The God Squad is not a joke.
An interview with CelebHomes News The righteous gemstonesStar Adam DeVine revealed the origins of the God Squad, a group formed by his character, Kelvin Gemstone, the son of megachurch pastor Dr. Eli Gemstone (John Goodman).
Adam explained that show creator Danny McBride found inspiration in real-life Texas evangelist John JacobsHe was the founder of the well-known Christian group Power Team, which was founded in late 1980s. According to Vice, the ministry was incredibly popular among youth group leaders, who hired the Power Team to talk to teen congregants “about the dangers of drugs and alcohol, premarital sex and gangs.”
After educating the kids on the risks of such activities, they’d invite them and their parents to evening shows, where they’d break fiery bricks with their arms and run through blocks of ice in the name of God.
Danny saw the group as fitting the HBO theme which revolves around the Gemstone families and made it part of Kelvin’s story line in season 2. The problem is that the group was not a good fit for HBO’s theme of Gemstone family and Danny decided to make it a part of Kelvin’s story line for season two. The Workaholics star told CelebHomes News that his character is a “weirdo,” so naturally, “he’s made it a little different.”