One of Christian cinema's most recognizable filmmakers is addressing a question his audience has raised for years - and his answer is exactly what you'd expect from a pastor who also directs movies.
Alex Kendrick, one half of the filmmaking duo known as the Kendrick Brothers, says his movies intentionally put the church ahead of everything else - including entertainment. "We've been asked often why our movies may be preachy," he said in a recent video for Answers in Genesis. "Some people think they're overly preachy, which is interesting because I did not set out to make preachy movies. I wanted them to be artistic. I wanted them to be cool. And the Lord kept guiding us to: 'You make movies not for entertainment first, but for ministry first.'"
Kendrick says the results have been consistently beyond what he and his brother Stephen anticipated. "As we made each of our films, we watched God do exceedingly, abundantly more than we could ever ask or imagine."
The Kendrick Brothers are behind some of Christian cinema's most beloved titles - Fireproof, Facing the Giants, War Room, Courageous, and most recently The Forge - with their films collectively grossing over $190 million worldwide.
On the question of audience, Kendrick is clear that reaching the church is the primary goal, but secular viewers are welcome. "Our motive is to edify the church first, knowing that a secular audience will often come over and watch the films - and we have fruit from that as well. But I would say intentionally, we go after trying to edify the church and the body of Christ first."
The Kendrick Brothers' reach continues to grow internationally. Their 2003 debut film Flywheel was recently remade for a Brazilian audience, with Stephen Kendrick noting that local pastors had been praying for the project for five years before it came together.
In an era where faith-based content is often softened to reach wider audiences, Kendrick's unapologetic commitment to ministry over marketability is a reminder that obedience sometimes looks like something the culture calls a flaw.
