list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Let the Church Say Amen on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Let_the_Church_Say_Amen/228236/default.aspx Title: Let the Church Say Amen
Year: 2003
Director: David Petersen
Plot: Academy Award-nominated filmmaker David Peterson directs the documentary Let the Church Say Amen. The World Missions for Christ Church exists inside a small storefront in Washington, D.C. While the city government lacks funds and power, this little church reaches out to make necessary, positive changes in the community. Homelessness, violence, and drug addiction are all faced head-on by the church members, as missionaries seek out those who have been left behind by poverty and injustice. Peterson presents faith as a force of hope and inspiration within a crumbling, neglected city. Let the Church Say Amen premiered the 2003 SilverDocs Documentary Film Festival and screened at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival as part of the American Spectrum competition. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
Number of Lists: 3
Number of blog posts: 2
Number of discussion threads: 1
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Tue, 02 Sep 2008 06:22:30 GMTLet the Church Say Amen2003David PetersenAcademy Award-nominated filmmaker <a href="/players/P___210636/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>David Peterson</a> directs the documentary Let the Church Say Amen. The World Missions for Christ Church exists inside a small storefront in Washington, D.C. While the city government lacks funds and power, this little church reaches out to make necessary, positive changes in the community. Homelessness, violence, and drug addiction are all faced head-on by the church members, as missionaries seek out those who have been left behind by poverty and injustice. Peterson presents faith as a force of hope and inspiration within a crumbling, neglected city. Let the Church Say Amen premiered the 2003 SilverDocs Documentary Film Festival and screened at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival as part of the American Spectrum competition. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide3213http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u33287bitpd.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Let_the_Church_Say_Amen/228236/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/bigjefflebowski/archive/2008/1/24/24286.aspx Post By: BigJeffLebowski
Post To: BigJeffLebowski Blog
Post Date: 1/24/2008 11:01:51 AM
Body: There are many people who will find David Petersen's documentary Let the Church Say Amen inspiring. I am not one of them. This is not to say that there are not individuals portrayed in the film whose personal crusades are inspiring, but I am not of the school of thought that the benefits of religion -- specifically organized religion -- outweigh its detriments.The film follows the proprietors and congregants of the World Missions for Christ Church in Washington DC. Battling poverty, hunger, drugs, violence, and mass dismissal by the affluent, these people fight a never ending crusade to help themselves and their brethren rise above their regrettable situation. Many of these individuals have stories which are touching, but their militant theism is alienating. It is not enough for Pastor Bobby Perkins and his brothers and sisters to help the destitute; all the good in the world it seems must be done by and for Jesus Christ.The old saw that "God helps those who help themselves," is possibly the greatest example of a pernicious, self fulfilling prophecy ever recorded and the most transparent proof of organized religion's gleeful appropriation of autarchic acts of altruism and chance; that theists will still use this expression unironically baffles me. And this is what upsets me the most about institutions such as the World Missions for Christ Church. Why must the benevolence of these groups be so rooted in religious fundamentalism? I am of the opinion that organized religion -- and the concept of the afterlife, specifically -- developed as an empty solace for those who wondered, What is the point of this after we die? Rather than embrace the temporal nature of life, and in doing so value every choice and every action that much more, so many of us prefer to believe that there is an eternal reward waiting for us on another plane. I could argue (as I have frequently to many people) that the question of an afterlife is irrelevant. All of our knowledge comes through our physical experiences, experiences which are filtered through our five senses. Without our physical bodies, we would experience the afterlife in ways we cannot even fathom now; we would be entirely different beings in an entirely different context with no relation to who we were before our death. This seems self evident to me. It also seems largely hypothetical, as I don't believe in an afterlife of any sort. But regardless, I am still hard pressed to understand why so many people in our world need the hollow comfort of organized religion. I am not one of those agnostics who will attack religion on all fronts; rather, I accept and appreciate the good that it does for those who live better lives for it. What bothers me is the inability of those people to accept an objective, relativist view of life and act generously to their fellow men for reasons that are not self serving. For ultimately, isn't all of this a little selfish? Aren't we all just trying to secure ourselves a spot in heaven with the angels? And escape eternal damnation and hellfire?I admittedly haven't said much about the film, which is a competent, if somewhat uneven documentary. But when you're shouting at people with megaphones and singing "We're gonna kick the devil's butt!" with the fervent zeal of a man possessed by some unholy spirit, you can surely understand having a reaction more than a response.
