Hallelujah.
Hallelujah.
Sister, start to praise God.
Hallelujah.
Sister, even tonight.
-[cries out]
-Even tonight, may God use
you in a great way.
Thank you, Jesus.
Hallelujah!
That's it.
Let the Holy Ghost work
through you tonight.
Hallelujah.
Thank you, Jesus.
Thank you, Jesus.
Hallelujah.
In the name of Jesus, Lord,
use my brother.
Quicken him tonight from head
to soul, in Jesus' name.
Hallelujah.
Thank you, Jesus, tonight.
Bless the little child.
Thank you, Jesus, for my
young sister tonight.
Lord, use her.
That's another Holy
Ghost movement.
-[speaking in tongues]
-Hallelujah.
Let joy come into your
life right now.
Say thank you, Jesus.
Thank you, Jesus.
Hallelujah!
Yes, Lord!
Thank you, Jesus.
Hallelujah.
Not by might or power but
by my spirit, saith God.
Hallelujah.
Hallelujah.
Thank you, Jesus.
Sister, start to praise him.
Hallelujah.
Thank you, Jesus, tonight.
Hallelujah.
In Jesus' name, Lord, let
the work begin tonight.
Praise the Lord!
Hallelujah.
Thank you, Jesus.
Thank you for my
sister tonight.
Lord Jesus, use my sister.
Jesus, tonight, let the
joy, the joy, come
over my sister tonight.
Thank you, Jesus.
Hallelujah.
[speaking in tongues]
Thank you, Jesus.
Hallelujah, praise him.
Hallelujah.
What you want God
to do for you?
He's gonna do it right now.
Hallelujah.
Say thank you, Jesus.
In Jesus' name.
Thank you, Jesus.
Come on.
Praise him.
Say thank you, Jesus.
Thank You, Jesus,
praise the Lord.
Hallelujah.
Praise the Lord.
Hallelujah.
Thank you, Jesus.
Praise the Lord.
Thank you, Jesus.
Use thy sister in a ministry
as never before.
Thank you, Jesus.
Thank you, Jesus.
Thank you, Jesus, hallelujah.
Well, praise the Lord.
Hallelujah Even tonight, Lord.
Thank you, Jesus.
Praise the Lord.
Hallelujah.
Thank you, Jesus, for the
little child tonight.
Thank you, Jesus.
Praise the Lord.
Thank you, Jesus.
Hallelujah.
Even tonight, Lord, let
the work begin.
Thank you, sweet Jesus.
Hallelujah.
Thank you, Jesus.
Hallelujah.
Hallelujah!
Thank you, Jesus, for
the victory tonight.
Hallelujah.
Thank you for my brother.
Well, praise the Lord
in Jesus' name!
Hallelujah.
Thank you, Jesus.
Hallelujah.
Thank you, Jesus.
Come on, lift up your hands
and praise the Lord.
Hallelujah.
Hallelujah.
Well, thank you Jesus!
Yes, Lord!
Hallelujah.
In the name of Jesus.
Glory, hallelujah!
Thank you, Lord Jesus.
Thank you for victory tonight.
-Right now!
Say yes, Lord.
In Jesus' name.
Thank you, Jesus.
Well, praise the Lord.
[music playing]
-Thank you, sweet Jesus.
Thank you, Jesus.
Hallelujah.
Well, praise him!
Yes!
[music playing]
MALE SPEAKER (OFFSCREEN): And
I'd just like to encourage
everybody to help Brother
Marjoe tonight, and his
efforts to help reach the
teenagers, the narcotics, the
young people in the highways
and hedges.
How many of you believe
it's a worthy cause?
Say amen.
CONGREGATION (OFFSCREEN):
Amen!
MALE SPEAKER (OFFSCREEN):
God bless you, Marjoe.
-I want everyone to stand
to your feet.
Would you get out your
checkbook tonight?
Would some of you get
out $5 or $10?
Bring what you would
for Jesus tonight.
Come on.
[music playing]
CONGREGANT (OFFSCREEN):
I really enjoyed that.
I started in the same ministry
you're in myself.
It's been great.
[music playing]
CONGREGANT (OFFSCREEN):
I saw you when you
were a little boy.
MARJOE GORTNER (OFFSCREEN):
It's nice to see you.
How you doing?
God bless you.
I appreciate it, sir.
[music playing]
-Thank you, God bless you.
Thank you, God bless you.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
I appreciate that.
Thank you, brother.
How are you tonight?
Nice to see you.
CONGREGANT (OFFSCREEN):
Keep it going.
-I will, thank you.
I appreciate that.
[music playing]
-Praise the Lord!
Hallelujah.
Thank you, Jesus.
I just want to mention,
I told you
tonight about my testimony.
I have a record album here that
has recorded messages of
when I was four, six,
and eight years old.
Now listen, if you don't
have this, you should
definitely get it.
