Stars shine for Christ

Exclusive interview with Adam She, executive director of Christian Association, who has acting talent

Interview/Gao Lili, Wu Xinhui

Organizing/Oh Shin-hye

▲Adam She (second from right), executive director of AMTC, takes a photo with his parents, brother and younger brother.

NBA basketball star Jeremy Lin and NFL American football star Tim Tebow gave glory to God in public and claimed that they play for God. Two sports greats who are not ashamed of the gospel have brought a breath of fresh air to the American sports world that is striving for fame and fortune.

The entertainment industry has been described as an industry dominated by money and fame. Even though there are constant news about luxurious and corrupt styles and gossip, it still deeply attracts young people to pursue their dreams. In fact, there are also a group of persistent Christians in the entertainment industry who are holy and insist on their faith in the industry that pursues fame and fortune.

Acting Talents for Christ (AMTC) is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. It is a ministry organization that discovers and trains acting talents. The founder of this magazine, Gao Lili, and executive editor Wu Xinhui paid a special visit to the association’s executive director, Adam She, to introduce you to this rare ministry organization in the Chinese community.

KRC: Please introduce the ministry of AMTC, the Acting Talents for Christ Association.

answer:The full name of "Actors, Models & Talent for Christ" is Actors, Models & Talent for Christ. This is an organization established specifically for performing arts talents and is also an action in response to workplace missions.

The purpose of AMTC is to follow the example of Jesus Christ and exert a positive and good influence in the film, television, fashion, and entertainment circles; by equipping and guiding talents who are determined to enter the entertainment industry, they can become good witnesses in the workplace and shine for the Lord. Salt, and then spread the gospel to the entertainment industry. As Isaiah 60:1-2 declares:

"Rise up and shine! for your light has come! The glory of the Lord is revealed to shine upon you. Behold, darkness covers the earth, and darkness over the peoples, but the Lord will appear and shine upon you; His glory will be upon you."

The talents God gives us have a purpose, and His ultimate goal is for His children to spread the gospel throughout the earth. Everyone has gifts given by God. Although they live in the world, they do not live with the world. Therefore, we are committed to discovering artists called by God to boldly use their God-given talents for the sake of the gospel and to impact Hollywood with good character.

KRC: Please talk about the establishment process and philosophy of AMTC.

answer:AMTC was originally a three-generation company, founded by American supermodel Millie Lewis in the 1940s. In the 1960s, she founded the Millie Lewis Modeling School in South Carolina. Due to the development of the school, she also became a television celebrity.

In the early 1980s, she and her daughter Carey Lewis, my mother-in-law, took students to New York for auditions. They thought that if modeling companies or agents from all over the country could be invited to the conference venue, it would make talent interviews or auditions more convenient. The procedure was much simpler, so the American Modeling & Talent Convention was established, which was later changed to the Actors, Models, & Talent Competition, always using the abbreviation AMTC.

The company continues to transform in the changing era, and the rise of various modeling or acting talent schools also makes AMTC face great competition. After Kelly was reborn and saved, she realized that the "C" in AMTC should be Christ. So in 2010, our association officially changed its name to "Performing Talent for Christ."

People often say that the media can create negative trends. The plots of TV and movies always attract the attention of the audience. The luxurious and slutty lifestyle of celebrities has caused distorted values in young people. Criticism is always inevitable, but we are determined to turn the tide and are determined to cultivate artists with Christian character or to produce deep and engaging stories that have a positive impact on audiences.

According to reports, the two major industries exported by the United States are agricultural products and entertainment (movies, television, etc.). Even in the arid and waterless African countryside, people can still watch television or use mobile phones, so it is so important to produce programs that are positive and have Christian values. We must actively discover and equip talented artists to use their expertise to spread the gospel to every corner.

KRC: Please talk about the business transition from the "c" of convention to the "C" of Christ, and the changes in actual operations.

answer:When there is no Christ in the company, the business philosophy only focuses on "people"; it hopes to help and integrate artists and managers with the goal of serving the people. However, due to the wrong benchmark, many problems have arisen since then. of disappointment and competition.

In 2005, we once changed the "c" of the association to the "c" (competition) of the competition. Unexpectedly, we encountered many blows and hardships in business the next year. At that time, about 30 employees resigned collectively to organize similar talent camps. Some resigned employees spread rumors on the Internet, accusing AMTC of being a fraud group, which made our business even worse. Kelly fell into a low ebb in her life and handed over all the company's business to me. The predicament at that time forced her to rethink her faith. After she believed in the Lord and was reborn, her business philosophy began to change significantly.

One morning, Kelly decided to change the "C" of AMTC to Christ, indicating that the company should put Christ first. I had not yet believed in the Lord at that time, so I could not help but be skeptical, but Kelly's faith and commitment to God aroused my curiosity about Christianity. At that time, due to sudden personnel changes and constant attacks in the company, I often felt physically and mentally exhausted, as if I had hit rock bottom, so I started going to church and was baptized as a Christian in 2008.

When we set "for Christ" as the company's main business goal, many people advised us not to do so, for fear that the company would be labeled by others, especially since there are many Jewish or gay companies in the entertainment industry. . But we feel that this is the right choice and we feel full of peace in our hearts. Before the name change, we originally had forty-two franchise brokerage companies, but after the name change there were only fourteen left. It seemed like God was helping us clean up the business. Those difficult franchisees had all left. What’s amazing is that none of these companies left. The boss is Jewish or gay.

