Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Righteous Gemstones!
Gemstone Ministries is at the center ofThe Righteous Gemstones’story, and here is everything that the series has revealed about the Gemstone family’s backstory and the origins of their church. The Gemstone family is absolutely massive, with new members getting added to the Gemstone family tree in every single season ofThe Righteous Gemstones.The Righteous Gemstonesseason 4, episode 1revealed more about the origins of the Gemstone church and the Gemstone family than ever before, and here is a complete breakdown of what we know about the titular family inThe Righteous Gemstones.
When it comes to Gemstone Ministries, Eli Gemstone is the most important figure inThe Righteous Gemstones, with him running the church throughout the first three seasons. Eli attempts to keep the ministry running smoothlyas his children, Jesse, Judy, and Kelvin, bicker about who will succeed their father. Meanwhile, extended family members like Baby Billy Freeman and Peter Montgomery only make things harder. These family dynamics are the culmination of a massiveGemstone family tree and history, with the history of Gemstone Ministries leading up toThe Righteous Gemstonesseason 4.
The Gemstones' History As Preachers Dates Back To Elijah Gemstone In The Civil War
Elijah Gemstone Began Preaching In 1862
The earliest details that we have been given about the Gemstones take place during the Civil War, withThe Righteous Gemstonesseason 4, episode 1, being entirely set in Virginia, 1862. The episode followsBradley Cooper’s Elijah Gemstone, a criminal who finds himself in a small church after a service. After seeing the offering, Elijah shoots and kills the priest, Abel Grieves. Then, a band of Confederate soldiers show up at the church, saying that Grieves is being drafted as the party’s chaplain. When Elijah finds out that the chaplain will get paid $50 a week, he gets an idea.
Elijah steals Grieves' money, gold Bible, and identity, with him disguising Grieves' body as his own and taking up the priest’s name. During the Civil War, Elijah is solely motivated by money, with him not being very good at ministering to the dying Confederate soldiers. Then,Elijah witnesses his entire party get executed by soldiers. Elijah’s clergyman status means that he doesn’t get executed. This leads to Elijah getting a new lease on life, with him taking his shot at redemption and becoming a proper minister during the rest of the war.
Eli Gemstone Was A Televangelist With His Wife, Aimee-Leigh Freeman
They Became Popular On Television
Despite being Christians, Eli’s father Roy Gemstone didn’t seem to be in ministry. Thus,Eli Gemstone had to be the one to start Gemstone Ministries when he became an adult, continuing the legacy of his ancestor, Elijah Gemstone. Very few specifics have been revealed about the origins of Gemstone Ministries and Eli’s time before the church. Although he started his professional career as a wrestler, Eli eventually began a Christian television show. He preached while his wife, Aimee-Leigh Freeman, performed Christian music.
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The show eventually took off, leading to the Gemstones becoming incredibly popular and wealthy. Based on theseason 1 flashback episode “Interlude,“the Gemstones' television program was massive throughout the 1980s, helping Gemstone Ministries to grow. This success eventually led to Eli and Aimee-Leigh’s decision to expand further, leading to the founding of their in-person megachurch.
Aimee-Leigh & Her Brother Baby Billy Were Religious Child Artists
They Got Big With Their Song “Misbehavin'”
One of the biggest factors in the growth of Gemstone Ministries has to do with Aimee-Leigh, Eli’s wife that is dead as of the start ofThe Righteous Gemstonesseason 1. Although she was popular into her adulthood, Aimee-Leigh got her start as a musician when she was very young. Aimee-Leigh and her brother Baby Billy Freeman were religious child artists in the late 1950s and early 1960s, with them becoming massively successful with the release of their various Christian songs. The most popular of these is “Misbehavin',” which is heard several times throughoutThe Righteous Gemstones.
Eli and Aimee-Leigh’s television program led to Aimee-Leigh’s continued fame, while Baby Billy faded into obscurity. In “Interlude,” which takes place in 1989, Baby Billy convinces Aimee-Leigh to go on a reunion tour. Despite Aimee-Leigh being pregnant with Kelvin, she agrees, with them announcing it on Eli and Aimee-Leigh’s show before performing “Misbehavin'.” However, the tour was eventually canceled.
When Eli Gemstone Founded His Megachurch & Why It Started
Where The Gemstone Salvation Center Came From
After seeing the success of their TV program, Eli and Aimee-Leigh decided to expand Gemstone Minsitries beyond television. In the mid-1990s,sometime after the events of “Interlude II,” the Gemstones acquired an old arena. Gemstone Ministries transformed this into the Gemstone Salvation Center, an in-person church that acted as the main headquarters for Eli’s organization. The Gemstone Salvation Center saw attendance of up to 17,000 people at times, and brought it at least $1 million a week.
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Gemstone Ministries didn’t stop there. The church expanded into other countries and locations, with branches of Gemstone Ministries popping up all over the place. The most prominently featured of these is the Gemstone Prayer Center in a mall in Locust Grove, which was led by Baby Billy Freeman in season 1. Gemstone Ministries was still going strong as of theend ofThe Righteous Gemstonesseason 3, with the church continuing to expand despite Eli stepping down from leadership.
Eli Retired, Leaving Jesse, Judy, & Kelvin In Charge Of Gemstone Ministries
At The End Of Season 3
Ahead ofThe Righteous Gemstones' final season, Eli Gemstone retired at the end ofThe Righteous Gemstonesseason 3. Eli left his three children, Jesse, Judy, and Kelvin, in charge of the church, with him hoping that they will carry his legacy forward. Eli believed that they were capable of this after seeing how they handled the radical Montgomery family as well as how they secured NASCAR driver Dusty Daniels' fortune for the church.
The Righteous Gemstonesseason 4 is still underway, with Jesse, Judy, and Kelvin’s attempts to run the church being a major storyline. After three seasons of fighting over who will succeed their father, the trio finally has the reins of Gemstone Ministries in their hands. They have the opportunity to grow Gemstone Ministries or wreck it, with them having to carry on the legacy of Eli Gemstone and the Gemstone family as a whole inThe Righteous Gemstonesseason 4.
