Christian History Institute

ASSIST News Service (ANS) – PO Box 609, Lake Forest, CA 92609-0609 USA Visit the ASSIST NEWS web site

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Legendary American Christian film maker, who was also the Founder of Vision Video, Gateway Films and The Christian History Institute, has passed away after a long battle with cancer

Dr. Ken Curtis, in his later years turned around what could have been a nightmare, to help others also suffering from cancer

By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries

PALM HARBOR, FL (ANS) — Ken Curtis, one of America’s most talented Christian movie makers who specialized in featuring the stories of early Christian pioneers through an amazing collection of feature films, passed away on Monday, January 3, 2011, at 1:55 PM in Brookside Hospice house in Palm Harbor FL.

Ken Curtis Relaxing during a break in the filming in Israel.

His son, Bill Curtis told the ASSIST News Service, “It is with great sadness and joy I tell you that my Dad has gone to his heavenly home. We are so relieved that he is now out of the awful pain he has dealt with for a long time.

“The doctors gave Dad eight months when he was diagnosed with lung cancer in December 2002, but the Lord gave Dad eight years and Dad sure made the most of those eight years.

“I am so thankful to God for a wonderful Dad. I had the blessing to work with Dad for most of my life. I had the gift of awareness that the time with Dad was most likely limited and was able to spend a lot more time with him than I would have otherwise. We enjoyed lunch together most days for the last few years. We enjoyed two trips to Israel together. I am thankful Dad got to meet his new grandson Joshua before going home. There is so much more I am thankful for.

“Your prayers for my Mom and the rest of our family are appreciated.”

Bill Curtis said that there will be a memorial service to celebrate the life of Ken Curtain on Saturday, January 15th, at Souderton Mennonite Church, 105 West Chestnut Street, Souderton, PA 18964, at 11:00 AM. There will be a time to greet family before the service at 10:00 AM.

Ken’s family included Dorothy S. his wife, son William (Bill) and daughter Karen and four grandchildren.

Cover of Reflections on Psalm 23

Ken Curtis, who also founded the Christian History Institute, was beloved by everyone who knew him, including myself. Even during his darkest days as he battled cancer, that famous twinkle in his eyes was always there and he always had a word of encouragement when I would meet him at various events.

Among those who worked with him was Stuart Bennett, Stuart Bennett, Director of Special Projects, CBN WorldReach, and a board member of ASSIST Ministries.

Bennett said, “I left my job in secular TV in England in 1983 to work on the John Wycliffe feature film with Ken and Tony Tew (a British filmmaker). From the first moment I met him, Ken set me at ease with his warm, jovial personality. But, I also learned that the driving force behind him was his authentic faith and passion for Christian history.

“Ever since those days, I have looked up to Ken as a wonderful example of man with a vision who carried that vision forward to impact the lives of people the world over. He was a wonderful filmmaker and very good friend. He will be missed on earth, but I know heaven is rejoicing that another great saint is now in the Lord’s presence.”

Jim West, President of LegacyTV in Odessa, Florida, who were close with Ken Curtis said, “I met Ken about 20 years ago. We shared a common interest in television and Christian History. Ken and Bill Curtis (his son) were our partners in the FaithTV network which featured many of the films, videos and content from Vision Video/Gateway Films which he founded. Ken recognized the power of media to tell stories. Beginning with the Cross and the Switchblade 40 years ago, Ken championed the use of film, tape and television to spread the Good News of God’s grace and redemption.

“Ken loved history, and church history in particular. Many of the original productions in which he participated introduced to us the characters and stories of our spiritual heritage. He brought to life people like William Tyndale, John Wycliffe and many others whose sacrifice brought us the Holy Scriptures in a form a common plow-boy could read. He was a founding force behind the Christian History Institute and Christian History magazine.

“As a person, Ken was loving, considerate, kind, gentle, insightful, encouraging, uplifting, generous and a pleasure to be with. His contributions live on in our current network, Legacy TV, which features many of the films, videos and documentaries which he labored so long to bring to life. He will be greatly missed and leaves a huge void. His work continues through his capable family and staff and the contribution he has made will be felt for generations to come.

“As a tribute, LegacyTV will air Ken’s Reflections on Psalm 23 this Sunday at 9PM ET.”

Ken was also known around the world and another tribute has come into ANS from Rev. Dr. C.D. Jebasingh, Founder & President of Galilean International Film and Television Services based in Mumbai, India.

