More Church Folk

by Michele Andrea Bowen

It is now 1986, and the preachers of the Gospel United Church are preparing for their much-anticipated Triennial General Conference. The last time readers encountered the good Rev. Theophilus Simmons, he was a newlywed and the pastor of a modest-sized congregation in Memphis. Now he's the father of three and running a congregation in St. Louis. His best friend, Rev. Eddie Tate, is now with a fast growing church in Chicago, but he is getting real frustrated with the way things are run in the Gospel United Church.

Marcel Brown and his father, Ernest, along with Sonny Washington and Bishop Larsen Giles have had two decades to perfect their slimy methods of "tapping" church funds and other misdeeds. Now they've found a secret weapon that will allow them to make fast money and accomplish what they failed to do 20 years ago--buy off enough power to dominate the entire denomination, put their cronies in key spots, and ransack the church like it is the spoils of war. It won't be long before the two opposing sides face off..."church-folk" style.

Genres: Christian, Fiction, Christian Fiction

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Urs · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read Church Folk years ago, but I do not remember anything from it. The events from that book, though are mentioned repeatedly in this one to the point that they are probably mentioned more than necessary. Those events also do not seem to be very important to this story. Thus, anyone new to these books should be fine starting with this one.

While this is labeled as Christian fiction, most of the focus of this book is on some extremely corrupt members of the church selling an illegal drug that enhances sexual performance.

There are a lot of characters to keep up with in this book, and the titles and names do not help the matter at all. The author refers to them differently throughout (sometimes first name only, sometimes as bishop so-and-so, sometimes as last name, etc.). This really makes keeping up with everyone more difficult than it should be. I kept thinking pick a way to reference the character, and stick with it.

I know that this author is known for her humor in her books, but I did not find myself laughing at anything here. Instead, I found some of the attempts at humor to be a waste of space, as a couple took up entire chapters but did not advance the story at all.

Overall, the story never really pulled me in. I was never upset to put the book down in between reads, and it usually took me a bit to pick it back up and continue. If you read the first book and have time to waste, then you might want to read this one. Otherwise, you are not missing much if you pass on this one.

[OOSA · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hard Read

“More Church Folk” picks up 20+ years late. This time around the bishops and pastors are looking for new ways to secure votes. The last stunt did not go over well with the members of the Triennial General Conference Community and it appears that no one has learned from past mistakes.

This book was difficult to get through. I struggled with the history of the church and the members. I understand what the author was attempting but the story line was too outrageous to be believable. I love this author and looked forward to reading the long awaited follow up of “Church Folk.” Unfortunately, this was not what I expected.

Reviewed by: Iesha

[Nikki · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's been a while since I last read Church Folk. I don't remember much from it but I do remember liking it better than this book. I found More Church Folk to be far too descriptive and repetitive. This book could have been a lot shorter and easier to read if Bowen had cut out all of the detailed descriptions of what everyone was wearing as well as the reminders of the plot in every other chapter. I really had a problem with these so-called good ministers who were promiscuous. Don't waste your money on this one.

[Rachel Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous fun read!

[Sheryl Reed · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed “Church Folk,” (which I read last year) and was really looking forward to the follow up. However, there were a lot of things that just didn’t add up for me. (Like, I’m still trying to figure out how a conference that is every 3 years can take place in 1963 and 1986????) There were way too many characters that did not aid in the understanding of the plot. I also didn’t care for the constant repetitive and overly detailed paragraphs. I had to reread several portions to make sure I understood what Bowen was trying to convey. All in all, it was an okay read. I’m hoping her other books keep me more engaged.

[Eulatia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Considering how long it took me to be enthusiastic about reading this book should say something. I read the first Church Folk book some time ago but how many times did the fiasco from the Triennial Conference of 63 have to be repeated?!? Way too many characters to focus on. The switching between the use of first name, last name, their title was too much. Thankfully I got this from a friend so I didn’t pay for it.