]]>Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:01:51 GMTBigJeffLebowskiBigJeffLebowski Blog1/24/2008 11:01:51 AMThere are many people who will find David Petersen&#39;s documentary Let the Church Say Amen inspiring. I am not one of them. This is not to say that there are not individuals portrayed in the film whose personal crusades are inspiring, but I am not of the school of thought that the benefits of religion -- specifically organized religion -- outweigh its detriments.The film follows the proprietors and congregants of the World Missions for Christ Church in Washington DC. Battling poverty, hunger, drugs, violence, and mass dismissal by the affluent, these people fight a never ending crusade to help themselves and their brethren rise above their regrettable situation. Many of these individuals have stories which are touching, but their militant theism is alienating. It is not enough for Pastor Bobby Perkins and his brothers and sisters to help the destitute; all the good in the world it seems must be done by and for Jesus Christ.The old saw that &quot;God helps those who help themselves,&quot; is possibly the greatest example of a pernicious, self fulfilling prophecy ever recorded and the most transparent proof of organized religion&#39;s gleeful appropriation of autarchic acts of altruism and chance; that theists will still use this expression unironically baffles me. And this is what upsets me the most about institutions such as the World Missions for Christ Church. Why must the benevolence of these groups be so rooted in religious fundamentalism? I am of the opinion that organized religion -- and the concept of the afterlife, specifically -- developed as an empty solace for those who wondered, What is the point of this after we die? Rather than embrace the temporal nature of life, and in doing so value every choice and every action that much more, so many of us prefer to believe that there is an eternal reward waiting for us on another plane. I could argue (as I have frequently to many people) that the question of an afterlife is irrelevant. All of our knowledge comes through our physical experiences, experiences which are filtered through our five senses. Without our physical bodies, we would experience the afterlife in ways we cannot even fathom now; we would be entirely different beings in an entirely different context with no relation to who we were before our death. This seems self evident to me. It also seems largely hypothetical, as I don&#39;t believe in an afterlife of any sort. But regardless, I am still hard pressed to understand why so many people in our world need the hollow comfort of organized religion. I am not one of those agnostics who will attack religion on all fronts; rather, I accept and appreciate the good that it does for those who live better lives for it. What bothers me is the inability of those people to accept an objective, relativist view of life and act generously to their fellow men for reasons that are not self serving. For ultimately, isn&#39;t all of this a little selfish? Aren&#39;t we all just trying to secure ourselves a spot in heaven with the angels? And escape eternal damnation and hellfire?I admittedly haven&#39;t said much about the film, which is a competent, if somewhat uneven documentary. But when you&#39;re shouting at people with megaphones and singing &quot;We&#39;re gonna kick the devil&#39;s butt!&quot; with the fervent zeal of a man possessed by some unholy spirit, you can surely understand having a reaction more than a response. http://www.spout.com/blogs/theworkingdead/archive/2007/8/5/17371.aspx Post By: TheWorkingDead
Post To: TheWorkingDead Blog
Post Date: 8/5/2007 6:09:00 PM
Body: Before I start, I think it's only fair to you that I make something clear. In the interests of full disclosure, I must admit that I am aggressively not religious. It's not just that I don't go to church, it's that I'm inclined to treat most organized religion with a little wariness and disdain. It's not that I'm not spiritual; I have my own belief and faith, and have no problem with anyone else believing in whatever god they want, it's just that I don't exactly want to hear about it, and I think religion has done at least as much bad as good in our world. And so, with that in mind, you'd probably expect me to jump to an exasperated conclusion about the movie I pulled out of the mail the other day; a documentary about a small church in Washington D.C. You'd be wrong. I tell you this because it's going to be impossible to divorce myself from my beliefs while I review Let The Church Say Amen. As much as I try to clear the slate and watch it with an open mind, and as much as I try to think about this without judging it too harshly, my views are still going to come through. And I realize that most people would probably be more open to the messages in this film than I am.Washington, D.C., the political heart of our nation, is a decaying, dangerous place. With one of the highest violent crime rates in the country, and a horrific class separation. On one end of the spectrum we have the wealthy politicians and lobbyists, and on the other end is everyone else, struggling not to drown beneath the poverty line. In the midst of this is the World Missions for Christ Church, on an inner-city street corner, in a tiny storefront, with a small but enthusiastic congregation. The members that the documentary follows are people with hard lives and hard luck. There's 'Brother C' who struggles