Because a lot of people,
they say, what could a
little child say?
There's a message on here, "Hell
With the Lid Off," that
there's been literally thousands
of people who've
been saved by just hearing
this message.
This is a business, and you
know, you don't get meetings
or you don't get booked back
unless you have a gimmick.
Or as the evangelists say,
it's a ministry.
Like it's incredible.
They'll say, oh, Brother
So-and-so, he's got the
ministry of laying on of
hands, or he's got the
ministry of prophecy, but
that's a gimmick.
And the guys that have the
gimmicks get the big meetings
and do good.
And I mean, I used one time--
I had a thing where there's a
special kind of ink you can
buy, and you put it on.
And with perspiration, when the
salt starts to come out
and you start to perspire,
it will turn red.
And so I painted a cross.
You know, I just a cross
like this on my head.
And while I was preaching, the
cross started to show.
Immediately, people started
nudging each other.
And of course, it went away,
I think, after a while.
It only lasts so long,
or it wipes away--
I don't remember.
But afterwards, I mean, I had
that whole audience at one of
the biggest meetings that I've
ever had, because they saw
that cross.
They said, oh, Brother Marjoe,
when you were preaching
tonight, the cross was
over your head.
I mean, that convinced them, you
know, that it was really
very, very real, and it made
it very easy for me to take
offerings and receive money.
When I went out back on the
circuit, I hadn't preached
since, you know, I was
But I sort of had to prove
myself all over again.
That's why my meetings have only
really gotten good about
the past year.
And I know even though I dress
what I was consider
conservatively-- you know, comb
my hair back, put on a
suit and tie--
when I would go to a pastor's
church where I hadn't preached
before, they'd sort of look me
over and wonder, you know,
what was I really
going to say?
What was I really like?
And I'd just sort of have to
just cool it till I got up on
the platform and they saw that
I did say all the things they
wanted to hear.
And I just sort of had to put
myself into really getting
along with them, like
I enjoy it.
And well, the restaurants.
God, the restaurants.
You imagine what it's like to
have to go out and eat at
Frisch's Big Boy every night?
You're my favorite
church, you know?
I have to tell you that of all
the churches, you're my
favorite church.
-Well, you're really our
favorite evangelist, but we
don't want anybody to know it.
[laughs]
MARILYN BOATRIGHT (OFFSCREEN):
We don't want you to get a big
head or anything.
RUBY BOATRIGHT (OFFSCREEN):
Yeah, we want to keep you
humble.
-OK.
Well, I been kept
poor so far, so.
[laughter]
MARJOE GORTNER (OFFSCREEN):
Know what--
you mentioned about Dallas.
I was going to say, one thing I
really like about coming to
your church is the fact, you
know, the way that you treat
me and so honestly, and
financially in my
Youth Crusades.
But one church that I went to
in Dallas, they gave me a
rough way to go.
-Did they really?
-It's amazing how many--
you know, some preachers out
there, it's amazing.
It's still--
RAY BOATRIGHT (OFFSCREEN): You
should have raised your voice.
[laughter]
-There's so many preachers
nowadays, though, that you can
only have them, you
know, once.
And after that, you can't have
them back, because they're not
honest and they don't
treat the people
right, either, you know.
And if they don't treat the
people right, then the people
won't back them up.
RAY BOATRIGHT (OFFSCREEN):
Right, see, that's why we have
you, Marjoe.
RUBY BOATRIGHT (OFFSCREEN):
That's one thing that we
appreciate about
your ministry.
You've always blessed
our people.
You've been--
-Yeah, when you tell them
something, they believe it.
MARJOE GORTNER (OFFSCREEN):
Yeah, that's true.
I think nowadays, people have
seen so much, seen so much
happen, they can tell one
of these shysters
when they come through.
Because they've heard
everything, you know?
They'll listen a couple nights
and they won't say
anything, you know?
But they can tell
after a while.
-Yeah, they're not dumb.
You know, people are intelligent
nowadays.
They--
-There's one guy that gets
into it so heavy that he
prophesies.
And he told me how he did it.
I mean, he looked right across
the table, back and forth, at
me, and he told me how
he confiscates money.
He says he's on this station.
There's over 40 states.
And he'll go on there, and he'll
get on the radio, and
he'll say, I know that listening
to my little voice
tonight, that there's some lady
out there and you've got
$10 put away in a cookie jar.
Now God spoke to my heart and
told me to go and tell you to
get that $10 and get it in the
mail and send it to me, and
God'll bless you.
God'll give you a reward such as
you've never known before.
Then he comes back to me and
tells me, he says, if you're
on the radio and you're going
over 40 states, and you're on
at prime time, you've got
thousands of people listening,
the chances are that there are
at least 200 or 300 little old
ladies who've got a $10
bill in a cookie jar.
