“It’s A Man’s Man’s World” Video Satire
When I arrived at WholeLife SDA Church to join the videotaping, I was surprised to see all the cameras, lights, technicians, electrical cords, microphones, and other equipment that had taken over a large Sabbath School room. I could easily imagine I was walking onto the set of a TV sitcom. In addition, there were at least 20 other members of the congregation who had agreed to assist or become actors for a day. What followed was about six hours of practice, bloopers, laughter, slaps on the back, re-taping, and serious concentration.
The preparation for this video shoot had already occupied countless hours of work by church members who are some of the most creative, talented people I have ever met. Lyrics, instrumentation, choreography, story boarding, had all been worked out ahead of time.
After the original taping came hours of editing. All this personal investment of time and energy for a final product that only lasts about four and a half minutes.
Why all the effort? It is based on several Christ-honoring characteristics. WholeLife Church’s vision is to “Love people into a lifelong friendship with God.” It is a community that believes that truly caring for people requires doing and giving our best.
It is a place where creativity is valued and celebrated. The culture encourages innovation and supports one another in our attempts to try new approaches.
The congregation also takes very seriously Jesus’ call to make a difference in matters of justice and fairness. Women’s ordination is one of those issues. The “It’s A Man’s Man’s World” video uses satire and humor to call attention to the glaring inequity within our denomination regarding how women are currently being treated in pastoral ministry.
Withholding ordination based on a person’s gender should be unthinkable, and yet it persists. It is our hope that this video will help highlight just how absurd the denomination’s current position is and spark a renewed conversation about how people in the pews can step up and bring about much needed change. Because we love our church, we strive to make it better.
Watch “It’s A Man’s Man’s World”:
Kim Allan Johnson retired in 2014 as the Undertreasurer of the Florida Conference. He and his wife Ann live in Maitland, Florida. Kim has written a number of articles for SDA journals plus three books published by Pacific Press: The Gift, The Morning, and The Team. He has also written three sets of small group lessons for churches that can be viewed at www.transformyourchurch.com (this website is run by the Florida Conference of Seventh-day Adventists). He is also the author of eight "Life Guides" on CREATION Health.
Image credit: Video still
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