Hello World,

The more I discover about DeVon Franklin, vice president of production for Columbia Pictures, author “Produced By Faith: Enjoy Real Success Without Losing Your True Self and most recently and actress Meagan Good’s new hubby, the more I admire him. I was introduced to him first through his awesome book which is actually his testimony and then I interviewed him for MOVIEGUIDE. If you have not read my interview, please check out my story “Faith is This Movie Executive’s ‘Competitive Edge.'”

In a recent interview with GlobalGrind.com, Franklin, 33, who is also a preacher, revealed that prior to marrying Good in June, he was celibate for over 10 years…Below is the video and a quote from the video…

“The thing I couldn’t do which was eating me apart, going back to this idea of being whoever God created you to be. Sometimes we want to be this person at home, this person in the office, this person at church and then we get our lines mixed up. And trying to be different people to different situations, it tears you apart. So what was happening with me is that I would go and preach one thing but then I was living another, and I could not do it. I could not look at myself in the mirror. I’m like, no, I can’t live like this, so I had to stop and say, ‘You know what, until I get married, [sex is] off the table.'”

What a testimony! And I’m so glad he was willing to share that “intimate detail.” It seems that most men believe it is impossible to be celibate for any length of time…Obviously, Franklin, who was and is likely surrounded by some of the most beautiful women in the world in Hollywood, is an example that long-term celibacy is possible. And now he is married to Good, who is considered one of the most beautiful actresses in Hollywood…Take note fellas…

In other Black Christian in Hollywood news, it is no secret that Tamera Mowry-Housley of “Tia & Tamera,” the reality show on the Style Network, and her new hubby Adam Housley were celibate before getting married last year. In fact, I blogged about in “Re-Virgins Get No Love…”   However, in a recent interview with Ebony.com, Tamera, who is now pregnant with their first child, shared about why she had to say no to “missionary dating.”

 I tried the ‘missionary dating’ [in the past] where you have a person with a great heart who you think is perfect and wonderful except for this one important area that you try to change. That’s unfair to that person. That person needs to be who they are 100%. And it’s unfair to you. You don’t want to drag somebody to church with you. My husband wakes up on Sundays and says ‘Hey, are we going to church today?’ It just makes [waiting] all worthwhile. I dated guys who did not share those same beliefs and it was hard. There were many nights of heartbreak and crying, and that’s not what God wants for us.

Amen sister! I have firsthand knowledge of “missionary dating.” It is no fun to try to convince your guy, who may be a great guy in every other way, to get his behind in church on a Sunday morning….And I too have experienced a lot of heartbreak and crying over this…To read the entire interview, go to [INTERVIEW] Tia and Tamera on Marriage and Motherhood on Ebony.com.

And DeVon Franklin and Tamera Mowry-Housley are not the only black Christians in Hollywood that share openly about their Christian faith. Cee Cee Michael Floyd, who was once a staron the UPN hit comedy “Girlfriends” and is now a minister, was celibate for 10 years and 9 months before marrying to Rev. Wilbert Floyd last year. If you would like to read her entire testimony, which is awesome, you have to get a copy of my book After the Altar Call: The Sisters’ Guide to Developing a Personal Relationship With God, which is now available on Amazon Kindle! You can also read an excerpt there!  (Y’all know I had to plug my book too 🙂 )

Any thoughts?