And so if a couple hundred go
bring it and send it to you,
that's two grand that you've
made, just like that.
And so if you're going to get
into big-time religion, this
is the games you've got to
play, things like that.
You go into it as a business
and you work it as a
business, you know.
RAY BOATRIGHT (OFFSCREEN): Do
you know, he prints over one
million magazines a month?
I mean, he sends out--
-I know he's got the biggest
mailing list.
RAY BOATRIGHT (OFFSCREEN):
One million.
He has one million names and
addresses, and he sends them
magazines out, free.
-Yeah.
In fact, if you want to get
started, he even-- he sells
names off his mailing list.
He's got so many all
over the country.
I know some other preachers--
RAY BOATRIGHT (OFFSCREEN):
I was talking to him.
-Have bought mailing
lists from him.
RAY BOATRIGHT (OFFSCREEN): He's
got over 100,000 names in
Southern California.
RUBY BOATRIGHT (OFFSCREEN):
Marjoe, do you want some of
the melons and things here?
RAY BOATRIGHT (OFFSCREEN):
Or in California.
RUBY BOATRIGHT (OFFSCREEN):
Let Marilyn serve.
MARILYN BOATRIGHT (OFFSCREEN):
My beautiful salad.
-And I thought about getting
that for the convention.
I figured, have them print
it, just sort of
like, here's a magazine.
Boy, they print that
all on one sheet.
MARJOE GORTNER (OFFSCREEN): You
ought to see his presses.
He's got a whole--
-I've seen them.
He's got three big presses.
Three big presses.
MARJOE GORTNER (OFFSCREEN):
Yeah.
And everyone makes it
with their magazine.
You send out your magazine.
In the magazine you show
pictures of what you're trying
to do, and then you
raise dollars for
projects, mainly what you--
the projects you do, like,
they raise money for
missionary projects, say,
to go to Haiti.
But they'll take in tens of
thousands of dollars of maybe
only spend a few thousand.
So you work that
as a business.
Then you follow up.
From your magazine and your
radio, you use to build and
you go into one or two-night
crusades in auditoriums.
And the crusades,
you don't plan.
In the auditoriums, you don't
make a lot of money from this,
but it makes the personal
contact.
But the main money comes from
the magazines and from the
radio program, you know.
But that's like a thing.
You've got to stay in
it all the time.
It's like the ones who are
successful, they're
businessmen who are
constantly--
they're like Madison
Avenue PR men.
-I want to go to Korea.
MARJOE GORTNER (OFFSCREEN):
When are
you going to go there?
RUBY BOATRIGHT (OFFSCREEN): Why
don't you come keep our
church in October while
we go to Brazil?
-I might do that.
-Then I can go.
-OK.
Really?
-Mm-hm.
RAY BOATRIGHT (OFFSCREEN):
Yeah, I want her to go.
-
-I want to go too, though.
[laughter]
How much property do you
have over there?
RAY BOATRIGHT (OFFSCREEN): Well,
we bought 800 acres.
-[whistles]
RAY BOATRIGHT (OFFSCREEN):
All jungle.
-Have you developed any of it?
RAY BOATRIGHT (OFFSCREEN):
Yeah.
We've got about--
oh, I'd say--
-Anybody want some more salad?
RAY BOATRIGHT (OFFSCREEN): We've
got about 50 acres in
cultivation.
You know, rice, beans, corn.
MARJOE GORTNER (OFFSCREEN):
Yeah.
I heard something--
what was that?
Someone wanted to buy it?
RAY BOATRIGHT (OFFSCREEN):
Yes, there's a preacher
wanted to buy it.
We're building a Bible school,
and he wants to--
-Then we got a deal with--
But want him in our project.
-On with a big food company,
you know, that makes
cornflakes and stuff like that.
Big mill.
They want to buy
a piece of it.
MARJOE GORTNER (OFFSCREEN):
Part of it?
-Well, a piece of property
that's about half. 'Cause I
have a waterfall and a dam.
[marjoe playing organ]
-That's it!
-Now down.
Now jump out.
You mean the echo?
Well, you know the place is--
-Well, not the echo, but
you got all the noise.
-When the place is filled with
people, your echo goes way
down.
-Sure, sure.
-Because it's much better.
-Sure.
See, we have a good thing.
We'll probably get good audience
sound here too,
because the speakers
don't reach as far.
We can move the mics way back.
-But the music, the
song service--
record everything, man.
-Yeah.
-Because it's--
the music is incredible.
-How big's the choir
going to be?
-How many seats are there?
-Are they going to fill this?
-Oh, yeah.
Out of sight.
[CHOIR SINGING - "WE'VE COME
TOO FAR TO TURN AROUND"]
-There's a little thing
that she does that you
gotta be ready for.
She'll--
testing, one.
She'll go, tssshhewww.
Tsshheeww.
