On July 30, 2015, OWN announced that it had ordered Greenleaf—a new drama following an African-American megachurch run by the eponymous family in Memphis, Tennessee.
On August 24, 2015, it was announced that Lynn Whitfield, Merle Dandridge and Desiree Ross are the first actors cast in series.
[18] Emmy Award winner Whitfield will star as Lady Mae Greenleaf, Bishop Greenleaf's wife, steely and power and money hungry matriarch of the family, while Dandridge play her estranged daughter who returns to home with her teenage daughter (played by Ross).
[18] On September 3, 2015, Keith David was cast in the leading role of Bishop James Greenleaf, the family patriarch and leader of Calvary Fellowship World Ministries.
[20] On September 9, 2015, Lamman Rucker, Kim Hawthorne and Deborah Joy Winans have landed the last three regular roles.
[21] Rucker plays eldest son, Jacob, while Hawthorne stars as his controlling wife, Kerissa.
[31] The first season of Greenleaf received mainly positive reviews from critics,[32] who particularly praised the acting performances of the series' lead actress, Merle Dandridge, as well as Lynn Whitfield and Keith David.
The website's critical consensus reads: "Immersed in a unique megachurch setting, Greenleaf is a juicy family soap bolstered by a provocative spirituality.
"[34] Metacritic gave season one of the show a score of 68 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
[32] Maureen Ryan, television critic for Variety stated "Dandridge is naturalistic in her portrayal of a practical, cautious woman re-examining her family history and her own choices and mistakes, while Whitfield has the imperious aura of a grand soap opera diva in the tradition of Joan Collins.
"[33] Daniel Fienberg from The Hollywood Reporter wrote in his review "effectively balance the melodrama, vast ensemble and church details and contribute a level of technical proficiency that goes far beyond what the Tyler Perry Factory brings to The Haves and the Have Nots, OWN's big scripted hit.
"[35] The Boston Globe's Matthew Gilbert compared Greenleaf with primetime soaps like Revenge and the similarly black-cast Empire.