Christians And The Arts

Leadership in the Arts Running Head: Church Leadership in the Arts

APPLIED SERVANT LEADERSHIP IN THE ARTS IN CANADA by JANICE NIKKEL

BA, Trinity Western University, 1992

A MAJOR PROJECT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN LEADERSHIP in the SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES We accept this major project as conforming to the required standard ___________________________________________________ Dr. Don Page, Advisor ___________________________________________________ Dr. Stan Remple, Program Director

TRINITY WESTERN UNIVERSITY September, 2008

© Janice Nikkel, 2008

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Leadership in the Arts “Many Christians are aesthetically poverty-stricken more from ignorance and fear than from ill-will. Some are antagonistic to art and literature because they have only met paintings and novels distributed by a secular, sophisticated elite or interpreted by self-righteous philistines. But there is a third alternative: meet the arts – music, dance, sculpture, architecture – and literature as a mandated gift from the Lord” Calvin Seerveld Executive Summary Made in the image of God, mankind has been gifted with the ability to create. Within pockets of Christian circles, there has been a resurgence of those who want to reclaim the arts for God and draw the church’s attention back to the arts – specifically in film, literature, music and the visual arts. In the past century there has been a gap in how the church has provided leadership for those who create art, particularly in evangelical circles. Through participatory research and literature reviews, this project seeks to examine the church’s historical and current relationship with the arts and offer steps that churches could take to show servant leadership in this important area of the arts.

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“Life exists for the love of music or beautiful things.” G.K. Chesterton

Acknowledgments From the moment I heard that Don Page was leaving his prestigious role in Ottawa to come and “multiply” himself at Trinity Western University, I knew something good was about to happen to this little Christian university in Langley, BC. When he helped launch the Masters of Leadership program, I knew that should I ever have the chance to be taught and mentored by this humble and gracious servant leader, I would be on a very good life path. I finish this program with no regrets. Thank you. A special thank you to my amazing family whose prayers and continual support sustained me through this program: To my mother, Margaret Johnston, who not only supported me through this program, but throughout my whole life, you sought to inspire me with life experiences, opportunities and so many interesting people who would challenge and be role models for me. You are a servant leader and could have taught one of the classes in this program if you’d have been given credit for all the courses you’ve taken and led throughout your lifetime. My four children, Tori, Lincoln, Virginia and Lewis inspire me. They have been supportive and encouraging as I would work late into the night on papers and online assignments. May I be a servant leader first in my home.

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To my husband Peter, the poet, musician, teacher, farmer, and encourager. . . Your dream for an artist’s retreat centre at our farm was the inspiration for this paper. I am enjoying watching the dream unfold before us. I love you and I respect you. To Jesus, who died for me, forgives me, and loves me enough to remind me that He will never leave or forsake me. . . no matter what. I am grateful for what this program has taught me about living my life more like you: the ultimate servant leader.

Leadership in the Arts Table of Contents Page

Title Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Chapter 1 – Introduction and Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Project Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Definition of Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Organization of Paper. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Background to Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .10 Expected Service Improvement . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Performance Challenges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Explicit Servant Leadership Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Project Ownership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Broader Social Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Results Objective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Chapter 2 - Literature Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Chapter 3 - The Historical Relationship between the Church & the Arts . . 18 Chapter 4 - Why the Church Should Care About the Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

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Leadership in the Arts Table of Contents continued Page Created in God’s Image With the Gift of Creativity . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Created with a Longing for Beauty. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 The Arts Give us Clues to Better Know God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 The Christian Calling to Bring Truth to the World . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Chapter 5 – Current Leadership Gaps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Chapter 6 – Applied Servant Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Servant Leadership Steps for Churches. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Specific Servant Leadership Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Chapter 7 – Limitations and Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Summary of Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Outstanding Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Implementation Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Appendix A – Questions Asked in Interviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Appendix B – Current Leaders in the Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

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"I don't deny that there should be priests to remind men that they will one day die. I only say it is necessary to have another kind of priests, called poets, actually to remind men that they are not dead yet." G.K. Chesterton

Chapter One I laugh when I watch a funny movie. I cry when I read a sad book. And I am moved when I hear a great piece of music. All are subject to personal taste and experience, but the fact that the arts can transport audiences to places beyond the limitations of life’s circumstances is evidence of the transcendent power of art. I am interested in art because transcendent moments can inspire me to rise above the real challenges I face in life. In short, art can change lives. Yet, for too long, the Christian church has failed to show leadership in the arts. From architecturally bland church buildings to gaudy trinkets sold ‘in the name of Jesus’, over the past century, Christian culture, has not been known for its superb art. In recent years, however, there have been movements within pockets of the church to embrace and support Christian artistic visions; visions that ultimately have the power to reveal truth to the world. The secular world produces and supports the arts, for better or for worse. America has Hollywood, an entity that exports art to screens, large and small, around the world. In Canada, the government pours millions of dollars into various art projects with the hope that Canadian artists will break new ground in the arts and that our nation will develop master craftsmen who produce masterpieces. Meanwhile, the church has largely failed to support its artists. There is potential for more Christian artists to become leaders in their fields, and I propose that change should begin with a shift in how churches and lay leaders support and encourage the arts within their sphere of influence. As the late Larry

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Norman, considered the grandfather of Christian rock and roll, once sang, “Why Should the Devil Have all the Good Music?” (Retrieved August 2008, www.youtube.com/watch? v=BznsjIe5sMk). And in this case, why shouldn’t Christians create the best art? Project description This project will provide a brief history of the church’s relationship with the arts; examine the gaps in leadership within the Christian church culture; and offer a leadership plan that will help churches and Christian philanthropists find creative ways to support the arts in a more substantial way. Definition of Purpose It is generally accepted that Canada is a secular country. Since confederation in 1867, Canada has emerged as a cultural mosaic welcoming immigrants with their various cultures to freely practice their religions. With these societal changes away from a JudeoChristian worldview, there have also been changes within the Christian church that have had a profound impact on how Christians in Canada receive and perceive the arts. The purpose of this paper is to identify gaps in how Christians in Canada are showing leadership in the arts. Because our creative capacity is an integral part of our God-likeness, the Christian community must show leadership in the arts. Much art in popular culture is used by corporations to generate wealth. Could Christians instead use wealth generated in other markets to increase artistic productivity? Specifically, the purpose of this research will be to determine how Christians can provide servant leadership within the arts in a church context.

Definitions (for the purpose of this paper):

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Christian Artists –A Christian artist is a believer in the Christian faith who is involved in creative expression through a chosen art form. The Church – Defining the church is problematic because there is no such thing as ‘the church’. Yet, there are sufficient commonalities within Christian evangelical establishments to warrant a unified label. So for the purposes of this paper, when I refer to ‘the church’, I am including all evangelical denominations. Methodology To complete this project, I will examine three key segments of the arts: bodies of relevant literature; online research (including books, magazines, online blogs about the arts and a Facebook group I created); and personal interviews with Canadian Christians who support the arts, or who are involved in the creation of art (see questions in Appendix A and a list of some Canadian leaders in the arts in Appendix B). Participatory (or action) research is valuable for those involved in the research, as well as the greater church community, because it gives a voice to the participants that will hopefully reach and influence the greater church community. Kemmis and McTaggart (2000) refer to Orlando Fals Borda’s definition of action research as “investigating reality in order to transform it” (p. 592). They add that “action research also transforms reality in order to investigate it” (p.592). This will be valuable in seeing what is working and what could be improved. From this examination, I will determine gaps in how the church is showing leadership in the arts. Finally, I will propose servant leadership steps to help fill these gaps.

Organization of Paper

Leadership in the Arts 10 This paper is divided into seven chapters that support the project purpose and objectives. The first chapter includes a project introduction and background. The second chapter is a literature review. Chapter three will examine the historical relationship between the church and the arts. The fourth chapter will consider why Christians should care about the arts. Chapter five describes current leadership gaps in the arts. The sixth chapter offers an applied servant leadership plan. And the seventh chapter will discuss limitations and conclusions. Background to Project Though I have had a life long appreciation and involvement with the arts, I wouldn’t consider myself to be an expert in fine art. I grew up singing at churches with my sisters, and even studied classical piano for many years. I knew I should appreciate great literature, movies, songs and works of art, but my tastes in art were largely influenced by popular culture. However, as an adult, the subject of the arts is a permanent topic in my home. My husband has been a poet and songwriter since I met him, and he has a vision to create an artist-in-residence retreat centre at our farm. Studying the field of art, from a leadership perspective has not only given me a window into the world of artists, but has even inspired me to write and record a song with my husband. This collaborative team effort helped me learn more about the creative process, and I have begun a journey to better understand better the importance of the arts to Christians. My husband and I are both products of the evangelical church and have had to work through the cultural church boundaries to be released to strengthen and express our faith through the arts. This project was selected so I can join my gifts with my husband’s vision and together we can become leaders within the arts community. It is my goal to

Leadership in the Arts 11 combine vision with research and a strategic plan to provide servant leadership in this area within the church in Canada. Expected Service Improvement In the last twenty years within North American churches, there has been a revolution in worship style. This transformation has brought ‘the church’ in line with the sounds of popular culture. It is evidence that there has been an ‘awakening’ in the arts. This ‘awakening’ has even spawned such things as ‘creative communications teams’ in progressive churches such as Gracepoint Community Church in Surrey, BC. However, historically, the evangelical church has neglected and in some ways feared the arts. A true transformation in attitude towards the arts cannot be confirmed merely by the change in worship sounds. This project will address how ‘the church’ needs to respond to the changes and provide steps that could help educate, support and empower artists to use their unique God-given gifts. There will be limitations working with churches, because typically churches are independent and have their own programs or adhere to the mandates of their specific denominations. The key to this program’s success will be to educate church pastors and lay leaders and help them personalize and embrace the arts. This program will also promote artists’ communities that overlap the boundaries of denominations. Only after ‘the church’ recognizes the arts as a gift from God and overcomes its fear of the artistic imagination, will there be a transformation in Christian culture.