ALLIE TAYLOR (OFFSCREEN):
Tsshew.
Come on.
And then think about the word
that said everything.
-Just like, tsssheww, can't
you feel the presence?
Tsshewww.
Feel good.
Tsshewww.
She keeps doing that.
Yeah, she plays that.
-It's like the sound you hear
when you're on acid.
Tsshew.
[laughter]
-She's heavy into acid,
Sister Taylor.
[MUSIC PLAYING AND
PEOPLE CLAPPING]
ALLIE TAYLOR (OFFSCREEN):
Ohhh, yes!
We're gonna let-- we're gonna
let you hear a real testimony
this morning, if we can bring
the audience down to Earth
again long enough to hear
this testimony.
Oh, bless the Lord.
Thank you, Jesus.
That's what we come here
for, is to worship God.
We don't come to put
on a fashion show.
This is a general love offering,
an expense offering,
for the Lighthouse
Church budget.
We do have a heavy budget.
And we don't use God's money
for foolishness.
We just don't.
Now I said, Lord, it would
be so nice, but I
don't ask for it.
I just thought about it.
But somehow I believe, Sister
Green, I've got his favor.
A lady who hasn't seen me in 25
years wrote me a letter and
said, Sister Taylor, I have
promised God I'm giving Allie
Taylor a whole acre of
commercial property, right on
the highway, 20 miles
from Tampa.
Right close to the Sun
City, St. Petersburg.
I'm going to give you a chance
because the Lord's been
talking to me to prove God
this morning again.
I have some slips made out.
This says, help me prove God
for these blessings.
Now these are not
for everybody.
These are for a special few.
These are for people that are
going to sacrifice maybe some
bills they need to pay.
Or maybe it's that dress
they needed to buy.
Or maybe it's that fall coat
that you've been laying away a
little money on.
But this morning you feel like
it's time for you to prove God
and make a sacrifice.
Don't you come up here
for this unless
you've made a sacrifice.
Now everything you give to
God's not a sacrifice.
It's your reasonable service
to give every dime
you can to the Lord.
But when you take something
that hurts, like I've done
down through the years and many
of you have done, and
give to God, God will give you
this morning what you stand
before me for.
For he spoke to me to do this.
While they're coming, if you
have a Prove Me offering, I
want you to fill out
one of these slips.
And then you're going to get in
the other side and line up
till I get there.
Don't put it in the
basket over there.
Don't put an offering
in the basket over
there till I get there.
Everybody march for this great
general offering this morning.
Get in this line if you have
a Prove Me offering.
Line up over there.
Oh, yes, Jesus.
The sacrifice offering is on
your left this morning.
Just get in line.
[MUSIC - "LORD, TAKE
ME THROUGH"]
-Now I want to ask you
some questions.
And if the answer is yes, he
can, I want you to yell it
back at me as loud as you can.
Let's try it one time.
Let me hear you say,
yes he can!
CONGREGATION: Yes he can!
-Oh, you can say it
better than that.
Say it again.
CONGREGATION: Yes he can!
-All right, listen to
the question now.
Can God deliver a dope addict?
CONGREGATION: Yes he can!
-Can God deliver an alcoholic?
CONGREGATION (OFFSCREEN):
Yes he can!
-Can God deliver a h*m*?
CONGREGATION: Yes he can!
-Can God heal the sick?
CONGREGATION: Yes he can!
-Can God deliver now?
CONGREGATION: Yes he can!
-Say it again.
Say now!
CONGREGATION: Now!
MARJOE GORTNER (OFFSCREEN):
Lift up your
hands and praise him.
Hallelujah.
My God shall supply all!
My God shall supply all!
He shall supply all!
All my need!
All my need!
All my need!
That means all, brother, all!
When you're down on the ground,
when you're up against
the wall, when you're low-down
and oppressed, my God shall
supply all!
All!
All!
All!
All!
All my need!
Thank you, Jesus.
Oh, praise the Lord.
Hallelujah!
Praise the Lord.
Oh, I feel a tingle
in my bosom.
Hallelujah!
I feel a chill going up and down
my spine, because I know
that there's hope.
I said, I know that
there is hope.
Can you praise the Lord?
Thank you, Jesus.
There is hope.
[MUSIC - "I'M ON MY
WAY TO HEAVEN"]
-At least, you know, as screwed
up as it is, they get
into it a little bit.
And I have to admire
them for that.
I mean, if I was going to pick
a religion, you know, a
Christian-type religion, that I
had to go into one of them--
I mean, thank God
I don't have to.
If I had to go into one of
them, I would pick the
Pentecostal faith.
Because some of the churches,
the music is just great.
And the people are interesting,
you know, they're
kind of weird.
And it's OK.
For the church things, it's
a little farther out.
Glory je to Beezus.
-I worked with $0.75 an hour
with a pick and shovel and I
preached on Sundays and
pastored a church.
