Dr. Bill Bright was an American evangelist and the founder of the Jesus Project and Campus Crusade for Christ which was a ministry for university students at UCLA in Los, Angeles. After beginning his ministry in 1951, he thought of this grand idea that would be a vehicle for the gospel and promote mass evangelism all around the world. With his colleague Paul Eshleman, Dr. Bright’s idea would finally become a reality at the release of The Jesus film in 1979.
Through the use of video and film production, Dr. Bright and his colleague were able to produce The Jesus Film, based on the Gospel of Luke that would capture the hearts of millions of people around the world. The idea was to create a film that would then be translated into other languages for people in countries that either do not have access to a bible or for those that are unable to read.
A village in West Africa that was predominantly Muslim, had 13 people that were very touched after viewing the film and gave their lives to Christ. It helped them to see God’s great grace, love, and sacrifice for them even as they were experiencing a dark time. Bright made sure to be very detailed and meticulous in his production for the film by adding vivid imagery, captivating sound, and dialogue that was translated to other languages. He found that the film and the translated languages made it more personal to the viewers.
“We are not finished because right now nearly 5 billion people have yet to encounter Jesus-and it will take each and all of us to reach them.” With over 1,4000 translations these were Dr. Bright remarks in regards to fulfilling the Great Commission. Although the film was released 40 years ago, there are still many places today that are highly influenced by demonic spirits and have not heard the good news of the gospel.
As they are diligently seeking to reach M40 countries, AM HQ Staff are beginning to make plans for a video studio that they hope to have set up by this week. The idea is to have a dedicated space for filming and video production that would be used as a tool of mass evangelism. As the media is evolving and as people’s attention to social media is changing, AM hopes to create short 1-3 min films that would captivate and engage college students’ interests in pursuing Jesus.
If done precisely and creatively, this method of mass evangelism can truly pave the way for open dialogue and for deeper understanding of Jesus’s life and his teachings. It introduces the story of Jesus in a relevant way especially for young adults who are actively using social media platforms.
“Our desired goal is not to simply use a tool like The Jesus Film for the sake of showing a movie. Our goal is to proclaim Christ’s love for all and salvation through faith.” May AM plan and prepare well for the video production studio. Please pray that this method of mass evangelism can truly proclaim the name of Jesus and reach those with hearts that are seeking him.