First time in Westminster Abbey's history for any
such a performance on the lawnContact:
Travis Johnson, 954-648-4516,
travisrevmin@usa.net
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fl., March 21 /Standard
Newswire/ -- South Florida's Revelation Ministries was chosen today
by the hierarchy and officials of London's Westminster Abbey to present
the Passion Play on the Abbey's front lawn on May 10.
This is the first time in Westminster Abbey's history that this area has
been used for a group like this. Official stewards will be provided for
the cast members, who have been permitted to perform the show, "He
Lives!"©, just once, as a major highlight of a citywide three-day
festival, Pentecost 08.
"He Lives!"© was written and designed by the ministry when Chuck
Colson's Prison Fellowship Ministry expressed a desire for Revelation
Ministries to share a version of a passion play with inmates. Originally
created to conform to prison security guidelines, "He Lives!"© is an
intentionally minimalist musical production that depicts all scenic
pieces, including the manger, the cross, and the tomb, through creative
costuming. It is written to appeal to a younger audience and features
more contemporary music.
The interdenominational all-volunteer cast of "He Lives!"© is comprised
of 34 individuals drawn from 15 churches in South Florida and North
Carolina, and represents five denominations – fulfilling the ministry's
mission to train and equip people to share the hope of Jesus Christ
through the performing arts worldwide, seeking to build a bridge between
denominations and the local body of Christ in our efforts to fulfill the
Great Commission.
The group, including volunteer staff members, Revelation Ministries
founder/president Travis Johnson, who was part of the 600-cast Ft.
Lauderdale Christmas Pageant's production leadership from 1984 to 1997,
and "He Lives!"© director Jan Moore, the Ft. Lauderdale Christmas
Pageant's former director and a member of its founding creative team,
will depart from Ft. Lauderdale on May 4. The cast will perform in three
other venues around London before the inaugural performance at
Westminster Abbey on May 10.
Revelation Ministries was founded in 1995 by Johnson, who felt a calling
to take a full-scale pageant to Russia. Since then the ministry has
produced three full pageants in Ukraine, with casts drawn from Kiev and
Donetsk, in collaboration with Ukraine’s mega-church pastor, Reverend
Sunday Adelaja. There are two more productions currently in development
and Johnson hopes to produce a pageant in Russia within the next five
years.
The May 10 performance of "He Lives!"© is the first time in Westminster
Abbey's history that this space in front of the building has been used
for this purpose. The oldest parts of the Westminster Abbey date back to
1050. As England's coronation church since 1066, the Abbey has been the
setting for the crowning of every British monarch since William the
Conqueror. It is also the final resting place of seventeen monarchs,
including Henry V and Elizabeth I, and was the site of Princess Diana's
funeral.
Revelation Ministries is still seeking funds to enable the all-volunteer
cast to travel to London and donations can be made at
www.revelationministries.com. For more information, please contact
Travis Johnson at
travisrevministry@usa.net or 954-648-4516.
About Revelation Ministries
Revelation Ministries was founded by Travis Johnson in 1995. Its mission
is to train and equip people to share the hope of Jesus Christ through
the performing arts worldwide, seeking to build a bridge between
denominations and the local body of Christ in our efforts to fulfill the
Great Commission. The ministry currently produces shows in Ukraine and
South Florida, in collaboration with national churches. These musical
pageants depict the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, and the
cast of these productions is always comprised of national volunteer
choir members. For more information, please contact Travis Johnson at
travisrevministry@usa.net or
954-648-4516.