Witnessing to a Galaxy Far Away

by John Brummitt

Star Wars. Even if you have never seen one of the six movies, I’m sure you have heard about them, with countless commercial spoofs and endless references in other television shows and movies, even cartoons. Lucasfilm Limited, LLC, now a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, changed how we view science fiction and built an “empire” of followers in the process. These loyal fans have kept the Star Wars
saga alive.

You find all types in this following, but the ones who really do the most to keep it relevant are often viewed as strange, nerdy, or geeks. They dress up as the characters from the movies, video games, or animated series. They form fan groups like the 501st Legion. They demonstrate their passion for the Star Wars saga by building detailed costume replicas of Star Wars characters and joining thousands of other fans at conventions (cons) across the nation. Many fans put this nerdy passion to good use by raising money for charities or doing volunteer work together.

Often, Star Wars fans in the church keep it quiet for fear of what others will think of them. They don’t want their fellow church members to find out they like science fiction.

Welcome to the Legion

Recently, I joined my brother-in-law Craig Batts, pastor of Nashville’s Cross Timbers FWB Church, at the Space City Convention in Houston, Texas. Over the years, Craig and I have been college roommates, co-workers, great friends, and now brothers. Craig is also a Star Wars fan—the kind that joins the 501st Legion and goes to conventions. Craig also understands that just because you have a passion for something that is a little strange doesn’t mean you are a social outcast.

In fact, the Lord has opened up many doors of opportunity in this community of Star Wars fans. A few years ago, Craig met a man named Stephen Stanton, one of the voice actors for Star Wars: The Clone Wars, an animated series. He was impressed with Craig, as much for his passion about the gospel as his enjoyment of Star Wars. Craig began working with Mr. Stanton as a chaplain and started doing a “Sunday Reflection” post for Mr. Stanton’s fan page/group each week.

Photo Credit: Mark Edwards; pictured from second left: Craig Batts, Stephen Stanton, and John Brummit, author

Fast forward to the Space City Con in Houston, Texas, a “small” convention of roughly 14,000 attendees. (And no, this is not large in terms of sci-fi cons.) This was my first real experience with Star Wars, Star Trek, and other science fiction fans on a large-scale setting. Why did I make the trip? Because Craig had the opportunity to hold chapel services with Stanton’s group, and the services were on the main schedule of the Space City Con. So, I spent the weekend learning about these legions of fans and their hunger for relationships with people who accept them for themselves.

A New Mission

I met members of the 501st Legion including Dutch and Kathy, who take care of Craig when he travels to conventions to speak. I learned that a pastor at a science fiction con is a hot topic with people in attendance, even if they look down on Christianity as a whole. I was surprised at the number of people who learned that Craig was a Christian pastor and just wanted to talk.

While the conversations sometimes didn’t get much deeper than questions about the chapel service or where he was from, the attendees—even those with hard feelings against the Church—were kind and willing to talk. Saturday was business-as-usual at the convention, but Sunday morning at 8:45 a.m., Craig and I waited outside the doors of Stage A5, ready to welcome anyone who decided to join us for the service. We didn’t know if one or a hundred would show up.

As a Free Will Baptist pastor’s son, I knew how to be a true Free Will Baptist door greeter, so when Craig headed up front to start the service, I stayed near the door to welcome people to the service and answer questions for curious onlookers. They poked their heads into the room to see what was going on and to find out why people were sitting in a room listening to a man talk about Christ. In most cases, when I explained we were having a chapel service, and they were welcome to join, their responses shocked me. “Really? Well, I probably need it anyway.”

I was humbled to find that people you probably couldn’t drag to a church building were more than willing to attend a chapel service with nothing more than a speaker with a Bible on a stage. No music, no extras—just the message you would hear on any given Sunday at most Free Will Baptist churches across the country. What made the difference? Craig met them where they were and reflected Christ to those sharing his love of Star Wars and science fiction.

Beyond the Stereotype

What is the point of this article? To promote Star Wars ministry opportunities? No, it is to remind us that God needs us to get out of our box to further His gospel. You may encounter people you think strange or weird, but as Christians we should view these different communities as mission fields, with people hungry for what we have to offer.

We sometimes get in the mindset that the only mission fields are in foreign countries or remote areas. The truth is, for most of us, our mission fields coincide with the things we are passionate about. Whether it is baseball, football, coin collecting, or Star Wars, we need to be open with our faith in order to be used by God to take the gospel to a lost and dying world that desperately needs us to share.

We don’t have to be confrontational, just genuinely interested in the people we meet. In today’s world, people are looking for ways and places to connect with others...and sadly, a church is not the first place that comes to mind. Rather than sitting back and talking about the “good old days” when people flocked to church, we must meet people where they are—at recreational league baseball, corn hole tournaments, or even a galaxy far, far away…a Star Wars convention. You probably won’t reach everyone in the world, but reaching the ones with whom you share a common interest is a great place to start.

About the Writer: John Brummitt graduated in 2011 with an MBA from Tennessee Tech University. A 2004 graduate of Welch College, he has been with the Board of Retirement since the spring of 2006.