New Movie Series Explores Winans Family’s Gospel Legacy
By Movieguide® Contributor
A new movie series, THANKFUL, is set to tell the story of gospel music’s legendary Winans family.
“The series THANKFUL reveals how the Winans family name is synonymous with the glory of God’s blessings,” a press release about the project reads.
THANKFUL, a seven-part series, will tell the story of over 200 years of the Winans family, starting in 1805 with Louis and Ruby Winans, and tracing the lives of their descendants.
In addition to telling the Winans’ story, THANKFUL will also feature music from “the Winans family, their friends, and over 100 talented artists from around the globe,” CCM Magazine reported, adding, “This collaboration aims to create an award-winning soundtrack that complements the cinematic artistry of the series.”
Today, the Winans are known for their musical careers. Starting in 1981, brothers Marvin, Carvin, Michael and Ronald began recording together, quickly earning popularity and Grammy awards.
Brother and sister BeBe and CeCe Winans are also well known for their work as a singing duo.
The family frequently speaks about the role faith has played in their lives. During a 2022 appearance at the Liberty University School of Music, CeCe emphasized the importance of the community to be found in local churches.
“The local church is why I’m here,” she explained. “It has been my anchor. Life happens to everybody; it doesn’t matter how famous you are. I tell people all the time that when I stand before the Lord, He’s not going to ask me how many Grammys I have, but He is going to be looking for a heart that reflects who He is. The only way you can keep that heart is to stay submitted to spiritual authority, to make sure you are getting poured into.”
CeCe continued, “[The local church] is the community that keeps you accountable. [They are the] people who are not blown away by who you are, but they tell you the truth and they tell you things you don’t like so you can be a better person and so that you can become all that God has called you to be.”
Movieguide® previously reported on CeCe’s family:
The former Movieguide® Award Gala performer said that her parents, David and Delores Winans, trained each of their children to love the Lord—which in the Winans household meant only Christian music.
“Even though they were strict, they were full of love. Their rules built character in me,” Winans recalled. “Today, I can wear makeup and know I’m not sinning, but at the same time, I can go without it and know who I am. And while I also don’t believe there is sin in wearing pants, their rules landed me in a place of modesty.”
“They never had us look down on people who believed differently than we did or had different rules and standards,” she added. “We were raised to love people and respect their beliefs, but also be able to stand firm in what we believe.”
