Our Story

I started researching Evangelical Christian belief and happened upon blogs, websites and books devoted to the belief in the Rapture. I had never heard of it. As I delved deeper, I grew utterly fascinated. Imagine: You believe in Jesus as your personal savior; you believe he’s coming back any day now, and when he does, you are going to be raised up into the sky and find a big mansion waiting for you there. Who believes this, you might ask? Well, millions of people do. Millions – at every level of society. Somehow I had to make a documentary about this. Somehow I would find a way into this world. As luck would have it, a believer saw a book I was reading about the Rapture and said that he would be willing to share his story and beliefs on camera. 

Emmy-winning DP Sam Henriques agreed to venture to NJ for a simple shoot to get the film off the ground in late August 2005. We were interviewed the aforementioned fellow, a former Shiite Muslim turned Evangelical. He was ready for the Rapture whenever it might come. It was great stuff. In the meantime, Katrina was heading toward the Gulf Coast as we filmed in suburban NJ that day. In the days and weeks that followed, we watched as the people along the Gulf Coast suffered devastation and injustices that were beyond comprehension from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

On an impulse, I organized a relief effort in my community and partnered with a Christian agency that promised to send an 18-wheeler truck to our community that would take desperately-needed items to the New Orleans area as soon as we could fill the truck’s trailer. My town and at least six neighboring communities gave heart and soul to the effort. It was amazing. Individuals, schools, churches, local businesses, organizations of all kinds…they gave and gave, and within 3 weeks we had gathered enough to fill up the promised truck. That particular faith-based agency tried to back out for unknown reasons. I didn’t question why; I just knew that we had to get this stuff down to Katrina victims, as promised. I held them to their word and we got the job done. The thing is, the whole experience gave me the opportunity to speak with victims of Katrina and then, as fate would have it, with victims of Hurricane Rita in southwestern Louisiana. As I had already been venturing down the Rapture research path, I found myself asking people if they’d be willing to share their religious beliefs with me. Our Evangelicals in NJ were not feeling the immediacy of the Rapture that their brethren in Louisiana were. Over and over again, Evangelical victims of Katrina and Rita told me that they were convinced the lead-up to the Rapture was happening now. The hurricanes were proof positive that the End Times were here, and they were smack-dab in the middle of the apocalyptic action.

We headed down to New Orleans and Cameron Parish as soon as we could put together some funding and a crackerjack crew. It wasn’t religion that guided us; it was our faith in the power and importance of documentary film. The journey we took over the next five years introduced us to people and took us to places I never imagined I’d meet. After five years with an award-winning camera team (including three who have won Emmys for their work on the Amazing Race – Petr Cikhart, Scott Shelley, Allen Weeks), we achieved what many told us would be impossible – an authentic and riveting portrayal of the Evangelical world from an outsider’s POV.  The film's main subjects are a compelling array of born-again believers: an itinerant cross-carrier, a fervent choir leader, backwoods preachers, urban mega-church pastors, and their faithful flocks. As we observe them practicing their faith and living their daily lives, we are met with complicated challenges that pose key questions about the effects of belief in Bible literalism, particularly as it relates to tolerance for gay rights, women’s rights, and the denial of much scientific fact and proven theory. Evolution? Nah! The world was made in six days – literally. And, according the film’ subjects. the ferocity of the hurricanes bore no connection to climate change or man-made coastal destruction. They were a means for God to chastise and punish a sinful nation for moral weakness. To Evangelicals, it’s as simple as that. 

Or as complicated…Knowing the why’s and how’s of Evangelicalism allows us to better understand who we are as a nation during our difficult and disturbing times…and what we might want to do to about it! The film allows us to better understand the essence of American religious conservatism. It helps to explain why we are so polarized at the grassroots level, and offers valuable insight into how the God is used by some to breed fear and intolerance. This is essential knowledge, and knowledge is power, we are told. This I believe. I trust that you do too.

Documentary = Power!