Performance Challenges

Leadership in the Arts 12 An underlying barrier to change in church ‘arts culture’, is the tension that exists between ‘the church’ and artists. On one hand, ‘the church’ is committed to preserving theology and providing answers through evangelistic programs. As philanthropist and patron of the arts, Jonathan Spaetzel says, “Much in the church is about presenting the truth we know” (personal communication, August 5, 2008). On the other hand, artists’ primary purpose is to create a vision through a chosen medium that stirs the imagination. Spaetzel suggests that “much good art is about seeking the truth” (personal communication, August 5, 2008). This degree of mystery adds tension between the church and the arts and as Spaetzel adds, “The two are not easy bedfellows” (personal communication, August 5, 2008). This paper will address this tension. My personal investment in this paper – the shared vision my husband and I have to establish an artist’s retreat – is a small part of the change that must happen in the church. We have recognized that artists need to be encouraged and given time and space to create, regardless of the evangelical value of the product. This will lead to a larger pool of art from which to draw transcendent material. It bears mentioning that some art may sink to the bottom of the pool, but we need to let that happen naturally and recognize it as part of the development process. Our artist’s retreat is an attempt, on a small scale, to model an attitude towards the arts that we hope will one day be reflected to a greater degree in ‘the church’. Explicit Servant Leadership Application It is my intent that this project will provide servant leadership by offering strategic, yet flexible steps, that would both educate and provide pastors, lay leaders, and the greater Christian community, with tools to become more aware of their God-given

Leadership in the Arts 13 gifts of creativity. As followers of Christ, this plan serves the Christian community not by judging (as many are accustomed to), but by releasing individuals to freely (yet wisely) use their gifts – both as creators of and those who appreciate the arts. Project Ownership This project is independent of any specific organization except that of my own: Poplar Hill Farm Artist’s Collective. It is the vision of my husband, Peter, and I, to create a centre at our farm for artists to be sponsored to work for blocks of time in order to hone their craft – whether it is in music, writing, painting or film. This paper is foundational to gain a better understanding of what has and is currently being done in the Canadian church. Broader Social Context Within pockets of the North American church, there has been a trend for churches to become relevant to the changes in mainstream culture. This emerging church is starting to have an impact on the area of the arts and how Christians are learning to value and support them. There are also groups within this evangelical subculture who are seeking to provide leadership in this area. As more and more people are educated and start to embrace the arts as part of the role we serve in society, the impact can be exponential. Results Objectives The objective of this project is to seek ways to exercise servant leadership in the arts within the church – specifically in finding ways to support artists in their creative endeavours. Change is possible. As Sheila Murray Bethel (1990) writes “You don’t have to be a major corporation or a world-famous figure to make a difference. If you are willing and able to change, you can affect people, situations, and systems” (p. 90). The

Leadership in the Arts 14 hope is that this paper will offer tangible steps for a pastor or lay leader to create a church environment that is receptive both to the arts and the artists within their church family.

“The time has come for Christians to recover the imagination and to discern its value for faith and life.” John Franklin, Director of Imago

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Chapter Two - Literature Review In the past thirty years, there have been an increasing number of books, articles, workshops, blogs and DVDs created to discuss how Christians should be accepting of the arts. My literature review began over a year ago. I had set my Google alerts (an online feature provided by the internet company ‘Google’) to inform me when any article, blog or website was published that had anything to do with ‘Christians and the Arts’. Daily, articles would come to my home computer – some relevant, some not. It was enlightening to read many of the thoughts and ideas from this seemingly grassroots movement of Christians expressing their need either to be understood as an artist, or to provide direction, or leadership in this field. I found many articles through this avenue of research, and there is no doubt that the area of arts has become increasingly well received. Overall, I found that the number of books on the subject, specifically, ‘Christians and the Arts’, is still somewhat limited. Two books, Christ & Culture (Carson) and Culture Making – Recovering our Creative Calling (Crouch), both published in 2008, deal with Christians and culture – if not specifically arts. This suggested an increasing interest and a desire for Christians to understand the importance of integrating their faith with their culture. Blogs and online articles are the literature of today. There were numerous blogs that offer thoughts and ideas, with a Biblical foundation. Most intriguing was a

Leadership in the Arts 16 symposium that occurred in April 2008 in Austin, Texas. The website, www.transformingculture.org, offered a vision for the arts similar to what I am hoping to achieve within church culture. The books I found most helpful for understanding both a history of the church’s relationship with the arts and how Christians need to support the arts as part of our God given role as creators “made in his image” (Genesis 1:26, 27), include Francis Schaeffer’s books, Art and the Bible and How Should We Then Live. In addition, How Now Shall We Live (Colson), A Christian Critique of Art & Literature (Seerveld) and Addicted to Mediocrity (Schaeffer) offered somewhat more recent intellectual attempts to defend the arts within the Christian culture. Therein lays one problem – much of how the arts are presented in literature tends to be for the intellectual audience. It might have a greater impact if a book was written ‘through the lenses’ of a church member. There are a few media-savvy books written with the idea of helping Christian readers become more discerning as consumers of media, including, Successful Christian Television, by Phil Cooke, or The Culture-Wise Family, by Ted Baehr and Pat Boone. But neither of these books specifically addressed how ‘the church’ could show leadership in the field of the arts. Through my various courses at Trinity Western University, I have collected numerous books and articles on servant leadership. I was able to access these books and articles to develop steps to help provide leadership in the arts in the churches. Finally, one of the most helpful resources for understanding the Christian arts culture, particularly in Canada (but it seemed to reflect similarly to the Americans I spoke with) was the personal interviews with those who create and support the arts. To truly

Leadership in the Arts 17 understand the heartbeat of this often misunderstood group of people proved to be a valuable way to understand how the church can better support and learn from the artists. In my research, there have been books that have helped my research and those that were more about defending the arts in general. I have determined that except for the website, www.transformingculture.org, there was little published that directly proposed steps showing leadership in the arts within the church culture.

“Art is not a pleasure, a solace, or an amusement; art is a great matter. Art is an organ of human life, transmitting man's reasonable perception into feeling.” — Leo Tolstoy

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Chapter Three – The Historical Relationship of the Church and the Arts Historically, artists created within the framework of the church or with the support of the church. The church supported and embraced creative and artistic endeavours as observed through commissions from the church or religious orders. The church was at one time the major patron of the saints. Franky Schaeffer (1981) explains that even for those in the middle Renaissance who were dabbling with a classical and pagan interest mixed with Christianity “the origin of creativity was placed firmly in God's hands as the Author of all living things, and the general teachings of Scripture were unquestioned” (p.98). So connected was the church to the arts, that it influenced the English language. The word ‘curator’, used to describe the head of a gallery or museum, comes from ‘curate’ in a church (Encarta Online Dictionary). In his book, Addicted to Mediocrity, Franky Shaeffer (1981) describes how historically, many of the greatest artists (Bach, Handel, Mendelssohn, Shakespeare and the artists of the early Italian Renaissance), were either Bible-believing Christians or took strength and shelter from the Christian consensus in society (p.19). Schaeffer determined society in that era held a common belief that “creativity came from God, was good and needed no justification” (p.19). He supports this with a quote from the Renaissance art historian Giorgio Vasari, who in 1558 wrote in Lives of the Artists: Surely design existed in absolute perfection before Creation, when Almighty God having made the vast expanse of the universe and adorned the heavens with its shining lights, directed his creative intellect further to clear the air and the solid earth. And then, in the act of creating men, he fashioned the first forms of painting

Leadership in the Arts 19 and sculpture in the sublime grace of created things. It is undeniable that men, as from a perfect model, statues and pieces of sculpture and the challenges of pose and contour were first derived and for the first paintings, whatever they may have been, the ideas of softness and of unity, and the clashing harmony made by light and shadow, were derived from the same source. I am sure that anyone who considers the question carefully will come to the same conclusions I have reached above, namely, that the origin of the arts we are discussing was nature itself and that the first image or model was the beautiful fabric of the world and that the Master who taught us was that divine light infused in us by special grace, which has made us not only superior to the animal creation, but even, if one may say so, like God himself (p.19). In his online article about the arts, blogger John Morehead quotes author Craig Detweiler in his book, Into the Dark. He writes, Christians have been at the forefront of art making and patronage throughout history. The Renaissance, to some degree, was influenced by churches underwriting artists to create beautiful and timeless images. Unfortunately, we got out of that business, and have been more suspicious than embracing of images. So we have to reclaim our neglected history, our forgotten roots, and get back to a more fully orbed faith that understands the power of both word and image (Retrieved Tuesday, August 05, 2008, from johnwmorehead.blogspot.com/2008/08/craig-detweiler-interview-seeingsacred.html).

