Grace Productions, a media ministry of Grace Community Church, is currently working on a feature-length documentary titled “The Essential Church,” which is set to release in August 2023. The project features Dr. John MacArthur, chancellor of The Master’s University, and received contributions from TMU students and alumni.

According to the project’s website, “The Essential Church is a feature-length documentary that explores the struggle between Church and government throughout history.”

TMU alums Seth Bowling (assistant director), Nate Bonsell (director of photography), Ruth Hanthorn (gaffer), and Lucas Cardoso (gaffer/grip) worked on the project, as did a number of other TMU alumni and current students as gaffers, camera operators, grips, and production assistants, among other roles.

Jacob Hoffman, general manager of Grace Productions and producer of “The Essential Church,” says that the film is currently in post-production.

The opportunity to create this documentary has been exciting for Hoffman.

“People don’t know the story of what happened at Grace Church,” he said. “They think that they know it. They think, ‘Oh, well, Grace Church sued the country and the state, and they won.’ But there are so many details of God’s providence throughout this story that people don’t know. It’s just incredible, and it stretched far beyond Southern California.”

Learn more about the project at essentialchurchmovie.com.