And I said because I was
faithful, God's now given me a
Cadillac, hallelujah.
And I said, I'll tell
you something else.
God would have something wrong
with him if we didn't, because
Jesus Christ himself said that
no man hath forsaken houses or
lands or fathers or mothers or
brothers or friends except
that he'll get a hundred-fold
more in this life and in the
life to come, eternal life!
Hallelujah!
Thank you, Jesus.
Praise God.
He said he'd do it, and if he
didn't do it, there'd be
something wrong with
God's word.
I said, now I'm driving
a Cadillac.
Why don't you do it?
Hallelujah!
Oh, Jesus was real.
How many say amen?
CONGREGATION (OFFSCREEN):
Amen!
-And you know, I got to thinking
about that all day
long, and I'd been trying to
trade for a Chevrolet, and I
couldn't get a Chevy.
I tried to trade for a Buick,
and I couldn't get a Buick.
And I said, bless God.
The more I think about that,
the more I think I was
preaching the truth.
I went down to the Cadillac
agency and one hour later, I
drove out a new Cadillac.
Hallelujah!
Praise the Lord!
Thank you, Jesus.
[applause]
PREACHER (OFFSCREEN):
I said this.
I said, son, you know I got
some little kids-- well,
they're not so little anymore.
They're grown up.
And I said whenever I get ready
to go and I'm not going
to be around any longer, who
do you think I'm going to
leave my things to?
I'm not going to give them to
somebody that I don't know.
I'm going to leave
them to my kids.
And that's what my daddy did.
CONGREGATION: Hallelujah.
PREACHER (OFFSCREEN): That's
what my daddy did.
Hallelujah!
Father created these things for
his people, if they'll use
them right.
Bless God, I'm gonna drive that
Cadillac down here and
get it dusty and dirty
and use it for God!
Hallelujah!
Thank you, Jesus!
[MUSIC - "SINCE I LAID MY
BURDENS DOWN (GLORY, GLORY)"]
PREACHER (OFFSCREEN): Reverend
Vernon Gortner is with us
tonight, who is the
father of Marjoe.
And through the years, he talked
and trained and prayed
that the Holy Ghost would always
anoint this young man.
And we're so happy to have the
father, also, of Reverend
Marjoe here with us tonight,
and I'm going to ask him to
introduce him.
I'm so thankful that we have
men of this caliber, and I
think we ought to give
them both a great
big hand this evening!
God bless you as you come.
[applause]
-Thank you very much.
It's a real privilege
to be here tonight.
I'd like to say a word about
Marjoe before I introduce him.
He's the fourth generation
of preachers.
His great-grandfather, my
grandfather, was one of the
first missionaries that went to
Liberia, West Africa, with
Bishop Taylor of the Methodist
Episcopal Church.
He d*ed and was buried there.
My father began to preach the
gospel when he was just a
young man, 16 years of age,
and I began to preach the
gospel when I was about
But Marjoe began to preach the
gospel when he was only four
years of age.
I remember when Marjoe was just
five years old, when he
received the infilling
of the Holy Spirit.
PREACHER (OFFSCREEN):
Hallelujah.
VERNON GORTNER (OFFSCREEN):
Did you ever see anybody
receive the baptism of the
Holy Ghost when they were
taking a bath?
[laughter]
VERNON GORTNER (OFFSCREEN):
Well, that's
what Marjoe was doing.
He was in the bathtub,
take a bath.
And I heard some noise going on
in there, and I looked in,
and there he was with his hands
up, praising the Lord
and speaking in heavenly
languages,
PREACHER (OFFSCREEN):
Hallelujah!
VERNON GORTNER (OFFSCREEN):
In tongues that he
knew nothing about.
[applause]
MARJOE GORTNER (OFFSCREEN):
See, we've never had a
father/son type relationship,
because he won't talk about
the time when I was a child.
So our relationship is
completely lot of void, then,
because when we see each other,
we're, like, walking on
needles, you know?
And we have nothing really
to say to each other.
We talk about his trees and his
yard and different things,
but there's no communication
at all.
If I were God, I would send
every man, woman, boy, or
girl, pastor, preacher, every
person who professed salvation
but yet didn't have a burning
desire to win souls--
I would send them to hell.
Oh, yes I would.
And I would let them remain
among that sea of lost
humanity until they had a
burning desire to win souls to
the Lord Jesus Christ.
Hallelujah!
What if the vast number of
Christians right in our own
community would just sow the
precious seed of God's word to
those right around them?
Was it not the wise man Solomon
that said, cast thy
bread upon the water, for thou
shalt find it after many days.
Praise the Lord.
Hallelujah!
Oh, hallelujah!
Brother, what do you suppose
Solomon meant by that?
Take a loaf of Wonder Bread and
Hostess Twinkies and throw
it in the Mississippi, and after
a few months, find it in
the Gulf of Mexico?