Leadership in the Arts 20 Detweiler said it was true of their value systems and of their creativity. How Christians viewed the arts during the Renaissance was a reflection of the prevailing Christian world view. In that era, Bosanquet (1917) described the prevailing perspective on the arts as follows: Moral and religious ideas indeed, such as have been all-powerful in a remote past, generally retain a capacity of arousing our present interest; so deep is the identity of man’s moral nature throughout all its manifestations. But nothing is in this respect on a level with the greater creations of fine art, including noble literature (p.2). This Christian world view gave artists “a real world which is there to study objectively. . . and a world worth finding out about” (Schaeffer, 1976, p. 140). Essentially, the Christian world view held in this era gave artists implicit permission to exercise their creativity. In the last one hundred and fifty years, there has been a shift in thinking from God-centred to a science-centred world view. Writers such as Charles Darwin and David Hume taught ideas that suggested that “science is the source of all genuine knowledge” (Colson, p. 420). The theories and writings of scientists and thinkers of that day influenced a general feeling in society that assumed “the only things that are real are those that can be known and measured by experience and observation” (Colson, p. 419). This led to an assumption that began to permeate society that “everything else is unreal, a product of subjective fantasy, including things like love and beauty, good and evil, God and conscience” (Colson, p. 419). The end result was that “artists carried the idea of a fragmented reality onto the canvas” (Schaeffer, 1976, p.187).

Leadership in the Arts 21 David Jennings, director of the arts foundation, IncarNation, describes the shift this way: In the last century, Christianity moved away from the arts for the first time in its history. Not only did we move away from it, we punished those Christians who tried to remain. In doing so, we left the arts to those who did not have a transcendent understanding of life or an appreciation of sin, forgiveness, redemption, and assurance. We chastised Christian actors and singers unless they were involved in explicit Christian-themed art. And when 80 years later we look back and complain about the culture’s celebration of the ugly on the walls of a gallery or on a movie screen or on a radio station, we have only ourselves to blame (from sermon, Why Do We Hunger for Beauty, unpublished raw data). The church shunned the arts, in part due to a fear of the influence of these secular shifts in society; but also because of the church’s primary focus on evangelism. Attitudes began to change in the 1960s and 1970s, when Christian theologian Francis Schaeffer and Dutch art historian, Hans Rookmaaker challenged believers to engage the culture, including the arts. Ahead of their time, the church was not quite ready to embrace the ideas presented by these thinkers about wholeness as Christians. Yet these men were not afraid to ask the hard questions and challenge the reigning status quo in the evangelical church. Their ideas were best received by college age students who were receptive to these seemingly new ideas about the Christian faith and the role of the arts. Francis Schaeffer had moved to Switzerland and opened a retreat centre that many students flocked to from the late 1960s to late 1970s. In his classic, How Then Shall We Live, Schaeffer (1976) wrote about the changes to history and culture believing that “what

Leadership in the Arts 22 people are in their thought world determines how they act” (p.19). This vein of thinking could be applied to the arts – how one thinks about the arts, determines how they receive the art and the artist. In the case of the church, for the most part, they were not quite ready to open their doors for artists. In the last twenty years, with the emergence of post modern society, there has been a shift in culture and a shift in how churches are engaging culture. It is probably in music that the churches have adapted the most when it comes to leadership in the arts. There are many examples of song writers who are creating great music, seeking to draw people closer to God. Yet there still seems to be a gap in how the church is responding to the arts in general.

“Only Christianity offers a comprehensive worldview that covers all areas of life and thought, every aspect of creation.” Charles Colson, How Now Shall We Live

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Chapter Four - Why the Church Should Care about the Arts For the past century, the primary focus of the evangelical church in North America has been to ‘evangelize’ the world. Though historically, the culture has embraced the arts as a tangible way to glorify God, Franky Schaeffer (1981), in his book, Addicted to Mediocrity suggests that the arts “have in our day been relegated to the bottom drawer of Christian consciousness, despised outright as unspiritual or unchristian” (p.16). Andy Crouch (2008), author of Culture Making, Recovering our Creative Calling, argues that “evangelical Christians have often done a fine job of ignoring the cultural import of Scripture while defending its divine inspiration” (p.11). At the same time the church has shunned the arts, the majority of Christians have shown they value mainstream culture. For example, the 2006 Hollywood box-office receipts totalled $9.42 billion (Retrieved August 7, 2008 from www.transformingculture.org). The Rolling Stones rock group grossed $437 million and it is realistic to assume that Christians contributed to that box office success (Retrieved August 7, 2008 from www.transformingculture.org). A Barna study said that the average American spends twenty times more time in media consumption than in religious activity, and in one year, the average child views 20,000 thirty second commercials (Retrieved August 7, 2008 from www.transformingculture.org). The average person is being formed by the media. Ask a church member what the pastor preached on last week. The pastor at Aldergrove Alliance Church recently offered twenty dollars to the first person who could remember the three points of his sermon from the previous week. Not one person knew.

Leadership in the Arts 24 Ask a church member to recite the latest (some product) commercial, and they will surely know. Who is having a greater impact on Christians? Economically, artists wield enormous power. If the church could be the leaders in the arts, the church would have the potential to begin to transform the culture in a relevant way. Francis Schaeffer (1973) in Art and the Bible, says that “all of us are engaged daily with works of art, even if we are neither professional nor amateur artists. We read books, we listen to music, we look at posters, we admire flower arrangements” (p. 33). Where the church used to be the leaders in the arts, they are merely imitators of secular culture. Francis Schaeffer (1973) argues that if “Christianity has so much to say about the arts and to the artist, why is it that recently we have produced so little Christian art?” (p. 61). He determined that the church has not produced Christian art because it has forgotten much of what Christianity says about the arts. The church has missed this opportunity to engage culture and become leaders in this field. The evangelical church is primarily concerned with proclaiming truth. Artists, on the other hand, are typically willing to ask the hard questions, examine the darker issue of life, or speak in metaphors. They often feel misunderstood. Musician, Peter Nikkel, recalls being asked to perform some of his original songs at church. He declined, fearing that he “would be misunderstood” (personal communication, August 20, 2008). In many instances, instead of supporting art, the artists have run from the church. Director of Imago, John Franklin explains it another way. He says . . .Christians have typically followed a style that is direct, but art and the post modern world follow the style that is indirect. We need to champion the values of

Leadership in the Arts 25 scripture in an indirect way. Indirectness through the common issues people face – then we gain credibility to speak into their lives. One of the things about art is that it’s indirect and ambiguous – and evangelicals are suspicious and scared of that. Conservative Christians are not comfortable with mystery and art is about mystery. This is why so many evangelicals are shifting to Catholicism (personal communication – August 5, 2008). Many are leaving the church completely. Frank Schaeffer (2007) changed his name from ‘Franky’ to ‘Frank’ as part of his dramatic departure from the evangelical church in the early 1990s. He explained why he left, in his recent book, Crazy for God. Schaeffer describes his life being raised in the epicentre of the evangelical church as the son of the late, Francis Schaeffer, Christian thinker and founder of L’Abri in Switzerland. When asked how he thought it would help to read his memoirs, he responded: I think you will find material on the arts on 3 levels in Crazy For God: 1. A direct set of facts related to my ideas and career as an artist/author/film maker. 2. As an example of writing and what it can be once liberated from evangelical constraints. 3. As an over-all critique of the evangelical world (and thinking) in a way that impacts the arts indirectly (personal communication, July 19, 2008). Christians can impact society in a profound way by supporting and releasing those who are gifted at creating art. Journalist and poet, Steve Turner, observed that “When Time magazine compiled a list of the one hundred most significant people in twentiethcentury art and entertainment there were only five who had shown any public signs of

