Producer-director
Dr. Phil Cooke
Christian Producer-Director Says God Is Making Great Strides In Hollywood
Producer-director Dr. Phil Cooke told an audience of Erskine College and Seminary students and faculty Thursday that God is “doing some great things” in Hollywood.
Cooke’s address, “Christianity and the Media,” was part of the Erskine Lectures, sponsored by Erskine Theological Seminary and shared with Erskine College through
joint college and seminary convocations.
The son of an Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church pastor, Cooke shares a connection with Erskine President Dr. John Carson. Carson pastored Ebenezer A.R.P. near Charlotte and Cooke’s father also pastored there.
Cooke has produced programming in more than 30 countries around the world. He has been involved in Christian programming for more than two decades and established Phil Cooke Pictures Inc.
“We live in a media-driven society,” he said. “If we as Christians don’t have an impact on that, we’re going to lose this generation.”
Cooke called himself a “scout from the front lines” and said he is watching God make some great strides in Hollywood.
The latest example is Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ,” which opens in theaters around the nation next week, he said.
Cooke said he has learned over the years that it is necessary to understand the big picture — to see things as God sees them.
He said there are five things that have made a difference for him in Hollywood.
Cooke encouraged the Erskine audience to “aspire to significant things.
“Don’t settle,” he said. “I get frustrated at Christians who settle for accomplishing little things.
“Did Christ go to the cross for you to settle?” Cooke asked.
Gibson’s movie is an example of a Christian who pushed the limit, he said, spending millions of dollars to make a movie about the last 12 hours of Jesus before his death by crucifixion.
“He understands that as a Christian, you can’t do something small,” Cooke said.
He said "real transformation" comes as a result of asking profound quesitons.
Cooke encouraged Christians to “learn the power of storytelling” and talked about how
Jesus used the art of storytelling to minister to people. He also said Jesus didn’t explain the meaning of the stories, better known as parables, to anyone except the 12 apostles.
“Jesus risked his entire public ministry by telling stories and not explaining them,” Cooke said.
The producer-director encouraged his audience to stop letting budgets and schedules stand in the way of doing important things.
“Stop using two phrases — how much will it cost and when will it be ready,” Cooke said. “Commit to your calling and pursue it with excellence."
He also told the Erskine audience to continue to grow. “Don’t just read about theology,” Cooke said. “Study the people you’re trying to minister to.”
He said Christians should be authentic in whatever they do. “Authenticity is the hallmark of this generation,” he said.
Cooke told the gathering at Lesesne Auditorium that forward thinking is the key to any endeavor, particularly ministry.
“Think outside of the box and interact with the subjects of your ministry,” Cooke said. “Never stop growing, question everything. Only when you master the rules can you break new ground.”
He said people should spend “less time on what’s urgent and more time on things that matter.”
Cooke told a story about a friend of his who spends the first two hours of the day answering e-mail.
“Returning phone calls, answering e-mail shouldn’t stand in the way of what really matters,” he said. “When you focus on what matters, that’s when you develop vision.”
Cooke said that instead of getting down when frustrations and obstacles come, people should learn to celebrate those things because God uses them to develop character.
He said he prides himself on being involved in producing programming “in a language and style this culture understands.”