He said, “I came to be associated with Ken from the mid-1970s through my membership with the ‘Christian Film Distributors’ Association (CFDA), now known as ‘International Visual Media Association (ICVMA)’. The encouragement and support that he gave to Galilean International Film and Television Services, a visual media ministry founded in India is unique, for a country that makes the largest number of films in the world.

Cover of Candle in the Dark

“Ken was our keynote speaker at our Bi-annual All India Conference on Visual Media Evangelism in 1999 on the theme, ‘Visual Media Evangelism for the 21st century’. Ken’s Film Candle in the Dark on William Carey was premiered at that time at Bombay, a city nicknamed as the ‘Bollywood of India’.

“It was Ken who supported our ‘Talent Search’ project that was initiated at that conference that resulted in the commencement of our Bi-annual Excellence in Christian Visual Media Awards in India, an event that mobilizes and encourages Christian Media Professionals and Missions to launch Gospel film production projects.

“India owes a debt of gratitude to Dr. Ken Curtis, a Pioneer in Gospel film production.”

Dr. Jebasingh went on to say, “I was with him at his office a few years ago, when he broke the news about his being afflicted by cancer. I loved to receive his epistles on his ‘Spiritual journey with cancer’. He posed a challenge to me how to face maladies in Christ’s strength. At the peak of his pain, he visited Israel and made three films for Cancer patients related to the Lord’s Prayer, Beatitudes and Reflections on Psalm 23 that was used to strengthen cancer patients in India.”

My personal recollections of working with Ken Curtis:

Ken Curtis and Dan Wooding chatting together at the NRB 2003 convention

In the dark and distance past of the last century, I was the chairman of a London-based Christian film company called Grenville Films that was founded by my friend, Tony Tew, a former BBC film editor. One day, when we had a board meeting in, of all places, one of the royal palaces, Tony introduced us to a new board member. He had flown over from the States and his name was Ken Curtis.

So began a long friendship with Ken, who I was soon to discover is a legendary figure in Christian movies with a whole string of films that have chronicled many of the heroes of the church throughout the centuries.

At the time of writing a story last April called “The Cross and the Cancer”, I said, “Curtis lives in eastern Pennsylvania, about 30 miles outside of Philadelphia, and has been married to his wife Dorothy for 49 years. They have two children — a son and a daughter. And they each have two daughters.”

He then told me in an interview, “We are especially blessed because we all live very near to each other so my wife and I get to see the grandchildren all the time.

“I was born and brought up in New England. My childhood years were spent in Rhode Island and then several years in the Boston area while attending Gordon College, then Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, Boston University Graduate School. My training and experience from the beginning followed parallel tracks of mass media and ministry. I served on the staff of a large Boston city church as minister to students, and was deeply involved in radio and television in the Boston market.

“In high school I had been involved in swimming competition and had won two national championships in the backstroke and also set some regional records. My coach had high hopes and big plans for me as a swimmer and lined up six or seven attractive university scholarship offers to continue my swimming career. However it was at that time in high school that I had a decisive conversion experience and gave my life to Christ and sensed a compelling calling to the Christian ministry. So I became involved in Gospel team work in youth evangelism, enrolled at a Christian college, and prepared for the Ministry. This involved starting radio programs while in college and a weekly television program on the CBS affiliate in Boston while in seminary.”

Cover of The Cross and the Switchblade movie

Eventually, Ken Curtis started Gateway Films/Vision Video, which was formed to carry on the distribution of a full-length feature film the Cross and the Switchblade when the movie had run into financial difficulties and the production and distribution company was put in Chapter 11 receivership.

“Inasmuch as I had been instrumental in putting the original partnership together, when the problems arose, the limited partners recommended to the court receiver that I be appointed to carry on the distribution of the film.” Curtis told me. “Thus Gateway Films was formed. Once we were beyond the receivership stage we had a viable film company that other producers were asking us to handle their films.

“We had made several attempts to provide Christian films to the secular cinema world to follow in the wake of The Cross and the Switchblade with seven different titles tested. But we were out of our element and did not do well in that arena.

“But there was a large demand for the kind of films that we were putting out in the 16mm field. That was the film format used in schools and churches prior to the arrival of video on the scene. Once we were established in 16 mm and looked to the future, the question came as to what we should do that would be a distinctive contribution to the Body of Christ as in those days there were dozens of Christian film companies in the 16mm field. We put out a film on Jan Hus in the late seventies and I was both surprised and appalled to discover the abysmal ignorance of the average Christian in our Protestant/Evangelical churches of who Hus was and of the incredible heritage of the faith.”

