Stephen Baldwin: Livin' for Christ

Written by Mike and Paula Parker

"For we are not like the many who make a trade in God's message [for profit], but as those with sincerity, we speak in Christ, as from God and before God." 2 Cor. 2:17 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

As long as there has been a Christian entertainment industry, there has been the question of whether people are spending their energies making music, books, theater, movies, or art for the Gospel or for profit. One person who has intimate knowledge of making money through the entertainment industry is actor Stephen Baldwin. Yes, he is one of the Baldwin brothers. Coming from a family of actors, Baldwin is intimately familiar with hype.

During Gospel Music Week 2005, LifeWay.com had an opportunity to talk to Stephen Baldwin about the Christian entertainment industry. Here are a few of his thoughts:


I want to be real clear about my … position … and that's this: I am not interested in anything else in my journey, other than trying to give the youth some weapons in this battle. That's all I want to do. I think they are the most defenseless and have the least weapons.

All I see is people doing all this stuff that they think is so important. I mean, the Christian music industry … What can I say? I met with one of the biggest guys in the Christian music industry about a year and a half ago and said, 'Dude, what's the deal? How come I don't really see that many videos anywhere on television of the cool Christian artists?'

[He responded] 'Oh well, that's because there just isn't a market for it and there's really no place to play them.'

I go, 'What do you mean there is no where to play the videos? You don't try to get them played? That's dumb!'

Actor Stephen Baldwin speaks with Mike and Paula Parker from LifeWay.com during GMA Week 2005.

But, obviously, in the corporate model of that industry, it's business. But it ain't Kingdom business and that's the problem I have. These people are really convinced that they're doing Kingdom business. That's the Jedi mind trick that the Devil is pulling on these guys; and it's sad.

Yesterday I was at the Y hip-hop press conference. John Wells and those guys … from Cross Movement Records. Basically what the Cross Movement is trying to do is shake up, wake up the business community and say, 'Hey, Christian hip-hop has the opportunity to be the next wave of business for you guys. For you guys, that's what it is, for us, it's a form of preaching; so let's get together and try to open these doors …'

But the point is, I got up at this press conference to talk to these folks about the impact of hip-hop in my life and literally, kind of half-joking, I'm this crazy little white boy that likes that kind of music. In my Livin' It DVD, I did a video with the Cross Movement, because I wanted there to be an African American hip-hop culture presence there, so it wasn't this white skate-board thing; I wanted this to be culturally relevant. What the older Body of Christ doesn't understand is that there is this incredible crossover and similarity between skate-boarding and hip-hop. So, I was just trying to create some awareness in that reality.

So, I said, 'As usual, I'm the new guy and the Cross Movement is doing what it's doing and trying to create this awareness with you guys. But, it really doesn't matter if you get the message in this room and then walk out that door and not do anything about it. I come from Hollywood and I have danced with the Devil, way harder than most people in this room. What I've learned, and where I'm at today, and what I do, and how I do it, and why I do it, is motivated by one reason. There is one motivation I have to be the guy traveling all over this country and, to the best of my ability, working as hard as I can to promote the Livin' It Skate Tour. It works — it's not a wish and it's not a hope — it works and the motivation for me is one thing: Jesus is coming.'

People went, 'Oh, Amen. Right on! Hallejujah!'

And I said, 'No, no, no, no, no. Let me say it again; I live every waking, breathing, nanosecond of my life … I remember 2001, I was eating some fruit salad on September 11 when two planes crashed into the World Trade Center. We were like, "Hmm, well gosh, golly, how did that happen?" That's exactly what it's going to be like when Jesus comes. He's going to come and everybody is going to go, "Well, gosh, golly, we didn't know You were coming now! What are You doing here now?'

'For me, I may only have until six o’clock tonight to be part of saving another kid. That's not a lot of time. So, for me, the urgency is critical. Critical. And a lot of older folks don't realize that with the Internet, pagers, and cell phones, in the last ten years, that how much these kids are distracted has grown a thousand percent. Walk around your town, walk around your shopping mall; look at nine, ten, 11-year olds in the video arcade with a cell phone. For me, if we can step up to them in a hip way that's fun and exciting and say, 'Hey Man, everything else about your experience that you enjoy can be just as much fun — and, in fact, even more — through your faith, if you know how to do it.''

That's why I get out of bed every morning.

The thing that is the next important thought that I would want to share with anyone is, if you're a Christian, you're supposed to share your faith. The blessing for me, working with the Luis Palau organization, there is so much experience there — I mean, the numbers are staggering. They say that age-wise in the demographics of somebody accepting Jesus Christ are these: a kid from ages five to 17 who receives a positive Gospel presentation and the right follow-up, there is a 70 percent chance that it's going to stick. From 17 to 25, it drops to, like, 40 percent. From 25 to 40, it drops to, like, 25 percent. After 40, there is, like, a 14 percent chance; I think it's even lower. So, for me, the opportunity is awesome. I can get these kids right now, and if I can get it to them and it's fun, get them in the Word, and trusting the Holy Spirit after that, we are going to be impacting the Kingdom huge! That's Number One.

Number Two: Of the evangelicals polled, less than ten percent said that they ever thought that they would lead another person to Jesus Christ. Out of 40 million evangelicals, less than 4 million might personally lead another human being to Jesus Christ. And they're supposed to be the ones who are most on fire! All I have to say to people is, you know what, the reason God gave Stephen his life and the experience of his life, was so that now I can tell that story.

My message to people is, don't over-think it, man. Tell your story. What's your story? What happened? Who were you? Where were you? What happened? What was your ark? Just don't turn it into some Harlequin romance. Just who are you? Where are you from? What happened? What was your life like before? What got you to a point where you called upon the Lord's name? And what's it like now? If one out of a thousand people would have the peace of mind to give it a go, millions of more people would be won for Christ. But they think that they've got to be a pastor or have gone to seminary. Just tell your story, man. That's why the Lord gave it to you. It's that simple.

Mike and Paula K. Parker cover entertainment for LifeWay.com from their home in Middle Tennessee. Visit them online at www.wordcrafts.net.

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