Leadership in the Arts 26 Christian faith” (Retrieved August 7, 2008 from www.transformingculture.org). Christians used to be the leader in the arts. That is no longer the case today. With the emergence of the post modern church, as well as the current trend for Christians to embrace the offerings of secular culture (movies, music, etc), there has been a shift where Christians are starting to understand the importance of Christians supporting and creating art, perhaps even showing leadership in this area. However, this shift has only occurred in pockets of the church and thus there needs to be an educating and understanding by all Christians to engage arts. There are many reasons why the arts are important, but I have determined four reasons why Christians should care about the arts. Created in God’s image with the Gift of Creativity First, we were created in God’s image with the gift of creativity. If all we knew about God was from the first book of Genesis, we would know that “In the beginning, God created” (Genesis 1:1) and that He made us in His image (Genesis 1:26, 27). In his book, Culture Making, Andy Crouch (2008) says that “when the human beings, male and female, are created ‘in God’s image surely the primary implication is that they will reflect the creative character of their Maker” (p. 104). He later argues that when our creative efforts are mediocre, or as he describes them as “defective” and falling short of God’s intention, “it neither honours what has come before nor creates fruitful space for the creatures, human and otherwise, who will come later” (p. 105). As created beings, made in the image of the ultimate Creator, we are called upon to utilize our creativity. In his book, Art and the Bible, the late Francis Schaeffer (1973) writes about our creative distinctiveness explaining that

Leadership in the Arts 27 . . .it is part of the image of God to be creative, or to have creativity. We never find an animal, non-man, making a work of art. On the other hand, we never find men anywhere in the world or in any culture in the world who do not produce art. Creativity is a part of the distinction between man and the non-man. All people are to some degree creative. Creativity is intrinsic to our mannishness” (p. 34). The Bible treats the arts as a divine calling providing evidence of God’s gift of creating. In Exodus, it is clearly revealed that God has gifted some with the ability to create. And God has a plan to use that creativity for his glory. After Moses comes down from the mountain with the Ten Commandments, he explains to the people that God has specifically called Bezalel to use his creative skills to work on the temple. Moses explains that God . . . filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and understanding, in knowledge and all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of artistic workmanship (Exodus 35:31-32, italics mine). The passage also describes how God stirred the hearts of those willing, and “all the women who were gifted artisans” (Exodus 35:25). In John 1, the author describes how “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). ‘The Word’ in this passage refers to Jesus who became human so we could get to know him. The technical term for this is called the Incarnation. Christian artists perceive their act of creating as participating in this incarnation. Christian author Madeleine L'Engle describes it this way:

Leadership in the Arts 28 To paint a picture or write a story, or compose a song is an incarnational activity. The artist is a servant who is willing to be a birth-giver. . . I believe that each work of art, whether it is a work of great genius or something very small, comes to the artist and says, 'Here I am. Enflesh me. Give birth to me' (Retrieved August 2, 2008 from www.creativequotations.com/one/150.htm). Created with a Longing for Beauty Second, we were created with a longing for beauty. Defined as “the quality that gives pleasure to the mind or senses and is associated with such properties as harmony of form or color, excellence of artistry, truthfulness, and originality” (online dictionary). Consider how a song moves one to tears, or a beautiful sunset instills a sense of awe. Beauty is a gift from God and when one comes face to face with true beauty, it has the ability to touch the deepest part of our being. Good art has the ability to communicate truth in ways words cannot. Canadian musician, Steve Bell describes beauty as “one of the touchstones that everyone can relate to.” He explains, You see a great sunset – and believer or non-believer, at that point you’re connecting to something you know deep in your soul which is far beyond what’s up in your head. And music has the ability to connect people like a sunset can, or a great vista. It’s a tool to bring people to a sense of transcendence that there is something beyond me happening here” (Steve Bell Band, DVD). C.S. Lewis describes the thirst for beauty this way: We do not merely want to see beauty, though, God knows, even that is bounty enough. We want something else which can hardly be put into words - to be

Leadership in the Arts 29 united with the beauty we see, to pass into it, to receive it into ourselves, to bathe in it, to become part of it (Duriez, p. 56). In the latter half of the eighteenth century, the term “aesthetic” was adopted “in order to designate the philosophy of the beautiful as a distinct province of theoretical inquiry” (Bosanquet, p.1). The church knew the power of art. Beauty stirs the imagination, but as Steve Bell explains, “Our present age takes all the wonder out of things. We break everything down into scientific facts. The minute we bring back wonder then God can speak. Music does that. It brings wonder back into theology” (Steve Bell Band, DVD). Philanthropist David Jennings observes that as we encounter beauty, “it creates a desire to encounter it more often” (personal communication, August 5, 2008). Jennings explains that beauty is “the best guide to goodness and once we practice goodness, truth is what it leads to. Without practicing beauty, goodness becomes merely self-interest and truth becomes impossible to see” (personal communication, August 5, 2008). He suggests that the role for the Christian is to provide a place for people to encounter beauty. And as Dostoevsky has the Prince declare in The Idiot, "I believe the world will be saved by beauty" (Retrieved August 10, 2008 from artspastor.blogspot.com/2007_04_01_archive.html). Does God value beauty for beauty's sake? Chuck Colson seems to think He does. Colson writes: Consider the two columns Solomon set up before the Temple. He decorated them with a hundred pomegranates fastened upon chains, as God commanded. These two free-standing columns supported no architectural weight and had no

Leadership in the Arts 30 engineering significance. . . They were there only because God said they should be there as a thing of beauty (Retrieved August 14, 2008 from www.christianpost.com/article/20080202/art-worship-and-the-bible.htm). The Arts Give Us Clues to Better Know God Third, the arts give us clues to better know God. In his book, How Now Shall We Live, Chuck Colson explains how this gift of creating is part of God’s plan for us to know Him better. He writes, “An engaging story, a majestic symphony, a beautiful landscape painting – these works of art give us pleasure and cause us to contemplate not only the beauty of the world God created but also the eternal beauty of God himself” (p. 441). Colson alludes to the various ways in Scripture that God communicates to us: through “history, poetry, liturgical formulas, ethical principles, hymns, letters, maxims, proverbs and even a love song” (p. 441). Author Brennan Manning writes that “God alone understands the human heart.” (p. 68). But then asks how can the human heart even begin to understand God? He suggests that this search cannot be left with theology and biblical scholars. Though valid, they are not enough. Rather, he says, “Theology is too vital to be consigned solely to the province of theologians. To explore the depth of the God who invites our trust, we need the artists and mystics” (p. 68).

The Christian Calling to Bring Truth to the World Fourth, as Christians, our calling is to bring God’s truth to the world. Arts have the power to touch the human soul in ways that just rules, morals and religion cannot. For

Leadership in the Arts 31 many generations, Christians have interpreted the call to bring truth by sharing the Gospel through words – both verbal and written. There is indeed a place for this in our call to “go into all the world and preach the gospel” (Mark 16:15 NASV). But this is not the whole purpose of God creating us in His image. God’s truth can be communicated through the arts as well. By ignoring the arts, the church misses out on the whole package. When Charles Colson, author and founder of Prison Fellowship, was trying to determine the need for his book, How Now Shall We Live, he explains how his decision was confirmed after visiting a friend’s church. He explained that this church’s mission included prayer, Bible study, worship, fellowship and witnessing. But Colson didn’t think this was enough. He argues that the church needs to proactively engage culture, not hide from it. In his words: “If we focus exclusively on these disciplines – and if in the process we ignore our responsibility to redeem the surrounding culture – our Christianity will remain privatized and marginalized” (Introduction, p. x). There is so much more the church can be doing that would allow her to effectively address the many real needs and hurts in the lives of the church body and beyond into the community. Art often tell stories that address these real issues. Colson continues: If the church turns inward now, if we focus only on our own needs, we will miss the opportunity to provide answers at a time when people are sensing a deep longing for meaning and order. We must show the world that Christianity is more than a private belief, more than personal salvation. We must show that it is a comprehensive life system that answers all of humanity’s age-old questions: Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going? Does life have any

Leadership in the Arts 32 meaning and purpose? . . . Only Christianity offers a comprehensive worldview that covers all areas of life and thought, every aspect of creation (Introduction, p. xi). It’s been said that ‘all truth is God’s truth’. St. Francis of Assisi is known to have said, “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words” (Retrieved August 7, 2008 from www.thinkexist.com). This invites the Christian to use creativity to communicate truth. Philanthropist David Jennings has created a foundation called IncarNation to support Christian artists in Canada. He explains that “while once we would translate Bibles, we now need to translate or interpret the arts and culture they (people) experience into something that gives them a sense of what it means to be fully human. We know that beauty and truth are found in the person of Jesus Christ, in whom, by whom and for whom all of creation was made. And we anxiously wish to share our sense of that beauty and truth with a culture that wallows in delusion and ugliness” (personal communication, August 5, 2008). People resonate with a good story. Jesus used stories to communicate his truth and people responded by the droves. In an interview, Eugene Peterson comments on how we can use story to draw people to God. He says: We are story telling people. Our lives are stories – they have plot, they have intent. They have other people. We’re never the only person in our story. And the Bible is our greatest story. If we just live within ourselves, or our lives are determined by our own needs, our wants, our desires, it gets a very small world and it’s really not a story world. It’s not a world that has much action in it except our own desires. So story tellers have always been the people in our society who

Leadership in the Arts 33 have brought us into a world that is larger than us. . . The Christian story is not unlike those stories, in the way stories work, but it is the story for Christians and it puts God in the centre of the story, versus other stories that have gods in the background. Here we have a story that God enters our lives. (www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaaIui7cESs&feature=related). John Franklin, of Imago, says that “the role of imagination is not to take us away from reality, but to expose us to new ways of seeing things. That is why the parables of Jesus are so powerful” (retrieved from Redeeming the Arts, the Restoration of the arts to God’s Creational Intention). Colson writes, “Artists are gifted with a special sensitivity to the glories of creation and through their work, they can bring these glories into sharper focus for others” (p. 440). As Christians use their God-given creativity, it can help clarify truth to the world.

