I was channel hopping, and came upon a show and there was Leroy Jenkins preaching to the crowd. I thought he was still in jail.
I remember Leroy from back in the 60's and his church grounds up in Delaware, Ohio, "The Church of What's Happening Now," at his Healing Waters Cathedral. He had a show on every Sunday. I was always enthralled by his program.
I knew some railroaders who used to go out drinking with him every Friday night in Delaware. The railroaders would get their pay on Friday and head out, and often, there would be Leroy drinking and raising a fuss with the boys.
I remember one Sunday morning show of his, 1977, a tent revival of his, he told his followers, and the TV audience that God had told him to dig a well on one particular spot, 100 feet deep and water would pour forth. Not sure where the water came from, but gallon jugs of his water were suddenly available. Some say he used to load a pick up truck and go around town selling the water.
At that time also, he was selling some health pills for a variety of uses, and he emphasised that his pills worked better if taken with his new water. I will never forget, heard it as plain as anything, he said, "God told him to sell it in gallon jugs, 4 gallons to a case, and NO broken cartons."
Leroy had a vast array of followers, and at one time did all of the talk shows. I am not sure, I think it was the Dinah Shore show, he was on with Dale Evans and Roy Rogers. They were all talking, and something was said or came up, and Leroy went out and sat in the audience, he wanted to be with "his kind of people."
The last I remember hearing of him he was convicted on two counts of arson in 1979. Paroled, 1985. As I recall he put out a "plea" to his congregation that he needed $300,000 dollars. Then he bought a $200,000 home, and somehow it caught on fire, and there was also something about getting even with a State Trooper about something.
I see he is still selling water, by the gallon, 1 case sells for $100.00, $25 a gallon, not bad, and I don't think you buy the water, you donate $100, even better. I think Ohio still bans the sale of th water .... "it may make you sick." He is still selling it by the gallon, as he was told....................
