Jesus Camp

The documentary that was so shocking, the religious camp for youth was shut down

Heidi Ewing & Rachel Grady / USA / 2006 / 88 min

Jesus Camp is a documentary about the "Kids On Fire" summer camp, located just outside Devils Lake, North Dakota and run by Becky Fischer and her ministry, Kids in Ministry International. The film focuses on three children who attended the camp in the summer of 2005--Levi, Rachael, and Victoria (Tory). The film cuts between footage of the camp and a children's prayer conference held just prior to the camp at Christ Triumphant Church, a large charismatic church in Lee's Summit, Missouri; a suburb of Kansas City.

All three children, despite their youth, are very devout charismatic Christians. Levi, who has ambitions of being a pastor, has already preached several sermons at his suburban Kansas City church. Early in the film, he is watching a cartoon that preaches that Earth is 6,000 years old. He is homeschooled, and learns physical science from a book that attempts to reconcile the creationist account with scientific principles. He preaches a sermon at the camp in which he declares that his generation is a key to Jesus's coming back. Rachael is seen approaching a woman and offering her a Christian tract and telling her that God has a special plan for her. She is somewhat disdainful of non-charismatic churches, feeling that they aren't "churches that God likes to go to." Early in the film, she is seen praying over a bowling ball. Tory frequently dances to Christian heavy metal music, and feels somewhat uncomfortable about "dancing for the flesh."
jesus.camp.jpgAt the camp, Fischer stresses the need for children to purify themselves in order to be used by God. She strongly believes that children need to be in the forefront of turning America back to conservative Christian values.

In one scene shot at Christ Triumphant Church, Lou Engle, the chief "prophet" for Harvest International Ministries (the "apostolic network" with which both the church and Fischer's ministry are affiliated--an affiliation not advertised in the film) preaches a message urging children to join the fight to end abortion. He prays for George W. Bush to have the strength to appoint "righteous judges" who will overturn Roe v. Wade. By the end of the sermon, the children are chanting, "Righteous judges! Righteous judges!" In another, a woman brings a cutout of Bush to the front of the church, and has the children stretch their hands toward him. (Some press accounts erroneously suggested that the children were "worshipping" the president, but they were actually praying for him. This practice is a derivative of laying hands on someone, which is a very common practice in Pentecostal and charismatic churches.)

There is also a scene at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where Levi and his family go on vacation to hear its renowned pastor, Ted Haggard. Some months after the release of the film, Haggard later became embroiled in a high-profile scandal.

Additionally, there is a debate between Fischer and Mike Papantonio (an attorney and a radio talk-show host for Air America Radio's Ring of Fire).

Trailer

Credits

Awards & Festivals

2006 Winner, Tribeca Film Festival, Special Jury Prize
2006 Winner, Silverdocs Documentary Festival, Best Feature
2006 Nominated, Chicago Film Critics Association Awards, Best Documentary
2007 Nominated, Satellite Awards, Best Documentary DVD
2007 Nominated, Online Film Critics Society Awards, Best Documentary
2007 Nominated, Academy Awards, USA, Best Documentary Feature

Film site & Reviews

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