John is a 14-year-old African American teenager living in a crowded 1930s Harlem household. Expected by the local congregation to become a preacher like his father, he excels academically and receives praise from his public school teachers. He spends his birthday wandering Central Park and cleaning the local church, constantly questioning his place in the world. He suffers from a profound sense of guilt, stemming from his physical attraction to other boys and his inability to meet his father's harsh standards.

Gabriel is the head deacon at the Temple of the Fire Baptized. He dresses sharply and commands respect from the congregation, projecting an image of absolute moral authority. At home, he uses physical violence to enforce his rules, striking his wife and children over minor infractions. His public piety hides a history of heavy drinking and infidelity from his youth in the American South, driving his hypocritical judgment of those around him.

Elizabeth is the weary mother of the Grimes household. Having lost her own mother at a young age, she carries a history of tragedy from her youth in Maryland to her relocation to New York in 1919. She attempts to protect her children and maintain peace in an apartment dominated by her husband's volatile temper. She speaks with a quiet sadness, offering John small amounts of money for his birthday while defending Roy when physical fights break out in the living room.

Florence is Gabriel's 60-year-old older sister. Suffering from a terminal illness, she uses skin-whitening creams and relies on folk remedies to ease her pain. She resents the patriarchal structure of her family, having watched her mother feed Gabriel better food while denying Florence an education. She carries a fierce, practical independence that allows her to stand up to her brother's intimidation tactics.

Roy is John's younger brother. He wears his rebellion openly, associating with local gangs and returning home with knife wounds from street fights. He openly mocks the puritanical rules of the household and insists he will never treat his future children the way his father treats him. Despite his defiance, he receives distinct leniency from Gabriel.

Elisha is the young male leader of the Sunday school at the Temple of the Fire Baptized. He plays the piano during church services and helps maintain the building. Physically strong and deeply devout, he occasionally wrestles playfully with John. During worship, he enters deep trance-like states, dancing wildly before the altar.

Richard works as a grocery store clerk and later finds employment at a hotel in New York. He is a quiet, studious man who values art and culture over organized religion. His life derails when he is falsely arrested on a train platform, exposing him to severe institutional racism and police violence.

Deborah is an older woman from the South who survives a brutal sexual assault by a group of white men. She maintains a quiet dignity, saves her money carefully, and observes the hypocrisies of her religious community without raising her voice.

Esther works as a domestic servant for a wealthy white family. She ignores the strict religious expectations of the community, expressing curiosity rather than reverence when she attends church. She is fiercely independent and refuses to be shamed by the local religious leaders.

Rachel spends her later years confined to a cabin on a mountainside. A former slave who endured over thirty years of bondage, she raises her children in the South with deep religious devotion. She enforces her rules with severe physical discipline and holds highly traditional views on gender roles.

Royal grows up near Gabriel's town before eventually moving to Chicago. He reflects the wayward and reckless behavior typical of the older men in his community. He carries a name specifically chosen by his mother to mock the religious arrogance of his absent parent.

Sarah dusts the furniture and sweeps the front room of the Harlem apartment. She lives quietly under the strict rules of the household, sharing the daily burden of chores while attempting to avoid her father's temper.

Ruth is the youngest presence in the apartment, growing up under the shadow of the Temple of the Fire Baptized. She observes the frequent conflicts between her parents and brothers from the periphery.

Frank works sporadically in New York and spends his earnings frivolously on alcohol. He frequently argues with his wife over finances and ambition, contributing to a deeply unhappy domestic life before he eventually joins the military.

Ella Mae Washington attends the Sunday school in Harlem. Her social interactions with the male teachers draw swift correction from the church leadership, who monitor the behavior of the young congregants closely.