Curtis went on to say, “About that time the Moravian Church came to me and asked if we would make a historical drama to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the launch of their magnificent missionary movement under Count Zinzendorf out of Hernhut in Germany. As I dug into their story it affected me as few things ever in my life. And in the making of that film there came as a sense of divine calling to devote my life and our company to telling the story of the history of the Faith and the great saints and heroes who preserved and delivered it to us over the centuries.

“We found the historical films needed supplemental support material. We had developed a 16 page guide to go with the Hus film. For the Moravian film we did the supplement in a magazine type format and called it Christian History Magazine—an occasional publication. That magazine enjoyed such a warm response that we eventually developed it into a regular quarterly magazine.”

His film credits are impressive to say the least. They have included:

• Cross and the Switchblade — Associate Producer
• First Fruits — Producer and Writer (The story of Count Zinzendorf and the Moravian Missionary movement)
• The Story of Jan Amos Comenius— Writer, producer, English language adaptation supervisor.
• C.S Lewis Through the Shadowlands — Executive Producer (a co-production with the BBC)
• John Wycliffe: The Morningstar — Producer
• God’s Outlaw: William Tyndale — Executive Producer
• Tales From the Madhouse — Executive Producer for Gateway Films/Vision Video (a co-production with 1-A Productions and BBC)

On top of this, Curtis has been involved with a whole slew of brilliant documentaries.

But then, quite suddenly, everything changed and he soon found himself facing a drama that could have taken his life.

He explained, “In December of 2002 I was riding high as that autumn I felt like I had received the gift of new eyesight after laser surgery on both eyes. A bothersome dental situation that I had been putting off was treated and resolved. And then I finally got around to scheduling a long recommended knee replacement surgery for my right knee that had no cartilage left and had been bone on bone for number of years.

“So I thought I would get the knee surgery done and that would clean up my pressing health problems and I would be a renewed man eager to greet the arrival of 2003 ready to dive into many projects that I had before me.

“But along came a big surprise that changed everything! When I went for preliminary X-rays required prior to the knee surgery it was discovered that there was a large tumor on my left lung and also on my right kidney. The knee surgery was canceled and I was immediately scheduled for a CatScan. From that I sent in for a biopsy of the lung.

“Unfortunately, the procedure was not successful in getting an adequate sampling but I did suffer a collapsed lung during the procedure and was hospitalized for that. A whirlwind of activity followed and I ended up at the University of Pennsylvania where it was advised that the left lung be resected. I went in for that surgery in January of 2003 and came out of the anesthesia only to be told that they did not go through with the surgery because at the beginning of the procedure they sampled the lymph nodes in the mediastinum and found that the cancer had already spread there so it was advised to first do some heavy-duty chemotherapy and radiation. In consultations with two doctors at a leading Cancer Center I was advised that the average survival rate for my kind of cancer was about six months. Two percent make it one year. One percent make it two years.

“I was of course stunned by this news and for days went around in a state of disbelief. Could this really be happening? What do I do now? A fascinating pilgrimage emerged. They couldn’t begin the Chemo/radiation immediately until they got further PET scans to check suspicious manifestations on the liver. There were also time delays caused by winter blizzards. The delays offered time for us to find (actually I firmly believe we were divinely ‘led’) to some alternative therapies that took and that I think made a major difference for me.”

I wondered if this caused him to go into a deep depression.

“No I did not go into a state of deep depression after hearing the news,” Curtis replied. “And I was not angry with God. I had heard from various sources that it was normal and natural to be angry with God so I actually set aside a time to drive over to the local YMCA alone to work on the exercise machines and take a sauna and explore my inner thoughts and uncover the anger and to deal with it. However, prior to getting into those anger issues it occurred to me that I ought first to least stop and recognize what I had to be thankful for. When I did this it led into a cascade of joy that was overwhelming and involved a mystical experience like nothing I had ever known.

“At the same exact time there was an astounding healing of a child over 1000 miles away as I interceded and offered myself to God on his behalf. This experience is not one that I can easily talk about and certainly not in just a few brief words. There may be a place to get into it and describe it in another context.”

Curtis went on to say, “My wife and kids were a tremendous support. They did the research into alternatives that I did not have the patience to do. They did so much to help including prayer, and emotional support. I also cannot stress enough the importance of the prayers and concern of friends in so many places who so often had the right words at the right time to give me the impetus to press on and find ways to cope.

