Honoring MLK, KKK Cross Sculpture at Chicago Temple
Posted by timfrakes | Filed under Culture, Education, Faith Based Production, Interesting Places, Peace and Justice, Pro Bono, Spiritual Journey, Tim Frakes Productions
If you are in Chicago’s Loop, stop by the First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple and check out a sculpture based upon a cross that was burned on the lawn of Tougaloo College in Jackson, Mississippi in the autumn of 1963. The students were being encouraged by Ed King, the campus minister to go into the city and to try and desegregate the churches on Sunday morning.
That not only led to the arrests of the students, but also led to the KKK burning a cross on the college lawn. Ed King kept the cross and gave it to the United Methodist Church who were in the process of trying to desegregate the denomination nationally. So, this cross became the symbol for the desegregation of the United Methodist Church in the 1960′s.
Eventually, the cross was taken to Pittsburgh at the general conference and walked around the conference hall. It became a rallying point. Later, the cross was given to Gerald Forshe, a pastor in Chicago, who brought home. He took it to Jack Kearney who was a very well regarded sculptor in town.
Kearney took that charred wooden cross, encased it in a kind of skin of metal, so that it wouldnt disintegrate. On it, he placed the obviously African American, distressed, truncated Christ. And so Jerry has had this sculpture for over 40 years in his own possession.
But when Jerry was very ill last spring he wanted to make sure that First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple received it and put on public display. The cross is a gift to the church that we can make available to people who visit and want to know the story. This cross not only referrers back to 1963, but it, holds a great deal of power for us today.
This summer, First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple had a guest who came to worship. He was a retired university administrator from Mississippi. He saw the figure on the cross and immediately said, “That is James Chaney.” James Chaney was one of the three young men who were murdered as they tried to register voters in Mississippi in 1963. Chaney was the only African American among the three. And so at least for that person, he saw in this figure, that historical moment.
Tags: Art, Chicago Temple, Cross, James Chaney, James Cheney, KKK, United Methodist
Cook, Write, Pray
Posted by timfrakes | Filed under Evangelism and Outreach, Faith Based Production, Interesting People, Pro Bono, Spiritual Journey, Tim Frakes Productions
Despite challenges, Tom Christensen has learned to trust God in every circumstance. Here is the testimony of a single parent, letter-carrier turned chef, author and cancer survivor. Tom is a member of Lombard Bible Church, a part of the Christian and Missionary Alliance.
Tags: Bible, Cancer, Church, Cooking, Faith, Illinois, Lombard, Spiritual Journey, Testimony, Tim Frakes Productions, Video
Ascension Catholic School Fundraiser
Posted by timfrakes | Filed under Education, Pro Bono, Tim Frakes Productions
This is a pro bono project I shot for Ascension Catholic School in Oak Park, Illinois. Big Shoulders, a Chicago production company did the editing. The video was used at an auction that raised approximately $60,000.
Tags: Church, Education, Tim Frakes Productions
Empowering Haiti: Let’s Hear it from the Girls
Posted by timfrakes | Filed under Carribean, Education, Faith Based Production, Interesting Places, News, Peace and Justice, Pro Bono, Tim Frakes Productions, Travel, women
It’s back to Haiti in August. This time, I’ll be shooting footage for Haitian Artisans for Peace International (HAPI). HAPI was founded in March 2007 as a fair trade artisan co-op focused on spirituality and creativity. The marketing of the resulting art supports women’s economic development and empowerment.
HAPI Executive Director, Valerie Mossman-Celestin and my friend, photo journalist, Paul Jeffrey asked me to help with this project. The footage will be woven into a short documentary. “Let’s Hear it from the Girls” (working title) will connect the voice of girls in a rural Haitian community to touch us with stories, music and dance that convey the joys and challenges of growing up female in Haiti. The film will also capture the subtle messages of hope emerging from a dream that the community recognize the value and equality of girls and women.
We will be working in Mizak, a mountainous, rural section of La Vallee in South-East Haiti, 80 km south of Port-au-Prince and 12 km west of Jacmel. The total population is just over 35,000. Seventy percent are peasants living under the poverty level of less than $1 US per day, and 63% of the population is under the age of 18. There are no jobs available, no electricity, no telecommunication system, no plumbing, and no water filtration. The majority of households have no measurable income and they rely on system of barter and trade.
