All Things, All Men, All Means

Seldom does a local evangelical church puzzle the Hollywood media establishment by contesting their secular dominance over theater offerings. Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia accomplished this stunning feat—three times!

Recently, I was honored to interview Alex Kendrick, director, co-writer, actor and even musician involved in three movies: "Flywheel", "Facing the Giants" and "Fireproof."

Alex shared how ardent prayer launched the bold endeavor. The films have all been produced with stunningly low budgets. "Flywheel," the first film, cost only $20,000. In a unique approach, untrained actors, most of whom were local church members, have played every role with the exception of Kirk Cameron in "Fireproof." To ensure credibility, actors were chosen for the way they lived their Christian lives in real life. Alex himself had no previous acting experience, but starred in "Flywheel" and "Facing the Giants."

Kendrick estimates that about five million people viewed "Fireproof" in theaters, and 5,000 churches have shown the film. Tens of thousands of decisions for Christ or rededications to the Lord, often preserving a marriage, have resulted. Alex and his brother Stephen Kendrick wrote the book "Love Dare" that is the 40-day challenge for salvaging and restoring marriages that is featured in the movie. Churches are using this for small groups and classes.

I later heard Alex in an open question and answer session about "Fireproof". Queries about preparation, actors, financing and equipment brought surprising answers.

Untold hours of prayer birthed and focused each aspect and every scene. About 1,200 people volunteered their services in production. Kirk Cameron volunteered his time. The female lead quit her job with Disney to play the role, losing seniority if she would ever return, but Disney later rehired her later at better pay. The Albany Fire Department’s brand new fire engines were offered for filming even before the department used them. An actual house needing demolition was given for the jarring rescue scene. The building was actually set on fire and then used by the fire department in a training exercise. The kissing scene of marriage restoration was done with Cameron’s wife as a stand-in to avoid any appearance of evil. The profits from the films have built a park for Albany’s citizens.

And after two years of prayer and planning, a fourth film is being considered. Kendrick told me that the secular movie makers are bewildered by these low budget films attracting both saint and sinner into secular theaters to view stories of personal salvation, amazing rededication and even marriage restoration.

Most viewers don’t intend to cry, but one has to be a hardened critic not to shed a tear as godly emotion sweeps through the scenes. As I watched the films on DVD in the context of Kendrick’s insights, crucial verses came to mind.

Isaiah 54:2-3 says, "Enlarge the place of your tent, And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; Do not spare; Lengthen your cords, And strengthen your stakes. For you shall expand to the right and to the left…." Through the production of these films, the church has expanded its ministry far beyond Albany to the entire country and even the world.

A New Testament counterpart is I Corinthians 9:19–22. "For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some." They used the unusual means of cinema to reach all types of people.

The Apostle Paul saw his evangelistic opportunities as anything that was ethical, economical and effective as long as it did not violate his ultimate commitment to Christ. He made the shift from what we usually define as "spiritual" to what he felt was a worthy means of outreach. God’s work deals in divine superlatives: "all things … all men … all means."

I am inspired by the Sherwood Baptist Church, and I am honored to have shared a few stirring minutes with Alex Kendrick. He and his dedicated team have established a high water mark in Christian media.

"Media" is the plural of "medium," which is a means of getting a message from the source to the recipient. It is a Biblical concept that focuses on Christ who is the inspiration for every supportive means of sharing the Gospel. "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time…" (I Timothy 2:5 & 6).

Dave Virkler

Note: My interview with Alex Kendrick is available on our ministry website (http://www.wordandtheworld.org/) under Broadcasts and also on our ministry page at http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/The_Word_and_The_World/.

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