“Imagination has been neglected as a resource for helping us to think more clearly about the world. As a result, we have impoverished Christian thinking and understanding. The time has come for Christians to recover the imagination and to discern its value for faith and life.” John Franklin, Imago

Leadership in the Arts 34

Chapter Five - Current Leadership Gaps Beginning with the works of Christian thinkers like Francis Schaeffer in the early 1970s, there began to be a shift in the thinking of how Christians viewed the arts. However it didn’t have enough influence to change church culture as a whole. Today there is a movement that is starting to have an impact on how Christians perceive the arts. Artists are typically independent and have not felt welcomed to create within the church culture. Therefore, I have determined four main gaps in how the evangelical church has approached the arts. First, for the most part, church leaders have not supported or educated their congregations about the value and importance of living our God-given gift to be creative. John Stackhouse explains that the evangelical church has traditionally prized truth and goodness, in a tradition that emphasized honesty and charity. The church practiced “doctrinal fidelity, straightforward evangelism, and plainspoken preaching” (p. 58). Because of this emphasis, evangelicals have tended away from a focus on beauty, “toward the utilitarian” (Stackhouse, p. 58). He continues, “Few congregations make beautiful architecture and furnishings a priority” (p.58). If it was useful to the cause of evangelism, then it was valued; or as Stackhouse has determined: We may feel that spending attention and money on beauty would obscure the clear lines of truth and goodness. Perhaps we feel in our bones something of the Puritans’ suspicion of the distracting and obfuscating elaborations of the Roman Church (p. 58).

Leadership in the Arts 35 There has been a general consensus in the church, specifically evangelicals, that if Christians made art, it would only be supported if it explicitly shared the gospel: ‘propaganda’ for the faith. In other words, it had to depict the name “Jesus” to be received well in the Christian community. If a song was to be supported, it became a bigger hit the more times the name of Jesus was mentioned. Art was considered Christian if it had a cross or a church in the image. And stories were considered worthy of our attention if they told people how to pray to invite Jesus into their lives. Churches modeled, though not intentionally, what Franky Schaeffer coined, was an “addiction to mediocrity” (p. 23). Where once there was a general cultural consensus that art was created to glorify God, the evangelical church has not shown leadership in the arts. Designer Ric Riordon shares that while “…growing up in an evangelical church, there was little or no room for the arts” (personal communication, August 8, 2008). In a commentary about this topic, Gina Dalfonzo writes, For many years now, a great deal of Christian culture has been valued not for its artistic worth, but for its effectiveness as propaganda and as reinforcement for our beliefs. That emphasis affects not just how we Christians see culture, but how the world sees us—and Christianity (Retrieved August 2008 from www.breakpoint.org/listingarticle.asp? ID=8276&zbrandid=420&zidType=CH&zid=2435550&zsubscriberId=10164433 2). This has no doubt affected the church’s ability to connect with society. When Christians are afraid to broach a subject that touches all of humanity, they are missing out on

Leadership in the Arts 36 opportunities to relate to lost and hurting people, the very people Jesus came to save (Luke 19:10). However, the potential influence of the arts is much grander. In his “Breakpoint” commentary, Chuck Colson describes it this way: For too long we have thought that movies with Christian themes were supposed to be sermons, but that is precisely the kind of thinking that makes a movie fail on every level. People do not go to movies to be preached at. They go because they love and need good stories, and that is what good movies give them. Of course, a movie’s worldview is a vital consideration, but we must get over the idea that all you need for a good movie is a good worldview (Retrieved November 6, 2007, www.breakpoint.org/listingarticle.asp?ID=7201). Eugene Peterson, translator of the paraphrased version of the Bible, The Message agrees. He says that “every time a story is well told, the gospel has been served” (Retrieved August 2, 2008 from www.youtube.com/watch? v=FaaIui7cESs&feature=related). The same can be said for a song or a painting that draws you in to the story. Theologian, John Stackhouse concludes that: Scripture recognizes beauty from beginning to end—from the opening hymns that celebrate God’s goodness in creation, through its matchless psalms, to the vision of the New Jerusalem as a splendid architectural wonder. We evangelicals often practice a “war-time ethic,” in which we sacrifice things that would be good in peacetime but seem inappropriate in a time of crisis. There’s no point, we believe, in rearranging the flowers sliding off tables as the Titanic slopes down. Why “prettify” a church when the money could be spent on evangelism or relief for the

Leadership in the Arts 37 poor? Yet Jesus confronted this sort of situation and praised the extravagant offering of expensive perfume as perfectly appropriate (John 12). The connection, I believe, lies here: beauty is part of Jesus’ kingdom. In brief, we should give proper place to beauty—by creating and enjoying it, even writing a theology of it —as an integral part of the “war effort.” Beauty is not mere ornamentation that we dutifully defer until the coming of the New Jerusalem. It is an essential part of our gospel, which must be manifest now as we bear witness to kingdom life (p.58). Second, the church has not kept up with the changes in culture and this shift affects how Christians view the arts but also how the world views the church. Where we were once a culture that valued words, i.e. the importance of the words in the Bible over all other influences, we have become a culture that is saturated by the visual. David Jennings explains this shift as follows: “The protestant church chose Word versus Image. We have lost the sense of narrative in today’s culture and are a visual culture” (personal communication, August 6, 2008). Film professor, Dr. Ned Vankevich adds to this vein of thought. He says, The iconoclasm of the Protestant reformation has done irreconcilable damage of the ability of Bible believing Christians to create authentic and vital life-changing art. It became about rational ideas as opposed to sensory experience and created a new form of Gnosticism that separates spirit from flesh. Such a separation devitalized the Incarnational realities of Christian art intersecting with theology (personal communication, August 7, 2008).

Leadership in the Arts 38 Vankevich believes that if the church wants to reach this generation with the truth of the gospel, it must enlarge its vision for what the Christian experience is all about, specifically: That God should permeate and penetrate all aspects of our life. That pastors and the church leaders must have an understanding that the evangelical gate must be opened wide and to see that different people need different ways to be reached – some through reasoned thinking, others through passion and feeling, some through the senses. Art is a full gateway encompassing all of these approaches (personal communication, August 7, 2008). Three, there is an obvious lack of financial sponsorship and support for Christians who want to pursue their art within ‘the church’. Throughout Canada, there are only a few organizations committed to support Christian artists financially. This suggests that relatively few artists have access to funds that would provide them the time to create their art. Traditionally in the evangelical church, the finances were divided between church expenses and foreign missions. Within the church culture, the arts were not well received, but instead were considered worldly. Don Page notes that even traditional aboriginal artists were considered “pagan in their symbolism”, therefore it became something to be feared (personal communication, August 23, 2008). This lack of support has implications that trickle down to all involved. Christians have been educated to be results oriented. If they put on an event, they want to know the numbers of “how many accepted Christ”. The numbers provide a tangible way to determine the value of an event. Investors want to get a return for their money. However, as most artists will tell you, creating takes time. As John Franklin, Director of Imago

Leadership in the Arts 39 recognizes, “When you are doing art – it’s not always easy to find measurable outcomes” (personal communication – August 5, 2008). To afford both the time and the equipment needed to make a good movie, write a great book, record a powerful song, or to paint a masterpiece requires time and money. When an artist is dividing his time between a full time job to earn a living and then working on his or her craft when he can get an hour or two, the creative process takes much longer. The art that believers are making is seen as valuable only if it has a monetary value. Can it be sold? The artist feels compelled to sell his art because he has to survive. The artist makes things that are “sellable” often at the expense of the artist's true heart. If an artist had access to money, he or she would be liberated to create as they felt led. Fourth, pastors and lay leaders have generally become negative “gatekeepers” for how congregations perceive the arts in the evangelical church culture. This has not had a positive impact on how the arts have been received or supported. If a pastor appreciates the arts, there will be examples of good poetry, music, liturgy, or visuals used as part of the service. But as David Jennings points out, “The artist is the loneliest of all. They are rejected by most of the Christian community and the world” (personal communication, August 6, 2008). Evangelical pastors have been trained at seminaries by professors who have taught them the traditional evangelical perspective that emphasized “personal piety and simple worship” (Don Page, personal communication, August 23, 2008). The arts were typically ignored or in fact shunned as something to be feared. Yet these professors have the ability to influence their keen and teachable students. Much of what pastors eventually start out preaching has been filtered through the lens of the seminary

