WOW Films, Oak Lawn United Methodist Church (OLUMC) and Pathways to Dignity will host a preview screening of the documentary Faith on the Front Lines, directed by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Cheryl Griffin-Allison and produced by Rev. Rachel Griffin-Allison who is also featured in the film.
“I hope this film opens people’s eyes to where we are in this moment, but also to the history that brought us here. These stories remind us that we are not powerless. Across the country, faith leaders, including my wife, are standing up, speaking out, and refusing to remain silent in the face of discrimination and injustice. I hope that people leave inspired by their courage and asking themselves: What does this moment require of me?” Director and Producer Cheryl Griffin-Allison said in a press release.
The preview will run at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, at the Angelika Film Center Mockingbird Station.
The idea for the film began on a long drive from Colorado, to Dallas. Rachel and her wife, Cheryl were discussing the news and the protests filling their social feeds. That led to subjects of bodily autonomy, racial violence and the targeting of LGBTQ+ communities.
The result is an act of preservation that answers questions of how church leaders responded during such a time.
“The church does not get to preach love on Sunday and remain silent when people’s dignity and lives are under attack on Monday,” Rev. Rachel Griffin-Allison of OLUMC stated in the release. “This moment demands a faith willing to risk something – to stand with those being targeted and put our bodies where our prayers are. I see my colleagues doing exactly that, and it gives me hope. This is faith in action. The front lines are wherever our neighbors are being harmed, and I believe that is where the church should be.”
From publicity:
As authoritarianism and Christian nationalism rise, Faith on the Front Lines follows faith leaders who choose resistance over silence. They confront power and risk their own safety to provide love, protection and justice to communities under threat. These pastors preach with their bodies as much as their words, through protests, civil disobedience, and public witness, and they stand between armed power and vulnerable people.
The film is not about partisan politics. It is about what faith requires when neighbors are being targeted, criminalized or erased, and it captures a love that is embodied, costly and rooted in the conviction that protecting marginalized people is sacred work.
The film also features Rev. Don Lee, Rev. Britt Cox, Rev. Jonathan Grace, Rev. Abby Holcombe, Rev. Isabel Marquez-E, Minister Christian Watkins and Rev. Ginger Gaines-Cirelli.
With the midterm elections two days after the screening, the producers are partnering with Powered by People to provide nonpartisan voter engagement resources at the event.
Founded by Beto O’Rourke, Powered by People is a Texas-based progressive organization dedicated to registering, connecting with, and turning out voters across the state to drive long-term electoral change. Launched in late 2019, the group relies on a grassroots network of volunteers who conduct direct voter outreach in all 254 counties in Texas and partner with Democratic candidates in competitive battleground districts. In 2024, Powered by People took a voter turnout rate for 18-29 year olds in their program from 39 percent to 79 percent.
Powered by People will be on-site offering resources including precinct information, voting locations, and other helpful information to ensure attendees have what they need to make their voices heard at the polls.
The screening is free but ticket registration is required here with donations accepted toward OLUMC.
Watch the trailer below:
–Rich Lopez