Wings of Change

The 12 Most Powerful Christians in Hollywood

Hollywood may have a well-deserved reputation for being a spiritual wasteland, but faith is hardly absent from Tinseltown. The following 12 Hollywood powerhouses are at the top of their game in movies or TV and are unabashed about proclaiming their Christian beliefs. And they're far from the exception. We chose them from dozens of candidates, in consultation with insiders and observers who are part of the Christian-Hollywood scene. Those who made the Beliefnet Power Dozen are here because they have the clout to choose their career direction, while keeping their faith and even injecting it into their work in subtle or not-so-subtle ways.

12 Most Powerful Christians in Hollywood

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Quotes on being Christian from Celebrities…

1. Mel Gibson The Passion His "Passion of the Christ" changed everything for Hollywood when it comes to matters of faith, waking up the powers-that-be to the box office potential of the Christian audience.
2. Denzel Washington (COGIC) The Book of Eli Denzel has openly stated that he has read the entire Bible and plans to read it all over again.
3. Patricia Heaton (Presbyterian) Everybody Loves Raymond Off-screen, she's not shy about making her faith or her opinions heard. Born a Catholic, she embraced evangelical Protestantism as an adult, and now attends a Presbyterian church and advocates on behalf of an anti-abortion group called Feminists for Life.
4. Tyler Perry Diary of a Mad Black Woman Tyler told Beliefnet last year, "I'm not afraid to have a character say, 'I am a Christian,' or 'I believe in God,' because I think they represent real people on this earth."
5. Ralph Winter X-men Trilogy, Planet of the Apes, Left Behind "I have been placed in this job for a purpose, and I am just trying to make great movies and keep my eyes on Him. I don't deserve any praise....It is definitely all God's hand that I get to do this. And who knows how long this will last? He may choose someone else."
6. Angela Basset (COGIC) Malcom X "When you realize that every breath is a gift from God. When you realize how small you are, but how much he loved you. That he, Jesus, would die, the son of God himself on earth, then you...you just weep." She added, "Loving God is like my being black. I just am. [No one says] 'You know what? I'm gonna be blacker today!' It's my culture. It's not something I put on or take off or show more. You just communicate that in the way you live your life."
7. Martin Sheen (Catholic) "You know, the essence of the Gospel of Jesus was extremely radical, and that's why they killed Him," he told one interviewer.  To another he said, "It doesn't really matter how much of the rules or the dogma we accepted and lived by if we're not really living by the fundamental creed of the Catholic Church, which is service to others and finding God in ourselves and then seeing God in everyone--including our enemies."
8. Martha Williamson Touched By An Angel  "We create a place every Sunday night where God's honored" and "God is the show's true executive producer."
9. Kristin Chenoweth (Christian recording artist) Having grown up dreaming of success in Christian music, Chenoweth has said, "I'm an actress and a singer and I'm also a Christian. We're not all crazy right-wingers. I just want to be like Jesus, forgiving and loving and nonjudgmental, accepting of everyone even if they don't agree."
10. Philip Anschutz (bankrolled Chronicles of Narnia and Ray) driven to get into the movie business by his anger at the focus on sex and violence in mainstream films. "My wife and I now have a number of grandchildren who are growing up surrounded by products of this culture," Anschutz said in 2004. "So four or five years ago I decided to stop cursing the darkness."
11. Howard Karanjian (bankrolled Raiders of the Lost Ark and Return of the Jedi) Kazanjian also has had time to serve on the faculty of Act One, a program that trains Christians for mainstream Hollywood success, on the jury of the Damah Film Festival, which features spiritually themed movies, and on the board of trustees at the Christian college Azusa Pacific University.
12. Scott Derrickson (Orthodox Christian) Paradise Lost “By approaching spiritual issues and religious questions through the window of the horrific or the dark side of life, you suddenly had free reign to deal with spirituality in a way that was not going to be preachy or come off as propaganda," he told Beliefnet in 2005.

Source:  http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Christianity/2008/09/The-12-Most-Powerful-Christians-in-Hollywood.aspx

13. Dolly Parton---On her unshakable faith: "My grandpa was a preacher. My grandmother was very religious, and she believed through God all things are possible. Every day I pray about all I do ... It keeps me strong. It's best to get outside yourself and it helps to keep some of the pressure off to give it back and ask for help, and I'm not ashamed or afraid to do that."
14. Beyonce Knowles—There is a prayer before every show: “Lord I ask you to give us all peace…Lord we are fortunate and blessed to be able to what we do..we can handle it.  Lord gives us all confidence…let us have fun…we love you, we thank you Lord in Jesus name we pray.”