to record a gospel record with himself and his 10 year old son on drums. David Surles who works at a homeless shelter and dreams of owning a house with a yard and a tree, and Darlene Duncan, a single mother with 8 children.As interesting, nice, and decent as these people are, as noble as their quests may be, I don't think I'd actually like any of them. They belong to that segment of the church-going population that preaches on sidewalks and in subways, that rush up to cars at stoplights and preach into the open windows, and can't seem to put a sentence together without mentioning God or Jesus. These types of people, in person, make me deeply uncomfortable. But then, these are people who have gone through things I couldn't imagine, and faced with joining the homeless and drug addicts that crowd the streets, they have reached out and grasped onto one of the few places that will accept, embrace and encourage them; their church.When Brother C's oldest son is stabbed to death during the course of this documentary, he begins to drive the streets of Washington, watching the men he holds responsible. Church before this tragic murder was a jubilant place, music and dancing, shouting and testifying, with everyone drenched in sweat. Following this event, World Missions for Christ Church became a twisted mirror version of itself. The shouting, testifying and music were there, but the tone was different. So overcome with their grief that they screamed, wailed, and fell to the floor in convulsions. It was a hard thing to watch.Brother C finds no support from the police, who respond to his numerous requests for information with a rote 'we're still searching for the suspect, but we'll get him soon.' Indeed, he goes uncaught despite their claims to having a warrant for his arrest until the suspect turns himself in. Where I viewed this as proof of an uncaring police force, Brother C smiled and saw it as the killer giving in to the power of God. In this neighborhood, the citizens are all but ignored by the police and politicians. Darlene Duncan, single mother to 8 children, reacts to our uncaring health care system by going to nursing school and treating her children herself. All this despite having an education level below elementary school. Clearly these are better people than I.Facing the rampant problems of homelessness, gangs and drugs, with a system that largely ignores these people, World Missions for Christ Church makes an aggressive front. Sponsoring 70 annual events such as food and clothing drives, and free health screenings, this is a group of people living in one of the worst places in our nation, who have banded together and chosen to believe and try to help those around them. That's something I can respect, even if I don't believe.Had I written this review immediately upon watching the film, it probably would not have sounded quite so positive. But now, with reflection, I find that I wouldn't mind a follow up, to see what happened with Brother C's music career, or how Darlene Duncan is doing with nursing. The movie is a bit hard to watch at times, particularly if your of the mindset that I happen to be in. This isn't one of those crowd-pleasing, populist documentaries that make it to your multiplex, this is strictly for the PBS, NPR crowd. But if you make it through, you'll find that it's messages stick with you.
]]>Sun, 05 Aug 2007 22:09:00 GMTTheWorkingDeadTheWorkingDead Blog8/5/2007 6:09:00 PMBefore I start, I think it&#39;s only fair to you that I make something clear. In the interests of full disclosure, I must admit that I am aggressively not religious. It&#39;s not just that I don&#39;t go to church, it&#39;s that I&#39;m inclined to treat most organized religion with a little wariness and disdain. It&#39;s not that I&#39;m not spiritual; I have my own belief and faith, and have no problem with anyone else believing in whatever god they want, it&#39;s just that I don&#39;t exactly want to hear about it, and I think religion has done at least as much bad as good in our world. And so, with that in mind, you&#39;d probably expect me to jump to an exasperated conclusion about the movie I pulled out of the mail the other day; a documentary about a small church in Washington D.C. You&#39;d be wrong. I tell you this because it&#39;s going to be impossible to divorce myself from my beliefs while I review Let The Church Say Amen. As much as I try to clear the slate and watch it with an open mind, and as much as I try to think about this without judging it too harshly, my views are still going to come through. And I realize that most people would probably be more open to the messages in this film than I am.Washington, D.C., the political heart of our nation, is a decaying, dangerous place. With one of the highest violent crime rates in the country, and a horrific class separation. On one end of the spectrum we have the wealthy politicians and lobbyists, and on the other end is everyone else, struggling not to drown beneath the poverty line. In the midst of this is the World Missions for Christ Church, on an inner-city street corner, in a tiny storefront, with a small but enthusiastic congregation. The members that the documentary follows are people with hard lives and hard luck. There&#39;s &#39;Brother C&#39; who struggles to record a gospel record with himself and his 10 year old son on drums. David Surles who works at a homeless shelter and dreams of owning a house with a yard and a tree, and Darlene Duncan, a single mother with 