“I have been a student of the Book of Hebrews for over 50 years now so that has occupied a special place in my life. The day I got the first diagnosed I was reading in Hebrews 12 about how God disciplines his children as a loving parent for their own good. Now I want to make absolutely clear I do not say that God gave me (or anyone) cancer. But I saw right from the get-go that he would use the cancer experience to fulfill his purposes if I were ready to walk with him through it all.”

Did you make plans in those early days to put everything in order thinking that you would die very soon?

“Yes I did try to get my affairs in order. I really do not recall much of what I did re plans. Frankly I asked my son Bill to handle it all. I went through the motions.

“Soon after I was first diagnosed, I felt like I was thrust out into a vast unknown. You‚’ve heard the supposedly funny line for cancer patients — those who are given just a brief time: go home, get your affairs in order, don’t buy any green bananas, and it’s OK to tell the tax man, or your boss, what you really think of him. Well, soon after my diagnosis, I went to the lawyer’s office with family members to see what it meant to get my affairs in order. I felt so spaced out. I was there. I heard everything. I answered their questions. I tried so hard to look interested. But it was as if I were in another room, behind a glass wall. I was there but I wasn’t there. My world had already gone away. Or had I gone away? So much had changed beyond recognition in the way I felt —or couldn’t feel— about my life.”

Ken then spoke about the treatment has had gone through.

“I have had numerous treatments,” he said. “These have included naturalistic as well as conventional. I have had chemo and radiation. Also surgery was attempted 7 years ago but was aborted when it was discovered the cancer had spread to the lymph system. Coping with the various treatments has been varied. Overall I have done remarkably well. But there is no denying the treatments exact a heavy toll on you. And it always more than you are led to expect by the doctors. I am finding that the radiation treatments that I just now finished taking have hit me far harder than those taken last year. But I have also done a lot of positive things that have helped so much including regular exercise, careful diet, juicing, building the immune system, getting ample rest, and many other useful and beneficial practices.”

Did you stop making films in the early days? When did you start again and what was the first movie you made when you got back into harness?

Ken Curtis with a new friend in the Holy Land

“In the early days I had to slow down considerably and cut back on activity.” He said. “But never completely. Two doctors at one prominent East Coast cancer center back in February 2003 told me to quit my job as my full time job was now as a patient taking treatments. I couldn’t accept that. I had my bedroom set up as a second office so I could keep on board to the degree I had strength. I changed my basic approach from doing projects myself to helping and encouraging others to develop projects. I found that a long career of relationships meant that I could get much done over the phone and not have to make the usual out of town trips.

“So I worked on several projects as an advisor and consultant. But the first direct production that I got into after diagnosis for which I had full responsibility was the series of reflections programs done in Israel and geared for people with cancer. A British producer we work with called and said he’d be doing a lot of shooting in Israel and if I would like to come and get anything shot there he would let me use his crew. My son Bill, who now was running our film company, said that I should consider going to Israel and videotaping a video series on the 23rd Psalm, as I had given devotionals on that Psalm to our Christian film conventions some years earlier and people kept saying how much they recalled the blessing they were. He asked that I cover the same material but apply it particularly to people with cancer out of my own experience.

“It turned out that the producer who originally invited me had to cancel his trip, but in the meantime other interest was found. Nazareth Village offered to help us with arrangements. UCB TV in England and Australia and EO TV in Holland offered to come in as co-producers and help with the costs. I had been originally very hesitant to talk about my cancer experience. It took me a long time to understand what was going on. But by this time in 2005 it was clear to me that God had spared me, that I was living in what I called ‘bonus time,’ and out of a sense of profound gratitude I felt compelled to make that series and see it as an offering of thanks and praise to God for his kindness to me. The 23rd Psalm series we expected to have a limited and small release just among cancer patients. But it surprised us.

“It was used far more widely as a resource for people facing any of life’s pressing crises. It spread to other languages and lands. This led to additional productions in Israel in a similar format on the Lord’s Prayer and the Beatitudes.”

When did you start improving physically?

“I cannot say that there was one particular time I started to improve physically. It has been a roller coaster with ups and downs. The cancer was just one piece of the package as other complications emerged. The chemo triggered a long standing cardiomyopathy that resulted in a fibrillation and congestive heart failure. That has required the insertion of a pacemaker-defibrillator. Also have had to have extensive hernia surgery, surgery for a huge kidney stone that was causing repeated infections, and of course those periods of extreme fatigue and nausea that come as side effects to some of the treatments. Overall I kind of live with the awareness that it is like trying to keep bailing out the boat faster than it is filling up.”

In recent times, Ken has been busy helping other cancer sufferers.