HAPI plans to make this DVD available as a teaching resource to folks in the United Methodist Church. The project is funded in part through a grant from the United Methodist Women’s organization.
Look for more in the coming days and weeks!
Tags: Haiti, Tim Frakes Productions, Travel, women
Alianza Church, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Posted by timfrakes | Filed under Carribean, Evangelism and Outreach, Faith Based Production, Interesting Places, Pro Bono, Tim Frakes Productions, Travel, women
Zac and Julie Stutler work with the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. The Stutler’s and another husband/wife team, Jeff and Deborah Climie, launched a new congregation in this upscale resort community called Alianza. While recording footage for a project with the Alliance Women Ministries, I was able to put this video together for them.
Tags: Alianza, Church, Dominican Republic, Punta Cana, Tim Frakes Productions, Video, women
Heading to Haiti
Posted by timfrakes | Filed under Carribean, Pro Bono, Travel
A Haitian boy plays a home-made guitar. This photo was taken several years ago while in Haiti on a shoot.
ELCA Disaster Response, ACT Alliance and the Lutheran World Federation are sending me to Haiti to record images and reflections following the January 2010 earthquake. I will travel via convoy through the Dominican Republic to Port Au Prince.
Your prayers for those affected and for myself as I travel are greatly appreciated! After you pray, support Haiti relief.
Tags: Faith, Haiti, Tim Frakes Productions, Travel
Lauvanus Greets Lutheran World Federation
Posted by timfrakes | Filed under Carribean, Disaster, Faith Based Production, News, Pro Bono
Pastor Livenson Lauvanus, President of the Lutheran Church of Haiti brings a greeting to the Lutheran World Federation following the January 2010 earthquake. I recorded Pastor Lauvanus in Orlando, Florida on Thursday, January 21. Pastor Lauvanus was in Florida on business when the earthquake struck Haiti. For more visit: Lutheran Disaster Response
Tags: Florida Bahamas Synod, Haiti, Tim Frakes Productions
Arab Women’s Union
Posted by timfrakes | Filed under Culture, Faith Based Production, Interesting Places, Non-Profit, Peace and Justice, Pro Bono, Tim Frakes Productions, Tips, Travel, women
The Arab Women’s Union provides jobs for poor women in the West Bank while helping to preserve traditional Palestinian embroidery techniques. www.frakesproductions.com
Tags: Arab, Bethlehem, embroidery, micro-enterprise, Palestine, women
Web Video Workshop
Posted by timfrakes | Filed under Faith Based Production, News, Peace and Justice, Pro Bono
Tuesday, July 15, 2008 my friend Jim Parks and I will team up to conduct at web video workshop. The event is co-sponsored by the Religion Communicators Council Greater Chicago Chapter and the Interfaith Youth Core.
To download a promotional flier to go: Web Video Workshop Flier
• How to shoot, edit, and upload videos to the Internet
• How to distribute your content on the Web.
• How to distribute your content through an RSS feed so others will see it.
• How to do all this at home or with simple office support.
Free to RCC/GCC and IFYC members
$15 charge for visitors
Metered parking on Wells across from IFYC
Contact: sandi.justad@comcast.net for information.
Tuesday, July 15
Time: 3:30 – 6:00 pm
1111 N. Wells Street
Suite 501
Chicago, IL 60610
(312) 573-8825
Tags: frakes, productions, Tim
Augusta Victoria Hospital 2008
Posted by timfrakes | Filed under Client Production, Faith Based Production, Non-Profit, Pro Bono, Tim Frakes Productions, Travel
My friend the Rev. Mark Brown, is the Lutheran World Federation Regional Representative in Jerusalem. Last February, Mark asked me to help out with a promotional video for the Augusta Victoria Hospital.
The Lutheran World Federation’s Augusta Victoria Hospital has served Palestinian refugees since 1950. The mission of Augusta Victoria Hospital is to alleviate human suffering, promote peace and civil society, provide health care without regard to race, creed, gender, or national origin, provide services for those in social need with priority services to Palestinian refugees and commit to the development and maintenance of the highest standard of diagnostic and clinical service.
In honor of his wife, Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany built Augusta Victoria in 1910, as a hospice and rest home on the Mount of Olives, overlooking the Old City of Jerusalem.
Tags: Augusta, Federation, Hospital, Jerusalem, Lutheran, Palestine, Victoria, World