In the season premiere, directed by executive producer Clement Virgo (The Book of Negroes), Grace and her teenage daughter Sophia (Desiree Ross, Falling Skies) are warmly welcomed home by Grace's father, Bishop Greenleaf. Sparked by Grace's return to Memphis, tensions quickly rise. At a family dinner in the Greenleaf mansion, Grace's mother is cold and hostile. Her sister-in-law Kerissa (Kim Hawthorne, Rake) questions her about her faith and sister Charity (Deborah Joy Winans, Whitney) erupts with jealousy at the suggestion that Grace might start preaching at Calvary.

Grace moves back to Memphis under false pretenses in order to pursue the man she holds responsible for her sister's death but finds the realities of working in her family's church again harder to handle than she expected.

Grace goes on an awkward date with Noah and his fiancée. Kerissa examines her marriage to Jacob. Senator Bob Banks puts more pressure on the Bishop to open up the church's books for review. Sophia tries to fit in.

When the mayor cashes in a favor, the Bishop is left in a tight spot that could split the church; Grace is blackmailed; Charity can't keep a secret.

When members of the church reach out for prayers for their terminally ill child, Grace (Merle Dandridge, The Night Shift) and the Bishop (Keith David, Community) find themselves with opposing views on the value of hope and the responsibilities of a pastor. Lady Mae (Lynn Whitfield, The Josephine Baker Story) devises a plan to mend fences between the Bishop and Deacon Sykes (Jen Harper, Kill the Messenger) while Kerissa (Kim Hawthorne, Rake), pushed to her limit with Jacob's (Lamman Rucker, Meet the Browns) infidelities, takes explosive action without a plan -- with unintended consequences for both she and Jacob's careers. Kevin (Tye White, The People v. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story) takes another step toward exploring his sexuality in the face of news about Charity's (Deborah Joy Winans, Whitney) pregnancy.

The Bishop -- despite protestations from both Grace and Lady Mae -- appoints Grace to preach on Sunday in his absence, forcing Grace to deal with her conflicted feelings about returning to the pulpit and forcing Lady Mae to admit that the Bishop blames her for Faith's death. Jacob's plans to score a television deal to broadcast Calvary services in an attempt to get reinstated take an unexpected turn when the television executive takes a liking to Kerissa. Meanwhile, Kevin's flippant advice to Charity on how to hire a new music director backfires, bringing up Kevin's deep-seated issues.

On the day he's set to receive the Memphis Man of the Year award, Mac juggles a variety of tasks for the Greenleaf clan both in his capacity as Chief Council and family member, including advising Charity about the new music director she wants to hire and assisting Jacob with the details of his television pitch to the Bishop. But between mounting paranoia about Grace's designs to bring him to justice, complications in the IRS's audit of the church, and the unwanted appearance of his and Lady Mae's father, Mac is set on a collision course that puts him at odds with his allies within Calvary.

Amidst the firestorm of public outcry when a Grand Jury declines to press charges against Officer David Nelson, Grace reaches out to Nelson while also working closely with Noah on a new plan to find evidence against Mac. Noah evades Lady Mae's questions about what Grace is up to, making her suspicious of Grace and Noah's re-budding intimacy. Jacob presents his broadcast plan to the Bishop, leading Lady Mae to encourage the Bishop to reveal a secret he's been keeping from the family -- and the congregation -- while the Bishop is busy trying to handle Bassie Skanks, who he learns might have much deeper, much more personal reasons for wanting to destroy Calvary.

In the aftermath of David Nelson being shot on church grounds, a debate erupts about the safety of having armed security guards at Calvary. Charity's mounting suspicions about Kevin, helped along by advice from Carlton, lead her to confront him. Meanwhile, it's the eve of Noah and Isabel's wedding and Grace -- feeling guilty about having slept with Noah -- agrees to wait before using the evidence she has to put Mac away so as not to ruin their day. But when Grace learns Mac is planning on leaving the country she's forced to take action, setting off a chain of events with potentially catastrophic consequences.

Mac's attempt at blackmailing the Bishop into not turning him in is thwarted when Grace -- despite her father's pleas -- calls the police. This puts Grace and the Bishop at odds as the Bishop is arrested for shooting Mac and Grace has to handle the appearance of Sophia's father Ray, who is concerned about his daughter's safety at Greenleaf. Noah has to deal with the fallout from the wedding being called off, making him question what he really wants. Jacob tries to connect with Zora while Charity, fed up with being disrespected by everyone, finally speaks up.

The church -- beset on all sides by scandal -- is hemorrhaging money and members, despite the best efforts of the Bishop. Grace learns that Ray is taking her to court for custody of Sophia, while her father still won't speak to her. Jacob's offers to help at Calvary are declined, sending him to Triumph Church and the Bishop's rival Bassie Skanks. Charity forms an idea to raise money for the church while Kevin -- who is still sleeping on the couch -- gets closer to Adrian. Mac, in jail, has questions about the existence of hell.

Deacon Sykes discusses women's day with Lady Mae and wants Grace to preach; Mavis has problems with her club; Grace, Ray, and Sophia attend a custody hearing; Charity and Kevin talk about his feelings.

The Bishop visits Mac, and Mac asks him to be a character witness at his hearing, threating that he won't have a way to keep paying Henry hush money from jail. The Bishop refuses. Basie Skanks drives Jacob to a plot of land across from Calvary where he intends to build a $40 million community center for Triumph there and says the Lord is calling Jacob to be the face of the organization. Henry comes to Calvary looking for Lady Mae. Noah intercepts him, and Grace learns that Henry is terminally ill. She asks Kevin to help find Henry somewhere to live, and Kevin agrees. Kerissa learns the schools TCAP scores increased suspiciously and Excellence's accreditation will not be renewed until after the board launches an inquiry into suspected cheating in Isabel's class. Lady Mae gives a sermon about The Virtuous Woman and the audience misinterprets it as her endorsement of Grace as the interim preacher at Calvary. Grace tells the Bishop she wants to go back to Phoenix with Sophia, but Bishop...