Our redesigned training curriculum places equal emphasis on talent training and character education. Although there are still constant rumors and attacks on the Internet, and the company also faces many difficulties, since it is "for Christ", we must completely surrender to God. So at the end of 2011, we ended the for-profit company and reorganized into a non-profit company in early 2012 The company officially became a missionary agency. The old company happened to close on December 31, 2011, and the new ministry was officially launched on January 3, 2012. It was as if God led us to bury the past and resurrect with Christ three days later.

KRC: What courses does AMTC offer? What are the general draft procedures?

answer:You can register online or check the interview date (www.amtcworld.com). We regularly hold interview conferences in more than 20 cities in the United States. The conference included more than 40 briefing sessions including an introduction to AMTC’s ministry, mission and faith philosophy, an introduction to the entertainment industry and advice on entering the industry. The interview or audition process pays special attention to character and attitude. Unlike ordinary interviews that only care about appearance, we want to select artists who can truly be good role models. I often ask people during interviews: "What is the purpose of entering the entertainment industry?" Many people answer: "Want to be famous." However, what is the ultimate goal of becoming famous? Fame and fortune are not the ultimate calling in life. Having these talents requires setting development goals, and the ultimate goal in life is to be used by God and shine for the Lord.

Selected candidates have the opportunity to participate in "Bridge Training" courses, such as physical training, drama, beauty and styling, etc. These courses also include daily spiritual practice. Training camps are also held in major cities. These courses and trainings are all at your own expense. Since AMTC is a non-profit organization, all fees are calculated based on cost of production.

The Shine Event is held every January and July in Orlando, Florida. This is a six-day camp. We invite well-known talent agencies, film company scouts or Broadway talent scouts in the entertainment industry to conduct personal interviews or auditions. Students also use the conference to express what they have learned. Do your best to show the results of your training. After the discovered students enter the profession, we will also keep in contact with them and provide them with faith guidance and physical and mental counseling.

Participants do not necessarily need to be Christians, but we hope that after our guidance and training, they will be influenced and become Christians. Among the A-list actors currently in Hollywood, Megan Fox is a student of AMTC before its transformation. Several actors in the 2011 blockbuster movie "Courageous" were our students. This film was not produced with a large budget, but it brought out the message of the gospel and the depth of the story, and had a very positive impact on the audience. I hope there will be more works like this.

We have hundreds of touching testimonies of the talent show online, and parents have also left messages online. Even though their daughter did not sign for the talent show, her daughter's deportment and expression skills have improved greatly after training courses. The experience at the conference also broadened my daughter's horizons. These gains cannot be measured in terms of money.

KRC: After the transformation, how will you face the rumors mentioned before?

answer:If you search for AMTC on the Internet, you may find a lot of negative criticism, saying that AMTC is selling sheep before others, etc. These are all untrue negative news in the past. We cannot control others spreading rumors on the Internet, but we are willing to base our business philosophy on Christ. We also accept "being famous" - being famous for preaching the gospel, but we firmly believe that we will not compromise with business philosophy that violates Christian faith.

▲The inheritance of three generations shines for the Lord.

KRC: How did you get involved with AMTC? Please tell us about your personal experience.

answer:My parents are first-generation Taiwanese immigrants. When they immigrated to Atlanta, Georgia, to open a restaurant, they were busy with life every day and had no concept of raising their children correctly. I grew up in a serious and busy Chinese family. I was very rebellious and went to many schools. I came into contact with this type of talent show because my girlfriend (now my wife) mentioned that their family was running a very "special" business. After my original job ended, I started working as a grassroots employee in my girlfriend's family business. I gradually became interested in this industry, and only then have I persisted in it till now.

Because of the challenges I faced at work, I also found my faith in life and received the best blessings. I hope that Christianity will be passed down from my generation as a family heirloom. I was very rebellious back then, mainly because my parents were very busy at work. When I needed them very much, they were not with me, which made me feel a lot of loss. After I believed in the Lord, I received counseling in the church and was gradually healed. I am currently trying my best to mend the rift between my parents and me. They are not Christians yet, but they hope that one day they will be moved by God’s love and willing to accept Christ and be baptized into His name.

KRC: When you mentioned that when you were young, your parents were not able to encourage and accompany you due to work and wrong parenting concepts. Just imagining your loneliness almost makes me (Gao Lili) cry, but I want to use our Family stories of faith to encourage you. My great-grandfather Gao Chang had no formal education, but he met Jacob Ma, an early missionary to Taiwan. He became curious about his faith and believed in the Lord. From then on, he devoted himself to the ministry of evangelism. For this reason, our descendants are obsessed with our elders. His influence on faith has led to the fifth generation of Christians still serving. God’s promises will not fail. I believe that starting from your commitment to God, your whole family will become the people of Christ.

answer:Thank you for your encouragement.

KRC: What suggestions do you have for Chinese Christian parents on how to help their children develop their talents?

answer:1. Allow children to grow and develop the talents God has called them within an appropriate period of time. Going in the direction of children's growth conflicts with traditional parenting concepts, but we must learn to accept it, because listening and letting go to allow children to grow is something that parents often ignore. Only by "accepting" this concept can we respond immediately when our children need it. It is important to set goals that are consistent with God’s heart, because talents and gifts are the ability to move toward the goal in life, and unattainable expectations can break the heart.

2. Please do not force your children to develop talents that are not their gift when they are not ready. Forcing others to do something difficult may work temporarily, but it will leave permanent damage. In traditional culture and thought, Chinese parents expect their children to succeed, which makes parent-child interactions full of sadness and disappointment. Worldly achievements will eventually fade away over time, but only true satisfaction can bring eternal joy. Talents and gifts are all for the glory of God. By establishing this goal, we will never lose our way.