OUR PRODUCTIONS
Meet The Creative Team:
Melodye Munsey
Co Founder & Creative Director
Steve Munsey
Co Founder & Executive Producer
Kent Munsey
Co Founder & Creative Director
Melodye Munsey
The founder of ELLE Ministry, alongside her husband Steve Munsey, is the senior pastor of Family Christian Center, located in Munster, Indiana.
Born into a rich heritage of Godly parents and grandparents who devoted their lives passing the Gospel to the next generations, Melodye has passionately chosen to continue that legacy, pioneering new and creative platforms to launch the Gospel from. Strong, powerful, and steadfast are just some of the characteristics describing her but most of all Melodye is an avid student of the Word of God, motivating teacher & prayer warrior.
Steve Munsey
Dr. Stephan K. Munsey lives in Munster, Indiana, part of the Greater Chicagoland Area. Dr. Munsey and wife, Melodye, co-pastor the Family Christian Center of Munster, Indiana, along with son Kent Munsey. His church has a congregation of 18,000 members and is growing daily.
Dr. Munsey appears on television across the continent. His program, YES YOU CAN, has been seen across the U.S.A. and is carried by short-wave radio throughout the world. He has been featured in national magazines, newspapers, and network television as a cutting-edge innovator, spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ through many venues.
Jesus of Nazareth, a Passion Drama written by Dr. Munsey, is seen in many areas of this country, and he has the vision to take it international. The drama draws people to Northwest Indiana not only from the Illinois/Indiana area, but also from all over, even from foreign countries.
Our History
In 1982, Steve purchased a piece of land in Tacoma, Washington. Partnering with a church in Seattle, he built an outdoor amphitheater complete with a set of old Jerusalem, lakes, hills and valleys for the horses to run, all surrounded by the beautiful trees and mountains of the Northwest. On that magnificent set, JON began its first run during the summer of 1982. That location saw the presentation of His story for more than twenty years, permitting thousands of people to experience their first personal encounter with the Man from Galilee.
When Munsey became Senior Pastor of Family Christian Center in 1984, among his first acts was the introduction of Jesus of Nazareth to the NWI/Chicagoland region. Each year, thousands would volunteer by getting involved in the cast, backstage in the crew, costuming and makeup and all the elements needed to put on the production.
Fast forward about fifteen years. Family Christian Center outgrew its Griffith facility & built a new church in Munster, Indiana. Pastor Steve had always dreamed of a stage for Jesus of Nazareth on an entirely different scale, so expansive and detailed that the audience would be captivated to the point that they feel transported to faraway Israel, two thousand years ago. One of his highest priorities for this new facility was the creation of a permanent indoor set of old Jerusalem. It was a proud day when Jesus of Nazareth premiered in the new location.
Jesus of Nazareth becomes all the more relevant as time passes. While this story is two thousand years old, it is never static, but always full of life and energy. Each year, new scenes are added to the script, new effects are inserted, new characterizations are invented, and this year, for the first time, live singing has been added. Steve Munsey, the director, leads his huge volunteer cast through weeks of rehearsals to bring forth the best they have to give. Every scene is meticulously designed for accuracy and effect.
Kent Munsey
With a vision-driven teaching style, a value for relationships and gift for strategic planning, Kent Munsey is successfully emerging into one of America’s top young leaders.
In 2004, Kent and his wife Alli, launched the Two52 Youth Conference, a three-day annual summer event and network for teens and pastors. The vision of the nationally-recognized conference draws its inspiration from Luke 2:52, where Jesus is found in the temple, growing in wisdom, stature and favor.
In 2007, Kent and Alli, planted City Church in Downtown Chicago. Their calling is to bring the message of Jesus Christ to the city in a fresh and relevant way. Their passion is to share the hope of Jesus by reaching out to the community. Their goal is to build the church and make a difference in people’s lives by sharing the powerful Word of God. Kent values leadership and developed a leadership culture at City Church to build a team that collaborates to make a significant impact in the Chicagoland area.
Meet the Creative Leaders of Our Great Production Team
Refuge Productions serves as Family Christian Center’s production company. This ministry covers our Heavenly Grounds Café & Bookstore, our annual productions such as Jesus Of Nazareth, Scrooge, Choices: Heartbreak Hotel/Hotel Hallelujah, and our annual Fine Arts Summer Workshops.
Please take the time to fill out each section of this form. Everyone who will appear on the stage, behind the scenes, or be on this property for this production must have a completed form. For more info email auditions@refugeproductions.com
GET INVOLVED | JON REGISTRATION
