South African churches are following in the footsteps of their American counterparts by booking out whole cinemas to watch Mel Gibson’s new movie, The Passion of the Christ. The movie has stormed the box office of American cinema, placing itself in the top three of all-time opening day releases.
The movie opens on March 26 in South Africa, and already churches are preparing for what they call “the best evangelical tool the New Testament church has been given so far”.
Pastor James Monaghan’s small City Life Church in Lonehill, Sandton, is only one of a number of South African churches that are booking whole theatres to showcase the movie. The church is also one of the driving forces behind the distribution of the movie.
Other churches such as Rhema have also joined in the drive to promote the movie.
The Lonehill church of 300 souls has booked out three nights in MonteCasino’s Il Grande theatre to show the movie to South Africans before its official release on March 26.
The theatre is one of the biggest in South Africa seating 509 people and boasts the largest commercial screen in Africa. More than 1 500 people will be able to see the movie during the three nights. The Passion of the Christ will be shown on the March 21, 24 and 25.
The controversial movie, depicting the last days of Christ, has been criticised for its supposed Anti-Semitic message. It does not shy away from the violence of the crucifixion, but shows the suffering of Christ in every detail and every drop of blood.
But churches all over the world have rallied behind the movie, saying it is the best opportunity in a lifetime to show the true gospel and the suffering Jesus had to endure to die for the world’s sins.
“Gibson shows it as it is,” says Monaghan. He strongly believes the movie might be the key to a moral regeneration in South Africa.
“Our agenda is to change people’s lives,” he says. “This is a very emotional movie, but people should not only feel emotion. They should feel the passion to change their lives.”
Monaghan says The Passion could not go through the normal marketing channels reserved for orthodox movies. Thus the churches took it upon themselves to market the movie. “That is what we will do in South Africa as well.”
The Passion of the Christ is only being released in 11 theatres in South Africa and only two theatres in Johannesburg.
“But we believe if the popularity of this movie grows, the distributors will be forced to open it in more theatres,” says Monaghan.
He says it is his wish that every adult in South Africa should see The Passion of the Christ.
Though no group in South Africa has officially protested against the movie, as happened in the United States, Monaghan believes that those opposed to it will not stay silent forever.
Critics say the violence with which Jesus is killed in the movie, will encourage anti-Semitism.
“The Jews did not put Jesus on the cross. Our sins did,” says Monaghan. “All true Christians love the Jews because Christianity is rooted in the Judaist faith.
“I really do believe the critics are only chasing phantoms when they say the movie has an anti-Semitic message.”