Who is the Media Missionary?

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know I talk a great deal about media missionaries. But who are they? First, what is a missionary? For most of us, a missionary is someone who goes to a distant land or culture to share the Good News. So a media missionary also shares the Good News but uses media as the primary vehicle. For most of us in the body of Christ, we would consider the work of the media missionary to be in the following three areas.

First is church media. Anyone who makes media specifically to be used in church would be a media missionary. Many large churches today employ fulltime media directors who create videos which are often used in worship services and later repackaged either for internet or television broadcast. Some parachurch organizations, for example, City on the Hill, in Louisville, Kentucky, create media that’s used in small group studies.

Second, Christians who produce and create Christian movies are considered to be media missionaries. Over the last few years, we’ve seen an explosion of Christians getting into filmmaking. One example is Sherwood Pictures in Albany, Georgia. Alex and Stephen Kendrick have single-handedly reenergized Christian filmmaking. Practically everyone is aware of Facing the Giants and Fireproof.

The third area that most Christians would agree upon as the work of the media missionary is family-friendly programming. Media that reflects morals and values and speak to the family are considered to be safe territory. Perhaps those in this type of work may not be able to preach a blatantly Christian message but are often capable of presenting some Biblical concepts.

But I want to add a fourth area that most Christians have not considered. Can the media missionary be someone who creates commercially-viable products for a mainstream audience? In other words, can we go to Hollywood and make movies and television programs for Christ? Is that possible? For most Christians, this is usually the time that they want off the boat. This concept is just too crazy. How could this fit into our theology? After all isn’t Hollywood the devil’s playground?

But, if this is the case, how can you explain movies such as Bella or The Book of Eli? Isn’t God at work here? Perhaps, we have not seen the whole picture. I’m convinced there are three things that God is at work at in Hollywood. First, he wants to reach the people who are working in this industry. Case in point is that’s why we need media missionaries to go to Hollywood. Without boots on the ground, we are not going to reach anyone. Second, he desires art that reflects his truth and glory. And finally, he wants to impact an audience. When we create art that reflects God’s heart, we can ask questions that lead people to examine their lives and the choices they are making. So maybe this concept of a media missionary is more complicated than you first thought. Perhaps, it doesn’t fit into a neat category for you.

We often say here at Media Missionary School that the work of the media missionary is speaking of Jesus the least but having him most in mind. That’s not the easiest road to follow, but I’m convinced that in the end it is the most effective.