LU theater ministry King’s Players spreads the gospel over the country

While many students spent their spring break enjoying beaches, amusement parks and family, students involved in the traveling theatre ministry, King’s Players, adventured across the country, sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Led by Dr. David Allison, an adjunct professor, the King’s Players Ministry actively evangelizes in churches, juvenile detention centers, Salvation Armies and many other locations. The audition-based ministry accepts all types of people as long as they have a heart for Jesus and are willing to serve him with their time and gifts. 

Bronwyn Gray, a graduate student majoring in education, became an active ministry member after she watched their performances. 

“I joined the King’s Players because I saw one of their performances the year before and thought that it would be fun and a way to do ministry simultaneously,” Gray said. 

Gray loves to act and found that being a member of King’s Players allowed her to convey the gospel and biblical truths in ways she had never thought possible. Of all the performances, Gray enjoyed playing the role of a mom named Donna in the production “A Light in the Darkness.” 

“I liked it so much because I can relate to it. Just like the main character in the play, I have struggled with feeling suicidal and feeling worthless because I based my worth on being loved and accepted by others,” Gray said. 

Emily Peterson, a sophomore interdisciplinary studies major and assistant stage manager for the King’s Players, also joined the ministry to be a part of something that focused on bringing the gospel to people.

“I joined King’s Players after seeing several posters about auditions around campus back in August. Going into college, I initially wanted to act, so a traveling theater ministry where we performed plays for children about Jesus was something I wanted to be a part of,” Peterson said. 

Peterson has been actively involved in this year’s leadership. From helping with costumes to re-writing scripts, Peterson has learned much about theater and her love for the things of God. 

“Every kid who has come up to me after a performance in tears and shared their story with me, telling me how much a performance meant to them … that has stuck with me and has changed me in such a significant way,” Peterson said. 

Peterson’s favorite performance is a play entitled “Which Way” that the King’s Players performed at a Salvation Army. 

“It was a very emotionally-charged performance, and it was just really impactful to see how the cast was affected and how the audience was impacted from the shelter or around the community,” Peterson said. 

The King’s Players have one more performance this year at Liberty University in the Montview Ballroom, where it looks to end the year with a life-changing experience. 

Merritt is a feature reporter for the Liberty Champion