No, sir, I don't think so.
If I had gotten into evangelism
heavily, I would
have probably, like, maybe
been a rock singer.
Because I enjoy moving on stage,
working a microphone.
And I watch certain rock
performers perform, and a lot
of things I do, you know,
I've copied off of
them or gotten in.
You know, like Mick Jagger--
certain things that I do,
I sort of do like a
waist-hunching thing that
he does sometimes.
Lift up your hands and
praise the Lord!
We've got to watch out for these
professional shouters--
can you say amen?
Some people, I tell you, the
minute the music starts,
anyone that's in the Spirit,
you better watch out.
Because they gotta do
the boogaloo or they
gotta do the frug.
They got their own
little thing.
That's not the spirit,
man, that's carnal!
Come on.
Hallelujah!
You're not liking this, but I'm
telling you the truth, and
you know it.
It all comes down to--
do you know who Jesus
really is?
I said, do you know who
Jesus really is?
His name shall be call Emmanuel,
meaning God with us.
Think about that.
He Was divinity, but
he put on humanity.
Why did he pray?
He prayed because
he was human!
But brother, sister,
he answers prayer
because he is divine.
Oh, why did he rest?
He took rest because
he was human.
Oh, but he gives us rest
because he is divine.
Why did he thirst?
He was thirsty because
he was human.
But he satisfies our thirst
because he is divine.
Why did he sleep?
He slept because he was human.
But he gives us rest because
he is divine.
CONGREGANT (OFFSCREEN): Amen!
-He took part of human nature so
that we might take part of
his divine nature.
He became poor so that
we might become rich.
He bore a cross so that
we might wear a crown.
He lived in a manger so that
we might live in a mansion.
Do you know who Jesus
really is?
Lift up your hands and
praise the Lord.
Hallelujah.
Oh, hallelujah.
Hallelujah, praise
him tonight.
[CONGREGATION MOANING AND
SPEAKING IN TONGUES]
-Lift up your hands and
praise him tonight.
Worship him tonight.
Oh, is there any holes
in your net tonight?
Let Jesus fix it for you!
Let Jesus fix it for you!
Oh, let your prayer to heaven
be, Lord, Lord, make me a
soul-winner.
Lord, that you will use me.
Lord, that you will use
me in some way.
Lord, let me be a soul-winner
for your work.
Not my will, but thy
will be done.
[CONGREGATION MOANING AND
SPEAKING IN TONGUES]
-Hallelujah.
Hallelujah, thank you, Jesus.
Hallelujah.
[CONGREGATION MOANING AND
SPEAKING IN TONGUES]
MARJOE GORTNER (OFFSCREEN): I
want every head bowed and ever
eye closed.
Hallelujah.
I just want to see the
hands tonight.
Could you play that song,
"He Touched Me"?
I can't get up and say to them,
OK, now listen, if you
just believe this afternoon--
I mean, it's all got to be done
under the thing of Jesus.
Which even that's OK.
Like the Jesus thing I would
leave, but they still--
I've got to put in that thing,
like if you don't come down,
you're going to go to hell and
you're going to burn and
you've got to go into
the sin thing.
It's the--
the way that I have to do it.
If I could just do, like, the
faith number, and get up, say,
OK everybody, let's really get
loose this afternoon and get
off and get rid of all our
hangups and have nice group
therapy, that would be great.
But you can't do it that way.
It's got to all be done under
this facade of holiness.
[MUSIC - "HE TOUCHED ME
AND MADE ME WHOLE"]
-Sing it again tonight.
[MUSIC - "HE TOUCHED ME
AND MADE ME WHOLE"]
-Sister, come right down here.
-I have a condition in my
stomach, that everything I eat
and drink, it just
goes to acid.
-Do you believe that the Lord's
going to do it tonight?
-Yes.
-Do you believe he's going
to touch this condition?
-Yes.
-Say yes, Lord.
-Yes, Lord.
-Say thank you, Jesus.
-Thank you, Jesus.
Thank you, Jesus.
-In the name of Jesus.
In the name of Jesus.
Thank you, Jesus.
Hallelujah.
Thank you, Jesus.
Hallelujah.
Hallelujah, praise God.
Hallelujah.
Thank you, Jesus.
Hallelujah.
Praise the Lord.
Hallelujah.
What's God going
to do for you?
-[inaudible].
-That's very serious.
But do you have faith tonight?
-Yes.
-I've seen you every since
I've been here.
I believe you've got faith.
Do you believe that with me?
-Yes, I do.
-All right, lift
up your hands.
Say thank you, Jesus.
-Thank you, Jesus.
-Thank you, Jesus.
Say it again.
-Thank you, Jesus.
-In the name of Jesus!
Sister, tonight is going
to be your night.
