More than five decades after changing the face of Christian rock, Petra is stepping back into the spotlight-and they're not holding back about the controversy that nearly derailed their ministry.
As excitement builds for the upcoming film Beyond Belief, Petra founder Bob Hartman and longtime frontman John Schlitt are reflecting on the band's remarkable 54-year journey, revealing that some of their toughest battles weren't fought on stage-but inside the church.
Long before Christian rock became widely accepted, Petra found themselves under fire from fellow believers who believed guitars and rock music had no place in worship.
"We'd go out sometimes and get all beat up by some church people," Hartman recalled in a recent interview. Thankfully, the band always found encouragement when they returned to their home church, where members understood their mission to reach people with the gospel through music.
Despite the criticism, Petra refused to change course. Hartman said the band's vision from the very beginning was never fame or longevity-it was evangelism.
"When we came out, we had evangelism in mind," he explained. "Play the music, draw a crowd, preach the gospel, and maybe see some people saved."
That simple mission has resulted in one of the most influential careers in Christian music history. Since forming in 1972, Petra has sold more than 10 million albums, collected four Grammy Awards, and inspired generations of Christian rock artists.
Now, the band's legacy is reaching a new audience through Beyond Belief, a feature film inspired by Petra's iconic music. Rather than telling the band's biography, the movie follows a teenage guitarist wrestling with grief, faith, and God's calling while weaving Petra's songs throughout the story.
Hartman and Schlitt admitted they were initially skeptical when filmmakers first approached them.
"We thought this could be another dreamer," Schlitt joked, assuming the ambitious proposal would never materialize.
Instead, after four years of work, the project became a reality-and the two rock legends were pleasantly surprised after seeing an early screening.
"We're going, 'Wow, this is pretty cool,'" Schlitt said.
The pair even make cameo appearances in the film, including a scene that cleverly pokes fun at the criticism Petra has endured throughout its career.
"It was so much fun to do because it's like, this is what we've put up with for 50 years," Schlitt laughed.
With Beyond Belief arriving in theaters on Aug. 28, Petra's music-and its message-is once again finding new life, proving that the band that once divided churches is now being celebrated on the big screen.
