When actor Dennis O'Neill of Fort Worth reads this passage of Scripture in Acts 16, he smiles. He's been living out that call to "minister in Macedonia" for the past two decades, and the call gets stronger every year.

Dennis was living in New York City with his wife, Carmen, working in films and soap operas in the early 1980s. He was climbing up the acting ladder of success when his call to Macedonia came.

"Slowly but surely, I was getting work in the industry," he shared. "Then all of a sudden, my wife asked me to go to church."

Carmen was persistent for nearly two years. Finally out of utter frustration, Dennis agreed to accompany her to church. It was there that he met Jesus for the first time. And Jesus spoke to his heart, saying: I want you to go to Macedonia - I want you to go into this entertainment world and help these people.

Dennis' first thought was, Yeah, Lord, I'd like to help You out, but I am really focused on becoming a famous actor right now.

Still, the call remained and it grew bigger and bigger on the inside of him.

"I knew that God called me to ministry," he shared, "so I was willing to put aside acting and go into ministry full time."

But God didn't want Dennis to leave acting. He wanted to use his acting to share the message of Jesus. He wanted Dennis to view the acting world as a mission field. Once Dennis grabbed hold of that concept, he got excited.

"I started witnessing to a lot of people on the set and I thought, You know, this is kind of cool. I can work in an industry I love and I can preach the gospel. I don't have to go outside my realm."

First, he began sharing the Word of God with extras on the set and many received Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Then he was hired as a stunt double for a prominent actor in a major film and he was able to share the plan of salvation with him. As the ministry opportunities continued to open up, Dennis realized that he was right where God wanted him.

Dennis O'Neill as Professor Timothian in the Commander Kellie and the Superkids movie, The SWORD.

Today that vision is a reality.

Currently, there are AFC groups in Dallas/ Fort Worth and New York City, with plans to begin a chapter in Los Angeles. The meetings open with prayer and music ministry, and then the creative members perform memorized scenes, mimes, special songs and other performing arts. Dennis then brings a biblical word of encouragement and motivation.

"Actors live in a world of rejection," he explained. "It's my desire to offer hope and vision to them."

At the end of the meetings, Dennis closes with prayer for those in the entertainment industry.

"We've been praying specifically for Chuck Norris and Jane Fonda-both of whom have received the Lord over the past few years," Dennis said. "We're also praying for Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Swarzenegger, Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino and others.

"An actor in a high profile position who gets saved, in turn can get a multitude saved," Dennis added. "People will listen to a Chuck Norris or a Sylvester Stallone quicker than they might a preacher."

One Mission, One Man, Many Outreaches

It's been said that all of life is a stage. That's really true for Dennis, and he is using every inch of that stage to further the gospel of Jesus Christ. He teaches performing arts classes at his Dennis O'Neill School of Acting in Fort Worth. He's working in movies and plays across the country and around the world. And he's ministering and preaching in churches and other venues.

"It's like I'm on a huge stage every day," he explained. "I'm going over to one corner of the stage and talking about Christ, then I'm going over to another corner of the stage and talking about Christ, and then to another corner of the stage and talking about Christ. Everything I do is all about getting His message out there."

"I think we should use the airways and the stage and every medium of communication to preach the great message of hope," he said. "I tell the kids I teach, 'You may be the only Jesus that the director ever sees! You don't have to go in there with your Bible and beat them over the head, just live Christlike before them. Let them see what a Christian is really about."

That's how Dennis has been letting his light shine for the past 20 years and he's seen remarkable results. Not long ago, he was on a movie set where several of the actors who claimed to be Christians were not acting very Christlike. In fact, they were screaming at the director and constantly complaining. When Dennis discovered what was going on, he wanted to make it right, even though he didn't know the actors who were causing the director so much grief. So Dennis asked the actors from his school, who were also cast in the movie, to write thank-you letters to this director, letting him know how much they appreciated the opportunity to act under his direction.

"I got about 30 letters together, put them into a folder and hand-delivered them,' Dennis remembered. "The director looked at me after glancing through them and said, 'Dennis, I'm going to start crying. You'll never know how much this means to me."'

Dennis saw an opening to share his faith and he took it, asking if he could pray with this distraught director. The man agreed, and received the peace of God as Dennis prayed for him right there in the director's office.

New Movie Takes Jesus to the Masses When actor Chuck Norris became a Christian seven years ago, big things began to take place. His TV series, Walker, Texas Ranger, Became a mega-hit and people began to take notice of Norris' stand for Christ. Little did he know, but Dennis had been praying for Norris' salvation since 1993. Later, Dennis starred alongside Norris on the set of the series and a friendship developed. Today, that connection is proving to be a divine one. Norris has stepped out in faith and produced a faith-based family movie called, Bells of Innocence, which is tentatively scheduled to hit theaters in Octorber 2002. Dennis assisted the casting director and appears in the movie along with many of his acting students, setting a new precedent for Christian Actors in family films. "The world will see that there are actors who act for Christ and the gospel of Jesus," Dennis said. "We need to take back the arts and rasie up a God-inspired media to spread the message of Jesus Christ in our nation. We are on our way to winning our place in the film industry and winning the world for Jesus."

The director's entire demeanor changed and he said, "You don't know how much I needed that."

Dennis didn't know, but God did.

"I left the set that day saying, 'God, this is ministry. This is what we're supposed to do,'" Dennis remembered. "I want to live every moment to the fullest. I don't want to get to heaven and have God say, 'Well?' I want Him to say, 'Well done!"'

That's why he seizes every moment of every day, looking for opportunities to show God's love to others. Sometimes he's bold, praying with other actors right on the set. Other times, he subtly slips in God's Word. For example, Dennis always ends his acting classes with this confession: "A man's gift makes room for him and brings him before great men [and great women]" (Proverbs 18:16, The Amplified Bible). Most of the actors have no idea that he is quoting from the Bible. They just think it's a very uplifting saying. Still, that Word is going forth and it will not return void.

"When I'm teaching acting, I'm teaching the Word," he said. "It's getting in their spirits and it's getting into their hearts."

KCM Partners - A Kingdom Connection

You, Partners, share in all of the ministry success that Dennis O'Neill and AFC are having because your giving and prayerful support are being sown into that ministry every month.

"KCM's support is helping many young people fulfill dreams, visions, hopes and desires in their lives-kids who want to use their acting ability to glorify God," Dennis shared. "I couldn't do this without KCM's monthly support."

Here are some other ways that your giving is changing lives:

• KCM and Eagle Mountain International Church financed Dennis' recent trip to the Ukraine where he developed a drama team that put on a Christian play and won many for the kingdom of God.
• KCM is also helping Dennis take his play, The Witness, Jesus on Trial, around the world. Every time it's performed, many come to Jesus.
• Through his acting school and on-set witnessing, many actors are being saved, changed and set free from depression.
• Through Dennis' public school "Say Yes to Life" presentations, young people are turning away from deadly drugs and violence.

"I can't put into words how much Kenneth and Gloria and KCM mean to us," Dennis said. "With KCM's continued support, we can go deeper and do greater things-just as Jesus said we can do. We are shaking the world for Jesus Christ."

Dennis O'Neill with students from his acting school.

Published by Eagle Mountain International Church Inc./ Kenneth Copeland Ministries Inc., a nonprofit corporation, Fort Worth, Texas. ©2002 Kenneth Copeland Ministries Inc. All rights reserved.