“I have volunteered with local cancer support outreaches in my community,” he said. “Later this month is will be part of a training program for local churches to start cancer support ministries that will be held in Tulsa and sponsored by the Cancer Treatment Centers of America. Last year I was commissioned by the board of Christian History Institute to start a new division to be called (provisionally) Christian Health Institute to conduct research and education in holistic and Biblically oriented health projects.

“As far as a specific story is concerned, I was touched today to receive a note from a lady in Phoenix in her forties, single mom, very poor, who has advanced breast cancer. She was so helped by the 23rd Psalm project that she has started a community outreach program for cancer patients build around a weekly meeting using those videos.

“Right now I am working with a producer to on a co-production for the celebration of the publication of the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible. There is continued involvement in the Torchlighter series. We also continue to co-produce others such as the relationship with CTA that you are aware of that has resulted in films on George Mueller and Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

What is your present medical situation?

He said, “My current medical situation today remains quite a mystery. Four doctors now have used the word ‘miracle’ to describe my situation. And doctors are usually hesitant to use that word. They typically tell me that I am off their map and do not fit into the usual formulas. I have not been ‘cured.’ The cancer has always showed up on the scans from the very beginning to now. It seems that to this point we have been able to stay enough ahead of it that it has not run rampant.

“Right now I am dealing with a large metastasis on the abdominal wall that seems to be connected to an extensive surgery I had in 2005 for a large hernia and that required a mesh to be inserted. This growth is showing up as malignant on the pet scans. It has also now been said by three doctors to be ‘inoperable.’ Two regimens of radiation over the past year have not been successful.

“There are other areas with large question marks that I won’t try to detail. Some I have just decided to not deal with at present as there is enough on the table at the moment. So it continues to be, as it has been from the very beginning a walk of faith. And in its own way it remains a fascinating though often trying adventure.

“I have been so blessed by an incredible support group and devoted prayer partners. There have been moments of what I can only interpret as providential encouragement that gave me assurance that God was in this and had more for me to learn and do.”

What are your plans for the immediate future?

“I think I have more to do, or that I would love to do, than I could ever finish in two lifetimes. So I plug away as I have strength, time, and ability on various projects. There is no sense of compulsion that I have to finish them. If by God’s grace I am allowed to then I will be most grateful and offer it back to him. If I do not get to finish all or any of them then at least I know that I kept in the game to the best I could as long as I could.

“More important than any of these noted below is the importance of enjoying family and friendships, spending more time in prayer, and learning more of the ways of God and enjoying the role of a catalyst to spark and enable others to do projects that I do not need to take on myself.

“As founder and president of Christian History Institute I hope to set the direction and bring aboard the people who can carry this ministry forward in the future. This of course relates to historical projects. But our board has also approved that we set up a separate division — Christian Health Institute that will deal with health related matters and spirituality. For instance: Developing a ‘Cancer Kit for Christians.’

“This would be a resource that would seek to help believers navigate their way through the maze of decisions and crises that are faced when one is diagnosed with cancer. (Note—it is not just for Christians. It is for anyone. But the title is chosen to make it clear out front that I am coming from a clear cut Christian perspective that is made manifest from the outset.)

“Our Torchlighter animated series for children is an ongoing high priority for me to educate children regarding the great heroes of the faith who offer worthy role models for young people in distinction to the celebrity culture that is foisted upon youth today.

“The Book of Hebrews is a subject of decades of study for me and I hope to do a video series or book relating that book to the challenges faced by believers today.

“I have had a number of unusual speaking opportunity invitations at national conventions. These include health and academic settings. I look forward to these opportunities.

“Twice since the cancer diagnosis I have entered senior games in the swimming competition and would like to continue to do that in the future.”

So God continued to use this delighted and talented man right up the end. What an incredible legacy he has left behind that will continue for many years to come through his many endeavors.

Goodbye my dear friend. I look forward to seeing you in heaven!

Dan Wooding

Dan Wooding, 70, is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he has been married for 47 years. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS). He was, for ten years, a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC., and now hosts the weekly “Front Page Radio” show on KWVE in Southern California and which is also carried on the Calvary Radio Network throughout the United States. The program is also aired in Great Britain on Calvary Chapel Radio UK. Wooding is also a regular contributor to The Weekend Stand on the Crawford Broadcasting Network, and a host for His Channel Live, which is carried via the Internet to some 192 countries. He is the author of some 44 books. Two of the latest include his autobiography, From Tabloid to Truth, which is published by Theatron Books. To order a copy, press this link. Wooding, who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents, has also recently released his first novel Red Dagger which is available here.

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