Leadership in the Arts 40 professors. If these professors could put on their servant leadership glasses (LDRS 500) and learn to see all they do from this perspective, things could change and seminaries would start to have a more holistic approach to areas that have not typically been well taught or communicated – including the arts. People use the word aesthetics to describe what is beautiful or artistic (online dictionary), yet according to The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, aesthetics deals with the . . . nature of taste, beauty, imagination, creativity, representation, expression, and expressiveness; style; whether artworks convey knowledge or truth; the nature of narrative and metaphor; the importance of genre; the ontological status of artworks; and the character of our emotional responses to art (p. 12). According to the continued definition of aesthetics, how one perceives the arts is strongly influenced by current cultural theories (p.13). I would further suggest that how one perceives God as the Creator has a direct relation to how Christians will accept and support the arts. As people come to value and appreciate the arts, there will be an increased desire and willingness to support those who create the arts – both financially and for their aesthetic beauty. As the church seeks to educate believers to appreciate and value quality art, they will hunger for more and better art. As Christians support the arts, better art can be created. As better art is created, Christians will find value in supporting those who are using their creative talents. God has bestowed the gift of creating on Christians and non-Christians alike; it is a common grace. Not everyone will do it well, but Christian artists need the opportunity

Leadership in the Arts 41 and support of their fellow believers in order to become better and/or the best in their field. On a recent blog, contributor Andrea Newell said, I would love it if all ‘Christian’ art were the best art to be found. That is not the case, and I'm not sure if it is supposed to be the case. All of us bring our feeble little gifts to God and lay them at his feet, much as a child presents his mother with a heart made from beads, buttons, and glitter glued to a piece of construction paper (Retrieved July 2008, from www.thepoint.breakpoint.org/2008/07/c-slewis-and-f.html). It might be thought that Christians ought to create better art than what the world offers, but art is only as good as its creator. If an artist can only spend minimal time on their craft because they must hold down a full time job elsewhere, or don’t have the finances to get more training, their opportunities to improve will be limited. There is a movement slowly gaining throughout the church that has a rallying cry from Christian artists to wake up the church to support this God-ordained gift of the arts. Mako Fujimura, artist and director of the International Arts Movement in New York City says, “In order for the Church to recover her call to be the Bride of Christ, beautiful and creative, we need efforts like this to bring pastors together” (Retrieved August 7, 2008 from www.transformingculture.org/voices.html). Poet and writer Luci Shaw proclaims, This is the time to build on what Walter Brueggemann has long said, that if the Good News is to be received with excitement and enthusiasm, awakening the imagination is a primary task of preachers . . . to honor the role of the artist in the Christian community as the spark plug that gets this engine going! (Retrieved August 2008 from www.transformingculture.org/voices.html).

Leadership in the Arts 42 A leader in the Christian arts movement, Calvin Seerveld (1995) further explains the need for Christians to meet the arts. He says: Many Christians are aesthetically poverty-stricken more from ignorance and fear than from ill-will. Some are antagonistic to art and literature because they have only met paintings and novels distributed by a secular, sophisticated elite or interpreted by self-righteous philistines. But there is a third alternative: meet the arts- music, dance, sculpture, architecture – and literature as a mandated gift from the Lord, which some men and women suppress in unrighteousness, some bury in a napkin in a hole in the ground, and some receive and trade to make the Lord God smile (p. xvi). Increasingly, there are those in the church who are seeking to lead the way in engaging the arts across North America. Considered one of the most ambitious examples is the Brehm Center for Worship, Theology, and the Arts at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. Founded in 2001, it was apparently financed by a $15 million donation from a private donor. The centre aspires to be an evangelical arts think tank, focusing on worship and music, film, art and architecture, drama, journalism and creative writing, preaching and the study of the “emerging church,” which incorporates painting, dance and other fine arts into worship. Craig Detweiler, co-director of the center’s Reel Spirituality Institute explains that “for too long, Christian art has implied pale imitation,” He says that the centre is “trying to get back to the days of the Renaissance, where the church was the patron of the finest art” (Retrieved August 7, 2008 from www.iamny.org/resources/articles.php).

Leadership in the Arts 43 In the past fifty years, society has become a more visual culture, with television, magazines, movies, and internet; yet evangelical churches have not kept up with this shift. Instead of being leaders in the culture, the church has dragged its feet and offered mediocre art for church members to appreciate. Though there are indeed certain churches that are helping their members to greater appreciate and even embrace the arts, the church in general has in no way been leaders in this arena. Churches who are embracing the arts might be considered more liberal in areas once considered taboo in traditional evangelical circles, like dancing, drinking or even going to the movies. But in many cases, those churches who are embracing the arts tend to also experience more freedom to worship, pray, and respond to the spirit as they are not bound by the legalism that so paralyzed many in the evangelical church. For example, Pastor Sam Cooper, from Meadowvale Community Church, in Mississauga, Ontario, said his church chose to “err on the side of freedom, creativity and beauty” (Retrieved from Redeeming the Arts, the Restoration of the arts to God’s Creational Intention). He explains that art helps feed the church. By this he explains that the arts “are a visual connection, an entryway that God gets our attention. Art is not always understood, even in the church, but it’s worth the struggle” (Retrieved from Redeeming the Arts, the Restoration of the arts to God’s Creational Intention). Francis Schaeffer (1976) argues that Christians need to take leadership in this area. He says, “We are not excused from speaking, just because the culture and society no longer rest as much as they once did on Christian thinking. Moreover, Christians do not need to be in the majority in order to influence society” (p. 245). For Christians, this is encouraging news.

Leadership in the Arts 44

“We must not sell short the value of the arts to reach into the heart and soul of any who experience the struggles of life.” Phyllis Novak, artist Chapter Six - Applied Servant Leadership "All great scholarship is driven by an excellent question" (G.K. Chesterton). The question for this paper would then be how can the church provide servant leadership in the arts? The potential to transform the church culture is very real, yet because attitudes and opinions with regards to faith are held so dear to people, change within a church culture will take time, strategic servant leadership, and much prayer and wisdom. Because our creative capacity is an integral part of our God-likeness, the Christian community must show leadership in the arts. For the most part, artists want very little, if anything to do with the church. It has been said that the church . . .strikes them more like a rationalist’s university classroom or a pragmatist’s business meeting than like anything resembling the rich world of God’s creation filled with all its supersensory wonder. . . They see a fickleness about beauty. They see an imagination handicapped by Enlightenment presuppositions (Retrieved August 7, 2008 from www.transformingculture.org). They want to know why they would become members of a church that either “ignores, dismisses or rejects their nature and vocation” (Retrieved August 7, 2008 from www.transformingculture.org). The truth is, they too are members of the Christian body and deserve to be welcomed. Yet, if Christians are to show servant leadership in the arts,

Leadership in the Arts 45 they must model and support and care for the artists as they seek to produce quality art that doesn’t just mirror the culture but actually creates better quality art. To produce quality art takes time and finances. It will also take the patient support of the church. In order to instill a hunger for beauty in the church and to provide an atmosphere welcoming to artists, there needs to be a servant leadership strategy in place to educate pastors and lay leaders, who are key influencers in how Christians perceive the arts. There is no question that it is the leader who creates the culture for change in an organization. In the case of the church, it will take strategic change leadership to help evangelicals shift their thinking to better appreciate and value the arts as part of the whole church body. Former U.S. President, Jimmy Carter once said “We must adjust to changing times and still hold to unchanging principles” (Retrieved August 28, 2008 from www.quoteworld.org/quotes/2484). As the church culture is changing, our foundation must continue to be grounded in Scripture. Servant Leadership Steps for the Church Exercising servant leadership can be effective in leading change in the Christian culture’s attitude and support of Christian artists. Jack Behrman writes about influential leaders who “used their power to stimulate others, to help open their eyes and ears, to heal them, and to communicate high purpose” (p. 195). There is indeed a high purpose when one seeks to help others experience more of who God made them to be. Providing servant leadership within the Christian community would release followers of Christ to be liberated and supported, regardless of finances, gender or ethnicity. In his paper on what makes a servant leader, Robert Greenleaf wrote,

Leadership in the Arts 46 The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant - first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society? Will they benefit or at least not be further deprived? (Retrieved August 5, 2008, from www.greenleaf.org/whatissl/index.html). The church would surely benefit from leadership like this. If one chooses to take on the challenge of helping lead change within their church, they must recognize the following qualities of a change leader: First, servant leaders must model integrity and authenticity if people will trust them. Don Page describes these types of leaders as . . . transformers of culture who publicly model the way in words and deeds. During times of change, everyone is focusing on the leaders. Are they really behind this? Every speech, gesture, move, of the leaders is set against what it means in regard to the change initiative. To do this, they must be people of integrity, congruence, and authenticity, who can inspire trust (Qualities of Change Leaders, LDRS 642M). Second, servant leaders must understand that people typically resist change. Successful change cannot happen if people are not ready for it. Once understood that one is working with volunteers in a church culture, and not a business, it helps one adjust to outside expectations. Sheila Murray Bethel (1990) explains that though people can’t make others change, “you can help people see the benefit of change” (p.101). “Leaders

Leadership in the Arts 47 can allocate resources to affect changes but what is really required for a successful change effort is a change in people’s behavior, which is beyond the leader’s direct control” (Page, D. Qualities of Change Leaders, LDRS 642M). O’Toole (1994) describes the “human element” that often bungles up our best laid plans (p.176). People naturally resist change. Even if in their very core they know things should be different, change causes resistance. O’Toole explains that, “All groups resist challenges to their unquestioned ease with the moral rectitude of established practices and values. The roots of this confrontational reaction are part survival mechanism and part deep-seated human need for power, dominance and control.” He adds, “It is an unacceptable affront to be forced to change one’s mind. Individuals are what they believe, and groups are their cultures; hence to require a group to change its shared beliefs is to threaten its very existence” (p. 129). It will be important for those taking up this leadership challenge to be prepared for opposition to change. This is natural. In his introduction to LDRS 642M, Don Page writes, We experience this resistance daily as we seek to live the new life in Christ and to put away the temptations of the old self that Paul explains in Romans Chapters 6-8. The key for all of us is to learn how to overcome and not be defeated by this resistance in our personal as well as our organizational lives (Page, D. Qualities of Change Leaders, LDRS 642M). Through a better understanding of the arts and the current pulse of the culture, one can effectively help set the tone for a new way of thinking. O’Toole describes it as “advancing an idea that is not yet ripe” (p. 113). In O’Toole’s case, he had been describing a conversation between leadership gurus, Peter Drucker and Warren Bennis.