8 children.As interesting, nice, and decent as these people are, as noble as their quests may be, I don&#39;t think I&#39;d actually like any of them. They belong to that segment of the church-going population that preaches on sidewalks and in subways, that rush up to cars at stoplights and preach into the open windows, and can&#39;t seem to put a sentence together without mentioning God or Jesus. These types of people, in person, make me deeply uncomfortable. But then, these are people who have gone through things I couldn&#39;t imagine, and faced with joining the homeless and drug addicts that crowd the streets, they have reached out and grasped onto one of the few places that will accept, embrace and encourage them; their church.When Brother C&#39;s oldest son is stabbed to death during the course of this documentary, he begins to drive the streets of Washington, watching the men he holds responsible. Church before this tragic murder was a jubilant place, music and dancing, shouting and testifying, with everyone drenched in sweat. Following this event, World Missions for Christ Church became a twisted mirror version of itself. The shouting, testifying and music were there, but the tone was different. So overcome with their grief that they screamed, wailed, and fell to the floor in convulsions. It was a hard thing to watch.Brother C finds no support from the police, who respond to his numerous requests for information with a rote &#39;we&#39;re still searching for the suspect, but we&#39;ll get him soon.&#39; Indeed, he goes uncaught despite their claims to having a warrant for his arrest until the suspect turns himself in. Where I viewed this as proof of an uncaring police force, Brother C smiled and saw it as the killer giving in to the power of God. In this neighborhood, the citizens are all but ignored by the police and politicians. Darlene Duncan, single mother to 8 children, reacts to our uncaring health care system by going to nursing school and treating her children herself. All this despite having an education level below elementary school. Clearly these are better people than I.Facing the rampant problems of homelessness, gangs and drugs, with a system that largely ignores these people, World Missions for Christ Church makes an aggressive front. Sponsoring 70 annual events such as food and clothing drives, and free health screenings, this is a group of people living in one of the worst places in our nation, who have banded together and chosen to believe and try to help those around them. That&#39;s something I can respect, even if I don&#39;t believe.Had I written this review immediately upon watching the film, it probably would not have sounded quite so positive. But now, with reflection, I find that I wouldn&#39;t mind a follow up, to see what happened with Brother C&#39;s music career, or how Darlene Duncan is doing with nursing. The movie is a bit hard to watch at times, particularly if your of the mindset that I happen to be in. This isn&#39;t one of those crowd-pleasing, populist documentaries that make it to your multiplex, this is strictly for the PBS, NPR crowd. But if you make it through, you&#39;ll find that it&#39;s messages stick with you. http://www.spout.com/groups/Spout_Mavens/Let_the_Church_Say_Amen/366/16579/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: csprague
Post To: Spout Mavens
Post Date: 7/26/2007 4:27:46 PM
Body: Directed by David Petersen. Starring Pastor Bobby Perkins, Dr. JoAnn Perkins, Brother Ceodtis Fulmore, David Surles, Darlene Duncan. Academy Award-nominated filmmaker David Peterson directs the documentary Let the Church Say Amen. The World Missions for Christ Church exists inside a small storefront in Washington, D.C. While the city government lacks funds and power, this little church reaches out to make necessary, positive changes in the community. Homelessness, violence, and drug addiction are all faced head-on by the church members, as missionaries seek out those who have been left behind by poverty and injustice. Peterson presents faith as a force of hope and inspiration within a crumbling, neglected city. Let the Church Say Amen premiered the 2003 SilverDocs Documentary Film Festival and screened at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival as part of the American Spectrum competition. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
]]>Thu, 26 Jul 2007 20:27:46 GMTcspragueSpout Mavens7/26/2007 4:27:46 PMDirected by David Petersen. Starring Pastor Bobby Perkins, Dr. JoAnn Perkins, Brother Ceodtis Fulmore, David Surles, Darlene Duncan. Academy Award-nominated filmmaker David Peterson directs the documentary Let the Church Say Amen. The World Missions for Christ Church exists inside a small storefront in Washington, D.C. While the city government lacks funds and power, this little church reaches out to make necessary, positive changes in the community. Homelessness, violence, and drug addiction are all faced head-on by the church members, as missionaries seek out those who have been left behind by poverty and injustice. Peterson presents faith as a force of hope and inspiration within a crumbling, neglected city. Let the Church Say Amen premiered the 2003 SilverDocs Documentary Film Festival and screened at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival as part of the American Spectrum competition. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/family/MemberTagFilms.aspxfamily
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