In 2009, Whitney Houston revealed on The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986) that by the time The Preacher's Wife (1996) started shooting, her cocaine and marijuana habits had gotten so bad that there was never a day while filming the movie on which she had not done some drugs.
In a 2013 interview with the Archive of American Television, director Penny Marshall relayed a story where she had to ask one of the extras to leave during filming of one of the interior church scenes. She noticed that the person was wearing a yellow sweater, which was also the same color the church choir was wearing. Ironically enough, the sweater was provided by the production wardrobe assistants. Marshall found out, years later through a friend of hers, that the extra that she kicked out was future actress and comedian, Melissa McCarthy.
Whitney Houston originally turned down her role, because she felt that she could not relate to her character. She admitted that in real-life, she was not attracted to nice men like Reverend Biggs. She also felt that she would be uncomfortable dressed as a middle-class housewife. She eventually was able to relate to Julia's love for her family and church.
During filming at a church in Yonkers, New York, a building a block away caught on fire and two children were killed. A crew member was able to save one four year old child.