Leadership in the Arts 48 Bennis had praised Drucker publicly for his foresight in his leadership philosophy. Drucker’s response was not to take it as a compliment but instead recognize that he was guilty of one of the most common failings of leadership: “advancing an idea that is not yet ripe” or in other words, advancing his ideas before the culture was ready for them. I believe the current church culture has been primed for cultural change through forerunners, like Francis Schaeffer and Hans Rookmaaker; men who had a vision for the church reclaiming the arts. In Crazy for God, Frank Schaeffer describes his father’s zeal explaining that he was “bringing alive the biblical epoch to twentieth-century young people, competing with modernity by talking up a storm, convincing smart people that the spiritual world is more real and essential than the evidence of one’s eyes” (p. 22). It will just take leaders of courage, vision, and direction to help point the church in the right direction. Don Page explains that change leaders must “adjust their strategy along the path to ensure that change will ultimately happen. They see the need for transitional structures along the way to ease the way for change. They think about and plan for how to get from where the organization is to where it needs to be”. (Page, D. Qualities of Change Leaders, LDRS 642M). Third, servant leaders should be creators or patrons of the arts themselves. “One of the great assets of developers is that they can encourage innovative thinking in others through their own examples” (Page, D. Qualities of Change Leaders, LDRS 642M). Fourth, servant leaders must understand that in order to influence change in church culture, pastors and lay leaders must be convinced that where they are is no longer an acceptable posture for Christians to hold towards the arts. In other words, they must show the need for change.

Leadership in the Arts 49 Fifth, servant leaders must get key influencers on board – leaders both in key churches and leaders in the arts. Those already sympathetic to the arts will lend both credibility and support as they share the vision for the church and the arts. As lay people see their leadership fostering an environment conducive to being creative, it will have a trickle down affect on the entire church and their receptivity to art. People feel more confident about embracing new ideas or actions when those they trust and respect are leading the initiative. Therefore, the more influential people who can embrace the arts, the more effective the change could be. Sixth, servant leaders must seek to understand the unique make-up of artists and allow the church to become a safe haven for them. They would be wise to take the advice of Captain D. Michael Abrashoff, who in his book, It’s Your Ship demonstrated that he was able to help turn moral and effectiveness around by seeing his ship through the eyes of the crew (p. 1). To the matter-of-fact person, an artist may come across as eccentric, emotional or even depressed. It takes grace from someone who doesn’t look at the world that way, to be understanding. Seventh, servant leaders will use communication - written, verbal and visual to educate others on the need for beauty. They must also seek to address fears that the evangelical church faces about opening their hearts and minds towards the arts and then offer the hope and potential that could be unleashed when the Holy Spirit was released to move through people’s creative expressions. Written communication might include: articles in local newspapers, magazines or as inserts in the bulletin. Verbal communication could include a willingness to speak at church, or at evangelical conferences for pastors, lay leaders, and youth and children’s pastors.

Leadership in the Arts 50 Specific Servant Leadership Actions There are a number of things churches and lay leaders could do to foster an environment welcoming and supportive of the artists within its community. These will take the initiative of those within the church who may not create the art, but understand the important place art and beauty has within the life of the greater church body. -

Provide space within the church to display art.

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Provide resources and words of affirmation to emerging artists can impact an artist for life. Ric Riordan, of the Riordan Design Group, shared how his evangelical church experience was not receptive to the arts, but it was the pastor’s wife who saw creative talent in Ric and encouraged him to pursue art.

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Create art symposiums. In April 2008, an art symposium took place in Austin, Texas. Part of their vision was to help artists understand the potential impact churches could have on the arts. Regarding pastors as gatekeepers to the arts, their website explains, “To inspire a pastor with a vision for aesthetic renewal could open doors not only for new artistic activity in the church—an ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda—but also for the kind of discipleship that artists need to become mature agents of grace in the culture” (www.transformingculture.org).

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Fund art education

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Host an art show and invite the community. This not only demonstrates support for artists within the church, but it is a great outreach into the community.

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Include good liturgy, images in fine art, and good lyrics within the Sunday service. The more people are exposed to good art, the more they will hunger for its beauty.

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Release people within the church to use their gifts. Within every church body, there will be those who are gifted at creating. Pastors could show effective leadership if they would help their people discover their gifts and then release them to use those gifts. This would affect the church body in all areas, even beyond the arts.

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Encourage poetry readings.

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Send artists with the church’s blessing into the world to become “the incarnation” in their creative fields.

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Create mentoring relationships in the arts. C.S. Lewis, one of the greatest Christian writers of the past century, met weekly with a group of friends to read, listen and critique the writing of his peers. They called themselves “The Inklings”. They learned from each other, or as the Proverb says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17 NIV).

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The affect of the pastor’s and lay leaders support of the arts would have a direct influence on where those in the congregation offer their financial support. There is no lack of both Christian and non-Christian money pouring into the mainstream arts. Recently, the Batman sequel, The Dark Knight broke box-office records on opening night bringing in a record $158.4 million, shattering the previous box-office opening record of $151.1 million held by Spider-Man 3 (“Dark Knight”, 2008).

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Encourage seminary professors to embrace a perspective that is receptive and supportive of the arts. Churches could do this by inviting professors to attend workshops and art shows.

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The influence could go the other way too. Christian colleges/universities could create a culture that includes the arts as part of the ‘whole’ Christian life. For a number of Christians, their journey after high school often includes a year at Bible College or Christian programs such as Youth With a Mission (WYAM) or Capernwray. Traditionally, in evangelical culture, Christians have not been encouraged to create or appreciate great art. Yet, Imago director, John Franklin describes an experience he had as a professor at Ontario Bible College in the 1970s (now called Tyndale College). He explains how a student watched as he hung some beautiful paintings on the wall of this evangelical college. She expressed such surprise but delight that there was a willingness at the college to show an appreciation for the arts. He explains that his simple act of hanging good

Leadership in the Arts 53 art on the walls at OBC gave students “implicit permission to support the arts” (personal communication, August 5, 2008). He also explained that in the 1970s, within Christian culture, there was not much support for quality art. His experience was the exception, but as currently seen on Bible College and Christian university campuses, there is more and more a culture receptivity to the arts. In recent years, there has been a shift and more courses are being offered in visual and music arts. Trinity Western University, in Langley, BC, offers a quality education in visual and music arts, by award winning professors. -

The Bible speaks about beauty, often for no other reason than because God values it. Evangelicals share a common devotion to God’s word and as the influences from Christian professors and pastors begin to take root, Christians will recognize that God is truly Lord of all areas, including the arts.

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Servant leadership is about investing in the development of future leaders. Those seeking to offer leadership in the church would be wise to create a culture within the church that will promote an ongoing support and encouragement of believers to create. They would be wise to bridge the gap by creating art programs in the Sunday Schools, or offering after school programs for kids to use their creativity – whether it’s in music, drama or art.

Leadership in the Arts 54 Some businesses and foundations in Canada have started to explore a greater degree of financial support for Christians in the arts. If philanthropists can ensure a return for their money, they’ll be more likely to invest their money. Yet, there are not those kinds of guarantees with artists. There needs to be accountability in place because businesses and foundations do not want to be supporting bad art, just because it has been created by Christians. There also needs to be servant leaders who understand the arts who can approach businesses who might like to support Christian artists.

