Hark! The herald angels sing — and that’s not all they’re getting up to. A brand-new Tyler Perry movie has been gift-wrapped just in time for the holiday season, and it features a series of vocal performances that are not to be missed. Watch Tyler Perry’s The Gospel of Christmas, now streaming.
Want to know more? Keep reading to learn everything to know about Tyler Perry’s The Gospel of Christmas.
Tyler Perry’s The Gospel of Christmas follows a pastor named Isaac (Tank) as he and his wife, Rebecca (Fantasia Barrino), travel to New York City with their family. Isaac has been tasked with rebuilding a failing church in a rough neighborhood, but restoring it to its former glory will require nothing short of a miracle. As he battles doubt, temptation, and a sinister adversary, he must rediscover his faith and the power of prayer to save his church, his family, and his community.
“I wanted to write a movie that the whole family could watch and remind people of what Christmas is about,” says Perry. “It’s about love, hope, and all these beautiful, wonderful things that sometimes get lost in the gift-giving.”
Yes. Watch the heartwarming sneak peek above.
Packed with gospel legends, powerhouse vocalists, and more, the cast of Tyler Perry’s The Gospel of Christmas includes:
And many more!
Tyler Perry’s The Gospel of Christmas is now streaming. You can also catch up on Perry’s other Netflix films and TV shows, like Doing Life, Why Did I Get Married Again?, The Six Triple Eight, Beauty in Black, and many more.
Perry wrote and directed Tyler Perry’s The Gospel of Christmas, and also serves as a producer alongside Angi Bones and Tony L. Strickland.
The soundtrack is produced by the legendary Kirk Franklin and features contemporary and classic songs spanning genres, including gospel, rap, and holiday music.
“The Gospel of Christmas started with me listening to the songs that got me through some rough times,” Perry says. “It was important to have some of the most incredible gospel artists on the planet be a part of helping me tell the story. If you know gospel, you know these people, and if you don’t know gospel, just wait until you see this movie.”
Learn more about the musical legends lending their voices to Tyler Perry’s The Gospel of Christmas on Tudum.
Nicolas Keller Johnson was a Morehouse graduate and the son of entertainment attorney Matt Johnson. Nicolas tragically passed away in July 2026 at the age of 28. The elder Johnson counts Tyler Perry among his clients, and the two have worked together for decades.
A fleet of angels called the Heavenly Choir lives in the attic of Isaac’s church. They keep tabs on the city and join in when the congregation sings. The group includes Matthew (Hezekiah Walker), Eve (Le’Andria Johnson), May (Pastor Shirley Caesar), Noah (Travis Cure), and Bella (Jacky Clark-Chisholm), each with their own distinct personality and concerns.
Deacon Daniel (John Gray), who welcomes Isaac to the church, is also secretly an angel. Daniel can be seen by all — unlike the Heavenly Choir, who can only be seen by those with a gift, like Esau (Eric Wiltz).
There is no medical reason given for Esau’s speech delay. But his mother and grandmother know that it’s a God-given blessing rather than a shortcoming. At the end of the movie, Esau breaks his lifelong silence to sing along to the final lines of “Talking to Jesus,” shocking his entire family.
Just as Isaac is at his most hopeless about the church’s future, Mr. Lived (Ricco Ross) presents him with an offer he can’t refuse: a reunion tour with 44 dates and a three-million-dollar payout. Isaac would headline it, with his old flame and collaborator, Juanita (Chanté Moore), also performing.
Since Juanita knew Isaac before his pivot to a life as a pastor, she believes that his faith is just a phase. She’s also still nursing a crush on him, which gives all of their interactions a whiff of impropriety. Because the tour money would allow Juanita to quit her day job at a bank, she is all too happy to do Lived’s bidding and try to convince Isaac to join her.
Rebecca knows Mr. Lived means trouble, but Isaac accepts Mr. Lived’s offer so that he can use the money to pay the back mortgage on the church. While he’s preparing to go on stage, he catches sight of Mr. Ehtmai Lived’s jacket. Backward, the promoter’s name reads: I am the devil.
Mr. Lived’s been out to get the church since Isaac’s great-grandfather started it. He laid in wait for a descendant whose faith was weak enough to fall for his tricks. Because Isaac signed a contract, he won’t get the money if he doesn’t perform. As Mr. Lived puts it, “You walk out that door, I get the church. You walk onto that stage, I get you. Either way, I win.”
Isaac decides to perform, but not before delivering an impassioned prayer denouncing Satan. He takes the stage to sing “Talking to Jesus,” and Mr. Lived leaves the theater in shame. Isaac uses the advance to save the church, and his faith remains as strong as ever.
Watch Tyler Perry’s The Gospel of Christmas on Netflix.
