Quotes

Travel around, preachin' the Lord's gospel, that's what. If He wants me to do a film or be a pastor, we'll have to wrestle a little bit. But I'll do whatever He wants me to do.

[When he was later called to be a minister rather than an actor]: I love preaching more than anything else I've ever done. I'm so happy now. I feel honored to be chosen. Even when you got everything - clothes, jewelry, nice house - you don't feel happy. I was like Jonah, running from the Lord.

[When he made the change from being an actor to a preacher]: On your own, you can't make the transition, I questioned it, too. God makes you a new person. He says, 'Just be patient - I'll show you how.'

God took me out of this world. He refined me and took my mind out of acting. I didn't have the desire to be in it anymore.

[on his first experience attending a Pentecostal church with his grandmother]: That was my first experience with jumping and shouting about the Lord, of which I'm a part of now, of which I choreograph, of which I promote! Hey, ya'lls not jumpin' and shoutin' enough over there!

That was the one thing my folks weren't too happy about, they were relieved when I drove back to Hollywood.

[When he abstained from television to become a full-time minister]: I'm using what I learned in television and on the stage to glorify God.

I'm a Holy Ghost-filled, fire-baptizing man.

[on his on- and off-screen chemistry with singer/comedian, Redd Foxx, who played Fred G. Sanford]: The producers said we need a straight man for Redd. It was a little difficult at first because his outlook was totally alien to me, but we found a common ground and, after while, we fell in love with each other.

[Of Redd Foxx]: I never had a cross word with him. People say I'm protective of Redd Foxx, in my book. I had no animosity toward Foxx for quitting the show in 1977, because I had a million dollar contract at CBS to do Baby I'm Back. My hurt was that he didn't come to me about throwing the towel in - I found out in the hallway at NBC from a newscaster. I forgave him and I loved Redd, but I never forgot that.