In 2003, one year after this movie was released, the Ohio Department of Agraculture has determined that the water which he bottled in Delaware and sold to his followers as "Miracle Water" was actually contaminated with coliform bacteria, which can cause serious illness. Jenkins disputed this claim, saying that there were no complaints out of his congregation. He was fined $200,- for selling the water without a license and he later stopped selling it.
In 2000 Damian Chapa actually met Leroy Jenkins in order to adapt his life into this movie and Jenkins agreed also to fund the movie (he is credited as an executive producer). For research Chapa watched Videotapes and 16mm films of crusades, read books, news articles and spent time with Jenkins himself. He claimed that he himself became a believer and said that "there's certainly something supernatural going on here." Later Jenkins tried to be upbeat about the movie, saying how he was excited about the worldwide release of the movie. But later he had mixed feelings about it and said "I don'T want nothing with him in it". At the end he was disappointed with the movie, blamed Chapa for ruining it, also for taking too much creative license and ignoring his suggestions about the music.
Writer, director and lead actor Damian Chapa had a personal connection to Leroy Jenkins. When he was 10 years old he witnessed Jenkins in the Ohio THeater in Downtown Columbus, in which he touched a crippled woman in a wheelchair and she rose from the chair and could walk. This very scene, but with an older man, was recreated in the movie in the 1960s setting. Later young Chapa read his booklet "The Miracle Arm" and he got fascinated with Jenkins life.
Damian Chapa and Leroy Jenkins became friends when they first met. Chapa was even Jenkins' best man at the Reverend's wedding to Eloise Thomas in Las Vegas in 2001. They got into an argue when the movie was finally done.