One of the more popular movies this spring is actually a surprise to many, and that’s a movie called Jesus Revolution, which is based on the lives of three ministers who lived and preached during the late sixties-early seventies. It chronicles their response to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit during those times. The ministers are Chuck Smith (played by Kelsey Grammer), Lonnie Frisbee (played by Jonathan Roumie) and Greg Laurie (played by Joel Courtney) all located in Southern California. The movie has exceeded box office expectations if that is a valid measure of success for a movie such as this.
Kelsey Grammer as Chuck Smith in Jesus Revolution. Photo courtest of Lionsgate.
Chuck Smith is the pastor of a struggling congregation, where members are sometimes called the “frozen chosen.” They need a breath of fresh air, they need to see change in the lives of people as the gospel does what the gospel does best–promising forgiveness from sin and abundant living in God’s Forever Family. In the beginning of the movie, Chuck fits in well here, but his daughter challenges him and introduces him to Lonnie Frisbee, a charismatic hippy figure who brings in dozens and then hundreds of new worshippers who genuinely seem excited to be in church, or squeezed in every nook and cranny of Chuck’s home. Eventually Chuck has to move to greener pastures. Greg Laurie is something of a sidebar who is important enough to warrant top billing, but he has personal issues of his own with his alcoholic mother. Yet, he is integral to the story as well.
Jonathan Roumie as Lonnie Frisbee in “Jesus Revolution.” Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
Lonnie comes under the influence of Kathryn Kuhlman and starts to “up the ante” ministering the gifts of the Spirit in dramatic ways, to the chagrin of Chuck Smith, who wants the focus to remain on repentance and being born again. Eventually, Lonnie leaves with a chip on his shoulder like some wounded poet. I plan to write more about Lonnie in a post called “Broken” which should be up in a few more days. Also present is Love Song, one of the first Christian bands and a staple at Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa.
The movie has a happy ending. Chuck remains faithful to the Word and God’s plan until the day he died. Ditto for Greg Laurie who marries his girlfriend in the movie and continues to preach to this day. Lonnie, however, died from complications of AIDS in 1993.
I wasn’t sure I wanted to see the movie. I was concerned how Hollywood might reconstruct the Jesus Movement. Meanwhile, people with little interest in religion may have avoided the movie fearing it would be too preachy. Neither concern was present.
I can attest that this movie is historically accurate, as I personally came to Christ during that time. I was a youth leader at a large church in South Florida in the Greater Miami area. In fact, Chuck Smith prayed with me over the phone for the benefit and well-being of the youth in my group during the time period chronicled by this movie. Of these three individuals, only Greg Laurie is still alive and tending his sheep.
Bad moon rising
One of the historical facts of revivals is that often they begin outside of the church. Churches often tend to die out for different reasons, for example, though bankruptcy. Consider:
A 2021 study from Lifeway Research, based on data from three-dozen denominations, found that 4,500 churches closed in 2019, while only 3,000 were started. The 2021 Faith Communities Today study found that the median worship attendance for churches in the U.S. dropped from 137 people to 65 people over the past two decades.”
How long can we sustain a net loss of 1,500 congregations a year (and that figure does not include the abysmal losses during the pandemic.)
Other churches lose sight of their mission, their first love and no longer teach the gospel, the whole gospel and nothing but the gospel. Still others are involved in schism or scandal. These churches wind up being empty monuments or edifices to better days past. This is certainly not God’s vision for America.
A personal example
When Chuck Smith was battling the inertia of half a dozen members (much of his entire congregation) early in the movie who wanted to keep things sedate and predictable on the west coast, I faced a different sort of the same problem on the east coast. My church had a mature person responsible for maintenance and housekeeping. He called me into his office one day to discuss a “serious problem.” While going through the youth building earlier in the day, he had discovered a Bible lying on the floor next to a chair. He wanted to know how it happened. I replied that we were using Bibles the evening before and one of the kids likely forgot to put it back on the shelf. I apologized–end of story (or so I thought.) The supervisor was very upset by this callous approach to God’s word bordering the sacrilegious and he said so to me. I replied to the effect that the real sacrilegein my opinion was to let the Bible collect dust on the shelves month after month because no one instructed or challenged the teenagers to actually read them. Before long I was branded as a radical with an agenda, a cult leader of sorts. And what was my hidden agenda for my kids? To honor their fathers and mothers, even if they felt they were right and their parents were wrong. To ask their folks if they could help around the house, washing dishes, picking up their clothes and cleaning their rooms while taking out the trash. The congregation started to split. Those who came to my rescue were the parents of the few dozen youngsters in my program, because they saw a change in their children and liked what they saw. But enough about me. Ask early contemporary Christian musicians about the hurtles they faced bringing amplifiers and drum kits into the sanctuaries. Even using interdenominal materials published by the Navigators, or Cru (formerly Campus Crusade) or Youth for Christ often raised suspicion whether working at a Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist or Assemblies church.
It is interesting that the recent revival at Asbury University in Kentucky occurred while this movie was being released. Once again the revival began with youth. It wasn’t planned, it just happened.
Listen to Kelsey Grammer describe his role in the movie with Kelly and Ryan here. I encourage everyone who can to watch it. Jesus Revolution is now showing on Netflix.
