Gospel Spotlight: Freedom Ministry presenting the gospel through theatre

Freedom Ministry, a non-profit Christian theatre organisation that was established in January 2008, was born out of the desire to bring the gospel of Jesus to the masses through the arts.

Led by founder and president Pastor Cornelius Brown, the ministry partners with individuals and entities as a community effort to enrich the lives of others.

This ministry has conceptualised a weekend that will feature various plays that deal with everyday living and survival.

Dubbing it ‘DramaFest’, Freedom Ministry promises to deliver the ultimate theatre experience in one weekend, today through to Sunday, at the Phoenix Theatre on Haining Road, New Kingston.

Featured presentations will include Idlers’ Corner Pt 2 on Friday at 7 p.m; Hidden Intentions, to be staged Saturday, also at 7 p.m., and Poisonous Proposition on Sunday at 6 p.m.

Interestingly, Paula Thompson, administrator and events coordinator, told THE WEEKEND STAR that when the idea of DramaFest was first presented, there was some amount of pushback.

“When our president suggested to us about doing a DramaFest – at that time it was five different plays over one weekend – we all thought he was crazy. But in 2016, when we saw the vision come to light, we understood that it was not about acting but more so about impacting lives in a positive way,” she said.

Thompson, who is heavily involved in rehearsals for this weekend’s event, could hardly contain her excitement for what she anticipates will unfold when the curtains go up on Friday.

Last year’s DramaFest was a success, and even more is expected for 2019. Thompson stated that it was a privilege to be part of the Freedom Ministry team. Brown, while unwilling to take credit for this initiative, was filled with pride at its impact.

“Theatre is an integral aspect of Jamaica’s culture, and DramaFest provides us an opportunity to celebrate acting and live music and reward our loyal patrons with an unforgettable and innovative medium of sharing good morals and the gospel of Jesus,” he said.

He emphasised that the core mission of the ministry is to give with an understanding “that our prime responsibility is to share the gospel in a creative and artistic way that it connects with the young and the old and speaks through the culture of the people”.

Plays that have been mounted by Freedom Ministry in the past include Forgive Me, My Boss’ Wife, Stealing Love on Both Sides, Remember You Owe Me, My Wife’s Mother-in- l aw, Step Up Ghetto Youth, Aunty Mommy, and Unequally Yoked.