Seeking Salvation: A History of the Black Church in Canada

From David Spencer's Media Spin : Observations about media in Canada
Jump to: navigation, search
Flagcanadamini.gif Today is Tuesday April 30, 2024 in Canada. Flagcanadamini.gif
This is the day that the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24)

David Spencer's Media Spin Canada provides information on:

  1. associations in media, a glossary, music, Media new media, photography, publishing, radio, television, video and Resources web resources.
  2. David M.R.D. Spencer's founding and work with ChristianMedia.ca between 1999 to 2008. Read the interview with David .
  3. To connect with Canadian Christians working and volunteering in arts, media and music, publishing and writing go here .


< Home Flagcanadamini.gif | Associations | Categories | Glossary | Media Workers | New | Popular | Search

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


Seeking Salvation: A History of the Black Church in Canada is a film directed by Phillip Daniels and produced by Travesty Films.

Montreal's Union United Church has long been one of Canada's great black churches, and fittingly is one of the denominations featured in director Phillip Daniels' award-winning documentary Seeking Salvation: A History of the Black Church in Canada. The doc, which will be screened at the downtown NFB Cinema on Oct. 16, traces the history of the black church in Canada back to 1632, when Olivier LeJeune became the first slave in New France to be baptized. The screenplay was written by Canadian novelist Lawrence Hill (also the brother of singer-songwriter Dan Hill) and is narrated by Tonya Lee Williams (from The Young and the Restless) and Maurice Dean Wint (Cube).

"It's important to preserve our stories," Daniels told Hour this week. "It took us two years to make the film, from Halifax to Vancouver Island. My favourite thing about the movie is to see the transformation of people when they see the film. They start thinking of Canada differently."

Daniels wanted to bring black history to a wider audience but has noticed "a deeper emotional attachment" among black audiences.

"There are [also] a lot of Montreal stories in there, from 400 years ago to [Union United's former pastor] Reverend Darryl Gray and other leading members that have come out of that community," Daniels says.

In Montreal, Rev. Gray - whose new Imani Family and Full Gospel Church in NDG is packing in over 350 people every Sunday afternoon (and nearly half of them aged 35 and younger), says, "The black church


has played a pivotal role in the development of the black community in Canada. It has been our spiritual and social centre, and an advocate for refugees and immigrants. I think Seeking Salvation is long overdue and finally gives credit to a long-standing institution in this country."


Retrieved from "http://media.davidspencer.ca/w/index.php?title=Seeking_Salvation:_A_History_of_the_Black_Church_in_Canada&oldid=16989"