Alec Baldwin's brother, Stephen, is a Born-Again Christian, directing a DVD for young Christians

various sources, including the NYT ^ | Sunday, 5/16/04 | various authors

[summer]

Note from summer:

There is an article in tomorrow's Sunday NYT "Week in Review" section, linked above, called:

Christian Cool and the New Generation Gap


Marketing a message: The Web site for "Livin' It," a DVD combining extreme sports with faith.

Excerpt from that article:

The actor Stephen Baldwin, a born-again Christian, has just directed a DVD called "Livin' It," pairing extreme sports with faith testimony, from which he hopes to spin skate Bibles, clothing, CD's and Bible-study guides, all tied to a nonprofit youth ministry.

"This could be the first get-down rock 'n' roll, cool Christian brand," he said. "I've been to conferences with youth pastors, and they all said, 'Dude, we've been waiting for something that's cool and edgy and Christian.' ''

Then I searched online for other articles and found this:

Posted: 11/07/03

Evangelistic skateboard video finds unlikely host

By Shelby Oppel

Religion News Service


Actor Stephen Baldwin talks with BMX rider Bruce Crisman, 24.

Excerpt from that article:

..."You're Stephen Baldwin?" Bemiller asked the actor, who wore a backward baseball cap with "Jesus" embroidered on one side and "God is good" on the other.

"We're just a bunch of Christian guys making a video," said Baldwin, burly and tan. As if to make his purpose clearer, he pointed to a BMX rider, high in the air above the skate park. "He gets more air 'cause he's got Jesus," said Baldwin, half-joking.

Although many don't know it, the actor known for his role as a career criminal in "The Usual Suspects" and, most recently, as part of the cast of ABC's reality show "Celebrity Mole" is a born-again Christian.

His newfound faith, and his friendship with Beaverton-based evangelist Luis Palau, are what led him to direct and host the DVD. Called "Livin' It," the project is meant to reach teens with the gospel through the culture of extreme sports.

While the Baldwin angle adds a wrinkle, the link between evangelical Christians and skateboarding is nothing new.

Portland, in fact, is home to the nation's oldest "skate church," a ministry begun in 1987 at Central Bible Church. Each week, 130 to 200 skateboarders show up to use 11,000 square feet in a church-owned warehouse, under the condition they stop for 30 minutes to listen to a "gospel message."

The ministry has spawned imitators from California to Florida. And Christian "demo" teams travel the country, riding skateboards manufactured by Christian skateboard companies.

Palau, an evangelist who holds Christian music festivals around the world, has taken notice of the skate ministries' success. Since 2000, each of his festivals has featured a skate park with professional skateboarders and "skate evangelists."

Last year, Baldwin met Palau at a festival in Syracuse, N.Y. That led to Baldwin's appearance at another festival in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., this spring, which led to his role in the DVD.

The youngest of the acting Baldwin brothers (Alec, Daniel and William are the others), Baldwin, 37, has been in film and television since the 1980s, often playing the screwball comedian while earning a bad-boy reputation off the set.

"Stephen is really the perfect host because he's not the goody-goody Christian; he's not really known for that," said Kevin Palau, Luis' son, who is executive vice president of Luis Palau Evangelical Association. The association is spending about $200,000 to produce the DVD.

Baldwin was raised as a Roman Catholic, which for him was a "relatively meaningless" experience and "kind of a scary deal," he said. About two years ago, he explained, he was "captured by the Lord" and "born again."

He calls the change "a predestined reality," but he also credits his wife, Kennya, who is a Christian. She and the couple's daughters--Alaia, 10, and Hailey, 6--were in Portland for the filming....

[summer]

Well, I was very surprised to read this! (I wonder if he will campaign for GW...)

On a somewhat related note, the NY Post today reported that Alec has tremendous affection for classical music, doesn't like Mozart but loves Mahler, would quit acting if he could sing, and was late for acting jobs because he was too busy listening to classical music on his car radio!

I don't really know what's up with Stephen, but it seems with Alec there is a very serious PR make-over going on there!

[buccaneer81]

I saw him promoting the video the other day. I can only hope he is sincere.

[Michael Barnes]

Reserving judgment on this.

[summer]

What amazes me is that he is crediting his wife with this change. If that's true, and it impacts the marriage (for the better), I would bet it is sincere.

[Fiddlstix]

Hmmmmm.......
Interesting.....

[Talking_Mouse]

Alec...would quit acting if he could sing...

He can't sing worse than he acts.

Great news about Stephen. I hope the movie brings lots of people to the Lord.

[cyborg]

WOW.

[bannie]

My distrust makes me feel that this fellow is just trying to cash in on the success of Passions of Christ. I hope I'm wrong!

[summer]

Speaking of that film - I read a very funny news article today about an elderly woman who felt so pressured to see Gibson's film, that she asked her doctor for a note saying she could not see it because the gore might adversely affect her health, which already was not great. The doctor wrote her the note, and she showed it to her family, friends and fellow church-goers so they would stop telling her to see it. Don't ask me if this story is true. I just read it in the newspaper; that's all.

[Palmetto]

My wife and I were avid watchers of Celebrity Mole. During one episode, we noticed Stephen wearing some clothing that seemed to have a Christian message on them.

After that, I watched his bevahior. He was considered the "bad Baldwin" in a family of pretty free-living guys. But on the show, I noticed nothing that would be considered at odds with a true believer, except a few minor curses...which, although I don't participate in, most Christians believe is relatively harmless.

I must say I was impressed, although I was (and still am) very skeptical of "celebrity conversions." Most celebrities are worse than politicians about sticking a wet finger in the air to see which way they would go that would best further their careers...

[Palmetto]

FWIW, although I am a skeptic, he was publicly Christian (on Celebrity Mole) before The Passion came out.

[oceanperch]

We watch TBN allot and Balwin is featured in a Movie out on DVD "666" about taking the mark and those who don't.

I was going to order it but waiting for TBN to show it.

I ordered Time Changers from TBN and now it is on all the time so I am going to assume "666" is going to come on the channel.

[RaceBannon]

This is insanity.

Where is the call for Holiness?

This is proof that Christianity is dead in America as a whole.

[Windsong]

Wonder what Alec thinks of his brother.

[smith288]

Where is the call for Holiness?

So you saw the DVD then?

[tbird5]

"Baldwin was raised as a Roman Catholic, which for him was a "relatively meaningless" experience and "kind of a scary deal," he said. About two years ago, he explained, he was "captured by the Lord" and "born again."

I love ex-catholics. Great people.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

He is. And Palau is decent, too.

[bootless]

I'd heard of his new-found faith, but this is a great article. Wow. I hope he campaigns for GW ... wouldn't the Baldwin family Thanksgiving be a fun event, then? :-)

See, there's always hope!

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Man looks at the heart, God looks on the outer appearance.

Or is it the other way around?

[RaceBannon]

The heart that responds to the Flesh is not pleasing God.

We are told to worship in spirit and truth, not by BMX cycles and Rock Music.