The Acts of the Apostle Thaddeus
The up-coming film “The Acts of the Apostle
Thaddeus” is an Assyrian heritage film that tells the story of Mar Addai, who
is known as the Apostle Thaddeus in English, and Mar Mari, the Apostle Mari who
founded the Assyrian Church of the East.
The script is based on the story of the Apostle
Thaddeus as recorded in The
Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius, written around 325 A.D. and two ancient
Syriac Aramaic texts, The Doctrine of
Addai and The Acts of the Apostle
Thaddeus.
According to the Gospels, the fame of Jesus spread
afar so that sick people as far as Syria came to be healed by Jesus (Matthew
4:24). An Assyrian king named Abgar, who ruled over the city-state of Edessa,
send messengers to Jesus (John 12:20-24). They arrived days before Jesus was
crucified. Jesus promised those messengers that he would send one of his
disciples to Edessa to heal the king. After the resurrection, Thomas, inspired
by the Holy Spirit, sent Thaddeus to Edessa, to spread the Good News taught by
Jesus Christ, and to heal the King. At the preaching of Thaddeus, the Assyrian
people believed and were converted.
WALKER-CABLE PRODUCTIONS AND THE FILM-MAKING
PROCESS
Lorenzo
Lamas has agreed to play the lead role of the Apostle Thaddeus.
Linda George
has agreed to play the role of Queen Meherdath, the wife of King Abgar of
Edessa.
The production
team is Sam Cable, the producer, and Chuck Walker, the director, of WalkerCable
Production.
Stephen
Andrew Missick has written the script and it is based on the ancient historical
sources, which are mostly in Aramaic.
Chuck Walker
and Sam Cable specialize in the making of moderate to low budget movies. They
have made over twenty-five films over their career, mostly, but not
exclusively, westerns. With the rise of new technologies and independent
film-making, high quality professional movies can be made on a modest budget.
WalkerCable is capable of producing such a film.
The movie
will be filmed at Alamo Village, a set outside of San Antonio, Texas. Rev.
Missick has scouted out the set and much of it will work for biblical times.
Alamo City was built by John Wayne and has been used over the decades for
several movies.
LORENZO LAMAS
Lamas said, “I have worked with Walker Cable
Productions in several films on the course of the last several years and it is
my understanding that they will be producing a film on the Apostle Thaddeus in
the near future. Based on my former association with this company and the
integrity of Sam Cable and Chuck Walker as friends and film makers, I have a
strong interest in being involved in this project as an actor in the title role
of Thaddeus. I find the script interesting and captivating and look forward to
making this project a big success. I am
thrilled to be working on Thaddeus, the new WalkerCable production. These are
terrific guys and a wonderful production company that I have had the pleasure
of working with many, many times in the past. So, if you have the opportunity
to invest in a WalkerCable production don’t hesitate. You will not regret it.
So, I am excited about being a part of this Christian movie. I think it is an
important time for our society to embrace the Christian faith. I am looking
forward to it.”
WHY SUPPORT THE PROJECT
Based on recent performance of Faith based and
Biblical based movies, “The Acts of Thaddeus” has great potential to be a
successful film.
The
film is also educational. It is based on the literature and
history of the ancient Assyrian Church of the East.
The
movie is cultural. It is a celebration of the Assyrian
culture.
The
film is timely and relevant. With the rise of ISIS,
radical Islam and the increase of persecution of Christians around the world
and particularly in the Middle East, “The Acts of Thaddeus” can draw attention
to and create awareness of the heritage of Middle East Christianity and the
threat it now faces.
The
movie is Ecumenical. It is about Christian unity. The story
of the Apostles occurred before divisions developed within Christianity.
Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Protestants and members of the Assyrian Church of
the East can embrace the story of the Apostle Thaddeus.
In the film, Thaddeus proclaims the message of love,
forgiveness, and compassion that is the heart of the Christian faith.
STEPHEN ANDREW MISSICK
Reverend
Stephen Andrew Missick is the author of
several books including The Words of Jesus in the Original Aramaic:
Discovering the Semitic Roots of Christianity and The Assyrians: The Oldest
Christian People and
three articles on the history of the Assyrian Church of the East in the Journal
of Assyrian Academic Studies. He
is an ordained minister of the gospel. He graduated from Sam Houston State
University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and is a doctoral
student at Houston Graduate School of Theology. Rev. Missick has traveled
extensively throughout the Middle East and has lived among the Coptic
Christians in Egypt and Assyrian Christians in Syria. He served as a soldier in
Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 and 2004 and as
a chaplain in the Army National Guard in Baghdad in 2009 and 2010. He is
the screen writer for the upcoming Assyrian heritage film The Acts of the Apostle Thaddeus which is set to star Lorenzo Lamas in
the title role.
“The Acts of
the Apostle Thaddeus” is an upcoming faith-based movie set to star Lorenzo
Lamas as Thaddeus, one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. The script is
based on the Holy Bible and other ancient sources such as Eusebius’s “Church
History.” The purpose of the film is to create awareness of the Assyrian
Christians, their ancient Christian culture and the danger they now face from
ISIS as well as to promote Christian unity and the simple message of love and
compassion taught by Jesus Christ. The film is non-denominational, however, the
screen-writer has a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological
Seminary and the script is endorsed by the Assyrian Church of the East, the
traditional church of Assyrian Christians.
For more information about the project contact: Stephen Andrew Missick PO
Box 882, Shepherd, Texas 77371 nestorius1@hotmail.com 281-592-4104.
Please
support this project. We are attempting to raise $120,000 in order to meet are
budget goal. To support the project go to the Acts of Thaddeus Kickstarter https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/360405228/apostle-thaddeus
or https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-acts-of-the-apostle-thaddeus/x/10257901
For more
information: www.aramaicherald.blogspot.com
