In 1963, Charles and James apply to become ministers at the Third Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, New York City. The council hopes to find a replacement for the jolly and flamboyant Sebastian Taft, who left after developing gout. They see Sebastian as too flashy and seek a minister who is more erudite. The head of the search committee, Alan Oxman, and other members, including Betsy Bailey, ask them questions about their faith and goals. Charles emphasizes his faith and his goal to help his congregation see God’s possibilities through hardship. James emphasizes his desire to drive the congregation to action and fight social injustice. Alan ends with a question of what they think their greatest flaws are. Charles states that his greatest flaw is his overconfidence in what he wants to happen, while James confesses that he is impatient.

A few weeks later, the committee calls them and hires them both, believing it will take both of them to restore Third Presbyterian. The church makes the elderly Jane Atlas their secretary. Jane is a fast typist and feisty woman who joined the church after her mother’s mission to make her an actress resulted in sexual harassment and assault. She helps them take down the old decorations and has them stand by the podium to see if it needs to be adjusted for either of them due to Charles’s tallness.