[Bridget · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Episcopacy

I usually love this authors work, but I found this novel wordy in areas it didn't have to be. The plot and characters were relatable. The Bible verses in the story were refreshing. The church episcopacy talk was just a little too much at times. Overall the book read was worth it. I do have this book autographed by the author and I find her books delightful to read, because the characters are just so southern and relatable. I give this book a solid 3.5.

[Mary Calton Gerard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ambivalent

I enjoyed this storyline that emphasizes righteousness overcoming the schemes brought on from the love of power and material things. Difficult to follow sometimes as author jumped to past without warning. The book is repetitive at the mention of 1963 instances. The first book is enjoyable, and the subject of this book's story was informative had it not taken some serious concentration.

[Regina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

This book was well written. I enjoyed the direction the author took. It gave details but so much detail that it got boring. I enjoyed the characters and the way the way they handled the problems and how perfect the chosen scriptures fit in perfectly.🙂

[Pamela G. Brice · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was good from front to the back

[Julie Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review was initially published on my blog: http://jewelknits.blogspot.com/2010/0...

This book is the follow up to Ms. Bowen's "Church Folk" (which I have not read).

I kept going back and forth from this book .. not because it didn't have an interesting story (it IS interesting and imaginative), but because I had a struggle with reading the vernacular that much of the dialogue is written in. We're talking about highly-educated people in many cases, and I, for one, don't know any educated black folk that talk like this, but that could be just me. I also struggled a bit with the fact that even the "good" preachers were noticing things like double D's sitting in the next pew over.

For me, especially near the beginning of the book, I felt that the personalities and events worked to hard to prop up the stereotype of black church-going folk ... Yes, sometimes people DO fall out ... and there are those bossy biddies who think they run everything, including the preacher, but I'm talking about the corruption inside the highest circles of the church - I just felt that someone who had never experienced the soulful experience of attending a "Holy Spirit" church would be totally put off by it and that reading this would only reinforce any bias they might have against it.

Whew! Having said THAT, I did eventually get over it as the story delved deeper into the inner workings of the church and focused more on it's "good" preachers.

The premise of THIS double-cross is truly original, and the fact that one of our "good" preachers also doubles as an FBI agent only adds to the fun. I love the interactions between the preachers and their wives - they are written well and true-to-life.

There is a huge assortment of characters, but Ms. Bowen introduces them into the story in such a fashion that there's no getting mixed up as to who is who. The paradox of how to get rid of the bad influence in the church while striving to do it in a Christian manner (and sometimes failing) is also at times totally hilarious.

I think that if you read this story with an eye towards the fact that it is simply supposed to be an enjoyable read and not a treatise on black churches in America :), you WILL enjoy it. I know I did.

QUOTES:

It was a magnificent casket. George Wilson had seen many a caske tin his day, but he'd never seen one like this.
First, the casket was painted a sparkling lime-green. Even the metal casket rack was lime-green. Then it was trimmed in gold. But as if that weren't enough, the casket had pictures of Old Daddy painted on both sides. instead of flowers on the top, they had anchored one of Old Daddy's black silk top hats, with a lime-green brocade band around the crown.

It troubled his soul that two of his bishops had died under some very awful circumstances, and were involved with activities that put their eternal souls in jeopardy. Folks needed to quit playing around and toying with Hell like that. It was as if theses people thought that they would die and then discover that somebody had conveniently slipped "Get Out of Hell Free" cards in their caskets.

Book Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

[Bookventures Book Club · Rating 2 out of 5]

Who knew that a holy place, a place of gathering and worship can also be the perfect setting for Politics, Crime and Corruption. More Church Folks takes a stab at the issue with a comical and at times incredulous twist. The idea behind the story was relevant and gripping and it really had me thinking about all those church organizations here at home. Like Andrea Bowen, we question their true allegiance too and there are a lot of Babatundes, Caruthers and Hemphills amongst our church folks. But sadly aside from relating to the plot, there was little else that grabbed my attention.

