DR. BEN HAS FLOWN TO TULSA to present awards to the Makeover Challenge's top achievers. David Canavan and his wife, Sandy, the overall winners, will receive a $500 check for losing a collective 63 pounds and writing an essay on how Body by God helped improve their marriage.

Lerner's appearance is part of a hectic schedule that has him traveling up to 50 weeks a year, visiting the 1,500 North American churches that use his program to encourage fitness among their members. He also promotes his books, which together have sold more than 200,000 copies, and a line of 50 Body by God products, including cookbooks, workout videos, newsletters, golf shirts, and nutritional supplements like Body by God Memory Enhancer and Brain Connector pills, a blend of ginkgo biloba, vitamins, and minerals that the Body by God Web site (www.thebodybygod.com) recommends for Alzheimer's patients, autistic children, and "adults all over the world."

Of course, Lerner isn't the first person to merge faith and fitness. Since the 1960 publication of I Prayed Myself Thin, by then-22-year-old American model and "happily married housewife" Deborah Pierce, books for devout dieters have been popping up on religious bestseller lists. But Lerner is the rising star in a new generation of fitness gurus with the marketing savvy to reach far beyond the traditional Christian marketplace. His emphasis on chiropractic—which he sees as a means to help the body heal itself "without the use of dangerous drugs and surgeries"—also sets him apart from the pack.

Lerner practiced chiropractic care in Kissimmee, Florida, for nearly 12 years; at one point, he says, he personally adjusted the spines of 1,000 or more patients a week. Since 1994 he has cofounded 12 clinics in Florida, the Carolinas, and the Midwest. Through his consulting company, Teach the World About Chiropractic, he advises more than 1,000 chiropractors in the United States, Canada, and Australia, encouraging them to add a spiritual component to their practices. And 375 of his consulting clients have signed on as Body by God "providers"—chiropractic missionaries, of sorts, who lead classes on the Body by God principles and host Makeover Challenges in their communities. After a one-time registration fee of around $2,000, Body by God providers can buy products from Lerner wholesale, then offer them to clients at retail prices.

Lerner declines to disclose his annual income, saying only that in the past two years his Body by God projects alone have grossed around $1 million, all of which, he says, goes back into the business. He supports his family on the money he and his wife, Sheri, a slim 39-year-old who is also a chiropractor, make at their Celebration Family Chiropractic clinic.

Lerner will admit that it's all adding up quite nicely. "I believe we've done so well because we give a lot back to our church, missions, and people in need," he says. "I've also put strong financial advisers around me—all of this has made me a millionaire."

His disciples are profiting, too. The Broken Arrow contest was organized by local chiropractor and Body by God provider David Dick, 39, a lumberjack of a man who played football for Oklahoma State University. Since hiring Lerner as a consultant in 2003, Dick says, his client base has increased tenfold, from 80 patients to 800. His admiration for Dr. Ben is evident as he walks up to the pulpit to introduce him.

"You know, Satan always tries to keep you off track," Dick begins. "Satan doesn't want you here tonight to hear this message of healing—that's why you got the flat tire on the way here, and that's why the kids were wailing in the backseat. But we have people here who refused to give up.

"Of course if you weigh 500 pounds, God still loves you. But can he use you? If David had carpal tunnel syndrome, could he have thrown that stone? If Moses was overweight, and he had back problems, could he have led people out of the desert?"

Dick's enthusiasm for Lerner builds until he's speaking with the energy of a ringside announcer. "He is the big kahuna!" he yells. "I pay $1,000 just to talk to him! He is my coach! He doesn't just tell you what you want to hear; he tells you what you need to hear!"

At this point, Lerner descends from the balcony, jogging down a steep set of stairs. On cue, the church's loudspeakers rumble to life, blaring the theme from Rocky.