The Essential Church (2023)

• Year: 2023
• Released: 28 Jul 2023
• Country: United States
• Adwords: N/A
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28093168/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_essential_church
• Metacritics:
• Available in: 720p, 1080p,
• Language: English
• MPA Rating: PG-13
• Genre: Documentary, Drama, History
• Runtime: 126 min
• Writer: Shannon Halliday
• Director: Shannon Halliday
• Cast: Scott Atlas, Voddie Baucham Jr., Jay Bhattacharya
• Keywords: government, bible, church, lockdown, scripture, political,

	5.1/10
	100% – Critics
	100% – Audience

The Essential Church Storyline

When governments use Covid emergency act edicts to restrict the gathering and worship of the Church, three pastors facing the risk of imprisonment, unlimited fines, and their own Churches splitting apart take a courageous stand and re-open in the face of a world that has chosen to comply. The Essential Church is a feature-length documentary that explores the struggle between Church and government throughout history. This story takes us to multiple countries and uncovers those who have sacrificed their lives for what they believe in. Journey with us as we rediscover why the Church is essential and how we prove that our stand remains true from a scientific, legal, and most importantly Biblical perspective.

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The Essential Church Movie Reviews

Confusion

I never understood why they just didn’t do everything they could to protect the body of Christ. Why was it so hard to just put a mask on and distancing? It seems that would be showing care for each other. We are to be salt and light. How much damage was done to the unsaved who watched this whole thing unwind. What I heard from folks was why can’t we all work together on this. Millions of lives are being lost. That is extremely concerning. The blatant refusal to not work with local authorities only tells me that this was more about control than a godly approach, how can we work together to keep everyone safe.

Religious freedom or MacArthur’s ego

Before you see this movie that paints one church as being under siege during the pandemic, think about the thousands of other churches that didn’t feel threatened by the health mandates. Think about the churches that still managed to deal with the situation via virtual services and even community outreach programs. Think about the movie’s bias in favor of John MacArthur and his church.

Jim Hinch, senior editor of the Christian Guideposts magazine, wrote an excellent article “How the Pandemic Radicalized Evangelicals” (Los Angeles Review of Books, August 15, 2021). He points out that John MacArthur had a long history well before the pandemic of wanting to maintain absolute control over Grace Community Church and its seminary. A former seminary administrator said that MacArthur “”does not like anyone telling him what he can or cannot do.” A former deacon described the church as a toxic environment. MacArthur’s responses to the pandemic were just another episode of his wanting to hold on to power.

Hinch also described how other churches, including Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church, dealt with the pandemic without defying the health restrictions.

The movie is a propaganda piece that contains no information that would refute MacArthur’s claims.

Freedom vs. unconstitutional authoritarianism

If you love the church, or even if you just love constitutional freedoms, you’ll appreciate this film.

It shows how, in the Covid-era, government cracked down on things it didn’t like (like churches), and left the door wide-open for things it approved of (riots, liquor stores), and how their extremely biased and inconsistent rules violated the basic freedoms Americans are guaranteed.

The government also attempted to be the final authority in the church, dictating things like what worship was allowed (no hymnals), and how churches stood up to the biased authorities and met together as commanded by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Don’t miss it.