[laughter]
MARJOE GORTNER (OFFSCREEN):
God--
SARAH KERNOCHAN (OFFSCREEN):
Do it, do it.
-God is going to--
[laughter]
MARJOE GORTNER (OFFSCREEN):
You're spoiling the mood!
[laughter]
MARJOE GORTNER (OFFSCREEN):
God is going to do
something for you.
Then I'll turn around to the
crowd, and I'll say to
everyone, do you believe it?
And you know, everyone--
say yes!
I said, that's not enough.
If there's no faith here
tonight, I can't do anything.
You've got to believe it.
And I go, do you believe it?
And by this time, the
crowd's going, yes!
And I'll say, Sister, if
I lay my hands on you,
it's going to happen.
By this time, you're
just like this.
Because I do a whole
thing on you.
Then I sort of like get down to,
now I'm going to pray the
prayer, and everyone
bow your heads.
And all of a sudden, I go,
in the name of Jesus!
[laughter]
-And you know, this time, if
the shock doesn't get you--
How do you feel?
Whoa, hallelujah.
[laughter]
MARJOE GORTNER (OFFSCREEN):
Hallelujah!
This is God!
Hallelujah, thank you, Jesus.
Oh, hallelujah!
PREACHER (OFFSCREEN):
Hallelujah!
MARJOE GORTNER (OFFSCREEN):
Oh, praise the Lord!
Hallelujah!
PREACHER (OFFSCREEN):
Hallelujah.
-Thank you, Jesus.
Thank you, Jesus.
Come on, lift up your hands
and praise the Lord.
Hallelujah, thank you, Jesus.
And then once you get one or
two-- once you get one or two,
they really come off and say,
yeah, I really felt that I had
a bad back, I had a bad leg.
Then there's a whole slew
that say, oh, yeah,
I feel better too.
Because like 97% of it's
psychosomatic.
SARAH KERNOCHAN (OFFSCREEN):
I feel better.
-Yeah.
Yeah.
[laughter]
[SINGING - "O, HOW
I LOVE JESUS"]
-In the name of Jesus, let the
work be done, hallelujah.
Thank you, Jesus.
Hallelujah.
Thank you, Jesus.
[SINGING - "O, HOW
I LOVE JESUS"]
[SINGING - "O, HOW
I LOVE JESUS"]
Do you love him tonight?
Then sing it like you mean it!
[SINGING - "O, HOW
I LOVE JESUS"]
One more time, sing
it again tonight.
[SINGING - "O, HOW
I LOVE JESUS"]
Well, praise the Lord.
-Tremendous.
Tremendous.
He's a born preacher.
He's a--
he's a boy-- he's just a
preaching machine, witnessing
the miracle of God.
Hand of God upon him, no
question about it.
You've got to give the Lord all
the credit and the glory.
It's the Lord Jesus Christ.
-Just blinking in and out
of the two lives, it's--
I just don't want to
do it anymore.
What can I say?
At times I feel like I should
get up and do repentance to
the audience or something,
you know?
Like I have these fantasies, a
lot of times, I go through,
like I'd really like to get up
and just tell them what I
really think, or where I'm
really at, what I'd
like them to do.
Then when I get up, I go
right into my sermon.
But things like this relieve my
head at the time, but I've
been playing with that now for
a couple of years, and I just
can't go on doing it
like that anymore.
I made my decision that I
was going to get out.
I don't know.
Actually, I've been making
it for two years.
But then meeting after meeting
comes along, and I
just seem to like--
I don't know, you get uptight
financially and
I have to go back.
But the movie or no movie, I'd
definitely have to get out,
because I'm at a point, like I
said, where I either have to
make the decision to go on and
really do it all the way, or
else get out.
And I know I have to
get out, so I'm--
guess you could say I'm on my
last meetings right now, my
last leg, so to speak.
Enjoy getting it off on stage,
but I really wish I was
getting it off as a rock star
or an actor or something,
which I have to get into.
I think, you know, some people
will probably think that maybe
I'm an evil person.
I sort of like to think that
I'm bad, but not evil.
Well, I am a hype, but
I don't feel that I'm
really a bad hype.
I don't know, there's
kind of a fine--
there's a difference.
To me, there's a difference.
But for me to stay in it at this
point, I would have to
say, you know, just
screw it all.
I'm going to do it
the very best.
I'd have to drop all the good
things that I do say in some
of my sermons, few
good things.
But I kind of feel that maybe
some of the things that I've
done, preaching the last--
not as a child.
As a child, I'm not responsible
for it, I feel.
But I still do feel, though,
that that whole psychological
thing when I was a child
had a heavy influence,
of course, on me.
I would never have gone back the
last two years had it not
been for the childhood.
But still, I was in adult or
sort of a grown person when I
went back into it, so I'm
responsible for that.
And so maybe that's
bad, you know?
Maybe that's bad.