My first issue with this book is oddly the same issue I had with The Twilight Saga Eclipse; too much narration. The readers don’t want to be told every single thing. We want to discover them on our own either through dialogue or through skillful prose. With More Church Folk, there was nothing that was left a mystery or left to the imagination of the readers. As a result of this reading parts of the book where it’s supposed to be exciting or suspenseful just came across as being very anti-climactic.

Another issue that I had was the exaggeration of African American Culture in the story. Julie @ Knitting and Sundries reviewed this book and noted that the author over exaggerated African American culture. Initially (and very foolishly) I disagreed with her thinking that African American culture made good fodder for the type of drama More Church Folks would bring. After reading the book myself I am proud to say I was wrong. The author did exaggerate African American culture to the extent that it made you do one of three things (or in my case all three); roll your eyes, yell “oh c’mon” or as Trinidadians frequently do steups.* Admittedly it was a bit disappointing to have to read these exaggerations at points of the story where things were beginning to really look up for the prose.

With my issues aside, I really think that the plot was very original and for most of us very relatable. It was such a great idea to set the story in a gospel church since those congregations tend to be full of energy and lots and lots of drama. I liked all of the characters, even the bad ones because they each brought something different to the story. My issues feel weighty compared to the positives that i found in the book and for that reason I don’t think that More Church Folk will make it to my personal bookshelf but there are other reviewers who think differently. You can read all about it at The Merry Genre Go Around Reviews and The Black Urban Times .


*According to urbandictionary.com, a steups is a trini slang used to describe sucking teeth. It usually connotes irritation, disgust or disbelief.

[Charlotte · Rating 2 out of 5]

OMG!!!!!
I really tried to read this book for our book club...Anytime I can't get halfway through a book on the first day, it's time to put it down.. I'm curious to see what the other members thought of this book.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story and the colorful characters that came to life in its telling.

As the long-awaited triennial conference finally arrives, the descriptions of the procession of bishops (and bishop hopefuls) had me holding my sides from laughing. A leopard cape and alligator shoes with leopard trim? This is just one example of the types of ostentatious regalia flaunted by those flamboyant clergymen and bishops at the triennial conference. As the story advances it is clear that physical accouterments only go so far in accumulating points to the top.

A nefarious contingent of clergy discover their own magic bullet - or "magic potion" - which they plan to covertly sell in order to buy seats for the bishops of their own choosing. Their objective in procuring a naturally-made drug from its original manufacturer in Africa goes awry; the result, a toxic street version, comes to represent the corruption that simmers beneath a pretense of righteousness, and threatens to boil over at any time. As repercussions from the drug begin to rise with alarming gravity, the tension also mounts, but Bowen keeps the humor coming, particularly when she describes some of the effects this elixir produces on those who imbibe it - or on those who take too much.

When I finished "More Church Folk" I went right out and borrowed Second Sunday from my library.
Would it be asking too much for Ms. Bowen to write an "Even More Church Folk?" I am praying for that.

[Candace · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was interesting. I read some of the other reviews beforehand and while I don't think that made me biased, I noticed the flaws that were pointed out and I ended up agreeing with them. The story is good, even though I was hoping it would be more about Theophilius, Essie and their family. I liked the plot and the characters were great. I enjoyed reading this because it's really cool to be taken back to the black church and be reminded of an experience completely unique to black people. I loved Denzelle Flowers doing double duty as an agent and a preacher. The affection and love between the good pastors and bishops and their wives were some of my favorite parts. It's awesome to read about real black love and people being in love with their spouse even after so many years.

My main problem was the style of writing. It was, and this seems like an odd word to use, unprofessional. The use of excessive exclamations points seemed unnecessary to me and not something I think belongs in a mass produced novel. Some of the sentences and wording also seemed awkward and could have been better phrased for clarity. The repeated mentions of the plot of the first novel was overboard. It makes sense to reference the first book so people know what's going on, but by the middle of the book, we know what has happened. Some of the references said almost the exact same thing. Some parts also just seemed kind of random.

