Minister talks about
stars on a heavenly
Website

By Lisa Millegan
Bee staff writer
(Published: Saturday, February 06, 1999)

The Rev. David Bruce gets excited when he talks about the current spirituality craze in Hollywood films.

Really excited.

The minister takes off his glasses, leans forward in his chair and quickly rattles off several films that focus on angels, heaven and hell. He points out references to the Garden of Eden in "Pleasantville" and themes from the Book of Revelation in "Armageddon."

"There's something powerful going on in this culture and it's showing up in our films," he said during an interview at his home.

Bruce traces spiritual themes in the cinema on his website ( www.hollywoodjesus.com ). In less than a year, the site has gotten a million hits from people all over the globe.

That type of popularity is unheard of for most church websites.

"If a church website gets 492 hits in a year, that would be good," he said. "I get that in a day."

Jay Baer, Bruce's account representative at his server, Concentric of Newport Beach, said Bruce is his biggest individual client. Normally, only business sites attract as many visitors, Baer said.

Bruce, believes the site generates a lot of interest because it isn't a typical Christian project. It's a site that "pagans" like, Bruce says with a grin.

The site is largely made up of film commentaries and accompanying movie stills. Each article highlights the emotional or spiritual theme of the movie. For example, the commentary about "Saving Private Ryan" discusses the human capacity to sacrifice one's life for another.

By dissecting movies, Bruce believes he can better convey the good news of Jesus Christ to those who visit his Website.

"In western culture, filmmakers are the storytellers who connect the viewer with the realities of the mysteries of life that appeal to our inner quest for truth and purpose," Bruce writes on his website.

Talking about the cinema is something that comes easy to Bruce. Born and raised in Los Angeles, he has long been interested in films and the entertainment industry. Before he became a pastor in 1984, he worked as a records administrator for NBC in Burbank.

Bruce was inspired to start his website after attending the Billy Graham crusade in the Bay Area in the fall of 1997. Graham asked Christians to use the Internet for good. Though Bruce had never so much as sent out an e-mail, he promised himself he would set up his own website.

He bought some books and learned the basics of web publishing. By March, "Hollywood Jesus" was born.

He says the site is his project and has nothing to do with his church. He never preaches about the website at Sunday services.

Bruce is not sure how many, if any, people have become Christians as a result of his site. He's not worried about numbers. His main concern is just to get people thinking and talking about God.