But you know, my going back into
it, and obviously saying
things I don't believe-- anyone
that does that is kind
of bad, maybe.
But then, you know, a lot
of people do bad things.
I haven't been together
with Agnes that long.
A couple of months.
But oh, it's just such an
incredible relief to be able
to feel that you can
trust someone.
When I first met Marjoe, the
first thing he did was take me
to this house, show me his book
and all his clippings,
and play his record.
And from about 2:30 in the
morning till 8 o'clock in the
morning, he just kept telling me
and telling me everything.
And it was so heavy, I
was, like, drained.
I just said, whew, boy,
this is really a trip.
And I couldn't believe that he
was this guy who I thought was
really nice and sane and sweet
and everything good, who had
been through this crazy trip
when he was a kid.
And he wasn't crazy.
You know, I thought this
couldn't be the same person.
But here were all these
pictures and all these
clippings, and it's
him, all right.
And it's still a little
bit hard to believe.
Even though now I see
him preaching--
he's like two different
people.
Every time I watch him,
it's like I'm
really watching a play.
It's not something
that's real.
I'm just watching a performance
of an actor who
goes home and lives a totally
different life.
I feel that everybody around
me feels the same way in a
congregation.
I don't know all this
Jesus business.
I mean, I just find it
hard to believe that
they believe it, too.
JOHN BINDER (OFFSCREEN): Do you
think Marjoe's a con man?
-Con man?
Tsk.
John.
-What can I say?
I think religion is--
it's a drug.
[laughs]
It's addicting.
Can God deliver a
religion addict?
[laughs]
Can God deliver a dog?
Oh yes he can!
[laughter]
-Can God deliver a little
black lovey like this?
Oh yes he can.
-Oh yes he can.
-But folks, tonight, this little
dog needs your prayers.
I want someone in the
congregation to help me out.
Sister, would you come here?
Lay hands on this dog.
The Bible says, they lay
hands on the sick
and they shall recover.
And tonight this little dog
it's going to be touched.
Oh, I feel it.
In the name--
in the name of Jesus,
you little dog.
[laughter]
-[kiss]
Goodbye.
[laughter]
MARJOE GORTNER (OFFSCREEN):
Baby.
Don't be scared, baby.
-Poor little baby.
-Poor little thing.
See, he's got the Holy Ghost.
He's much better.
Holy Ghost.
This dog wasn't walking
like this before.
Notice the way he staggers now?
[laughter]
-He's truly delivered.
Look at him, he's touched.
He's made-- miracle, miracle!
Look what God has done!
Hallelujah, it's a miracle!
God's delivered the
little dog!
Look at this little dog!
He came in a wheelchair.
Now he's leaving--
come on, little dog!
Show the folks!
Folks, this is it.
See what God has done.
There it is, living proof.
It's happened before
your very eyes.
God has done a miracle.
God is in this place tonight.
God has worked through his
servant and done something
wonderful again.
-Oh!
-Now I want you to get out your
dollars and we're going
to give money tonight to k*ll
a Commie for Jesus.
We're going to fight Communism
so that little dogs like this
can be set free.
-Where's my wallet?
-Everyone, get out your money.
Come on, get it out.
Oh!
[laughter]
-Hallelu!
I feel good.
[panting]
Hallelujah!
[SINGING - "I'VE GOT
CONFIDENCE"]
-And now, whoever you are,
wherever you are, may God
bless you, and you, and you.
THEME SONG: He had barely
learned to walk when they
taught him how to pray,
mm-hm, mm-hm.
Barely learned to walk when they
taught him how to pray,
mm-hm, mm-hm.
But they never said who
he was praying to, so
don't pay it any mind.
Just put on a good show.
The Lord'll never know if I'm
pocketing a handful of dimes.
Lord, Lord, everybody
have a good time.
'Cause he's gonna save
all, all my brothers.
He'll save all my sisters.
He's gonna save all the people
and give them God's love.
Well, he never made a deal with
the devil anyway, mm-hm.
Never made a deal with
Jesus anyway, mm-hm.
No one could say he wasn't
any good or that he
couldn't play the part.
All the people around him
kneeling on the ground, God
rejoicing in their heart.
Oh, Lord.
God rejoicing in their heart.
'Cause he's gonna save,
save, all my brothers.
He'll save all my sisters.
He's gonna save all the people
and give them God's love.
So we'll gather by the
river where the grace
of God flows, mm-hm.
Gather by the river where the
grace of God goes, mm-hm.
Who wins out?
Nobody knows.
Don't pay it any mind.
Stay away from hell, watch your
step in heaven, everybody
have a good time.
Lord, Lord, everybody
have a good time
'Cause he's gonna save, save,
all my brothers, and he'll
save all my sisters.
He's gonna save all the people
and give them God's love.
Marjoe (1972)
Moderator: Maskath3
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