Leadership in the Arts 55 “When the artistic match is struck those artists will move within and represent a whole Christian community which is not composed of artists but which can and will joyfully, effortlessly, bear artists too along.” Calvin Seerveld Chapter Seven – Limitations and Conclusion Limitations of this Project This project only samples a growing number of people who are seeking to reclaim the arts for God. There are many Christian artists who are seeking to create good art. Yet because artists are notoriously independent, there have only been a limited number who have banded together to create support networks or communities. There are also only a limited number of foundations or groups dedicated to financially supporting Christian artists. Limitations that could hinder this project’s effectiveness include pride and selfishness. Working with both churches and artists is never a sure thing. Or as Jonathan Spaetzel, patron of the arts said, “The two are not easy bedfellows. The church has to be willing to allow the search for truth if it wants to promote good art. The church has to be less sure of it self” (personal communication, August 5, 2008). In a similar vein, John Franklin, director of Imago explains, “When it comes to the arts, it’s organic, not an organization with nice neat lines. In a post-modern, artistic world, organic is the way to go” (personal communication, August 6, 2008). Another limitation will be the ongoing struggle the artist or artists will have creating as Christians in the mainstream world. Designer, Ric Riordon notes, “the arts have already shaped an appetite for that which is perverse and dark, pushing norms and

Leadership in the Arts 56 structure and things that stabilize our society” (personal communication, August 8, 2008). He suggests that Christian artists are “going against an ebb and tide that is genuine” and advises that Christians need to “find new ways to communicate truth to the world” (personal communication, August 8, 2008). As Christians, we understand that the Holy Spirit can and does His work with or without our limitations. Conclusion Summary of Project The goal for this project was to demonstrate the need for Canadian church culture to be more receptive to the arts. So much of what I studied relating to arts in the Christian community was not limited by country, but reflected what is also happening around the western world. Technology has made the communication of ideas, music, art and the written word a global possibility. I hope that by providing an examination of why art is important for Christians in Canada, we could have the chance to influence change within churches around the world and how they perceive and receive the arts. Outstanding Questions I have sought to offer steps on offering servant leadership to influence change at churches, but the question remains: What is the next step? What needs to happen to get this ball rolling? This might involve the creation of an actual strategy that is designed to mobilize churches on a grander scale. It will take prayerful consideration of how to work with artists and their typically independent styles. This is because the formal strategies and the corporate structures many churches embrace don’t always mesh with artists and their organic style.

Leadership in the Arts 57 Implementation Benefits The hope is for a powerful, grace-filled transformation of the culture. I do believe this is possible and I do believe that the ideas in this project are transferable to Christians around the world. Andy Crouch (2008), author of Culture Makers, proclaimed, We are on the cusp of a great renewal of Christian art--serious work of lasting value done by people who participate both in the Great Tradition of faith and in the wild and wonderful conversation of the contemporary art world. This renewal will touch both our society and our churches--if, that is, it is led by both artists and church leaders who can serve as witnesses, ambassadors, and translators (Retrieved August 20, 2008 from www.transformingculture.org/voices.html). There are voices around the world, including Charles Colson, who are offering hope and direction, offering servant leadership from their place of influence. There are artists and patrons of the arts who are trying to show leadership by creating arts groups, artist communities, and foundations to financially support the arts. Colson writes: As agents of God’s common grace, we are called to help sustain and renew his creation, to uphold the created institutions of family and society, to pursue science and scholarship, to create works of art and beauty, and to heal and help those suffering from the results of the fall” (p.xii, italics mine). A movement has begun and steps need to be offered to guide the church on how to change their way of thinking and engaging culture. This project has sought to offer steps that churches could take to offer servant leadership within their individual church bodies and influence greater change in their communities. Jesus started with only twelve

Leadership in the Arts 58 disciples. If twelve pastors could come together and be mentored or trained, the potential of influencing the culture could be exponential.

Leadership in the Arts 59 References Abrashoff, D.M. (2002). It’s Your Ship. Lebanon, IN: Grand Central Publishing. Another record: Dark Knight fastest to hit $200m. (2008, July 25). The Province, p. B7. Audi, R. (2001). The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Baehr, T., & Boone, P. (2007). The Culture-Wise Family. Ventura, CA: Regal Books. Behrman, J. N. (1988). Essays on Ethics in Business and the Professions. “Can Managers be Leaders?” Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Bethel, S. M. (1990). Making a Difference: 12 Qualities That Make You a Leader. New York, NY: Berkley Publishing Group. Bosanquet, B. (1917). A History of Asethetic. London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd. Carson, D.A. (2008). Christ & Culture Revisited. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing. Colson, C., & Pearcey, N. (1999). How Now Shall We Live? Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers. Crouch, A. (2008). Culture Making – Recovering our Creative Calling. Downer’s Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. Dalfonzo, G.R. (2008, July). C. S. Lewis at the Movies. Breakpoint. Retrieved July 30, 2008), from

http://www.breakpoint.org/listingarticle.asp?

ID=8276&zbrandid=420&zidType= CH&zid=2435550&zsubscriberId=101644332. Duriez, C. (2003). Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Mahwah, N.J.: Hidden Spring. Greenleaf, R. K. (1970). The Servant as Leader. Retrieved August 5, 2008, from www.greenleaf.org/whatissl/index.html.

Leadership in the Arts 60 Gresham, Douglas. (2005). Jack’s Life. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers. Jennings, D. Why do We Hunger for Beauty. Sermon. Unpublished Raw Data. Kemmis, S., & McTaggart, R. (2000). Participatory action research. In N. Denzin & Y. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of Qualitative Research (p.567-605). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Manning, Brennan. (2000). Ruthless Trust - The Ragamuffin’s Path to God. New York, NY: HarperCollins. McEachern, G. (Producer). (2008). Renaissance: Rediscovering Faith in the Arts. Burlington, ON: Crossroads Christian Communications. O’Toole, J. (1994). Drucker Unheeded: Two Potent Sources of Resistance to Change. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Peterson, Eugene (2007). “Does art play a role in the church?” (video conference). www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoqmUozScYU&feature=related. Powell, M.A. (2002). Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers. Schaeffer, Francis. (1973). Art and the Bible. Downer’s Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. Schaeffer, Francis. (1976). How Should We Then Live? Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell Company. Schaeffer, Franky. (1981). Addicted to Mediocrity. Westchester, Ill: Crossway Books. Schaeffer, Frank (2007). Crazy for God – How I Grew Up as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lived to Take All (or Almost All) Back. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers.

Leadership in the Arts 61 Seerveld, Calvin (1995). A Christian Critique of Art and Literature. Toronto: Tuppence Press. Stackhouse, J. (Ed.) (2002, January 7). The Source of All Beauty. Christianity Today, Vol. 46, No. 1, p. 58. Thiessen, L. (Producer), & Murdoch, C. (Director). (2000). Steve Bell Band, in Concert. [DVD]. Canada: Crown Video. www.lausanne.org www.transformingculture.org www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=4219231391

“One thing I ask of the Lord that I may . . . gaze upon the beauty of the Lord.” Psalm 27:4

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Appendix A Specification of questions asked of artists and those who help support the arts: 1. What are the main challenges facing Christians who are serious about pursuing their art? 2. In your opinion does the Christian community promote and encourage and nurture quality art? 3. Should artists have a day job? Or is it ideal to have a 100% focus on art? 4. How can churches be encouraged to foster a greater appreciation for the arts? 5. Have you been a member of a formal or informal association of Christian artists? If so, has this been worth your time? 6. Have you seen successful sponsorship of artists by financially successful Christians? 7. Do you have any thoughts you would like to add?

“. . . Each of us should have a great interest in both what God has made and what man makes as one of God’s creatures, and therefore as an expression of God himself” Franky Schaeffer, Addicted to Mediocrity

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Appendix B - Current Leaders in the Arts There are a significant number of Christian artists creating and working within Canada. This just identifies Christian groups whose purpose is to offer leadership in the arts, specifically in Canada. This is not a comprehensive list, but rather a few key organizations that support Christian artists in a variety of artistic mediums. Believers and non-believers have both been granted the gift of creating. It is the vision of these organizations to support art expressed from the hearts of those who love God. 1. Imago: Executive Director, John Franklin. Based in Toronto, Imago promotes the development of Christians in the performing and visual arts. Imago aims to engage in promoting artistry of high caliber that will both enrich Imago and carry positive influence on the Canadian cultural landscape. www.imago-arts.on.ca 2. IncarNATION: Director: David Jennings. Based in Vancouver, this non-profit organization sponsors artists who reflect the vision of the organization to create beauty – whether it is through music, words, or the visual arts. 3. Green Ink –Director: Dennis Hassell. Based in Toronto, Green Ink allows individuals and foundations an avenue to commission new work. 4. Pacific Theatre: Director: Ron Reed. Based in Vancouver, Pacific Theatre is a nonprofit theatre that exists to serve Christ in their community “by creating excellent theatre with artistic, spiritual, relational and financial integrity.” 5. Whitewater Productions: Director: Roy Salmond – a for profit recording studio.

Leadership in the Arts 64 6. The Spaeneur Foundation: Directors: The Spaetzel Family. A foundation that has and continues to support Christian artists in Canada. 7. Poplar Hill Farm – Artist’s Collective: Director: Peter T. Nikkel – a not-for-profit artists’ community offering formal and informal mentoring in the crafts of music and writing. Plans are being made for an artist-in-residence studio and scholarship program.