The ending was good as far as good men triumphing and the Lord proving Himself victorious. I really wish this book had been slightly better because I like the first book and really wanted to like this one. But it was decent.

[Tanya Matthews · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a good storyline. I enjoyed the fact that it did not focus on the corrupt clergy only. It reminds you there are some truly holy pastors and Christians.


The thing I did not like about this book was its redundancy. There was constant referral to the first book Church Folk. Having just read it two weeks ago it was really annoying. I guess it's a good thing for those who will choose to read a sequel without reading the first book. The constant use of people's full names was also quite annoying. If you are paying attention this is not necessary and it got on my nerves. Another issue I had was the constant reference and repeat explanation of things that were currently taking place. It was as if the author was simply trying to add pages to the book.


The redundancy does not make it necessary to read the first book to follow along. All in all it was a decent book if you can get past the repetition.

[BONDing over BOOKS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let the games begin!...MORE CHURCH FOLK by Michele Andrea Bowen continues the antics and "soap opera" drama similar to what the now senior pastor, Rev. Theophilus Simmons found himself entangled with back in Mississippi during the 1960s. You may think that this is a sequel to CHURCH FOLK but that isn't entirely true.

Just as hilarious and insanely funny as the first book, MORE CHURCH FOLK is a great choice for an end-of-summer entertaining read. Just encase you didn't get an opportunity to read our book review on CHURCH FOLK or simply want to refresh your memory. Fast moving, funny and entertaining...

[Michael · Rating 1 out of 5]

It saddens me that I have to rate this book so low. I read Church folks a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. The characters were refreshing, authentic and their transparency shined through. Needless to say, I was anxious to read this book but this book disappointed me greatly. In the beginning of the novel, nothing grabbed or pulled me in. Although the book provided humor, the characters never made an impact on me,unlike the previous book. It was almost like the writer was trying too hard to develop the plot that she lost sense of the characters direction. I gave up all together mid way though, it just was not my cup of tea.

[Mary Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to Goodreads for sending this book to me. When I received the book I thought it was of the christian genre, which I enjoy. Except for the last chapter there was very little going on that I would say was remotely "christian". I found the story-line based around bootlegging a "Viagra-like" product at a church convention off-putting.

That being said I felt the author was funny and had some hilarious phraseology, but I grew weary of the descriptions of the outlandish outfits the preachers wore.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okay book, but I can say that I'm glad it was a book I won instead of one I paid for. It was fairly preachy at times, but what else should one expect when reading christian fiction. The shenanigans by some of the characters in this book were pretty funny. The ending was a slight surprise, but by the time I got there, I almost didn't care. I would suggest that if you want to try this book out for yourself, either by the paperback version or see if it's at your local library.

[michele k. edwards]

You've done it again Michele.......

I gave it 5 stars because it's such an easy down to earth read and reflects a lot of what's going on in our churches today. Raised in the bapti-costal church I related to all of the characters. I'd recommend this to anyone who wants a taste of ol school church, and a good laugh

[Kay Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just okay

I was excited about reading the second part of more church folks . The second part is just okay . I read part two right after part one but if I had waited I would not of known the characters. I was glad about the ending because I was tired of reading about messed up Bishops the book was just okay

[Catherine Sandy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think this was supposed to be hilarious but to me it wasn't that funny.

[Lynne]

absolutely accurate history of black church life. if you want to laugh out loud reminiscing about past times this and other books by the author is the ticket. excellent!!!!!!!!!!

[Phadrae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow u would never think it goes down like this In the church commmunity! Cutthroat

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Once the magical youth powder was introduced around pg40, I stopped reading. I was totally enjoying the book until it want into the unreal stage.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

More Church Folk had a good laugh but it I still had hard time holding my interest at time.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the first one, but I'm not at all sorry I read it.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read that makes you feel good deep down to the bone.

[Terrence Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this author